A Soldier For All Seasons Ch. 09

Her face came into his swimming sight, but she was clear as day. Her smile was bittersweet, her fingers tracing his lips. "I regret nothing, my love. Do you?"

Nate grimaced. "Sort of wish we'd fucked last night."

Her laugh was rich and warm and joyful.

"But mostly, I wished I could spent a lifetime trying to make you laugh." Nate added. Ana's face softened and Nate thought there was nothing more beautiful than a woman in love.

Out of their intimate bubble, the lizard screamed in rage, darting from one webbed scaly foot to the other as it failed to dodge a barrage of falling drones, like dead missiles as they dropped from a great height, aflame and heavy. It shot fire again and again into the sky, trying to sear its enemy and only creating more of them.

"Maybe you'll get a chance after all." Nate muttered to himself. They had time.

"Ana," he said, weighing the tooth in his hand. "I need something to tie this and the shock-rod together."

She looked at him with wide eyes, handed him the shock-rod and then quickly wiggled her panties down her legs.

"Wait, what?! Why would you choose your panties instead of your bra?" Nate gaped, eyes drawn to her perfect mound even as she slapped the panties into his open hand.

"Focus, Nate." He began tying the tooth to the rod. "Have you seen how big my breasts are now? I need this bra!"

A resounding roar spread through the crowd, though Nate wasn't sure if it was because the beast had taken another hit or because of Ana's sudden nudity. He finished tying the dagger to the end of the rod. The tooth-dagger dripped dangerous acid onto the ground.

He had his weapon. Now he just had to hit the bullseye.

"Step back." He ordered.

He needed the perfect chance. Nate waited, until he could wait no more. The drones stopped dropping. The lizard stopped cowering, stopped dodging. It whirled in a rage, looking for an enemy. Finally, it saw him. Under the chin, those sacs glowed.

He couldn't miss.

He wouldn't miss.

Nate saw a lifetime ahead of him, a little decadent, a little guilty, but one full of life. Ana's smile, above him as she rose and fell, hair falling around him to envelop him in her. Ana's stomach, enlarged. New life. She rocked their child, leaning back into his embrace as he pressed kisses to her neck.

Fuck, he wanted that life so badly.

He took two steps forward, pulled his arm back and threw his makeshift spear. It whistled through the air and for a single moment, frozen in time, the arena was silent.

The spear stuck true, deep into the lizard's fire-sac. The fire-sac changed hue, black. And with a held breath, Nate watched that black spread across the whole lizard. Its eyes held a deep confusion and the black sacs contracted as it tried to shoot flame.

But nothing came out but the smallest whimper of flame, the last exhale of life. It coughed, glassy-eyed, dazed, and collapsed to the ground.

Dead.

The crowd went wild, people shoving each other and yelling, grabbing each other just to shake each other. The announcer bellowed and shrieked, but nobody heard him. And Nate saw none of him, his hands, his lips, his soul all wrapped up in an exultant Ana. Her hands on his face, she kissed him desperately and then withdrew with a laugh. "I'm not sure if sex is the right word for what we're going to do when we escape."

He pressed his forehead against hers as they were swept along on the metal base to the edge of the arena again, ready for the new environment. "Let's make sure we actually get out of here, then."

Ana looked down at her bare pussy and laughed as she pushed away Nate's hard insistent cock. "We've only got one item of clothing left and I've got a feeling I'm going to lose it soon. You've got a way of separating me from my clothing, Captain Clancy."

He snorted. "I'm not sure we can kill this next beast with your bra, sweetheart."

Nate surveyed the crowd, looking for the spy lady. They really needed a miracle. His eyes met the Madam's, up on the dais. She sat on her throne, lips pursed.

Yeah, bitch, didn't see that coming, did you? Nate thought.

The new arena lifted up. This one was simple. Just pure golden sand — no trees, no water. A single white pillar stood in the center, a white pillar of marble. The two approached it, hand in hand, as a new monster was readied.

It had no hand-holds or markings. They wouldn't be able to climb it.

The new beast charged out without the help of a shock-prod and Nate gulped as he saw it. A leathery quadruped, the sand kicking up with the sheer weight and force of its charge. Its skin was colored like a green gray, like military uniforms from the days of old, but it had been painted with red stripes. No, not painted, Nate realized — those were veins, protruding through its skin, pulsing, throbbing. A single horn rose from its forehead, sharp and huge. The tip of it was dried red, but Nate didn't think was from a vein, or paint.

Unifek, characterised by its large single horn and thick ridged skin, the Unifek is often—

"Isabelle!" Nate growled out. "Tell me how to kill it!"

Oh, sorry.

"Actually, I might know." Ana bit her lip. "These are native in my home world. Once you cover up their eyes, you can actually steer them with the horn — a few of my people even ride them, not though they often die. Should I take my bra off now or later?" Ana said lightly.

