Banished Pt. 07

"It's why we had to hurry away from the cluster," I explained, and Evie nodded slowly.

"So, those abilities. Any of us could learn them?" she asked.

"Technically, yes," Casey answered, "but knowing the right techniques to learn them helps a lot; while having a piece of armor that unlocks the ability will get you there faster than anything else."

"So, where does the risk come in?" I asked.

"When our cores deplete, our implants deactivate our weapons and armor, so that the feedback from trying to use an energy powered weapon can't harm us. They don't have such a mechanism."

"What does the feedback do, exactly?"

"Depends on what the item they tried to use is, but the effects are usually consistent with the symptoms of radiation poisoning; headaches, nausea, vomiting. If the item is high powered, however, you could suffer temporary loss of limb functionality, or, in extreme cases, muscle petrification. Most of the effects go away over time, while the muscle petrification requires higher level healing potions, or a similar type of medical treatment."

I frowned.

"I'm not sure if I get it, honestly. I was under the impression that our abilities were able to transcend the realm of what is humanly possible; but it seems as if we're limited, no matter how you look at it, by the capacity of the energy stored in our cores."

"Well, that limitation becomes less of a factor over time, and with use."

I tilted my head at her.

"What do you mean? Through the increase in efficiency?"

"Increased efficiency is one way, yes; but our cores total energy capacity also increases as we use it. If we deplete our cores completely, then you can significantly accelerate the rate at which that capacity increases."

"I see. So, should we start using our cores way more on a daily basis?" I asked, and Casey shook her head.

"When your core is depleted, you'd need to sleep for some time, and spend some significant downtime while recovering from the energy spent."

"So, not while we're traveling and in constant danger."

"Pretty much."

As I glanced across the camp, I caught sight of Bianca, and a thought suddenly occurred to me, but as I took a quick glance at Evie, I figured it was best to wait until I could discuss it with Casey alone.

Casey, however, was now squirming a bit, and as I studied her, I noted again the look of incredible discomfort on her face.

"Are you sure you're okay?" I asked, and she quickly nodded.

"I'm fine," she replied.

I kept my gaze on her, but as night began to descend on the camp, a few fires went up about the perimeter, and everyone gathered in little huddled groups for their evening meal.

"Herr Nathan. A word?" Gisela called, as she caught sight of me.

"Sure. What is it?"

"We wish to arrange for sleeping. We have organized four areas. One for the princess, one for the Kobalt guards, and one for the people. Will one area be sufficient for the Gods?"

I nodded.

"About the sleeping arrangement, though. You mentioned hanging sacks?"

Gisela bit her lip nervously.

"My apologies, Herr Nathan. We were unable to acquire the cloth required to construct these due to our early departure from Kleiner Hein."

"Will we be able to acquire the cloth at our destination?"

"Some... but enough to construct the sacks? Maybe not. Assistance was expected from sympathetic allies within Palancar, but given their actions, I do not believe it still possible."

"Will we be okay with clothing, then?"

"Yes. Sufficient supply remains to mend and maintain existent reserves. We can even clothe the Gods if necessary."

I nodded, as our own starter sets of clothing were barely sufficient as is.

"So, what's the plan for sleeping?" I asked, and Gisela gestured to the little fires being lit around the camp's perimeter.

"Wister-weed. When burned, it produces very little smoke, but smolders for some time, emitting fumes which night critters find intolerable. We may sleep upon the earth, under spread of scrap clothing, until required material can be acquired; if it pleases the Gods."

"That should be fine," I replied.

Gisela moved closer to me, before whispering.

"There is accommodation; within the princess' quarter. For Herr Nathan, if you wish companionship for sleeping."

I bit my lip, as I nodded slowly.

"How has the princess been?" I asked, and Gisela furrowed her brow, worriedly.

"She seems quite melancholy," Gisela replied, and I nodded.

Maybe it's time I tend to my wife? I thought, with some amusement.

"Gisela. Does the princess speak the old tongue?" I asked, and she thought about it, before answering.

"Her understanding is sufficient, but she does not speak much of it herself."

It wasn't ideal, but at least we'd be able to communicate, somewhat, until one of us learned the other's language.

As we spoke, everyone had begun settling down to eat, gathering in little groups around the encampment, and I figured it was as good a time as any to let the first watch take up their position.

