Banished Pt. 05

The woman looked around, then nodded.

"Where can we evade their reach?" I asked.

"Prepare... they may be absent now, but we must journey."

"Right now?" I asked, and she nodded again.

"This conflict provides a good opportunity; a rare one too."

I nodded, then headed back to Francesca.

"Have you slept?" I asked, and she shook her head.

That was bad.

She needed to rest if she was going to perform effectively in a protective capacity; but if I was going to disappear for a bit, it would also be best to have her on standby in case of an emergency.

I decided it would be best to set up a sleeping area, using our blankets, while the others kept watch.

Speaking of the others, I frowned as I spotted Cameron, Nolan and Jordan returning from their little rendezvous.

"Cameron; the council is meeting. You should go join them, since Casey's already missing."

"Is that really necessary?" Nolan asked, and I raised an eyebrow.

"Uh, yeah. It's extremely important," I replied, and Cameron nodded.

As she moved to leave, however, Nolan began to follow and I stopped him.

"Actually, I need you two for something," I said, indicating to both him and Jordan. "Francesca hasn't slept yet, and we need someone with our capabilities keeping watch over the supplies. Can you two keep an eye out until morning?"

"Why can't you do it?" Nolan asked, and bit my lip.

"I'm investigating the attack," I replied, and as he sighed, Jordan quickly nodded.

"Nolan; if you need to rest, I can keep watch alone," Jordan offered, glancing at me for approval.

"Sure; this really is just precautionary, but Francesca's also going to sleep here, so you can also wake her up if there really is trouble," I said.

Jordan nodded, but as Nolan cast a final look after Cameron, who had just disappeared into the entry hall of the grove tree, he sighed, then agreed to stay on as well.

I did a final mental check, to make sure that everything would at least be handled for the night, then turned to Eradne, and nodded.

She beckoned to me, and as I followed her, she leaned to me, and whispered-

"Keep up."

-before dashing off into the night.

I shook my head, as the sudden action momentarily caught me off guard, but I quickly broke into a sprint and did my best to keep up.

As far as I could tell, it was the dead of night, and like every other night we'd spend on this planet so far there was no moon and very little light.

Visibility was poor and I could lose her very easily, but even as I ran with some pace, I noted with interest that it took almost no effort to keep up with her, or to maintain that speed for some time.

If I really put my body into it, how much faster I could run? I wondered.

I did plan to eventually test our bodies' capabilities with and without the armor, to get a better grasp of the extent to which they enhanced us; but this was as good a chance as any to get a decent idea.

As I concentrated on following Eradne, however, I found myself admiring the sheer athleticism that she displayed.

Her sleek frame seemed to be built to dash through the trees at a sprint like this, and while my own boots seemed to thud with every step; she moved seamlessly, like a shadow, and as we ran, I paid attention to the subtleties of her form and slowly tried to imitate them, until she suddenly pulled up to a stop.

"What was that?" she asked, panting, as her eyes studied me, almost fearfully.

"What was what?" I asked.

"You suddenly moved as one with roots deeply planted in the great grove."

I rubbed my chin, as I pondered the matter.

Was the change in my movement really so noticeable?

"I just tried to do as you did," I explained, and she frowned.

"Then it is the way of the Gods. I have heard tale, but it is most... unnerving."

"Are we far enough away?" I asked, and she shook her head, looking back.

"We cannot be heard for now, but there is possibility of tracking."

I nodded.

"How far?"

"There is ridge, over there, where the stream falls from precipice," she answered, pointing, but my eyes could not for the life of me make out a thing. "We will find safety there."

I nodded again, but as we moved this time, she let me keep pace with her, running by her side.

"Auslander. In Palancar, did you make acquaintance with Garbung?" she asked.

"Yes... he's the one who invited me to Palancar," I answered, and as she nodded, I studied her out of the corner of my eye.

"Do you think he used me to rid Palancar of the princess?" I asked.

"No. That development is unlikely. There are many believing the princess would bring upheaval to traditions in Palancar; Garbung is amongst the few to view this favorably."

"I see... so the ones who seek to protect the old ways. They are the likely perpetrators of the attack?"

Eradne nodded.

As we came to a pause again, Eradne held up a hand, indicating to me to be silent, and she listened intently for a bit, before nodding.