"Are you serious?" Nate demanded. "I'm not going to need your bra."

She unhooked her bra and handed it to him, ignoring the delighted yells of the crowd.

"I am."

Nate stared at her glistening, sweaty, oily breasts, shining under the hot sun. They jiggled.

"Nate, are you serious?"

"Sorry." The beast was sniffing the ground, kicking it with its hooves. "How the hell am I going to get on top of it? Isabelle?"

My data suggest that the highest recorded human standing jump is slightly below the Unifek's height. And I haven't taken into account the height of the horn. Maybe if Ana got on all fours and you jumped on her?

"What's she saying?" Ana wiped her face free of sweat. She looked up to see the screens were entirely focused on her breasts and scowled, trying to cover them with her hands in a futile attempt.

"You don't want to know." Nate said darkly. "Let's keep it simple, use the pillar."

The beast kicked the sand again, let out a strange shrieking sound and put its head down, horn placed to pierce. It charged, forcing them to dart behind the pillar.

The pillar shattered and crumbled, the beast trotting back, shaking its head to clear the fogginess.

Nate looked around, searching for a way out. Any way out. There wasn't any.

But then, the ground shook, a shockwave rippling through the arena, a whoosh in his ear. His ears rung. He breathed in and then coughed out sulfuric air. He reached out his hand loosely, grasping for Ana, and felt her hand.

"Nate? What happened?"

They stumbled to their feet. On one corner of the arena was just gone, columns and arches torn and thrown onto the sand, the seats disintegrated, the arena peeled open like a tin can. A ring of fire gave it a welcoming glow.

"Spy lady." Nate pulled her along, absently handing her bra back. She hooked it on quickly. "Let's go!"

They sprinted for the exit but they were the first to react.

People picked themselves up, a stunned silence dissipating in the face of panicked screams. A whole section of the crowd had fallen in, standing on the sand, looking behind him, agape. The Unifek? Nate didn't bother glancing behind him.

But even the sand was streaming slowly away, the metal plate beneath bending under the structural strain. Ahead, hanging on the half-torn metal rebar of the lowest arch, streamed the white banner advertising Acropolis' safety, like a white flag of surrender.

The announcer stumbled out of the chaos, his commentary box in glass shards around him, still holding his microphone, still mumbling, but nobody could hear him.

Somebody screamed. The Unifek snorted.

A body spun above them and landed in front of it, a gaping hole in his chest, gored by the beast. They jumped and kept moving.

Nate could smell it behind them, all shit and blood and eagerness, its breaeth foul on their necks.

The Lady had given them a way out but they still had to reach their ship, still had to get through half the city. Naked, bloody, oiled — they couldn't sneak through. They needed a shuttle, a ship, some form of transport.

The two sprinted past the announcer. His hair dabbed with silver hairs, his mouth agape, panick in his eyes He was too slow.

"No, wait! Do you know who—"

The beast punctured him clean through. It carried him like a flagbearer, the flag streaming blood down the ivory horn, but still it pursued them.

Ana gasped, Nate huffed, their muscles aching, their feet raw. If they could just get to the arena's exit, to that exploded hole of light, through which they could see the teeming shuttles, stacked on top of each other in lanes of traffic, the illuminated signs, the freedom.

"Faster!" Nate choked out, praying to every god he could think of.

Through the hole, that promised land blew a gust, making the torn white banner breeze tantalizingly in the light. It read YOUR SAFETY.

A sign?

He heaved forward, wrapped a tight arm around Ana's waist and jumped. He caught onto the banner with a single hand and swung forward, a monkey in the jungle, the wind rushing through their hair as they swung high.

"Nate!" Ana squealed.

Into the light. Below them, the Unifek charged forward, nostrils snorting as its target escaped it.

"Fuuuuuuck!" Nate howled, letting go of the banner. They dropped heavily onto the Unifek's back, Nate pulling the Princess up and in front of him just before she fell away. The beast bucked and lurched, head thrown back in fury, their hands stretching out to grab its long bloody horn.

"It doesn't like it!" Ana peeked over her shoulder at him, wide-eyed.

"Hold on." Nate pulled his hands back to unhook her bra with a practiced twist. From behind her, he held it in front of her face. "Quick, put it on its eyes!"

"I just knew it!" Ana exclaimed, hooking her bra over the beast's eyes. Instantly, it quieted. Ana pushed its horn forth and forward it ran, charging at speed. She tilted to the right to avoid a fleeing crowd and the beast turned. "It works!" She cheered. "I'm brilliant!"

The arena was built on a terraformed artificial hill and down that hill they charged, past spectators, through a clutch of helpless guards. Distantly, Nate thought he could hear Madam Mayko screaming, but he just held tightly onto Ana's waist, more than happy to play the clutching damsel as she expertly arched the beast through the twisting streets.

