Night Skies Hotel IV: The Lost Worlds free porn video

Night Skies Hotel IV: The Lost Worlds By Solari Author's note: "The Lost Worlds" is the first story in the three-part "Foundations" trilogy that shines a light on the wider Night Skies Hotel universe. The other stories in the "Foundations" trilogy are "Night Skies Hotel V: Shadows on the Sun," and "Night Skies Hotel VI: Destroyers of Worlds." It is recommended that the stories be read in order, or the reader risks not understanding the events that unfold. *********************************** "We do not underestimate the capabilities of the Patriarchy; after all, our timeline was the first one they conquered. They were new to traveling among the human timelines, and ours was the first truly civilized human timeline they found. But they grew to fear the power of women, and we remained na?ve to their true intentions until it was too late to save our Earth from their predation!" - Artemis, from 'Night Skies Hotel III: More Than Meets the Eye.' *** YEAR 0/CHAPTER I: PATHS OF WATER A small pebble sundered the serene, glassy-smooth surface of the water. It hit the surface and quickly sank into the pond's clear depths, leaving no trace that it had ever been there, save for an expanding circle of small ripples. Another pebble splashed into the water. "Milady, you shall never catch any fish if you keep that up," a woman's voice rebuffed, breaking the stillness of the forest. "They shall flee from such disturbances into deeper water, where it will be harder for your baited line to tempt them." "Who says I want to catch any fish?" a young girl replied listlessly. "I'd rather be reading right now, not fishing. But mother insists that I get outdoors more often, so here I am, bored beyond belief in a royal forest." A second woman's voice broke in. "Milady, you know very well that there's more to life than book learning," she said sternly, but not unkindly. "The outdoors are an integral part of the Gaian people. Besides, you're just bored because you haven't had a single bite today." Ripples once again stirred the surface of the small pond. "Milady!" the first woman said. Her voice was louder this time. "You must not ..." "I didn't do anything, Ceres!" the young girl interrupted. "Not this time, anyway." The ripples turned into small waves. The wind had picked up. "What in Gaia's name is going on?" Ceres murmured. She looked up into the sky, a sky that had been clear and blue moments before, but was now marred by scudding, gray clouds. "It looks like a summer storm is developing right over us, Eris! And fast, too!" Eris had come to the same conclusion, and the older woman was already helping her young charge reel in the fishing line. Not unexpectedly, the young girl was less than cooperative. "I want to play in the rain!" she yelled, her innate wild spirit shining through the listlessness she had worn like a suit of armor for most of the afternoon. Eris sighed. "You've been rained on before, and you will undoubtedly be rained on again, milady," she said. "For the sake of your Guardians, let's get indoors. We don't want to get drenched." She extended a tattooed and painted hand to help her young charge to her feet. Overhead, the gray clouds continued to thicken and darken, their bellies swollen with unspent moisture. A bolt of lightning spidered across the sky, followed by an ominous rolling rumble of thunder. Moments later, a dark sheet fell from the base of a roiling cloud, and raindrops could be heard spattering across the treetops, running down leaves, trunks, and sinking into the ground and the pond's surface. "I think we're too late," Ceres observed dryly. "You don't say," Eris replied. As if to emphasize the point, a fat raindrop spattered on the bridge of her nose. The young girl was having the time of her life, dancing and twirling amid the raindrops, drinking in the atmosphere of the storm, and feeling it come to life within her bosom. Her spirit soared as the storm gathered strength ... Lightning crackled across the sky, and peals of thunder rumbled, literally shaking the ground. The clouds, now inky-black, swirled ominously, and the gentle curtain of rain gave way to a hard, cold, downpour. Bolts of electric blue lightning arced toward the forest and detonated high in the treetops near the trio of Gaians. "Get away from the trees!" Eris screamed, pushing her young charge to the ground in the clearing where she had been dancing. "Get to the ground, Ceres! Stay as low as you can!" Ceres hit the ground with only a second or two to spare as a bolt of lightning slammed into a tree near her. The big old pine began burning as it snapped halfway down and tumbled away from the Gaians. Ceres' hair was standing on end from the proximity of the strike, but she was otherwise unharmed. As the Gaians lay trembling on the ground - the young girl's enthusiasm having given way to fear - the storm began to rotate around a newly formed vortex. Lightning shot into the hungry mouth as it sucked in the clouds, howling winds and even the rain. Without warning, a column of brilliant energy shot down from the vortex - which looked something like an ugly gash in the sky over the royal forest - and disappeared into the forest not far from where the Gaians lay prostrate on the ground. And then it was over. The storm was gone almost as quickly as it had developed. Bright blue skies returned, along with the golden disc of a midday sun. Birds chirped once again and stillness returned to the waters of the pond. The Gaians climbed to their feet and looked around, dumbfounded. "In all my twenty-one seasons, I've never seen a storm like that," Ceres muttered. "One minute it's a howling monster, the next minute it's as if it were never here." She spied the burned-out hulk of the pine tree. "Well, mostly so, at any rate." A soft chime sounded from Eris' wrist; someone was hailing her comsig unit. "Yes, yes, we're fine," she spoke, not recognizing the face of the woman on the other end. "We had a close encounter with some lightning and a falling tree, but that's about it." "Please accept the apologies of the Science Guild, Prime Guardian Eris," the woman said remorsefully. "SkyAlert had the storm pinpointed before it had even formed, but we couldn't warn you due to interference on the GlobeCOMM frequencies in your area. We finally punched through, but the storm had dissipated by then." Eris sighed. Again. "Your explanation is duly noted, and, no, we won't say anything disparaging about your guild in our report when we get back to the palace." She terminated the signal from the Science Guild bureaucrat. "OK, then. Let's head back to the Windstar," Ceres stated. She gathered up the picnic blanket, the tackle box, the conspicuously empty catch bucket and the rod and reel. All were soaked or had water running off them. "It, at least, will be nice and dry." Ceres and Eris turned to make their way to the nearby aircraft. It didn't take them long to realize that their young charge had remained rooted to her spot. "Milady, what's the problem?" Ceres inquired sweetly. Well, as sweetly as one can sound while being soaked to the skin. The young girl pointed mutely in the direction of the pond. Eris followed the her lady's gaze and froze. Seven imposing men in gray uniforms stood on the opposite shore of the pond. They bore identical insignias above their hearts: a sinuous and powerful-looking black dragon coiled around what appeared to be a planet. The dragon had glittering red eyes and spat crimson flames. But what really caught Eris' attention were the weapons - three of the men were carrying what appeared to be some sort of gun. From the corner of her eye, Eris saw Ceres maneuver herself slowly so that she was standing directly in front of their young charge. Eris did likewise and, for once, the girl didn't say a word. She stared at the men, her face etched with surprise and curiosity. If they had to, both Ceres and Eris would give their lives in