by Linda Mooney
“Kyber, I am convinced that Five and the furries are the predominant species on this planet. But, at the same time, I think they’re also low on the food chain.”
Kyber narrowed his eyes at her. “That is not the way on most sentient planets.”
“No, it isn’t,” she agreed. “On the majority of worlds with sentient species, the dominant one is also at the top of the food chain. But that is the majority, not all.” She pointed at where Five had climbed on top of a rock and was currently grooming itself, running its clawed hands through its fur. “I saw furries chewing into the rocks, and they were chewing symbols into the glyphs! Those same symbols we’ve seen in the interconnecting tunnels. The ones with the glowing lights. Guys, I believe the furries are highly intelligent. More than the Hoov things, and the little square-headed people who are now gone.”
Five paused and made gnashing sounds with its mouthful of tiny, sharp teeth. Kelen looked to Dox for an interpretation. “Let me guess. It’s telling us it’s hungry again?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t suppose you can apologize for us and tell it we don’t have anything to eat, can you?”
The little man looked over at the fuzzy and made a few sounds with his lips, teeth, and tongue, adding a couple of grunts into the mixture. Five replied with several of his own noises.
“He says there’s lots of food. Nearby.”
“Nearby?” Kelen exchanged surprised looks with Kyber.
“Where nearby?” Kyber asked.
Another quick exchange ensued. “Near,” Dox told them. From the young man’s response, it appeared that Dox knew exactly where, but in pure Dox fashion he wasn’t being more specific.
Kelen rolled her eyes as Kyber tossed another rock onto the fire. “Can Five tell us where to find this food, so we all can eat?” the Seneecian requested.
A third exchange. “He will show us,” Dox announced.
Kyber immediately held up a hand in Kelen’s direction. “You will stay here. I will go.”
She started to protest, when common sense stopped her. “All right. In fact, I think I’ll take advantage of the bath cavern to clean up while you’re gone.”
Kyber got to his feet. “No. You must stay here until we return.”
“Why? Because there are tunnels leading out of the baths?”
“Please wait until we return. I will then accompany you to your bath.”
“And you think leaving me here alone is safer? I’ll be fine, my love.” She saw him lift his head and square his shoulders. It was a defensive posture she was familiar with, but she couldn’t fault him for it. Kelen gave a little groan. “All right. I’ll be here when you return. Just don’t take forever, okay?”
Before Kyber could respond, Dox got to his feet, scooped up the furry, and trotted out of the chamber.
Chapter 15
Bath
Kelen was able to catch a little rest before hunger pangs awoke her. She was alone, and the fire still appeared fresh, which meant Kyber and Dox hadn’t been gone a long time.
She threw another rock in the pit and wrapped her arms around herself. She doubted she could go back to sleep, and the thought of a hot bath grew more alluring with every passing minute. Her body felt achy, yet her womb was quiet. Her leg throbbed, but otherwise she felt in relatively good health.
She examined the bandaging around her hand. It was filthy and needed to be replaced. Wonder if I can just wash it out real good and reuse it?
She scratched the side of her cheek, and a piece of something came off in her fingers. Kelen stared at the dark patch of whatever it was before flicking it away in disgust. With no idea where the men had gone, or how much longer they’d be away, the siren song of a cleansing bath became impossible to ignore.
When the need to relieve herself made itself known, she decided she wasn’t waiting any longer. Chances were she could take a quick bath, scrub her uniform as best she could, and be back inside the cavern before they returned.
Her eyes rested on the bundles Dox had left behind. Although she didn’t remember if there were any clean uniforms in them, she figured it wouldn’t hurt to check. She quickly learned her initial hunch was correct. Other than an array of gadgets and gizmos, and pieces of technology, ninety-nine percent of which she couldn’t identify, his haul contained nothing she could use or eat.
“Oh well, it was a good idea while it lasted.”
Cautiously poking her head out the doorway, she checked both ends of the dark tunnel. No sounds came from either direction. Other than a low, muffled roar, which she recognized as the sound of the falls coming off the lake, the place appeared to be vacant.
She found the bath with little difficulty. Stepping inside the room, she paused and inhaled the moist heat rising above the water’s surface. She no longer wondered where the pale light filtering into the underground chamber came from, or how it was created. If I lived a thousand years, I’d never learn everything about this world.
Kelen shed her uniform, dumping it on the edge of the pool, and happily eased herself into the warmth. Immersing herself up to her neck, she could feel the minerals in the water already working on her body. Easing her muscles, the heat permeating to the bone. For several long minutes she allowed herself to lie unmoving, almost floating, but she knew it had to be short-lived. As much as she wished she could remain here for an hour or two, she knew Kyber would be furious, not to mention worried out of his mind, if he returned to the chamber and discovered her gone. Worse, that she had broken her word not to come here without him. Well, technically, I didn’t give him my word, she reminded herself. I just said I’d be here when he returned…here being a relative term. I haven’t left these tunnels. I just changed rooms.