Under the watching shuttles, the traffic stopping to watch in amazement. They turned into a thin alley, idyllic cafes with tables and chairs, alongside clothes-stalls and tech novelties.

"Hold on!" Ana grinned.

"What do you think I'm—ow!" A guard dove for his leg, holding on his foot and streaming like a kite as the beast charged forth, through the tables and stalls. Nate stole the man's blaster just as he was smacked back by an errant table umbrella.

They charged through the clothes racks, sending everything flying.

"Ooh, get me some clothes, I'm sick of being naked!" Ana squealed. Nate stuck out his hand blindly and came out holding some brown short shorts.

"Really, Nate?"

"I didn't mean to!" He protested around a mouthful of her hair. Her naked back pressed against him, her ass, her legs rubbing against his. She looked stunning, commanding, like a nature goddess of old.

Fuck, with all the adrenaline and the giddiness, he felt like a horny teenager again. He really needed her not to notice — she already thought he was an unrelenting irrepressible pervert.

He tried to drag himself back but the Unifek would buck and charge again, sending him back into the crook of her back, his cock nestled against her ass. Pressed against that forbidden hole, then into the crack between those ample cheeks.

He tightened his arm around her waist and breathed her in. Thankfully, she didn't seem to notice, rocking back and forth with excitement, concentrating on guiding them safely to heir ship. But with her rocking, the softness and warmth of her skin, the sensations doubled.

Ana was sweating, glistening in the sun, but she smelled incredible, and he couldn't help but nuzzle her neck, tight as he could be.

The beast stumbled as Ana turned too tightly, rocking them forward, apart for a moment until they clapped back. Only Ana swung back back enough into Nate's embrace that he ended up underneath her, his cock rubbing against her lips, a groan parting from his lips as he breathed her in, leaning forward to envelop her, as she was this close to enveloping him.

She squeaked and jumped a foot in pure shock, her head turning back to stare, slapping his leg. "Down, tiger! For goodness' sake, you're the most dangerous beast there is!"

Nate couldn't help but laugh, casually shooting a guard who'd pulled his gun, lightheaded with the sun, her sex, the stimulus of the day.

And there was the port, their ship. And more importantly, the bed within. The Lady had been busy: the ship clamps were unlatched. They hopped off the beast, Ana wisely deciding not to retrieve her bra since the beast was silent and still.

Nate had to pull her away from patting its jaw. Bemusedly, he saw the beast's member underneath it.

"It's a male." He realized.

"Of course it is. It was trying to gets its horn in my ass too." Ana quipped.

"Cheeky." He pinched her ass.

"From the jaws of one beast to the jaws of another." She teased him, pressing a kiss to his cheek. Then, she entwined her fingers with his and swaying their arms back and forth, up the ramp.

"Isabelle," Nate ordered. "Get us out of here." He uploaded her onto the ship's console and smiled as she appeared with an exaggerated stretch, as naked and sweaty as they were.

"Ooh, glad I'm out of your brain. Ana, you wouldn't believe how dirty it is in there." She smirked. The ship's engines kicked into gear, the ship vibrating with sheer power.

"I think I would." Ana countered. "He's like the tentacled Decla-longus."

"The Decla-longus is a soft-bodied, ten-limbed mollusc—" Isabelle started.

"Oh, no more beasts, Isabelle, please." Nate begged, watching through the window as Acropolis disappeared. Multiple squads appeared on the port-pier, too late.

"Nobody appreciates me." Isabelle pouted.

"Mmm, while you are wonderful Isabelle, unfortunately, it's our hero's time to be appreciated." Ana gave him a long promise-filled kiss.

"Don't forget me! I want to watch!" Isabelle interjected.

"I like the sound of that." Nate admitted. "I'm going crazy for you, Princess."

Giggling, she pushed him away as he squeezed her made-for-him ass. "Ten minutes more?" She pleaded.

"Ana..."

"I know." She caressed his jawline. "But you're only going to take my virginity once, my love. And I want it to be special..." She looked at him under lidded eyelashes, with those fuck-me eyes. "For you."

"Special for me?" Nate shook his head. "It's your virginity, gorgeous. I think it's meant to be special for you."

"It will be." Ana said with absolute confidence. "Because it's you. But first—" her hands dropped to his chest, suddenly vulnerable "—wash me?"

"I think I can do that." He swallowed the bump in his throat and picked her up, carrying her to the bathroom as she dissolved into giggles. "Isabelle, turn on the water jets and meet us in there. Set a course for Orbis."

"Sir, yes, sir! Course set, full speed ahead, taking advantage of orbital velocity of various planets, activating long-range sensors." Isabelle paused and tilted her head, biting her lip cutely. "Also activating bubble-bath feature."