Gisela had assigned her own roster of guards to match our own set-up, so that groups of three hunters accompanied each person keeping watch.

My instructions to the otherworlders in our group were simple; their job was primarily to safeguard the camp, not engage threats.

If we were under attack, they were to fend off the attackers until sufficient help arrived to counter-attack; but if a threat were to appear without attacking directly, one of their hunters would fetch the armored fighter in their group, and they would then decide if it could be handled without help, or if not, to wake more experienced fighters before proceeding.

The idea was that I should be woken up when any threat presented itself for the time being at least, but in the future, as more fighters emerged from amongst the group, stepping up as Francesca already had, that those fighters would then take some of that load off of our collective shoulders.

Nate. I think I need your help.

I turned to the supply cart as Casey's voice spoke into my head, and I quickly headed over to her side.

"What's wrong?" I asked, as she squirmed a little, her discomfort seemingly intensifying from earlier. "Do you need me to get Ryker?"

She quickly shook her head.

"No. No, just... help me down."

I shot her a questioning look, but as she returned the stare with a pleading expression, I quickly complied.

As I placed her down, she took a quick look around.

"Is there anywhere we can go... away from the group?"

I rubbed my chin.

"Is this a bathroom type emergency? Cuz there's a designated area for that."

She bit her lip.

"Something like that, but I don't wanna be near anyone else."

I snickered a little at her.

"Fine, fine."

I withdrew one of the bone-tipped hand shovels that the Kobalt used for digging holes when 'attending to business', before leading Casey away from the camp, and down a small incline to a thick bit of bush.

"Is this fine?" I asked, and Casey bit her lip.

"Yeah. Can you keep an eye out... while not looking at me?"

I rolled my eyes at her, before nodding.

Seriously, I thought. Everyone else has been using the bathroom without all of this hullabaloo!

Nonetheless, I kept to my word, but as Casey seemed to be taking longer than I expected, I bit my lip nervously.

"Is, uh... everything alright?" I asked.

"Just... gimme a sec," Casey panted, and I suddenly felt genuinely worried.

Her voice sounded labored.

Pained, even.

Just what the hell was really going on?

I gave her few more minutes, when finally, I heard her let out a frustrated cry.

"Ugh. Why is this fucking stupid, ugh!"

I quickly turned around, and as I caught sight of Casey squatting down on the ground, her pants around her ankles and with her good hand placed over her sex, my eyes went wide.

"Casey?"

"Jesus, fuck!" she cried, quickly struggling to pull her pants up as soon as she caught my gaze. "I told you to give me a fucking second!"

I quickly spun around, turning away from her.

"I'm sorry, but what's going on? Talk to me..."

She let out a groan.

"I... I dunno what's happening. It's like... burning almost, down there."

"Burning like an infection?"

"Wha-? No, like- like I'm horny!" she spat, and I turned a little, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm sorry; what?"

She let out another frustrated groan.

"I know I sound stupid, but... I felt horny, like stupid fucking horny, all day... I just ignored it, but then the burning started and; it hurts, almost. It's like... intolerable!"

I turned around slowly, and I saw tears in Casey's eyes, as she wrapped her arms about herself, crouched down on the ground.

This girl had been stabbed, raped, and had her hand cut off, and yet I still never saw her appear in greater discomfort that she did right now.

I immediately understood that the situation was, indeed serious.

"Okay... so did you cum just now?" I asked, walking to her side.

She shook her head.

"I can't... I dunno why. It's just not happening. I even... thought about you. Not cuz I wanted to-!"

"Yeah, yea. I get it, hypnosis," I replied quickly, raising my hands, and she frowned. "Do you want me to help you?"

She bit her lip, as she studied me.

"Will you?"

I snickered her a little.

"You are such a fucking moron sometimes. Obviously I would."

"There's literally no right way to ask for something like that," she replied, as I moved behind her.

I rested a hand on her right leg, and she shuddered, as I ran my hand along the inner expanse of skin there, until it met with the wetness that had run down onto her inner thigh.

"You're fucking dripping," I noted, with some surprise, and she gave a pained nod.

"This is worse than anything I've ever felt," she said, fighting back tears.

"Seriously? Worse than getting stabbed?"

"You have no idea," she whined, and I frowned.

