Castaway Cuckold
- 2 years ago
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At times I needed to recharge my inner strength and to clear my mind; that required alone time. With so many men and women vying for my attention all day and night, a sullen feeling with a tinge of irritation eventually leaked into my conversations. Palus and Laudus sensed my inner needs, sending me sometimes on a walk through the forest at night or again on a stroll to the sea during the day. Just like my nightly rest refreshes my body, the time alone recharged my sense of being, my spirit.
Tonight, the fragrance of pine trees, flowers and fauna mingled, riding the salt breeze as I walked along the dark forest path. The atmosphere was clear above the forest canopy and I could see bright stars in the clearing opening up before me. The night air was crisp and my senses conveyed the impression of a hushed forest, rather than the normal sounds of owls hooting and the distant scuffle of bushes brushed aside as creatures darted away from my disruptive approach. My paranoia drove my feelings of unease to the front of my mind, a sinking feeling that something was lurking at the edge of my senses.
"Has something melted into the foliage, hunting me, or is the night stillness really due to my passage?" I wondered.
"I have to admit the peaceful beauty of the night has dulled my thoughts to my surroundings. Come out and talk with me," I said out loud, focusing my keen ears for any usual sounds. I was giving any villagers a chance to reveal their position. "Is there really someone there? Why am I so spooked tonight?" I thought. No one answered my call; in this small clearing only the twinkling stars responded.
The forest remained unnaturally quiet. I had walked some distance north from the village, far from the normal patrol routine of the night watch, certainly beyond the range of anyone in their safehold. I squeezed my walking stick pressing it firmly into the ground.
A strange flash of a memory of me in class wearing a uniform with my cadet commander cap hit me. I could recall the professor talking about anthropology and cultural adaptation to fear of the unknown. The unsummoned thought was overridden by a dancing light at the bottom of the hill. The foliage was thick on the other side of the hillside clearing, so the light was diffused, requiring me to cross the clearing to gain further understanding. I strode across the meadow of hemp determined to investigate the strange light. The illumination was much brighter than a lantern and it clearly was not a fire. I neither smelled smoke nor saw flickering flames.
This particular spot was the closest point to the Great Marsh from our settlement. From the air, I am sure the location would look like the end of a long canal. Short cliff facings bounded either side of the low wetland, with rolling hills spreading out for miles boxing in this finger of water. I'd imagine in a dry season this part of the swamp dried out. However, this area was currently, particularly smelly like rotten eggs, so everyone avoided it. My mind rambled through possibilities as I parted two heavy ferns to look at the phenomenon.
The distressing sight floated as it weaved among trees, far above my head in the finger of the marsh. I could see a ball of light that had substance and form. I stood, lost in thought despite my feeling of danger, unable to explain the floating ball of light. The ball was three or four feet in diameter and cast a light bright enough to fill a bedroom. I leaned on one of the ferns too hard and it snapped. Two more balls lighted up and floated into the air, illuminating the body of a woman face-down on the ground wearing a crude leather backpack. I felt like two spotlights had been turned on me from ten feet away, destroying what night vision I had left.
When my blurred vision cleared, I saw that the two new lights had joined the original apparition in the swamp, perhaps another dozen feet beyond the woman's body. I pushed the tall weeds aside and ran to the woman, keeping one eye on the floating lights lest they mean to harm me. The entire area around her was flooded with light and I could see clearly she was dead. The woman's dress was hiked up above her waist with two large bite marks catching my attention. Similar circular rings of small incisions were on both her left leg and buttock. The flesh was intact unlike a wolf attack or some other carnivore but two pools of blood leaked from the bites. "Vampire bat like," I thought.
Two of the floating lights seemed to join as one light on a tree limb, while the last floating creature weaved among the tree tops. Keeping my eyes on these creatures I began dragging the dead body back towards the clearing, my off world strength pulled her dead weight with ease.