order to ensure the safety of the girl. Both women fervently wished they hadn't left their weapons in the Windstar, but what were the odds of having a security situation involving men in a remote royal forest? One of the men - there were some sort of pips above his insignia and on his collar - motioned slowly, deliberately, at the armed men at his side. They lowered their weapons. The man extended his arms outward, the palms of his hands up. "We come in peace," the man said in a raised voice. "We're explorers, scientists - we mean you no harm." Ceres found her voice. "If you have peaceful intentions, why do you bear weapons? It's common knowledge that males are not allowed to carry weapons unless supervised." Eris interrupted, whispering, "Ceres, something isn't right here. Their insignia. I've never seen it before on any of my travels, let alone on Gaia." Ceres glanced over at Eris. "Did a HyperNet search turn up anything?" Eris shook her head. "It was only a quick scan using a few keywords. None of the civilizations we know about have dragon insignias." The Guardians continued to whisper between themselves; the young girl half-listened while keeping an eye on the men on the opposite shore. They hadn't moved, and their leader - at least she assumed he was their leader - continued to wait patiently, his palms still up, offering no sign of ill intent. "You're not from Gaia, are you?" Eris and Ceres traded glances and looked over at the young girl. She was talking to the men, and had given voice to the Guardians' suspicions. "That storm. It wasn't natural!" The princess became excited. "It was a gate storm! I've seen them before ...," she paused, thinking, " ... but only in recordings that are centuries old!" The men looked uncertainly at their leader. He smiled warmly at the princess. He knew she was important - the way the women were positioned around her told him that much - so he addressed her directly. "You, young lady, are obviously quite intelligent," he complimented. "We are not from your world. We come from a planet known as Terra. It's a world in a parallel timeline - but you already knew that, didn't you?" The princess smirked and winked at her Guardians. "So much for the limitations of book learning, huh, Eris?" she whispered gleefully. Eris took charge of the situation. "As the Prime Guardian, you will direct your conversation to myself, male." "Hey! I'm not a princess in title only, you know!" the girl interrupted. "I can speak for ..." "You, milady, are only ten seasons old," Ceres admonished gently. "Your mother put you in our care for a reason, young one. You must have faith in your Guardians." The man shrugged and slowly lowered his arms. "So be it, Prime Guardian. May we come closer, so that we need not raise our voices to communicate?" Eris inclined her head, and the two groups - Terran and Gaian - edged closer. Before long, they were within arm's reach of each other. Silence reigned as the men and women studied each other once again. It was obviously a first-contact situation, and neither group was taking chances. One wrong move, one wrong word, and trouble could arise. "What's your name?" Eris inquired, gesturing at the Terrans' leader. "Or do you even go by names on your world?" The man laughed. "Yes, we have names. We're not that alien." He tentatively extended his hand and Eris gripped it in a firm handshake. "My name is Jericho Sah'nah. I am a dostum with the Unified Terran Military, ground forces branch." Eris responded in kind. "I am Prime Guardian Eris of the Gaian Military Guild, leadership protection branch." She gestured in Ceres' direction. "That is Guardian Ceres. She, too, is a member of the Military Guild." "And the young one? Does she have a name?" Jericho asked. Eris hesitated for a moment, and that was all the young girl needed. "I am High Princess Artemis," she proudly declared, a smile splitting her face. "My mother is the Queen Dominus of Gaia!" "My, our first foray into this world and we've already struck gold," Jericho mused, studying Artemis' face. "How fortunate." His gaze returned to Eris and Ceres, and he became even more formal. "As representatives of Terra and its government, we formally request permission from Gaia to enter into negotiations for science, trade and cultural exchanges." "We're not high enough on the food chain to grant such permission," Eris said. "You'll have to take that up with the Queen Dominus and her Guild Mistresses." Ceres had already initiated a priority override signal on her comsig to the Queen Dominus and her Guild Mistresses. Jericho and his men looked on, lazily curious. Ceres transmitted the conversation the Gaians had had - and conveniently recorded - with the Terrans. Minutes passed, and a small chime sounded. Ceres inclined her head at Eris. "The Sisterhood has accepted your proposal, Jericho," Eris announced, smiling. "An escort will arrive shortly to take you to Themiscyra, our planetary capital. Negotiations will commence shortly after your arrival there." "That was fast," Jericho observed. "Terra is not the first parallel timeline we've encountered, Jericho. We have protocols in place for situations like this," Ceres explained. "We ourselves have been exploring parallel timelines for nearly six centuries." She paused, thinking. "While we're usually the ones who initiate first contact, there have been a few timelines that beat us to the punch, so to speak. You've just joined their ranks." Jericho's men mumbled among themselves, and Jericho himself stared, slack-jawed, at the Gaians. "What? What is it?" Ceres asked. By the goddesses, I hope I haven't tripped up on some obscure protocol of theirs! "It's ... it's nothing, really," Jericho said. "We've been traveling to parallel timelines for fifty years or so - the technology is still relatively new on Terra - and to encounter an advanced world such as your own is, well, quite humbling." "Hey, thanks for the compliment," Eris said as the men and women moved away from the pond, making their way toward the meadow where the Gaians' teardrop-shaped Windstar sat. "But common sense dictates that it would just be a matter of time before you encountered something more advanced, more alien than you had ever known before." She smiled. "It looks like the odds caught up with Terra." "It would seem so," Jericho replied amiably. "We've found twenty-five Terras so far, but most of them bore no sign of civilization, human or otherwise." His eyes grew distant. "But two of them had been home to human civlizations at one point ..." "The worlds were devastated, weren't they?" Ceres asked. Jericho's mute look was all the answer Ceres needed, but he gave voice to his emotions. "One never made it past its early nation-state era while the other had been struck by a meteor. It's disconcerting to see entire worlds brought to ruin like that," he said quietly. "We, too, have encountered ruined Gaias - but only a few, thank the goddesses," Ceres said. "For the most part, they were ruined not by human mistakes, but by nature's whims." She gazed kindly at Jericho. "It's only natural that you will encounter timelines where humanity failed to thrive. Rest assured, however, that the benefits of exploration far outweigh the drawbacks." A low hum filled the meadow as a larger Windstar came down from the sky. Its six-woman flight crew - four more than the usual crew complement for a smaller vessel - stepped out from the ship and waited expectantly. "Your ride is here, esteemed guests of Gaia," Eris intoned formally. "Be aware, however, that your party will be disarmed prior to transport." Jericho inclined his head and motioned for his men to board the Windstar. The last one in, he briefly turned back to the Gaians and smiled apologetically. "One last thing. We didn't mean to scare you out of your wits with our grand entrance," Jericho said. "Those gate storms, as you call them, always form when we enter parallel timelines. Our scientists haven't found a way