"With me, Auslander. Keep to my shadow."

What shadow??? I thought, as I could barely see the ground at my feet.

I tried to move as closely as I could to her, but my efforts seemed insufficient, and eventually, Eradne pulled me close enough, that every time she paused, I bumped into her rear.

As we walked, however, the regular forest sounds began to fade, and I realized, with interest, that the murmuring sound I'd barely made out earlier, seemed to be getting louder and louder, until it grew into an almost constant roar.

A waterfall! I thought, as I finally realized what 'stream falls from the precipice' meant.

I continued to shadow Eradne, but as we walked, my foot bumped into a rock, and as I lost my balance, a bit, Eradne suddenly grabbed me, a panicked look in her eye as she steadied me.

I was still trying to figure out the strange reaction, when a draft blew through me from the left, and I realized that we were skirting the outer ridge of a sheer cliff.

"Don't look that way, Auslander," she said, as she caught me trying, in vain, to pierce the veil of darkness that stood between me and a possible abyss, and she paused, taking my hand, and this time resting it on her hip.

"Be careful with the step," she instructed.

I reached out to the right, assuming that a wall, or something, might be there, but instead I found nothing but air.

Nevertheless, we progressed slowly along until eventually, I caught sight of a rocky face, which we crept along, coming, to my surprise, to a small space beneath the waterfall.

I could see the movement of the water, forming a verifiable wall in front of me, and the roaring was almost deafening.

Wait... we came here? To talk?

I let out an inward sigh, as we would probably need to shout to be heard over the din, but on the other hand, we probably couldn't be heard unless someone was right there beside us.

Eradne no longer pulled me as closely, but she took my hand, and led me, deeper into the opening under the fall, and as the sound of the water faded, I suddenly realized that I could clearly see the surroundings.

"That light? Where does it come from?" I asked.

"The heart-stone dust. It is found in the deep places. Here, it is but a glimmer; but deep down, in the rocky places, it is like a burning star."

Now that I could see, I took some time, taking in my surroundings, while Eradne took a seat against a wall and rested.

"Mein little aufsässig kinde has a plan, doesn't she? An eventuality for Palancar."

I nodded.

"Do you disapprove?" I asked, and she sighed.

"Yesterday, maybe. Today, I am changed from circumstance. What is her plan?"

"To plant an ally amongst the new princess' companion servants," I answered, and Eradne studied me questioningly.

"How? Mater does not reveal how the princess will be chosen..."

Her expression changed, as if something had occurred to her.

"My seed-bearer arrived today, ripe with new seed-life... so a new selection is begun? But this cannot be! Mater is bent, her life blood near depleted. She will not see to the new princess."

"If she were to die, before the new princess births a princess of her own... who would take the title of matron?"

"None," she answered. "It is not permitted. Palancar will be without matron until the princess ascends."

I rubbed my chin, as I considered the possibilities.

"You said the princess seeks to plant an ally... how?" Eradne asked.

"With my seed," I explained, and she gasped, her eyes momentarily flicking down my body.

"B-but it will have to be... one of the seeds who share a vine. Who did she choose?" Eradne asked, a sudden look of worry on her face.

"She didn't specify; but she did say that any born from the same Kobalt as her would suffice."

Eradne shook her head.

"You cannot. It will destroy them! To bear the seed of a god; they will be cast even from this cluster! And who knows how the dissenters will react."

As I listened to Eradne's reaction, a new problem occurred to me.

"Will the child then, not be disposed of?" I asked, and she quickly shook her head.

"A princess-servant is immune to the external functions of Palancar. Their vine is as one severed from the branch, and grafted to the stem of the new princess."

"Then only the mother suffers possible retaliation," I noted.

Either the princess cared little for her sisters, or she considered the sacrifice worth it for the greater good.

"What do you advise? Is the princess' directive too rash?" I asked.

"No, Auslander; her plan is prudent, but... it can only be me."

I licked my lips, as Eradne was my intended target, but I was curious as to her reasoning.

"Will you not face the same fate described?"

She nodded.

"But maybe... if you- if you will you take me by your side," she said, studying me.

"Do you desire to leave this place?" I asked.

