Banished Pt. 17

Author's note: Special thanks to Ardon G. Fowl, Jack Gwen, Reversal, Swedish Millionaire, and VC whose contributions made this chapter possible. For those who were concerned about my recent illness, I'm doing much, much better now, and I really appreciate the kind words of concern. :)

Enjoy the chapter, and as always, please don't hesitate to leave a comment! I love hearing from my readers, so don't hesitate to tell me what you loved, hated, or what you'd love to see more of in the future. :D

***

Was this what you wanted for me, Julie?

Or was this what you were trying to stop?

I can feel it in my bones. That he's your son...

And maybe he's right.

Maybe I should have stuck by you... maybe I should have been there.

Maybe I should have done something different...

But what does it matter now?

***

I woke up to a splitting pain in my head.

On my left arm was something warm snuggled up to me, and my right... I couldn't move my right, and I tried not to give it too much thought.

There was no light, only shadows.

Shadows and fleeting sensations.

But every now and then I felt something distinct, like now, as I felt my organ being engulfed pleasurably in warmth and wetness, and I moaned softly, as my meat slid past a pair of lips to meet a teasing tongue.

It was a strangely comforting feeling; being coaxed like that, ever so gently into orgasmic bliss, and another soft groan escaped my lips as I came, before quickly drifting peacefully off to sleep.

***

"Nate! Come on, you can take a break today, can't you?"

Cameron had her hands on her hips, and was studying me with that playful smile of hers that I was becoming so loathe to resist.

"I dunno. There's so much to be done. We survived again, but if we keep riding our luck; sooner or later it's gonna run out."

"I know, but when I miss you, I feel like if I don't care. I just wanna lie in your arms, and watch our baby boy do his baby things, and just... be happy for a moment."

She reached for my hands, then leaned back a bit, swaying girlishly as I held on to keep her from stumbling backwards.

"I'm sorry. I know that I'm sacrificing something that we'll never get back. But it's for the best; I promise. And I won't let our sacrifice go to waste. For every moment I miss, I'll make sure that I secure ten thousand more to come. And when our son grows up; he can enjoy some of those moments of his own."

She let go of my hand, pouting a little, until a mischievous smile crept across her lips.

"We could do that... or we could make another one. When you're ready for this."

"When we're ready for this," I corrected her, leaning in to take her into my arms.

I move in for a kiss, but the dream melted away before I could make contact, as my brain cannot in itself reproduce pleasure so blissful, so pure...

Dreamless sleep is a small mercy that should not be taken for granted, I thought.

***

I woke up this time to another sensation; lips, again, but this time pressed against my own.

I wanted to kiss them back, but my body would not co-operate.

The kiss was soft. Gentle. Much like the oral stimulation from my previous lucid moment.

But as the kiss ended, I uttered a soft whinnying cry in protest.

Kiss me, my mystery lover. Kiss me until I forget what her kisses tasted like.

"I cannot let you forget that feeling, my sweet."

Miriam?

If you are awake... make me forget?

Make me forget everything that she felt like.

"Shh. Do not worry. It will be well, but only if you endure this."

It's too much. I promised her that I would hold onto the memory of these feelings; for her... but it's too much...

"It is burden greater than any one person should be made to shoulder. But you are not alone. I am here my sweet, and I carry your loss in my heart. So, endure it; and allow the wound to heal...

But why? I asked, and I felt her smile in my heart, as she replied:

"Because; you are going to get her back."

***

I opened my eyes, and suddenly found myself in the middle of the forest.

Where am I now? I thought.

My map and compass modules didn't seem to be working, and as I looked around searching for some clue or indication as to where I was, a voice called out to me.

"Nathan~."

I spun around, as the voice seemed to echo all around me.

"Cameron?"

The sound of laughter came from somewhere off to my left, and as I turned, I spotted a figure running off in the distance, and I quickly gave chase.

She was wearing a hooded robe, and as she darted in between the trees, I noted that there was a playfulness to the way she moved.

"Are you coming to find me, Nathan?"

I spun as the voice seemed to come from somewhere behind me, but as I gave chase, I quickly lost sight of her again.

"Where are you?" I called out, and the sound of laughter drifted to me again, echoing all around.

"Can't tell~," she sang in reply. "Why are you even looking for me? This isn't what we agreed on!"

"What? What does that mean? I said I would come!"