to make the transition, well, less disruptive." The Windstar's hatch closed before the women could respond. It lifted into the sky and shot away toward Themiscyra. Eris and Artemis squinted into the sun, keeping an eye on the aircraft as it shrunk to a bright speck. The sound of dripping water brought them out of their reverie. It was Ceres wringing out the undershirt of her uniform, which still clung wetly to her well-endowed chest. "Hey, don't mind me," Ceres stated matter-of-factly. Eris laughed. "That, my friend, is the first thing we're going to have to teach the Terrans." "What?" Artemis piped up. "How to smooth their transitions among the timelines, milady," Eris explained. "At the very least, it could help them diplomatically. After all, first-contact situations where everyone is drenched or scared to death isn't exactly conducive to negotiations." "Or if the parties are singed, as the case may be," Ceres added. Eris burst out laughing - and it was contagious. They were still sniffling a few minutes later as High Princess Artemis climbed into the backseat of the Windstar, followed by the Guardians, who sat up front. Moments later, the teardrop lifted off with a soft whisper and quickly dwindled into the distance. CHAPTER II: BRAVE NEW WORLD "A toast is in order for our esteemed friends in the Gaian Science Guild!" The man's voice boomed across the packed convention hall, amplified by the miniature sonicphones embedded throughout the vast facility in Gaia's capital, Themiscyra. "Two years have passed since we made first contact on that fateful, rainy day ..." - a burst of knowing laughter rippled from the sea of smiling faces - " ... and those years have been very beneficial to our two worlds. We have traded not only in knowledge and commerce, but have conducted initial cultural exchanges as well. One person must be especially recognized for her role in forging the solid foundation that the relations between Terra and Gaia rest upon ..." The speaker paused for a moment, letting the anticipation build. He gazed serenely into the sea of mostly female faces, focusing on the subject of his impending accolades and the entourage that surrounded her. "High Princess Artemis," the speaker intoned formally as he raised his wine glass, "this toast is for you and your sisters in the Gaian Science Guild!" The man drained his glass in a single gulp. Twelve-year-old High Princess Artemis blushed furiously as the crowd roared its approval. She leaned over to the nearest Guardian and whispered, "But I really didn't do anything special! I just told them the truth: Jericho Sah'nah and his team left a good impression on me!" Prime Guardian Ceres could only smile. "Milady, you should know by now that words carry weight, and your words especially so," she stated matter-of-factly. "You have matured greatly, milady, since that pivotal day in the Gaian Royal Forest." As if to prove Ceres wrong, Artemis stuck her tongue out playfully. Eris, who had been half-listening to the exchange between Ceres and Artemis, looked down as the comsig on her wrist chimed. A woman's face appeared on the viewscreen. "We're ready to see High Princess Artemis at her convenience," the woman stated. Eris acknowledged the woman and turned to Artemis. "Your pardon for interrupting, milady, but the healers at the Medical Guild can see you at any time." Artemis was glad that the crowd's attention had shifted away from her for the moment. She looked over at Eris and sighed. "Let's get it done, Prime Guardian," she said formally. Another speaker's voice - female this time - droned on in the background. "The sooner I get the required medical test done, the sooner I can get back to doing what I love most: acquiring knowledge and experiencing new things." "It shouldn't take long, milady," Eris said. She spoke into the comsig, and the woman's face vanished from the viewscreen. "As you know, every female approaching puberty has to have the test, and I'm not aware of anyone who's suffered unduly because of it." Eris smiled reassuringly. "You won't be any different, milady." *** As Artemis and her entourage discreetly exited the bustling conference hall - not entirely succeeding at avoiding well-meaning attendees who just had to greet the High Princess - a rather contentious discussion was under way in one of the hall's numerous meeting chambers. "Frankly, I'm surprised Terra hasn't initiated the use of a technology-based bio-filter regimen for personnel going to or returning from other timelines," Metis stated. "Your world is fortunate that its explorers haven't brought a plague back with them." Her counterpart, Terran scientist Stanton Zev'thun, smiled politely. "Your frankness is appreciated, Gaian Science Guild Researcher Metis," he began formally, "but your single-mindedness is not. You've raised this issue with us daily during the conference thus far, and each time we've informed you that we're not as unprotected as we might appear to be." He gestured at one of his subordinates, who dutifully began reading from his padd. "Terra's bio-filter regimen is predicated upon a single goal, which is to determine the strength of an individual's immune system. Only once initial findings have been confirmed through a series of more intricate tests, are individuals allowed to begin training for participation in the Terran New Worlds program ...," The aide turned to Stanton. "Do you really want me to go on, sir? I've read this document aloud multiple times already." Metis began to speak, but she was beaten to the punch by Stanton. "Go on, son. Some of our esteemed Gaian colleagues ...," he looked directly at Metis, " ... need to hear it again. And again. And again, it seems." Stanton's subordinate shot an apologetic look at Metis, and picked up where he had left off. "Having proven the resilience of their immune systems, members of the TNW program are generally no longer subject to the bio-filter regimens. The regimens only kick in again if, in the course of executing his duty with the TNW program, an individual becomes ill. Such instances are rare, and when they do occur, it's been found that Terran immune systems are more than sufficient in negating the effects of foreign material within the body." The aide fell silent and Stanton smiled. "Now, Metis, which part of the explanation didn't you understand?" he asked. "Yes, I know what you're trying to drive home: that Terrans have evolved a highly effective immune system," Metis sighed. "But that's not the crux of the issue at hand!" "Enlighten me, then," Stanton requested. "Relying strictly on your immune systems for protection is inherently risky," Metis explained. "While Terrans evolved a strong immune system, perhaps there are worlds where bacteria and viruses developed differently, and are stronger. I feel it's just a matter of time before you find something that even your immune systems can't handle." Stanton began to speak, but Metis held up her hand. "Stanton, as a colleague and, more importantly, a friend, I am asking that you once again recommend to your superiors that Terra accept Gaia's assistance in crafting a more comprehensive bio-filter regimen. I can't make it any plainer than that." It wasn't often that Metis appealed to her personal friendship with Stanton when the two discussed issues between Terra and Gaia. She usually thought that if she couldn't convince someone to find a solution to a potential problem with logic alone, then that was it. They would have to learn through the school of hard knocks. But the stakes were too high now for that hands-off approach. "I'll take your suggestion to my superiors, Metis, as I have in the past," Stanton said quietly, moved by her appeal to their friendship. "I know Gaia has only good intentions for us, but we're not as sophisticated as your world. We're a headstrong and brash culture overflowing with spirit. We like to do things our way - if that means we get burned once or twice, then so be it. It's how