by C. R Corbin
"And you? How long have you been involved?" he asked.
"5 human years."
"So I suppose we are a couple of veterans huh? I remember that I first signed up at the beginning of it all and well ...here I am. I wanted to feel battle for myself but now...I don't even know what fuels me. I still enjoy battle, combat, that sort of thing. But I hold no ill will towards your people and the more this drags on the more I ponder my reasons for engaging in such an event." he stated and I resisted the urge to swell with anger once more.
"I ...Have you really never thought of it? Never thought of the repercussions of Kanosia committing such actions?" I asked and this time he didn't swell with pride either.
"No...not once. I am sorry." he stated and I nodded.
I didn't offer him any more words besides that but apparently that was all that was needed. He smiles and began to poke the fire with a stick as it rose higher and higher. I watched as every inch of his impressive blue muscle was illuminated in the flame, he was so...so handsome.
"What of you? Why did you join?" he asked and I deepened my slight frown.
"It's always been a dream to help out my dad I guess. Plus the ads back home all spoke of this terrible evil empire and I couldn't pass up the chance to fight something like that. My role as an engineer would have kept me out of battle and the pay was good. I suppose all of these factors lead to me being here in front of you at this very moment." I stated.
"Do you enjoy battle?" he asked.
"I hate it." I replied.
"I see..." he stated
I almost preferred the outright hostility that was between us yesterday to this strange silence that was now pervading the air. I glanced at his back and remembered that he had been injured. He didn't seem to pay it any mind, however I got the strong urge to go over there right now and...remedy the situation.
"Your shoulder." I remarked and he glanced at me before shaking his head.
"It's fine." he remarked and grimaced.
"No, turn around, there has to be something that you dragged up here that I could use." I ordered him. He seemed to recognize the tone in my voice and obeyed immediately before he turned and let me rest my hands on his back.
I take out the medical kit and find the sanitizing spray which I use on his shoulder wound. He flinches a bit as I run the spray over his shoulder, most of the time people would be crying over the pain from this stuff but he didn't seem to mind it. I take out some of the gel and slather it onto the swelling flesh and continued to apply the serum.
I dash my fingers across his muscular back and my hands cling to his rugged shoulders, his herculean musculature. I licked my lips and blushed as I watched his body tense and flex in the dim light of the fire. I leaned in to press my hand against the front of his shoulder to care for the rest of the wound and as a result the rest of my body pressed into him, causing him to shiver slightly.
#
Fherin
I should thank that beast for injuring me. At least this was a way that the awkwardness between us could be avoided.
I feel her rugged yet gentle hands dash along my back. There were callouses from all of her work as an engineer but that only made the experience all the more...arousing. For such a strong woman to be capable of such gentle, feminine gestures caused a great deal of excitement to arouse within my heart. I feel her lean in and her breasts press against my back. Her ample bosom slid against my shoulder blades as I felt her light hands grasp me, every inch of her leaned into me and I sighed as I felt her incredibly soft curves press into me. I turned and glanced at her once she was finished, her face was crimson.
"Are you okay?" I asked and she nodded.
"I should ask you instead." she remarked.
"I'm fine."
"They really did a number on you huh?"
"Trust me, I've been through much worse."
She goes back to her spot and I sit down on my side. She gazes at me and shuts her eyes before falling into a peaceful slumber. Had it been yesterday then there would have been some difficulty involved in her falling asleep in front of me. Yet now all I can see as those heavy eyes of her's glanced at me is a sense of...comfort.
Even I couldn't hold on for the rest of the night and shut my eyes after a while. I make sure to set up a small trip wire of sorts near the entrance that would be attached to my belt in case anything approached.
As for my descent into slumber?
"Hello Fherin." she states as I opened my eyes, we were still in the cave but she was completely nude and on top of me while I sat there. I looked down and noticed that I had been laid bare for her to see as well.
"Don't you want to claim me?" she asked.
Yes.
"Don't you want to claim me as your mate?" she asked.
Yes
"Then take me." she stated.
I turned her over and pressed her back against the rock before digging myself in between her wet folds. I sink into her and moaned as I felt my tip dashing along every inch of her walls. I leaned in and pressed my lips against her's. We both moaned into one another and I began to thrust in and out of her while hearing her moans. My hands alternate between grasping her backside and her breasts. I gripped her ample flesh and savored each and every one of her moans as I dug deeper and deeper. I can feel her walls clenching me, they quivered in unison with my throbbing as I slipped in and out. There was a great deal of slickness dripping down her thighs and splashing onto mine the more intense our passion grew.
"Yes, yes, only you can do this to me. I am your mate, I am yours." she moaned.
I could feel myself hardening to a point that I hadn't thought possible. My tip digs all the way in and her gaze locked with mine before I gripped her shoulders and snarled. I felt myself quivering before the end finally came. She screamed, as did I, I could hear her moans growing in intensity and I could feel her walls clenching me.
"Take me." she moaned.
And then suddenly I heard her voice once more, this time in a much less erotic tone.