I'd almost made it to the broken fern when the creature above the trees dove at me with incredible speed; the bright light blasting my night vision. I instinctively rolled, with both of my hands on my staff, into the clearing. I closed my eyes and swung my wooden staff like a bat, but struck nothing. I rolled again and opened my eyes. The creature floated at about head height, above the woman I'd abandoned.
"Staking a claim on her, eh?" I mumbled.
The two other creatures seemed more interested in each other than me, the original floating light forgotten by his companions. I could barely see a long tail with thin, wispy membranes that just wiggled as the creature floated. I stepped towards it and the tail became a blur, the floating creature propelled forward towards me. I looked sideways into the darkness letting my peripheral vision guide my next staff swing and with all the energy and emotion I could muster, I struck from overhead and powered my blow down.
"Take that you piece of shit," I shouted.
The oak staff smashed the creature and a discharge of electric current rooted me in place as the creature's light went out. It dropped to the ground in front of me, and I dropped too. My legs tingled and jerked to a stop. I was stunned but the floating creature was crushed by the blow, not moving. Without the bright illumination I could see eight thin tentacles. A large eye was located in the center of the body, above a mouth of razor-sharp teeth. The teeth were like rows of long needles.
The other floating creatures remained oblivious of the fate of their companion. I now suspected the animals were mating. Their lights seemed to pulse in a rhythm together on the tree limb. My fingers still sent tingling sensations to my fuzzy head as I slowly got to my knees then to my feet. It wasn't often I wore my backpack anymore but I liked to wear the smaller fanny pack most days. I unzipped my fanny pack and pulled out a plastic garbage bag I carried around with me. After poking the creature with my staff, to make sure it was dead, I swept it into the bag. The thing seemed deflated like the air had gone out of a balloon, it felt rubbery and slimy.
I put the dead woman over my shoulder and climbed the hill towards home.
The ebony woman on my back had a mouth full of mud when I picked her up. It pained me to picture our last intimate moments together, of playful kissing in the harem. I remembered our first playful encounter on the beach after a swimming lesson, my erection standing proud after getting onto dry land. Tieson had followed me and when I settled on my blanket and she settled on me. Up until that day Tieson was reserved and obviously hurting from her harsh captivity, but we'd found a new lease of freedom together, joined in mutual passion. A torrent of tears washed my cheeks as I shouldered her dead weight up the hills towards home. It took every bit of my self-control to not break down and sob right here, in the middle of the dark pine forest. The lively sounds of crickets and the inquiring owl calls didn't provide the normal thread of peace they usually did. My grief weighed down my soul and the stiff burden on my back bestowed a reminder of my loss with each step.
Lost in thought, I almost missed the sounds of mules as they moved to bar my progress, up the last hill before reaching our homestead. The forest canopy cast dark shadows and only my familiar knowledge of the trail assured me of our location.
I called out, "It is Von. A creature of the night has slain our sister."
The two night watchmen quickly moved a side, turning their mules around. I knew a hidden blind was just off the path where they normally stood guard in the evening.
"Lord Solon, what happened?" A man said. I could not see his face in the black darkness.
"Go call out a few more men to stand watch on this path. I want to see the Lord of the Hunt immediately at the Wolf Pavilion. One of you must stay here to guard the path, if you see any strange lights fall back to the next guard station," I urged them. "I do not suspect any trouble here but this monster is unknown to me. Perhaps our esteemed hunter will know." I tried to sound calm.
One of them implored their mule to move and I heard a stick to the animal's rump, the reluctant mount's hooves bit into the rocky ground and he was gone.
The last guard asked, "Who was she?"
I could only say, "A beautiful concubine." Any further words would spill my pain and sorrow. I pushed on to the village.
Another two night guards called to me as I entered the edge of the village, "Lord Solon. We heard you were coming. Additional men have been summoned per your orders."
Both guards held spears and a hissing torch lit my entry between the observation post's sandbagged positions. The small guard post had a simple flat roof supported by four stout poles, the sandbags protecting them from the weather to some extent. The plain walls were only chest high so their crossbows could easily rest on them for support. Both major northern facing paths had these types of positions, a rather weak defense, but we weren't a military base. Isolated in the wilderness a stray animal was the most likely trouble for this post.