we learn." He paused, thoughtful for a moment. "We have an old saying on Terra: 'That which doesn't kill you, only makes you stronger.'" "I can appreciate that," Metis said slowly. "But let me tell you a story, too: Thousands of years ago, when Gaia's people were young and torn by tribal, ethnic, religious and national differences, a terrible plague swept our world ...," Stanton's eyes widened, and he listened, rapt. This was something new - he had known Metis almost since First Contact Day, but she had never mentioned anything until now about a plague in Gaia's distant past. Maybe it's taboo to share it with outsiders, he thought. If so, she's breaking the tradition, which must mean it's really important. "... and killed tens of millions of women," Metis finished. "But the price wasn't only in lives lost, Stanton. It was also paid in blood, as great social upheavals scarred our world for several centuries after the passing of the plague. It left a racial memory with us like no other, and since that time, we have been rather sensitive about health issues." "You've piqued my curiosity - what else can you tell me about this plague?" Stanton asked. "Got a few years to burn?" Metis asked. Judging by the look Stanton gave her, she didn't think so. She interfaced her padd with the aide's Terran counterpart and entered some coordinates. "Perusing Gaia's HyperNet could provide you with additional insight," Metis explained. "But I can tell you right now that you won't find much more than what you already know. It's a fact that there was a plague. It's a fact that it killed tens of millions of women. And it's a fact that it caused horrendous social upheaval. That much has been passed down via written records and oral stories." "Then it's also a fact that your forebears recovered as well," Stanton observed. "More than recovered, really. Almost a renaissance, judging from the fact that Gaia is populated by six billion people today, with well over half the population female." Metis shrugged. "It depends on how you define recovery. Our ancestors never cured the plague. It simply vanished into the mists of time." She paused, her eyes bright with intensity. "Because of that, we have always feared we might one day uncover a reservoir of the plague, and it would once again decimate the women of Gaia." "It's why Gaia is so single-minded about bio-filter regimens," Stanton added softly. "Precisely." "I promise I shall bring Gaia's offer of assistance up to the Council of Champions," Stanton said. "But we both know it's been futile in the past, and that's not likely to change now." "Perhaps. But time has a way of changing even the most stubborn of leaders," Metis said. She smiled encouragingly. "Now, Stanton, let's discuss other areas of common scientific interest between Gaia and Terra." *** Elsewhere in Gaia's capital , Artemis anxiously awaited the results of her medical test. It had been hours since the procedure - which consisted of taking a small sample of her blood for DNA analysis - had been done, and yet no word had been received regarding the results. "I thought you told me it wouldn't take more than an hour, Eris," Artemis muttered. She looked at her chronometer built into her comsig. "Well, it's been three hours and counting!" "Milady," Eris began smoothly, "the healers are merely being thorough. You are, after all, the successor to your mother, and it would reflect poorly on the Medical Guild if they hurried up your tests, only to make a mistake in the process." "As always, Eris, you speak truthfully," Artemis said. "It seems patience is a virtue I have yet to completely master." "All in due ..." "My daughter!" a woman's voice interrupted. "It's been too long since I last saw you!" The voice belonged to none other than Queen Dominus Steena, the leader of all Gaia. Eris and Ceres instinctively dropped to their knees before their Queen Dominus as she glided into the private waiting room, followed by a contingent of other Prime Guardians. Seeing Eris and Ceres knelt before her, Steena tsked and motioned for them to rise. "It's not a formal occasion, Prime Guardians. There's no need to follow protocol to the letter," she said. "We can save the pomp and circumstance for another time, my sisters." Simple and direct. That's the way Steena was. And it was why she wielded not only supreme power, but adulation as well. Steena had earned the respect of her people, female and male alike, and that was a feat the relatively few leaders, regardless of the timeline they lived in, could rightfully claim. "I wish I could've been here sooner, Artemis," Steena said as she took a seat by her daughter's side. "But affairs of state, as you well know, got in the way once again." "What was it? Did you have to mediate another dispute between some guilds?" Steena laughed. "Not this time. The Culture and Faith guilds have actually been playing nice with each other for once." She leaned closer to her daughter and whispered, "Actually, it's a scientific breakthrough that I know will tantalize you, my child." Artemis ran through a list of possibilities in her mind, but nothing obvious stood out. "I give up. What is it, mother?" Steena began to speak, but a healer entered the waiting room. She spotted the pair and made her way straight over to them. Talk about crappy timing! Artemis thought. "Queen Dominus Steena, High Princess Artemis," she said, inclining her head respectfully, "we have the results from the medical test. Privacy regulations stipulate that only ...," "I want my mother to know of the results as well," Artemis interrupted. The healer nodded. "Follow me, miladies." A few minutes later, Steena and Artemis found themselves in a small meadow surrounded by a lush garden. It was intentionally designed to calm jittery nerves. Shortly thereafter, the Mistress of the Medical Guild herself joined them. "I should have known Gaia's lead healer would be the one handling my daughter's test," Steena said lightheartedly. "Of course, Queen Dominus. After all, your daughter is the future Queen Dominus of Gaia," Lexia replied, her eyes twinkling. "Therefore, only Gaia's best and brightest can handle her medical needs. That's me, by the way." Lexia turned to Artemis and spoke. "High Princess, your test has come back negative for the genetic trait. You can rest easy, milady." Artemis' whoop of joy echoed across the garden. She collapsed into her mother's arms, relieved that the wait was finally over with. "It looks like you were more nervous than you let on, young one," Steena said soothingly as she brushed aside the dark locks of hair that had fallen in Artemis' face. "You did a good job of masking it." "I learned from the best," Artemis replied softly as she gazed adoringly into her mother's expressive, sky blue eyes. Lexia looked on, smiling. It always pleased her to see her patients go home happy. "Miladies, I must now take my leave. Other patients await, you know. A healer's job is never done." "I'll see you in the Guild Chambers later," Steena replied. "It's a Time of Issues, you know!" "If you can call defusing squabbles among the guilds something to look forward to," Lexia called back lightly as her form receded into the distance. "I personally prefer a root canal to that, but such is the burden of being a Guild Mistress." The healer's irreverent attitude brought forth laughter from Steena and Artemis. They knew Lexia had a reputation for being something of a comedian, but it was also well-known that she was serious about her duties as a Guild Mistress. Their joyful noise mingled with the rustling breeze and music of the birds as, together, mother and daughter returned to the hustle and bustle of Gaian life. *** From afar, Terra was a gorgeous blue-green gem hanging in space. As the unmanned probe passed by the planet's moon - significant parts of which had been industrialized in the last century - the image of Terra became less paradisiacal and more gritty. The night side of Terra glittered