"Do you think it was the princess' hypnosis?" I asked, as I quickly moved my fingers to her slick, dripping wet mound, and as I began to rub my fingers back and forth along the length of her slit, she shook her head, as she bit down on her finger to stifle a moan.

"I think I did this to myself," she mumbled, her fingers still in her mouth.

"How?"

"Fucking... Bianca! She just wouldn't stop talking about you... it made me think about you way more than I wanted to, and before I knew it. Ugh!"

"You don't have to sound that disgusted," I replied, snickering a little, as I began to focus my rubbing on the little bud of her clit.

"Fucking hell, Nate. Stick a finger inside of me, will ya? Rubbing it just isn't enough."

I withdrew my hand from around her, then reaching up from beneath, I searched around until I found her opening, and my finger slid in without resistance, as her juices began to leak down onto my hand.

I probed her insides for a bit, before sneaking another finger in, but it wasn't until I got a third finger in there that she really started moaning, as she reached down and began to massage her own clit to aid in the stimulation.

"That's it... keep going. Really... give it to me," she panted, and as a few muffled moans escaped her lips, her body went still, and I gasped as her hips began to jerk, and stream after stream of juices gushed onto my hands.

"Fucking hell," she panted, as she recovered from her orgasm. "Did I just fucking pee myself?"

"I think that's called squirting," I replied, and she shot me a wry look, before biting her lip.

"Fuck... it still burns," she said, as she clamped her legs down on my hand, and ground herself, almost involuntarily, against my fingers.

"Maybe if you have another orgasm?" I suggested, but as she studied my fingers, still buried inside of her mound, she shook her head.

"I think I need something else inside of me," Casey said, and as I studied her, she averted her gaze.

She climbed onto her knees, and keeping her gaze on the ground, she arched her back, and flexed her hips, displaying her bared bosom to me expectantly.

"Are you really gonna make me ask?" she said, and I quickly shook my head as I took a quick glance around, before removing the belt plate around my hips, and fishing out my cock.

Even in the darkness, I could see the glistening sheen of wetness on her puffy lips.

Her mound was red and practically swollen, and as soon as my cock made contact with her entrance, she jumped a little, before settling down, and I slid inside without even a hint of resistance; but as soon as I engulfed myself in the blissful embrace of her depths, her muscles began to contract, and I shuddered a little, as her insides seemed to practically suckle me with a lustful hunger.

As I moved in and out of her several times, she pushed back against me impatiently.

"Don't play with me Nate. Just fuck me senseless."

I adjusted myself, raising one leg up, while bracing downwards on my other knee, and after grabbing onto Casey's waist to anchor her, I began to pound into her with intent.

"Fuck... me. Yes!" she cried out, and I took a quick look around.

We were alone, but not so far away that we could let our inhibitions go completely.

"You might wanna muzzle yourself," I chided, and she placed her stumped hand to her mouth, and bit down on her forearm, as I continued to pound into her with abandon.

Her shrieks were muted, but muffled yelps poured from her lips every time my hips collided with her ass, and the obscene sound of skin slapping against wet skin punctuated our visceral copulation.

Casey's shrieks were pure pleasure, but I quickly found the extreme stimulation from her tight, slick tunnel, which was gripping me like a vice, was pushing me close to an orgasm of my own.

"I'm getting really close," I warned, and Casey quickly shook her head.

"Don't you dare stop!" she shot back, but as my orgasm seemed imminent, I withdrew from Casey's cunt, and without taking a second to think about it, I aimed my cockhead at her asshole, and she shot upright as I began to sink into that new, tight space.

"What're you... oh, fuck..." she moaned.

She was dripping, and her juices were everywhere, making my entry as buttery smooth as could be, and her initial surprise quickly gave way to a new impulse.

"Fuck my ass, Nate!" she croaked, and I quickly obliged, taking just a few pumps to properly lubricate her rectal canal, before resuming my frenzied assault.

I reached under her, and planted a finger against her clit, allowing the digit to stimulate her as I pounded her ass mercilessly, and even as she bit down onto her forearm, a stream of whimpers was pouring nonstop from her lips.

My own orgasm came, and as I emptied my balls deep into her bowels, she bucked her hips in a desperate attempt to meet my own orgasm with one of her own, and she was rewarded in mere moments, as her body went still again, and she began to shudder uncontrollably under me, liquids once again gushing forth from her urethra, as I continued to pump her with spurt after spurt of my creamy rich seed.