The unusual calling out of the guard had the village buzzing with activity. Men and women looked out from their safeholds as I passed with the body. A few people started to follow me carrying small lanterns, the beams of light casting long shadows on the buildings as we passed. They had to rush to keep up with my determined pace. I saw a couple of men struggling to tie their leather armor on, their women chastising them and doing up the armor for them.
When I reached the pavilion all four of its large lanterns were lit. The mule guard was helping the old archer dismount from the back of the animal. He had double mounted the Lord of the Hunt to get him here in a hurry. Sparrow sprinted into the clearing running toward me. "That is unexpected. I didn't want children seeing her," I thought. The boy was fleet of foot even toting his official staff.
I dropped the garbage bag with the creature on the ground and gently placed my former lover on the long table.
I shouted, "Get me a blanket to cover Tieson up!" A woman darted to the woman's center on the errand.
A crowd of villagers formed around the table and the body, the few concubines in the crowd crying and comforting each other. I rolled the dead woman over and showed Sparrow's father the bite marks, then dropped her dress again to accommodate her dignity. The experienced hunter kept his thoughts to himself as I opened the black bag containing the remains. I carefully lifted the crushed creature up by a couple of limbs so he could see it clearly and he took a step back with a gasp.
"A Soul Reaper," the old hunter said, his eyes showing fear. "Sarva the Shaman is a legend well known to the people of the Great Marsh."
"Tassim, what are you talking about?" I responded.
Sparrow stood next to me, wide-eyed as the woman returned, removing the muddy backpack, and then covered the dead concubine's body with a wool blanket. "Finally, I don't have to look at her distant dead stare anymore," I thought.
The old hunter had collected his composure, "Long ago Sarva's daughter went missing from her village at dusk. Her father, mother and two warriors went looking for her. They found her on the ground surrounded by three bright lights. Sarva ran to his daughter with his torch. A Soul Reaper attacked him but he hit it and the creature burst into flame. Sarva crumbled to the ground, the torch exhausted. The Soul Reaper floated briefly as it burned, finally crashing to the ground." The hunter wiped sweat from his brow, continuing his tale, "The two warriors grabbed Sarva's wife as she ran to him. The other Soul Reapers descended and killed Sarva by drinking his blood. The shaman's wife implored the warriors to save him from the monsters, but they would not draw closer, claiming him dead. Sarva cried out for help before dying. The creatures disappearing into a pool of muck."
"Well I experienced the falling down. The creature hits you with a paralyzing charge when it touches you. Your entire body tingles and you thrash in pain, Sarva was likely not dead just stunned. There were three of these creatures at the Marsh Finger, just north of the village, hovering over her body. They were drinking her blood when I stumbled upon them. They floated up into the sky before one of the creatures dived on me looking for another meal," I answered.
The crowd audibly groaned at my tale, Sparrow gripping my arm with saddened eyes. I hugged the young man and kept my arm around him.
The old hunter finished his tale, "Sarva's wife cursed the two warriors and called them bloodless brothers - cowards. So if you call an Amarian man a bloodless brother it is the gravest insult possible. It ranks just above gelded fool. No man in my lifetime has seen a Soul Reaper and lived to tell the tale."
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Palus helped me get dressed. She clearly realized my youthful discomfort of being naked with her, and she refrained from any teasing, quietly chatting about tendering the other wounded. Over the next three days I let my body rest and recover. I enjoyed spending time with Tharin and worked on his strained feelings. He would talk about the progress of the cabins and the success of the hunters and fishermen. It seemed that our small clan was happy with easy access to food, wood and the...
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The morning song of seagulls and the splash of a fish jumping added to the shouts of men working on the dock. The sun's glow filled the cabin, the tiny oil lamp exhausted. Swarta was gone, my side cold where her warmth had been last night. I took in the room and realized dawn had long passed and the sun fully filled the small room. After using the slosh bucket to release my water, I lazily dressed in my black station clothes, ignoring my armor and escape pod gear. The natural hunger of an...