with the light of sprawling cities, spiderwebs of lightning from titanic storms and the glowing mouths of at least two active volcanoes. The probe plunged into the atmosphere, drawn inexorably to the signal transmitted from a military base somewhere on the night side of Terra. The on-board computer began beaming data to the base as it passed over a powerful hurricane whose winds and driving rains lashed part of the coastline of the small continent that was home to Terra's central government. In a timeline hundreds of realities away, the land was known as Atlantis, and would "disappear in a single day and night," destroyed by a volcanoes and tidal waves. Its people would fade into myth and legend. But destiny had taken a different path on Terra, and its Atlantis had spawned a people whose ambitions had eventually overrun the entire planet. Nearly two centuries had passed since the Patriarchy had united Terra under its stern leadership. Nonetheless, the planet still bore some of the scars left from the last wars that had been fought in the decade leading up to final planetary unity. Fusion weapons had been detonated. Quakes had been triggered. Chemical and biological weapons had been used. There had been no innocent nations in those last, terrible, struggles for survival, but there had been one victorious nation, and it had been the Patriarchy. The base was located in Marsupia, a small continent whose people had been the last to fall before the Patriarchy's military juggernaut. As such, the province was almost always in last place when it came to fulfilling priorities on Terra. Jericho Sah'nah shook his fist at the probe as it passed overhead. The gesture was largely symbolic, but he felt better anyway. He had fallen on hard times nearly a year ago when he had been denied a promotion and had - foolishly, as it later turned out - challenged his superiors to honorable combat. Jericho performed well in the duels, defeating all of his superiors, except for one. Unfortunately, the one superior he had failed to defeat had been none other than the Champion of Marsupia, Raad Darnek. Raad was Marsupia's representative on the Council of Champions, the Patriarchy's ruling body. Jericho had to go through him to obtain the promotion because the position would have put Jericho in command of personnel and equipment deemed critical to Terra's ongoing expansion in its home star system. Jericho took a swig from the bottle of ale he always had on him now, and his mind drifted back to the utter humiliation of a year ago. He had lasted all of thirty seconds against Marsupia's Champion, and had spent the following minute prostrate on the arena's floor, Raad's boot crushing his throat as the Champion leered down at his subordinate. "Do you yield, inferior one?" Raad asked contemptuously. Jericho didn't answer. He was still intent on removing Raad's boot from his throat. "Yield, or die a serf's death," Raad spat. He put more weight on Jericho's throat. It was hopeless. "I ... I yield. I yield, my liege!" Jericho croaked. Raad grunted and removed his boot from Jericho's throat. The dostum sat up slowly, wheezing for air. Raad glared at him. "Since you were resourceful and skilled enough to reach the point where I had to defeat you in the arena, and because you yielded to me, I will spare your life, Dostum Jericho Sah'nah," Raad rumbled. "But as of this moment, you are persona non grata in not only Marsupia, but all of Terra as well." Jericho lowered his gaze as his star continued to fall. "You have been stripped of your military rank. Your name will be excised from Terra's public databases. You will lose your home." Raad became quiet for a moment. "That is the price you pay for failing to defeat a Champion. But you will be free, Jericho. You will not become a serf, nor shall death claim you." Jericho breathed, but just barely so. "Begone, citizen!" Raad commanded. He nodded slightly, and a security team entered the arena and dragged an unresisting Jericho from the Champion's sight. Abruptly, Jericho snapped back to the present. A low drone filled the humid night sky as a routine patrol flitted through the star-spangled skies over the former dostum's head. The ships were no larger than specks against the full moon. He stumbled off the path he was on and sat down heavily at the base of an ancient oak tree. Jericho brought the bottle back to his lips - and dropped it as a terrible spasm ripped through his belly. Jericho groaned and clutched his throbbing gut. It had been acting up for several days now, but the pain was worse tonight than he had ever experienced before. A new bolt of agony seared through his belly, and his skin grew flushed and sweaty. His penis stirred between his legs as it swelled with hot blood, growing long and erect. "Now if only I had a woman here," Jericho mumbled as the pain subsided. He fumbled with his trousers and released his engorged organ. "She'd sit on that baby and bring some joy to my forsaken life ...," Jericho's scalp started to itch, and his hair began thicken and become fuller. A lock of darkening hair slithered past Jericho's shoulders. The lock of hair, now jet-black, was quickly joined by other darkening locks, which combined to form a luxurious mane of jet-black hair. Confused and tipsy from the ale, Jericho ran his hands through his long hair, unaware of how soft and dainty they were becoming. His nails ached slightly, and began to protrude from his fingertips. The protrusions grew into long, feminine nails that stretched a half-inch beyond the tips of Jericho's feminizing fingers. "Uhhhhhh." He moaned and writhed in drunken disbelief as the changes metastasized. "I'm so hot ...," Jericho's vocal cords warped, changing his voice, making it higher-pitched and feminine. His Adam's apple softened and vanished. Jericho arched his back against the oak tree as his hips and buttocks, drenched in musky, hot sweat, expanded. The growing flesh rippled - momentarily contained within his taunt trousers - before bursting through the fabric, revealing his new, soft, sensuous butt and hips to the moon-lit world. His erect penis poked out absurdly from his feminizing form. He clawed at the shirt covering his chest, obeying some primal urge, and the unwanted fabric tore away, exposing a hairless and softening chest. Jericho's mouth grew full, sassy and glistened wetly with lipstick. He smiled vacantly as his eyebrows thinned and as his face softened and rounded. His mind drifted amid the sea of changes, and strange images began filling it. Images of sex. Images of conception. Images of pregnancy and childbirth. Images of reproduction that repeated, growing stronger with each passing moment. Jericho's nipples stirred slightly as a hurricane of female hormones raged through his body, permeating every cell. They darkened and became engorged as halos of thick, dark aerolae expanded around them. Between his now-feminine, hairless legs, a patch of skin above his erect, straining penis reddened and sprouted strands of dark pubic hair. The dark strands quickly grew into a thick inverted triangle-shaped mat of pubic fur. Jericho ran a soft long-nailed hand through his new bush while his other hand gently rubbed his large, sensitive female nipples. Slight swelling developed behind the nipples and aerolae, and the new flesh pushed the sensitive points out erotically from his heaving chest. He cried out softly as the barely-discernable budding breasts ballooned into full, firm and heavy mammaries. Jericho instinctively thrust his prominent "D" cup tits out, their nipples quivering in the humid night air. Rivulets of sweat dripped into the deep valley between his melons, and flowed over a now smooth and supple belly. His waist constricted, and he felt himself losing height. He now had the hourglass form of a healthy young woman. Deep in his belly, organs were still shifting and altering slightly, and a new uterus was nearly finished growing. "I'm ... I'm changing