Casey shuddered a little as I withdrew from her, before wrapping my arms around her as we collapsed to the floor, and she relaxed in my arms, curled up into a little ball while she recovered from the experience.

She remained like that in my arms for a while, until finally, she spoke:

"Well, at least it doesn't burn anymore," she said, and I chuckled a little, as I pinched her nose playfully.

"You might need a whole change of clothes, though," I replied, as I studied the sticky mess that was now her pants, and underwear.

She frowned, but as I released her from my arms and she climbed to her feet, I withdrew one of the cloaks that I'd kept with me from my satchel, and she breathed a sigh of relief.

"There's a stream up ahead. Do you mind if we go and clean up a bit?" I asked, and she quickly nodded, wiping off some of the liquids dripping from her, before allowing me to drape the cloak around her body.

We quickly made our way to the stream, and Casey cursed as soon as she touched the water.

"Fucking cold as ice," she said, and I stuck a hand into the stream, and nodded.

"Kind of refreshing though, in this humid weather," I said, and she shot me an incredulous look.

"Now I believe it. You're a psychopath alright," she shot, and I smirked at her.

"Is this even clean?" she asked, and I studied the stream.

"Running water is supposed to be safe, right?" I asked, and she nodded.

"I guess."

We quickly dabbed the water about, cleansing ourselves as best as we could, and Casey quickly washed out her clothes, only to study the now dripping wet things with a frown.

"Fuck. We don't have anything up there for me to change into, do we?"

"Lucky for you, the Kobalt have us covered," I said.

As soon as we were done with our rudimentary bath, I quickly donned my belt-plate, then led Casey back to the camp, and towards Gisela, who was studying us with a curious look.

As I explained the predicament with clothing to Gisela, her eyes kept flicking between the two of us, and she nodded, gesturing to one of the princess' attendants, who quickly led Casey towards their quarters.

"We will tend to the goddess," she promised, and I nodded, as Casey shot me a slightly panicked look before being whisked away.

I was still looking after her when a pair of hands suddenly wrapped around my neck from behind, as a familiar voice sang into my ear:

"Guess who~?"

"Jesus, Bianca."

"Is it Jesus, or Bianca?" she asked, and I snickered a little.

"Judging by the breasts pressing into my back, not Jesus," I replied, turning around, and she blushed a little as she studied me.

"Did you miss me?" she asked, and I nodded, rubbing the back of my head, as I turned to walk with her.

"So, what do you have to report?" I asked, and she quickly glanced around, before speaking to me in low, conspiratorial whisper.

"I think the brunette is in love with you," she said, and I snickered a little.

"Love is a strong word," I replied, and she shook her head.

"It's true! I swear. But... I don't think she's the one doing the hypnosis."

"You're certain?" I asked, and she quickly nodded.

"Yup. You see, first I started watching her closely, trying to see if I could catch her in the act. But the only thing I found out is that she looks at you every fifteen seconds. Just... little glances, and she knew I was watchin' too, so she was sly; but I still saw.

"Then I thought to myself; why didn't she just hypnotize you if she's in love with you? That's when it hit me! If she was hypnotizing everyone, then they'd all be looking at her, wouldn't they? But apart from those green guys with the pointy sticks, no one was really lookin' at her. 'Specially not every fifteen seconds, like she was doing with you."

"Wow. You really put some thought into this, huh? I'm impressed," I said, shooting her an admiring look, and she smiled happily.

"So anyway, I kept my eyes out; and that's when I noticed that a lotta people seem to keep looking at you. Like, some look to you like a leader; you know, admiring looks. But then there's the girls. There's the redhead with the short hair... and that shy, black haired one who was with you all day. I just thought you had a little admirer's club, but the green girls keep lookin' too!

"And that's when I figured it out. Someone's hypnotizing the girls into falling in love with you!"

I bit my lip nervously, as I studied her.

"Oh, you don't need to worry about me. See, I was cooped up in that room all the time; so I know that any feelings I have for you are legit. Which is why you can trust me, and only me," she added proudly, before continuing in that conspiratorial tone:

"Anyway. I'm pretty sure I know who's been hypnotizing the girls."