"I did not... but maybe, I must. The rot of Palancar will spread... but this seed we plant; maybe it might stay the rot from the inside."

She took a deep breath in, then stood up.

"I will bear your seed, then step from this land; and onto yours... if you will have me."

I nodded, and she studied me, a smile creeping across her face.

"You... you desire me?" she asked, as if the thought only now occurred to her, and I smirked.

"From the moment I set eyes upon you," I answered.

"In what capacity? As a consort? Or was your wish to 'till the earth' that another might plant the seed?"

Her eyes were teasing, and I snickered as I considered the Kobalt's unique idea of innuendos.

"Truthfully; I wish to take you as my own advisor."

She studied me carefully.

"I am under the impression that the position is filled," she answered.

"Gisela?" I asked, and she nodded. "Gisela is a bit... young," I began, and she nodded again.

"Mein Shweinchen is young; this is fact. But her wisdom is a bud that time's flow will cultivate. She will blossom; of this, I am certain."

"Will she become as wise as you?"

"Greater yet," the woman answered, "her eyes will see what my mind cannot fathom."

"Perhaps... especially if she learns from you."

Eradne studied me for a bit, before turning her attention to the waterfall, beyond.

"This is my place; as a sapling, I discovered the path, and I would vanish to this spot when my instruction became burdensome."

"Are those pleasant memories?" I asked, and she nodded, turning her gaze to me.

"Will you disarm?" she asked.

"Are we safe here?"

She nodded.

"None but me can traverse that path in the darkness of a night without luminescence."

I slipped my hand to the strap that held my breastplate together at my neck, and the plates clattered to the ground beside me.

I removed my arm guards, then in one motion, pulled my shirt over my head, and Eradne drank in the view, licking her lips hungrily.

"Your form is pleasing to the eye, Auslander. Much unlike the false-god."

I unclasped my leg guards, then slipped off my heavy, metal boots, as well as the wraps that covered my feet.

"May I?" she said, casting another glance at my stomach, and as I nodded, holding my hands to the side to allow her a proper inspection, she approached me, and let her fingers trail the outlines of the muscles along my sides.

"The skin is so smooth. Like the mori-moth's cocoon."

As her fingers trailed along my side, she circled me, then moved close to me from behind.

"You know, Auslander... I despised you from the moment I laid eyes. I believed you corrupted mein aufsässig kinde... yet the sight of you made my heart race, and you excited me beyond comprehension."

Her hands reached around me, and I felt her lips against my neck as she planted a deliberate, sensual, sucking kiss.

"These feelings I have are not natural, Auslander. It is the manipulation of the Gods; I know that. But this time, I will indulge."

She stepped in front of me, then nodded towards my pants, and I quickly slipped them off.

"Sit," she commanded, and as I complied, she stepped forward, standing over me, with a hungry look in her eye.

She unclasped the belts which kept her short, cotton robe secured around her legs, and as the material loosened, she slipped the shoulder straps of the robe off of her arms, and let the materiel fall to the ground around her ankles.

My eyes travelled along the length of her body, as she stepped out of the bundled materiel, and knelt, her knee just at the side of my hip, and the other leg raised, and just above my waist on the other side.

My eyes flicked to her breasts, which were luscious and plump, and as she followed my gaze, she smiled.

"Have you seen her? Mein little sapling?"

I nodded, licking my lips instinctively, as her hand went to her own breast, and she fingered the fat nipple enticingly.

"Worry not... hers will mature in time," she said. "Until then... you may taste mine."

I leaned forward, and she placed a hand around my head, to help me to her bosom, and I inhaled deeply as I nuzzled my face, enjoying the sensation of being smothered within the valley of her luscious mounds.

Her breasts were firm despite their size, and they felt like gelatinous blobs against my cheeks.

I planted a kiss in the space between her breasts, then licked along the inner swells, reveling in the feel of her skin against my tongue, mixed with that subtle salty taste of her sweat.

She grasped my hair as the scent of her arousal wafted up to me, and spurred my tentative licking into more deliberate sucking kisses, and she moaned in response to the stimulation.

"Your tenacity is pleasing," she said, but as she reached down, and her fingertips brushed the tip of my cock, I twitched at the contact, and she frowned.

"Your seed is weak... you have planted your stalk in the womb of another this night," she said, and I nodded.