into a woman! But how is this possible?!" Jericho mumbled, moving his long-nailed hands over his bulging cleavage in wonderment. A stab of trepidation flashed through him as well, for he knew how most women were treated on Terra. "I don't want to be a man's chattel!" The hot, hormone-laden blood that had engorged his penis retreated, and the now-useless organ grew flaccid. Jericho's gonads followed the blood supply and pulled deep into his belly, transforming into a pair of fertile ovaries that would soon release eggs. He rose unsteadily on shapely legs and balanced himself against the tree as his scrotal sac pulled painfully tight against his crotch. A shriek of womanly pleasure echoed across the meadow as the empty scrotum split down the middle and fused into the crescent-shaped outer labial lips of the vagina he was giving birth to. Delicate inner lips formed and parted before a new opening that burrowed deep into Jericho. The shaft of his penis melted away, leaving only the pink nub of what had once been the organ's head, but was now that most female of tissues, a sensitive nerve-packed clitoris protected by a soft hood of skin. Jericho closed his eyes as a tidal wave of pleasure welled up from his clitoris and rippled over his body, washing away what was left of the fear wrought by the transformation. A Venus mound pushed the new fruit between his legs out slightly, and he began to lubricate, but not before new vaginal muscles expelled the last of the semen his male body had produced. It puddled between his feet ... ... and Ashari opened her beautiful emerald green eyes for the first time. Twin desires immediately tore at her psyche - a deep-seated urge to flee, for she sensed she was in danger, and an equally strong urge to reproduce. The former won out and Ashari leapt away from the tree and hit the trail running as fast as she could. She was alone in the wilderness. She could not sense any of her sisters nearby. The terrain was strangely unfamiliar, but, at the same time, achingly familiar as well. It all combined to paint a jarringly confusing picture. Ashari careened off the exposed trail and raced for a nearby tree line, but it was too late. A pair of Viper patrol vessels - the same ships that had flown by earlier - roared out of the sky overhead, just above the canopy of the forest that promised Ashari a measure of protection. Spotlights stabbed out from the undersides of the ships and painted her, and she froze like a deer caught in the monstrous deadlights of some predator. "You have violated curfew, unidentified female serf," a male voice boomed from the lead ship. "Remain where you are, or face lethal consequences." One of the ships drifted down for landing. In a matter of moments, it would disgorge a team of enforcement personnel. Somehow, Ashari knew this. She also knew that the men would not treat her gently. She knew how she knew this, yet, at the same time, didn't know how she knew, and it frightened her. It scared her so much that she gave in to the urge to flee once again. In a flash, she went from being paralyzed by the spotlight to vanishing into the dark forest. A gunner aboard the airborne ship took aim at her, but his dostum made a slashing motion across his throat. A disciplined man, the gunner held his fire and looked curiously at the dostum, who was listening intently to a transmission from the ground team. "She wasn't marked," the dostum said at last. "That's almost unheard of." The gunner whistled. "A wild woman loose on Terra. I thought that was the stuff of legend." "They're more common than the books and instructors would have you believe," the dostum explained, "but ninety-nine percent of them are marked wild women - escapees from their masters' compounds. This one was wild and unmarked." The dostum grinned. "Hell, she might be descended from the insurgents who fled into the forests and hills after Marsupia's annexation by the Patriarchy." Before long, the Vipers left the meadow, resuming their routine flight pattern. A single unmarked wild woman, while rare and interesting, wasn't worth expending resources to capture. The odds were a bounty hunter would snare her before long. She would be brought in, sold to a slave market and put up for sale. If she was fortunate, she would end up as a well-treated serf in the estate of a generous man. Deep in the forest, Ashari had calmed down and regained the rationality she had known as Jericho. She examined her breasts as their dark, engorged nipples produced droplets of clear, hot fluid - the same fluid that now lubricated her vagina and was even a component of her sweat and saliva. Ashari was alone, but she wouldn't remain so for long if an ancient evolutionary response to a plague's devastation had its way. She couldn't afford to remain alone. The survival of her species depended on rebuilding the ranks of females, ranks that had been decimated by the plague and resultant social upheaval. Survival also depended on giving birth to more female infants. A plan formed in her mind, and her beautiful green eyes flashed with determination. She set off into the forest once again. Terra's bio-filter regimens had been breached. *** From afar, Gaia was a gorgeous blue-green gem hanging in space. A small asteroid hurtled toward the world, drawn by its gravitic pull, and soared past the planet's twin moons - natural satellites that Gaian feet had yet to trod upon. The asteroid glowed as it encountered Gaia's outlying atmosphere, becoming a meteor that screamed toward the surface of the paradisiacal world below, a world where vast swaths of forest, grasslands, plains and hills were broken only by the occasional towering arcologies. Billions of Gaians lived in the arcologies - which, in essence, were towering city complexes that extended more than a mile into the atmosphere and, oftentimes, just as far below the surface. There, they lived, died, made love, pursued knowledge, did business and carried out manufacturing. The meteor sped through the atmosphere high over the arcologies which dotted the coasts of a vast inland sea that, hundreds of realities distant, was known as the Mediterranean Sea. The friction on the errant rock-and-iron traveler grew as the atmosphere thickened and, unable to withstand the pressure, it finally detonated in a brilliant burst somewhere over the continent of Narth Golia ... "Wow! That was awesome, mother!" Artemis exclaimed. "Mmm, yes it was, honey," Steena replied softly. "Of course, it's only the beginning of the annual Tal Kyrte Meteor Shower. By this time tomorrow night, the skies overhead will be ablaze with hundreds of micrometeor bursts per hour!" The Queen Dominus and High Princess of Gaia were far from the planetary capital, Themiscyra, but felt right at home in the wild lands of Narth Golia, a continent whose civilizations had died out thousands of years earlier. Archaeological findings indicated that the ancient nations were destroyed by the same plague that had come so close to wiping out human populations elsewhere on Gaia. Humanity had been unable to reestablish a presence on the continent, so it had reverted to wilderness. Only in the last three centuries had the Gaians re-colonized Narth Golia. Since then, those tentative colonies had expanded into clusters of arcologies that dotted the continent's coastlines and creeped deep inland. Unbeknownst to most Gaians, there was also a single, top-secret research facility - jointly run by the Science and Military guilds - nestled deep in the northern Great Plains of Narth Golia's otherwise empty heartland. It was from the facility's observatory that Steena and Artemis viewed the start of the meteor shower. Their imaginations wandered as they watched the colorful streaks of light paint the night skies - a canopy that was dominated by the Twin Moons and dense with stars, distant worlds and, faintly, one of the spiral arms of their own galaxy, which appeared to arc up into Eternity. "Will we ever have