Using the soft sand from the bottom of the pool, she scrubbed the bloodstains and dirt from her skin. After washing her hair, she undid the wrappings around her hand and leg. Her leg appeared to be healing well enough. Amazingly, so did her hand. Traces of something orange colored still stained her skin, but the tearing and puncture wounds were closing and didn’t show any sign of infection. She tried to flex her fingers again. This time they moved slightly, but they moved.
After thoroughly cleansing the wrappings, she pulled her uniform into the water and tried to clean it as best she could, but some of the stains were nearly impossible to get out. “Guess I’ll have to learn to live with them,” she murmured to herself, and dunked the material under the water one more time for good measure.
“My instincts were correct,” a deep voice commented wryly from across the chamber.
Kelen flushed and turned around to face him. “In what way?”
“I checked here first before going to the other chamber.” Kyber walked over to the edge of the pool and squatted. He didn’t appear angry as there was a bemused smile on his face. “How is it?” He stuck a hand in the water and swirled his fingers.
“It’s wonderful.” She glanced past him. “Where’s Dox?”
“He went to the other chamber.”
“Were you successful in finding food?”
This time Kyber chuckled. Sitting on the lip, he eased himself into the pool. Once immersed, he removed his genital cup and set it on the ledge. Kelen watched him slowly dip under the surface, then reappear. Kyber shook his head, sending droplets flying.
“I am in total agreement with what you said earlier,” he finally remarked. “Five—whose real name is Ikko, but he likes the name you gave him—Five and his people are the dominant intelligence on this world.”
“So Five is a he.”
“Actually, Five is duorf.” Kyber ducked underneath the water again, this time spending a few seconds completely submersed before surfacing. Kelen knew why he was taking his sweet time answering her. It was his way of paying her back for not staying by the fire as he’d requested. When he finally rose out of the water, he groaned softly. “You are correct. This is wonderful.”
“Kyber. Duorf. Food. Answers.”
He gave her t
hat one-sided grin she loved. “Would you believe me if I told you the Jeef have a way to fish the lakes for food that does not require wading into the water?”
Rolling her eyes, Kelen let out an exasperated sigh. “Okay. I give. What is the Jeef?”
Kyber was definitely enjoying this moment. She couldn’t fault him. She’d probably do the same thing if their roles were reversed.
“The Jeef is what Five calls his people. What you call furries. A duorf is…how to explain? The Jeef need three to procreate. A male, a female, and a duorf.”
Kelen snorted. “Three. What does a duorf do? How is he important to procreation?”
“It seems the Jeef are a species who enjoy sex without the need for procreation. But if a female or couple wants or needs to get pregnant, a duorf is required to prepare or fertilize either the female or the male.” Kyber slowly shook his head. “I do not quite understand the scientific or medical details. I will defer those to Sandow.”
“What about food? Should I expect another green thing roasting over the fire when we get back?”
“A green thing and a couple of black things, and quite a few very small purplish things that Five finds very delicious eating raw, but he allowed us to save some for you.”
Kyber swam over to where she’d found an underwater rock to sit on. Before he reached her, he vanished beneath the surface, and Kelen felt him running his hands over her hips and thighs. His claws teased the juncture between her legs, making her shiver with anticipation. The subtle foreplay made her skin tingle. However, his fur was scratchy and clumped with dirt and dried blood. Which was why, when he came up for air, she held out a handful of sand.
“Turn around,” she ordered in a no-nonsense voice.
Smiling, Kyber presented his back to her.
Chapter 16
Pure
Kyber had known Kelen wouldn’t remain by the fire while he and Dox went to search for food. Neither did he blame her. She needed to soak in the pool’s warm sulfuric waters to relieve the stress and aches of what she’d endured. But he couldn’t help worrying about her. He couldn’t stop himself from imagining some other alien creature attacking her while she was alone. At least she had a thick wooden door between herself and the outer tunnel when she was in the chamber with the fire pit. The cave with the pool had tunnels leading from within it, and the memory of when Isup had kidnapped her remained fresh in his mind.
As soon as he’d reentered the corridor, he’d caught a whiff of her scent and followed it to the grotto to find her cleaning her uniform. Waving for Dox to go ahead without him, he walked in without her being aware of his presence. At first that realization bothered him. Yet, at the same time, again he couldn’t fault her. Exhaustion had dulled their senses. They were unable to remain as alert and on guard as they’d been when they’d first crashed on this world. The few of them who remained alive were subsisting on little more than iron will and survival instinct.
Kelen took her time rubbing the sand into his fur, cleansing it of all the grime, blood, and sweat that matted the short, curly pelt. He bowed his head, enjoying her touch and the warm water. Every now and then she would order him underwater so she could wash out the sand. When he obeyed, he made sure to caress her body, lightly running his retracted claws over her skin. She shivered, but made no comment other than give him that loving smile he thirsted to see.
“The last time we were here, you pledged yourself to me,” he remarked as she worked on his lower back.
“I remember.” They kept their voices low, not so much as to prevent anyone or anything from hearing them, but because the moment required it. They both knew how this bath would end, but they were in no hurry to finish.