"Wake up." she stated.
Her hands slapped my chest several times, her fingers dashed along the outline of my pectoral muscles before my eyes finally opened. I gazed at her and nodded while she knelt in front of me, all I can do is look around in shock and hope to the gods that I didn't make a fool out of myself. I looked down at my crotch and I was ...fine. Luckily there was no mess for her to see.
"Are you alright?" she asked me and I nodded.
"I'm fine. Sorry. I should have been alert. I stated before getting to my feet in front of her and brushing myself off.
"No you stayed up all night, it's no trouble." she remarked and I shoot her a polite smile.
"Are you...hungry?" I asked and pointed outside, her eyes widened.
"Oh you mean we're going to be eating them?" she asked in shock and I shook my head.
"There are some rations that are left near the wreckage. I was referring to those. Although now that you mention it.....their corpses could be used for fur." I stated and gathered my equipment. She stands in front of me and watches as I slipped the rest of my armor on before stepping outside.
"Are these common here?" I asked and pointed towards the strange beasts that had attacked last night.
"Yes, they're called Hirudens, a common predatory around her. Really ferocious as you saw last night. Although I have to admit that you did quite well." she states and pride swells within my bosom.
"Of course I did." I stated in an overtly proud tone and she snickered before gazing at the wreckage. I stop beside her and watched the cold Perophian air brush the landscape, I couldn't help but feel the same sense of sorrow that was pervading her soul at the exact same moment.
"I'll be fine ...We're going to be fine." she states to herself in a reassuring voice, although I wasn't so sure that she could maintain her composure.
"We're going to find the man who did this. We're going to find him. Don't worry." I reass
ured her and she glanced at me, nodding.
"If we make it out of this he will be brought to justice I am sure of it. We're going to need your help to do it too." she stated with a slight reluctance, I admit that it was better than the outright hostility that she was showing yesterday. Although the moon between us was still rigid at least every word hurled wasn't an insult anymore. Now we both knew what had to be done and we were going to do it.
"Come on. Let's go get those rations" I remarked and pointed towards a box that was off to the side. She follows me down the hill while shivering before I gripped the box and carried it back up the hill. She grabbed another small box of rations and does her best to carry it back up as well, although she falls behind for a bit she eventually makes it back to the top of the hill.
CHAPTER FIVE
Natalie
"So how does this thing work?" I ask myself as I gazed at the ration heater. These were only used in case of emergencies only, back at the base we just ate from the mess hall.
I grabbed one of the metal tins and glanced at the underside, this was apparently a ham and cheese omelet which sounded like something I really needed right now. I press in a set of buttons on the small keypad that was on the box before I felt it begin to heat up. I set it down and looked over at Fherin who was busy-
"AH!" I shouted as a squirt of blood dashed over towards me.
"Sorry." he remarked.
"Jeez dude."
I glanced as he worked the knife through the beast before its pelt came off completely. He sets it off to the side and goes to work on the other one, at the very least these beasts would be keeping us warm during the night time. I should be thankful for that at least.
"Which one do you want?" I asked him.
"Choose for me." he said and I inwardly grinned as I gave him the veggie omelet which was widely reputed to be slop.
I looked back at him while he skinned the second of the two beasts. He was doing a pretty good job until a squirt of blood flew across his face. He snarled and set the knife down, he looked absolutely livid and I couldn't help but giggle.
"Stop it." he said with a smile and I shake my head.
"It's just...All this talk about being a proud warrior and you get blood smeared all over your face by this...oh god that's just priceless." I muttered while glancing back at the fire.
"You want another squirt of blood?" he asks teasingly and I shake my head.
"No thanks. That's your job. To be receiving the blood I mean." I stated with mirth before gazing back at the rations.
We didn't speak of the mating bond, it was much too awkward to do so. In fact we didn't really speak of anything, I was trying to search for something to say, wracking my mind for conversational subjects until...
"Your crew...How hurt were you when you found out that they...you know?" I stated and he frowns.
"I can't say that I was really all that surprised after the initial shock. After all I had been the one to question Denos's orders at every turn, it just made sense that he would want me out of the team but...I never thought that he would do something like this to me."
"So what do you want to do?"
"To who?"
"To Denos?"
"I'm going to find him and punish him. It is well within my rights and since he willingly betrayed me in such a manner, in addition to all the other violations of Kanosian law that he has committed, I am under no obligation to serve him. We will find him and exact vengeance." he stated.
"I thought you said your commander's word was law?" I asked innocently.
"It was ...but ever since I was stranded here and you said those things...I’m not so sure anymore. We should get in contact with someone immediately. From there we can get off this frozen rock. Whether they be Kanosian or human is irrelevant, I’m sure that we could negotiate either of our freedoms after they arrive." he stated.
"You sure the Kanosians will just let me go?" I asked him with questioning eyes.
"I will try to find a human ship. I would rather you be spared the fate of prison." he mutters and turns away, I can't help but smile. I thought all of that talk of pride and honor was just a front, maybe I was wrong in some sense."