a space program, mother?" "Perhaps one day." "Why not now? Why not in the past?" Artemis could be persistent at times. "Terra has a space program! They've colonized their moon and some other planet called Marrz!" Steena ruffled her daughter's hair affectionately. "Terra is not Gaia, and Gaia is not Terra," the Queen Dominus explained. "We learned how to cross into parallel timelines long before the lure of space took hold on Gaia. Terra, on the other hand, plunged into spaceflight first, and only in the last fifty years or so have they learned to travel to neighboring timelines." "I know what you're implying, mother: Our worlds took different paths to acquiring knowledge," Artemis said. "But we've had the know-how to go into space ourselves for two years now - Terra traded the knowledge to us. Why haven't we used it?" "Because most of our scientific resources have been devoted to another project - a project that has finally borne fruit," Steena said. "Project Infinity has taken our most brilliant minds decades to perfect, and it far surpasses anything Terra has to offer!" Artemis smiled in anticipation, remembering her mother's words back at the garden. "You said the breakthrough would tantalize the knowledge-seeker within me." "Something like that. Follow me and see for yourself, my child." Steena and Artemis entered an elevator that plunged them deep into the research facility. They passed floor after floor - all bustling with scientists and military personnel - before finally coming to a halt on the lowest level, which was nearly a quarter-mile straight down from the observatory. The pair stepped out of the elevator and into a brightly-lit vestibule. There, a researcher waited for them. "Greetings, miladies," Metis said. "I presume, Queen Dominus, that you wish to show the High Princess the culmination of Project Infinity?" Steena smiled broadly and gestured. "Lead the way, researcher. It's about time Artemis witnessed Infinity in action for herself." The trio of Gaians made their way down the hallway and into a vast circular, brightly-lit laboratory that had work stations for at least a hundred researchers. Right now, however, the laboratory was utterly abandoned, and only the slight hum of automated systems at work filled the air. Artemis gravitated toward what appeared to be the source of the loudest hum - a single, towering column of white crystal that dominated the center of the lab, embedded in the floor and rising through the ceiling into other parts of the research facility. The crystal's surface shimmered with power; it was interfaced with systems throughout the facility, providing the energy they needed to function. "What is this? Some sort of practical joke?" Artemis clearly wasn't impressed. "This type of crystal is nothing new, mother! Almost every structure, vehicle and gadget on Gaia uses this crystalline technology as a power source! We've relied on these crystals for well over three centuries!" Steena looked at her daughter with infinite patience and smiled, but didn't say a word. She didn't need to. Artemis turned red with humiliation. "I know, I know," she harrumphed. "I'm missing something obvious." She moved about the laboratory at a deliberate pace, examining items. For the most part, nothing was out of the ordinary and, if Artemis hadn't known better, she would've thought she was in a manufacturing facility for white crystals. They were scattered throughout the lab, in varying states of growth. She handled each one carefully, feeling the vibration of energy within each crystal, and determining that there was nothing special about any of them. "That which is strongest isn't always obvious, milady," Metis hinted. What I need is a sweet treat, Artemis thought. I can't think straight on an empty stomach. The hum in the lab rose for an instant, and a small shimmer filled the air next to Artemis. "Catch!" Steena called out. Artemis instinctively reached out as the shimmer faded away, leaving a sweet treat in her hands. She looked at the food, bewildered and flustered. Regaining her composure, the High Princess traced a path over to a part of the lab where the hum had originated. She peered into a containment field that held a sparkling, emerald green crystalline structure. It was slightly more than an inch long, and pulsed with energy. Artemis was transfixed. "Wish, and ye shall receive," Steena intoned as she and Metis ambled over. "Did this crystal just do what I think it did?" Artemis asked hesitantly. "Yes, milady," Metis said. "You were within range, your mind was focused on what it wanted, and you got it." "By the goddesses of Gaia!" Metis smiled. "That was your mother's initial reaction as well." Artemis turned from the miniature emerald green crystal and looked beseechingly at Metis. "You must tell me how this is accomplished!" A short pause. "Please!" "The full explanation would take the better part of a year," Metis said. "The gist of it is that we have mastered the ability to use dark energy." She gestured expansively. "This limitless energy is all around us, but until now we haven't been able to tap into it. This new type of crystal is an interface that converts dark energy into a resource our civilization can use." She paused, searching for the right words. "It's also capable of being attuned to the minds of Gaian females and converting dark energy into matter. In your case, Artemis, you were thinking of a sweet treat and - presto! - that's what you got." Steena broke in, saying, "We can use Infinity crystals to enhance access to known timelines and, most importantly, open up timelines that are currently beyond our range." "Whoa! Slow down!" Artemis said. "I need time to digest all of this!" She took a big bite from the sweet treat and munched thoughtfully. It seemed to have the texture and taste of the real thing. "OK, my brain's getting calories now. Fire away!" Metis stood in front of the Queen Dominus and High Princess and bowed formally before them. "We are at the forefront of an energy revolution," she said. "Project Infinity is the culmination of what Gaia has sought for centuries - the creation of a reliable energy source that's more powerful than the white crystals we currently use!" "Great! So when do we begin mass production?" Artemis asked. "Not anytime soon, milady." Annoyance flashed across Artemis' face. She had been under the impression from her mother and Metis that things were going well. "Science Guild Researcher Metis," Artemis began formally and icily, "you will explain yourself this instant!" "She has done nothing wrong, child." Steena raised her dark, elegant eyebrows, a look of disapproval on her face. "With science, Artemis, sometimes a breakthrough doesn't instantly translate into mass production. You should know that by now." Artemis backed down, chastened. "My apologies, Metis," she said. "I was out of line. I just got overly excited about the possibilities while listening to you and mother." Steena nodded approvingly, and spoke to the researcher. "Inform my daughter of the limitations you've encountered while attempting to mass produce this Infinity crystal." "Well, we've had several lab accidents, which killed a number of our best researchers," Metis explained. "We've lost fifty-six women and men over the course of Project Infinity ...," Artemis felt herself shrinking, and her face burned with humiliation. If she'd known this, she would never have gotten so snippy in the first place. A hard lesson learned, indeed. "... but I feel that their deaths haven't been in vain," Metis continued. "We have learned how to safely grow the Infinity crystal, and that's what counts right now. Another objective we're pursuing is speeding up growth ...," she gestured at the inch-long specimen in its containment field, " ... this one took a moon cycle for a mere inch. We are also working to strengthen the crystal's matrix, and to improve the natural ability it has to regenerate and re-energize itself during