Kyber raised his face to the ceiling and closed his eyes. “I died inside when you fell through that crack. I had no will left to live. It was because of the others that I persevered.”
She paused in her ministrations. “I thought you’d died, too. I thought the quake had collapsed the cavern around you, and I was the only one left alive.”
“How did you survive?”
“I blacked out. When I awoke, I found I’d landed on a big heap of snow. That’s what broke my fall. The quake had destroyed one side of the lower cavern. I guess the crack opened directly above it. I was inside the furries’ chamber, although at the time I didn’t know it. When they discovered me, initially they were hesitant to approach me. Then one of Hoov’s people came barreling into the chamber, attacking the little creatures. I managed to blast it out of existence before I blacked out again. The next time I came to, the furries were keeping me warm.”
“How?”
“They laid on top and around me like a giant living blanket, sharing their body heat. They also brought me food and water, and they bandaged my hand and leg. When the other big quake came and destroyed the rest of the chamber, they led me through one of the small interconnecting tunnels, but I was too weak to follow. I laid down to rest, and when I awoke, I found them gone. I followed them to another purple chamber, and that’s where I came across Hoov’s people herding them and attacking them.”
“So you attacked back,” Kyber remarked.
“I had no choice, my love. I thought you and the others were dead, although I didn’t want to believe it. The furries, I mean, the Jeef had saved my life. I felt I owed them that much. Turn around.”
He faced her and she began to scrub his chest. “You found me through Dox’s transmitter?” she murmured.
“We knew we could not remain inside the ice temple. Not with more of those quakes breaking apart the ground. We took a chance on the third temple.”
She gave him a surprised look. “There is a third temple?”
He gave a nod. “But it is being destroyed by lakes of fire. The third temple is situated inside a ring of volcanoes, most of which are active. The heat was intense. We believe the eruptions occurring there may be the cause of the ice quakes at the ice temple side of the planet.”
“It’s very possible, especially if the fault lines run beneath both temples.” She splashed water over his chest to remove the sand, then began on one arm. “When did you discover my signal?”
“When we were at the fire temple. Kelen, there was no third white light on that temple’s transporting panel. Only one. We had no idea if it would take us back to the ice temple, or to the garden temple.”
“It placed you back at the ice temple, though, right?”
“Yes. From there, we followed the signal. My One…” He placed a hand over hers to get her attention. Kelen gazed into his eyes as tears rose in hers. “We did not hold out hope of finding you. We only followed the signal because we needed to know for sure that it came from your transmitter. We thought we would find your body and allow us to give it a final goodbye.” Reaching up, he cupped her cheek.
Kelen kissed his wrist and managed a playful smile. “Surprise!”
He leaned forward, taking her mouth and drawing her into his embrace. He’d thought he would never be able to hold her like this again. To love her like this. To feel her heart beat against him, or to immerse himself in her scent and her body.
He pulled her into his arms, then turned around until his buttocks came in contact with the rock ledge where she’d been sitting. Kelen straddled him, locking her ankles behind him. The water added buoyancy, giving them the chance to make love without having their weight tire them further.
Leaning her backwards brought her breasts within easy reach of his mouth. Kyber bent over to take a nipple and suckled it until it tightened on his tongue. Kelen rotated her hips, grinding herself against him as his erection pressed inside her entrance. When she groaned, he felt the vibrations all the way to the root of his shaft.
Releasing the taut nub, he closed his mouth over the other breast and teased it with his sharp teeth. She giggled as she grabbed his face. “That tickles.”
“Does this tickle?” He ran his tongue through the valley between her breasts, all the way to the hollow of her throat. Kele
n closed her eyes, the smile on her face showing him how much she enjoyed his touch.
Kyber lowered one hand to her buttocks and pressed her more firmly into his lap. With her secured, he began to press his erection all the way inside her, filling her with himself as her tight channel closed around him. He nuzzled her breasts again as she clutched his fur with both hands.
She was hotter than the waters swirling around them, and the sensation of burying his thickness into her was driving him to the sweet brink of madness. Kelen tried to grind herself over him again, but his hands locked onto her hips, preventing her from moving. Then, slowly, his erection began to pump her, drilling and dragging sensitive skin over enflamed nerve endings. She moaned softly, allowing him to take full control as he buried himself deep within her, retracted, then plunged again through her wet warmth. Gradually he could feel her closing around him as she trembled in anticipation. It had been so long since they’d last made love, this moment would not last much longer.
Reaching between her legs, he lightly flicked a claw across her clit. It was enough to throw her over the edge and she cried out with her release. Her body gripped him, her inner channel nearly strangling his erection. The force of her closing around him was all he needed to find his own orgasm, and his body went rigid.
For several long and wondrous moments they clutched each other tightly, as if they could meld through each other’s skin to become one. Kyber pressed his face against her breasts as she wrapped her arms around him, cradling him. They both shuddered from the aftermath, but neither one of them made the first move or pulled away.
The cavern grew quiet. The echoes of their passion faded and were replaced with the soothing sounds of the water bubbling in the pool.