"Thanks ...I think I saw a communicator down there. An emergency one at least. Every base is installed with one and I think that it would take a direct nuke to destroy one so it's probably functioning. We can go down and retrieve it if you would like." I stated and he nodded.
I glanced at the flame in front of us while he skinned the last of the beast. I heard a ding and looked towards our rations that were finally finished heating. I gave him his meal with great anticipation and watched him as he opened the metal tin
"Aren't you going to be eating yours?" he asked.
"Oh I will, I want to see your reaction first though." I said.
He gripped the metal lid and peeled it off before the monstrosity that was his breakfast revealed itself to him. It was this mismatch of green and yellow on some spongy material that was supposed to be egg. There was a pile of potatoes which, admittedly, weren't all that bad. Off to the side was oatmeal with some berries. I handed him his drink which was a simple can of orange juice.
"Dig in." I stated and grabbed my fork before opening mine. I looked back a second later and almost half his meal was gone already. He had scarfed down most of the main course and was working on the oatmeal. His hands were covered in the food.
"That's disgusting! " I remarked.
"It's how we eat back home." he said with a shrug and an innocent look. I couldn't help but laugh at him while he looked at me with his face covered in egg and oatmeal.
"Well use a spoon. Jeez. You know how to use utensils right? Don't tell me they don't have utensils back on Kanosia." I said and he frowned.
"Fine." he resigned.
"Some part of me thinks you just like eating like an animal and that no one back on your home world does that."
"...."
"Fherin!"
"What?!"
"You really just eat like that?" I asked him and he brushed the back of his head sheepishly.
"Sorry... suppose bad habits have been festering inside of me during my deployment." he remarked.
He grabbed his juice and guzzled it all down but took great care to spoon the food into his mouth. All that time spent at war must have made him a quick eater and gotten him accustomed to eating with his hands like an animal. Just what did they teach him on that ship? If we were going to be mates then this behavior had to be corrected!...Wait what?
"I'm still kind of hungry..." he whined.
"You want another ration?" I asked him, I was slightly concerned as our supply wasn't that big anyways. If we were lucky then it would last a week.
"No, no, I have a meal already." he stated and dragged one of the skinned beasts over before slicing off some of its flesh and hanging it over the fire. I glanced at it and watched as the meat cooked before he slipped it into his mouth. I always thought that the meat lacked any real flavor and was a bit too tough for my tastes but I suppose desperate times call for desperate measures.
He collects the steak into his hand and scarfs the meat down. By the time he is finished he has eaten over half of the cadaver and tossed the rest outside to freeze in the snow. I finished my meal soon after and smiled at him when he thanked me for the meal.
"It was ...good. Human cuisine is so much more complex, I have to say." he remarked and I laughed.
"Why what do you eat back on Kanosia?" I asked.
"Mostly meats, wild grains and vegetables, that sort of thing." he remarked and I nodded as I looked back towards the ration.
"You know back at the base we used to have our cook. Tim. he made the best curry that could be found anywhere on this side of the galaxy, I mean it was so spicy that it would make you question life but it was still really tasty. I remember one time we ran out of milk and he insisted on making it so we all indulged him. My friend Sarah was dete
rmined to try it one night and she did even though we told her milk would be coming the next day and we would eat it then. She swallowed it and....man was it scary. She started coughing and shivering so she ran into the bathroom and grabbed some soap because that was a well-known remedy for hot stuff. It worked but the only thing she tasted that night was....well a bar of soap. The rest of us got to eat leftovers from last night while she spent the night in the bathroom washing her mouth out.....I miss them." I muttered as I shut my eyes and let the tears fall. He inched his way closer to me, until his hands can barely graze my cheek. He dashed the clean backside of his hand against my cheek and I looked at him, he had greeted me with a smile.
"I understand the pain that comes with such a loss. There were days when all I had to look forward to was dinner with my crew. We would eat steaks and wild vegetables and converse long past our dinner period. I have nothing left now, the betrayal has not only deprived me of their company but has sullied any memory that I may have had.....I suppose we are sort of in the same situation. All that I have known and all that you have known are gone ...I can't tell you how sorry I am, but I can tell you that I understand." he muttered and pressed his forehead against mine, I was going to pull away, but strangely I froze.
All of a sudden the memories didn't seem to be so daunting.
"That's...a good point. I never really stopped to think about how you're doing have I? All this hiding from me and here you are after getting kicked off by your crew. Then again you were kind of a dick about it first but...I understand too." I said as my sobbing ceased. He can only smile at me calling him a dick before we both relaxed next to one another, glancing at the flame that flickers in front of us.
#
Fherin
After breakfast and that tender moment of silence I had told her that I would go and collect the communicator. She was welcome to come with me to collect anything that may be left over that may have sentimental value to her. She quickly accepted my offer and followed after me. Soon after we were standing in the midst of the crater with the possessions of the human colony laid bare across the snow. Some of it was obscured due to the snowstorm that had occurred last night but we were able to find most of it.