Before we left the ship Tharin brought a wash bucket into my cabin. I washed my upper body and Swarta chatted excitedly about what she could see. Amazing carts carrying loads of flour sacks, a fishmonger wagon, a corner shop with glazed windows. Tharin was just as excited and had his face to the open window too. A knock to the door and Hajin and Grimm strode into the room. "We have trouble and Lady Derwen is delaying it," Hajin commented neutrally and Tharin drew his sword. Swarta...
I woke up with my body trembling all over, muscle spasms in my feet lifting my legs off a bed. My eyes opened to find Swarta squirming nicely against my naked body. I was in a well-appointed bedroom with landscape paintings on the wall and drapes open to a nice view of the blue sky. My body sank into the depth of the most comfortable mattress in the world. The silk sheet sliding against my dry skin felt wonderful. As I turned to look at Swarta again she said, "You enter the world again. We...
After breakfast Swarta, Tharin and I found Derwen addressing a few housemaids on the back staircase. The servant women left to go about their business, and the four of us moved to a table to enjoy the song birds and breezy air. Dark clouds rolled off the sea and a storm was certain for this afternoon. I'd had time to think about Katsu and Derwen's comments at the temple. "So the former lord of this house was Katsu's father, your half-sister by the High Priestess. How many half-brothers...
Hollow female voices with high pitched tones danced in and out of my awareness. "No one wakes up from a death sleep after seven days," an older woman said. A younger woman's low voice responded, next to my ear, "Nor have I ever seen sword wounds close and heal before my very eyes like an unseen hand sewing a shirt. You were not here but I swear it is truly what happened the morning after the attack." A different woman with a raspy voice, said, "We saw the blood, the wounds and the...
The next day I surprised my wives with the special four wheel carriage I had made for the estate. The carriage was equipped with the wolf cart's design features but with larger wheels and a set of retractable canvas covers to protect against the weather. Two horses with improved harnesses could pull the light wagon with six passengers easily on the rut covered country road. The improved leaf spring suspension and larger wheels smoothed the roughness to an almost comfortable outing. Hajin on...
My link with Derwen had grown stronger over the last week and I could feel her emotions from longer ranges now. I sensed a layer of pleasure from her, perhaps being surrounded with other women, her discussion with friends portended a more favorable afternoon after the bloodshed of this morning. Hajin decided to intrude on my thoughts, "Von I have to step off the ship and arrange for the rest of the Juniper water to be sent to the estate. Lady Derwen's brother, the innkeeper in Lone Tree,...
Derwen handed me the ladle and I tasted the soup. The owner's bedroom was dark with just a low lamp, which swayed gently with the sea swell, hung above our dinner table, In the dim light, her eyes were truly dark as sea coal. Her soul was bright in my mind. Our link was warm and tender, a flowing friendship with mutual curiosities. The seafood soup was warm but not to my taste. "I will stick with the bread and beans tonight," I said. All Derwen wore was a fox wrap and boots to keep her...
Webster Mission Log: Summary The medical updates from my sub-routines report improved health from my ward since the introduction of nanomites to his female pod. Level 1 experiment conclusions logged for future recommendations on the design improvements for the implant. The effectiveness of the nanomites fluid exchange program is frustrated due to a lack of data from his females. My game theory sub-routine is constantly requesting more data on the practical target number for per annum...
"Look out, Von!" shouted Coven. With a fluid motion I pushed forward and swung my staff above my head in a threatening spin, causing the two remaining marines to pull up short rather than collide with the swirling wood. The marine on the ground started to back away and get up slowly, picking up his staff to join his partners. "Hold," I shouted. All the men stepped back, lowering their staffs. "That is how you can hold off multiple opponents for a few moments. However, I'd have to kill...