and after heavy use." "What sort of timeframe are we looking at?" Artemis inquired. Metis sighed. "Six to eight years, milady, and that's only if we continue to have sufficient resources allocated to the Science Guild. There's a remote possibility we could have a breakthrough before then, but I wouldn't bank on it." Artemis looked inquiringly at Steena. "Mother?" "I can't make promises to either one of you," Steena said. For a moment, her shoulders sagged, as though the burden of planetary leadership was manifesting itself as a physical weight. "For decades now, the Science Guild has had the best access to Gaia's resources, all to create that inch-long crystal. The other guilds - especially the Commerce, Culture, Faith, and Intelligence guilds - have become increasingly agitated at their small slices of the pie, and their Guild Mistresses are pressing for more a more equal distribution of resources." Metis crossed her arms and spoke formally. "Queen Dominus, I am but a researcher with the Science Guild, but it is my informed opinion that if our resource allocation is reduced, it will add years to the perfection and mass production of the Infinity crystal." "I am well aware of that," Steena said. "For now, it's a tie when resource allocation votes come up - your research has my support as well as the support of the Medical, Military and Science guilds." Steena smiled slightly. "In such situations, the side I'm on is the side that prevails. But I'm also sure that once I reveal this breakthrough to the opposing guilds, it will reduce the antagonism toward the important work your fellow researchers are conducting." "Your words are wise, milady," Metis said. She inclined her head respectfully. "Any time is better than no time." "Don't thank me yet, Metis," Steena warned. "At most, you might get another year or two of reprieve before the demand for resource reallocation comes up again." She shrugged. "But I could be wrong, too. It all depends on the attitudes of the Guild Mistresses." "I, too, will do what I can to assure that my sisters in the Science Guild gets what they need," Artemis added. "It's the least I can do - besides, as a provisional member of the guild, it's about time I started pulling my weight." Metis smiled and said, "High Princess, your words warm my heart. But don't think you haven't already helped your guild and, by extension, Gaia - remember, it was you who assisted in smoothing our planet's first contact with Terra." Artemis blushed. "Yeah, I know. The roaring crowds at the Science Symposium in Themiscyra earlier this week gave me an idea of its magnitude." "We must be going now, Metis," Steena interjected. "Rest assured that we will do everything in our power to ensure the continued success of Project Infinity." Metis inclined her head in silent acknowledgment as Steena and Artemis made their way to the vestibule and, from there, into the elevator and back into the world above the secretive laboratory devoted to Project Infinity. Metis remained still for a long time after they had left, pondering matters great and small. She had a lot on her mind. *** Ashari's soft, sensuous mouth filled with creamy white smoke as she inhaled deeply and luxuriously from a long, slender reed. She held the smoke in her lungs momentarily before releasing it in a long, thick plume that rose sexily above her head. She was sitting in one of the numerous small bars that dotted the periphery of Craterium, the provincial capital of the Patriarchal province of Marsupia. It had once been the capital of the Marsupian Empire, but that had been centuries ago, and Ashari didn't care about the past. She only cared about the ever-present now and the future. "What's your price, bitch?" It was a man, naturally. He strode aggressively up to Ashari and grabbed her by the jaw. "Hmm. I see you're a serf from one of Raad's hooker compounds. It means you're healthy, well-endowed and a good fucker - the tattoo guarantees that much. But prices aren't included in the tattoo." He released her jaw and stared expectantly, waiting for a price quote. Ashari blew a stream of creamy white smoke into the man's face. "You can't afford me, laborer. Find another woman to fuck." The laborer growled and raised his hand, but Ashari shook her head in warning. The man took the hint and left - if he had struck chattel belonging to Raad, even if it was only one of the Champion's hookers, he would have faced a possible duel with the Champion himself. So far, nobody had ever bested Raad in the arena, and the laborer was sure he wouldn't be any different in that regard. "The laborer may have been unable to afford you, bitch, but I can," another voice spoke up a moment later. Ashari spied the voice's owner as he rose from a nearby bar stool and ambled over. Her emerald green eyes widened as a flash of recognition registered on her face. The man was Kuras Do'mun - the sub-dostum who had succeeded Jericho as dostum of the TNW team the latter had once led. Kuras had been Jericho's second-in-command - a competent officer who had rarely attracted attention to himself, preferring obscurity. "You will need 200 koinz to enjoy the pleasures of my flesh," Ashari explained. She brought the long, slender reed back to her sassy mouth and inhaled, waiting expectantly. Kuras breathed in some of the sweet smoke drifting around Ashari and smiled. "That's pretty cheap for one of Raad's hookers." He dug into his pockets and gave her two grimy 100 koinz bills. "I've been saving for a night on the town like this. Now let's go somewhere private, bitch. I'm going to screw the living daylights out of you." She exhaled a thick plume of sweet smoke. "Follow me, handsome." Ashari extinguished her reed and led the way out of the small bar. Before long, she and Kuras entered the forest, and the pair found themselves in a small meadow, the full moon bathing them in a pale light. Kuras looked curiously at Ashari as she luxuriated in the moonlight, slowly peeling off the strips of fabric she called clothes. He found himself mesmerized by the sight of her exposed "D" cup breasts. Kuras removed his unwanted clothing and laid back in a soft patch of thick grass, his erect penis jutting into the humid night air. "Mount me, bitch!" he growled. "Now!" "I live to fulfill your desires, master," Ashari intoned as she approached his prostrate form. She mounted him quickly, but didn't impale herself on his penis. Instead, she leaned down and kissed him deeply, lovingly. Her mouth trailed kisses down his jaw and past his throat, and finally wrapped itself around one of his nipples. Her tongue teased the small male nipple and it reacted as nature intended, hardening in a most un-feminine manner. Kuras felt the swollen, purple head of his penis brush lightly against Ashari's moist outer labial lips, and could no longer resist the primal urge to mate. He grabbed her soft ass and squeezed her plump butt cheeks as he thrust his penis deep into her vagina. Kuras pulled out, and thrust in again as he worked into a sexy, wet rhythm. His penis was coated with Ashari's hot love fluid, and he marveled at the exotic feel of her vaginal muscles squeezing his penis every time he pushed deep into her. Ashari gasped as a male entered her for the first time. The final link to her former life as a man was shattered as waves of ecstasy began rippling outwards from her engorged and stimulated clitoris. She enjoyed the sensation on a primal level and joined Kuras in creating a sexy rhythm that left them both moaning - but it wasn't long before Kuras' moaning became higher-pitched and more feminine. His vocal cords were already warping. Ashari smiled lasciviously and leaned down, rubbing her breasts against his chest. The hot, clear liquid dripping from her nipples was instantly absorbed into Kuras' skin, and it accelerated his impending transformation. Soon she wouldn't be alone anymore. Kuras' eyes widened slightly as Ashari's tattoo seemingly melted, washed away