"My god-mate," I replied.

"It displeases me," she said. "I desire seed of virile intensity. The strongest stalk of a thin field will always bow to the tallest trunk of the dense thicket. You must be coaxed to plentitude."

Okay, what?

I tilted my head in confusion as I struggled to comprehend what she was saying, though to be fair, my mind was fairly preoccupied with the heavenly breasts in my grasp.

"Use the god-power, Auslander. Image the organ in the mind," she reached down, and fondled my balls as she said this; "see the reservoir fill till bursting with new seed."

I chuckled, nodding as I suddenly understood, and as I followed her instruction, I felt a tingling sensation deep within my balls.

My cock twitched, as my erection intensified, and she smiled appreciatively as my meaty rod hardened in her grasp.

"Yes... desire it Auslander," she said, spurring me on, and as she positioned herself over my cock, I delved into her breasts with renewed motivation.

I kissed and sucked the mounds gluttonously, and as she sank onto me, I paused to let out a gasp, our eyes meeting for a moment, before I leaned forward and took one of her fat, puffy nipples into my mouth, and sucked on it intensely.

"Mhh, Ahhh!" she cried out, as my length disappeared fully into her midst, and the sucking stimulation of her pussy walls almost coaxed me into a climax, simply from that initial entry.

"My womb burns with desire for your seed, Auslander. Forgive me... I am beyond control."

I wasn't sure what she meant but as she began to move, she stopped, shuddering, and as I suckled her, she twitched and moaned.

Was she orgasming? It didn't seem so... instead it seemed as if her body was unable to process the stimulation of that moment, and I paused my suckling, holding her in place, as I studied her intently.

"I am paralyzed," she moaned, the look in her eyes hungry, but strangely fearful...

"Do you want to stop?" I asked, and she shook her head.

"Control the movement... lift me upon your stalk, and plough me thoroughly. I desire it!" she cried.

It amused me to see her speaking with such desperation, and I reveled in the feeling of driving her beyond control like that, but I wasn't so egotistical or delusional to really believe that I could suddenly paralyze a woman with an overstimulation of pleasure by the mere entry of my organ into her place.

I immediately realized that there was something else at play here.

Was it my implant?

I wasn't sure.

Nonetheless, I complied with her command, and placing my hands on her hips, I lifted her up, then let her drop down onto my shaft, and she cried out at the suddenness of the stimulation.

I repeated the move, and again, she yelped; but as I lifted her up again, I brought her over the tip of my cock, and she seemed panicked, almost, as I slipped from her insides, and she came unceremoniously to rest on the floor between my legs.

She shot me a questioning look, but I quickly sat up then pushed her down onto her back, and as I pulled her under me, positioning her for my rod to make a diagonally downward entry, her eyes lit up, and she spread her legs under me in anticipation of the move.

As I lined up my cockhead at her entrance, I slipped in easily, and after taking a moment to position myself comfortably, I began to thrust down into her.

My movements were fast and rough, and every time I impaled her into the cold stone floor she yelped, an expression of delirious ecstasy plastered on her face.

I smiled, as the expression filled me with intense desire, and I grasped her hips, and rotated her pelvic region upwards, allowing me to really drive into her in vicious downward motions, and as I fucked her with abandon, the shrieks escalated into a steady scream.

I was past the point of no return, and I continued to pound into her until the first spurt of cum streamed forth, and I slowed the movements down to allow my body to fully enjoy the sensation of my sensitive glans sliding against her insides.

Her muscles contracted around me, squeezing and coaxing out my seed as I unleashed a veritable torrent deep into her womb.

As I continued to deposit spurt after spurt of seed in a seemingly never ending stream, my mind wavered as a wave of light headedness swept over me, and for a moment, I saw an image of Eradne holding a child, and in the vision, she placed the child into a kind of crib, and smiled as another child was passed to her.

The scene faded just as the final few spurts of cum emptied into her, and I studied her with interest.

She was panting; a new sheen of sweat covering her smooth, lime-green hued skin, and soft, pleasurable moans slipped from her lips every time my cock twitched inside of her.

"I am filled," she said, slumping back, as she tried to normalize her breathing, but as she looked up at me, and I held her gaze; a curious look appeared in her eyes.