The boats cut through the shallow coastal water, while sea gulls, unhappy at our appearance, marked our progress with angry calls. The marines provided mocking compliments at the pump boats swift nature, since they were accustomed to the slow and heavy dugouts. Last night's weather dream continued to indicate clear skies for the next three days but with slightly lower temperatures. No ships were anywhere near our destination either, so our plan to attack the slavers was not going to be...
Mission Log: Summary My ward's recent attack on an enemy tribe was successful, but the frequency of armed conflict is a concern when my current resources provide little, if any, support to him. Logic dictates a series of small things brought in motion with a larger plan can create a meaningful solution, whilst still honoring the Alpha-Omega protocol. I have substantially increased the number of available repair bots on this ship to execute an extra vehicular building program on a large...
Breakfast was in the women's center and many of the new women sipped their soup and ate the biscuits with me, whilst my wives were having a counseling session with Celine in private back in the tower. Laudus and her sisters were noticeably missing but Grimm kept me company. I explained how she was to run the mule teams and train the new women in safety around the animals. She took in my words but something was clearly on her mind. Finally, Grimm said in a low voice, "The social circles...
I schooled my expression when we finished the first sailing boat, wanting to look the part of a confident leader rather than the playful school-boy I felt today. The lateen sail design was the first to be seen in the world and Celine had painted ferocious looking eyes on the bow. The overall improved features of the boat shocked our sea wives moving them to tears of joy. They had successfully put the smaller prototype to good use and the village fish's catch increases was their doing, so I...
Mission Log: Summary Phase I of the Cornerstone project has been completed. Phase II is projected for completion in one solar day. Materials for Phase III are already collected and my new repair bots are processing the gun design for manufacturing. The initial kinetic rounds are also completed. The improved data collection due to message authentication code algorithms from female return fluid exchange with my ward have flagged an issue. I identified two new black females with similar DNA...
Mission Log: Summary The elevated stress levels in Cadet Solon since the introduction of the improved pheromone adjustments warrants a change in the nanomites programming. His constant discomfort and above average blood pressure readings point to mental anguish over this adjustment. The observation of large clusters of females around him during our sample measurements confirm my current strategy is at fault. Version 3 pheromone coding is deleted from the download task list. My game theory...
Once again, my bird's eye view widens for me to see the area. A color path projection overlays the warships with time-to-land estimates for various courses. All time projections were after sunrise with the highest probability they would sweep along our shore rather than swing out to sea again. Orange targeting rings surround the ships marking them hostile. A legend left of the view identifies Orange as standby mode, red as offline, green as engage. The view changes to the normal weather map...
After a simple cold breakfast of stale bread and leftover bits of meat Sorcha and I stepped onto the deck. The cargo hold was already open and a growing number of barrels of water were accumulating on the dock; the crew seemed pretty proficient with this process after months of practice. My dream indicated a set of storms building out to sea with a high probability one would hit the island in a few days, but we would be at the estate long before the bad weather. The cloud cover was almost...
Over breakfast with Derwen and Mercedes, I discussed my planned estate improvements to help enrich the lives of the villagers. Because I had learned the topography of the estate on my last visit, I was able to identify the best placements for the two water wheels to maximize the technological improvements. Additionally, I wanted to build another clay furnace to create springs for more wolf carts, primarily to be used in conjunction with the upcoming build sites. Derwen had stock-piled sea...
The next cycle with Derwen and Mercedes brought numerous changes into our lives. Derwen's normal smirk and Mercedes' equally endearing grin made me laugh as they had me measure their growing bellies with my hands. The two women examining me for any sign of disapproval of their figure. I surveyed them from top to bottom and said, "You are both so beautiful. Nothing makes me more excited than looking at our shared love." They rushed me for hugs and Mercedes said, "You are just proud of...
Mission Log: Summary Cornerstone is complete. With the defensive asteroid platform fully operational, my game theory sub-routine's next priority project is building chaff grenade dispensers. Their purpose is to confuse and divert missiles from their targets as the fragile nature of the spy platform is a concern. It is my best resource for timely data from the planet, therefore a defensive mechanism to protect the array from space borne attack is necessary. Of course, a chaff defense is...