A shadow slipped off to my left, and as I turned, I spotted her and gave chase, but my foot got caught on a tree root, and as I stumbled, I gasped, as my foot suddenly seemed rooted to the floor.

"We made a deal, didn't we Nate? You would be there when I needed you, as long as it didn't cause you any inconvenience. And chasing someone like Ethan? Well that sure seems like an inconvenience to me~."

I looked up as the figure approached me, her face still shrouded beneath the hood of her cape.

"I can't lose you," I replied, and she laughed, circling me slowly, playfully.

"But you might. Even if you bring me back, I might not be the same person..."

I shook my head in response, as I struggled to free my foot from its restraints.

"I don't care. I'll deal with it."

"Will you? What if I lash out at you? Hurt you? What if I blame you for what happened, and grow to hate you because of it? What if I can't stand the feeling of your touch ever again?"

I shook my head.

"I don't care! I'll deal with it. I just want you here; safe. Whatever the cost."

"Whatever the cost, huh? What if it costs you your life?"

I stumbled backwards onto my butt as my feet suddenly came free, and the hooded figure approached me, stooping down as she slowly slipped off her hood to reveal her face.

"Julie?" I asked, and she smiled wickedly in response.

"Think fast-!"

"Ah!"

I woke up with a start, but the restraint on my right arm kept me from immediately sitting upright, and a voice groaned in protest at my stirring.

As my vision adjusted to the low room light, I caught sight of Bianca's form, curled up beside me.

I slipped my arm out from under her and tried to stimulate some feeling into it as I glanced around the room; but the door to the room quickly swung open, and Evie poked her head in.

"Nate! You're up," she said, a relieved expression on her face as she came over to check on me. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I got hit by a truck," I replied, groaning a little. "What's the status with my arm?"

"It's healing, but the bones still need to reconnect properly. That woman, Aletta; she really helped us out. She showed me how to reattach it and keep you from suffering any nerve damage."

"Where is she?" I asked.

"Across the hall. The reattachment really did a number on her, and her core is regenerating a bit slowly. I think it might be damaged."

I nodded in agreement.

"How long was I out for?"

"Two days," she said.

"And how long do you think it'll be before I can fight?"

Evie gave the question some thought, biting her lip as she did.

"I'm not sure. I mean, it's too early for you to even move it yet, much less fight."

I studied my arm worriedly.

"Can't we use that god artifact thing? The one that Astrid used to heal my ribs."

Evie shook her head.

"We've used it twice already; the uses are limited, but regenerate over time, but if we use it again before it regenerates, we run the risk of breaking it."

I frowned as I observed my arm.

The affected area seemed to have healed well enough, but as I peered into the energy network, I could see collections of threads indicating just how much still needed fixing.

"And healing liquids aren't making a difference, I'm guessing?"

Evie shook her head again.

"There actually is something that Samantha thought of, but we haven't actually figured out how to do it just yet."

"What is it?" I asked.

"Injecting small doses of the healing liquid into your arm. We don't have any needles, since the syringe from the healing shot breaks down within a few hours after being used, but there are a few alternatives we were trying to figure out. Like, she said that indigenous tribes in the pre-Columbus Americas used hollowed out animal bones to deliver injections."

"Do spiders have bones?" I asked, and she shook her head.

"They have exoskeletons. We thought the claws might work, but they're a little too big, and... unwieldly. Might end up doing more damage than good."

I let out a frustrated sigh.

"Isn't there anything at all that we can do?" I asked.

"Well, there's one other thing, but so far it hasn't really been successful."

"What is it?" I asked, and as Evie shifted a little uncomfortably, I studied her.

"Well. Casey told me that when you deplete your core, that it regenerates more quickly," she began, and I nodded.

"Uh-huh..."

"And, well... when you deplete by, uh- having sex. It accelerates the regeneration a bit more."

I nodded again.

"We did it on the night of that fight," I said, confirming Evie's statement, and she bit her lip.

"Well... we tried it. Kind of, I mean. Your princess woke up, and she came to you; and, uh... I hope it's okay, but we let her, uh, relieve you a few times since her core still isn't regenerating on its own, and she can replenish herself a bit that way. But, uh... it didn't really accelerate your recovery by as much as I'd been told that it should."

"I see. So, you think that the accelerated recovery is a result of something that I consciously do while awake?" I asked, and she shrugged, still seeming a little uncomfortable talking about it.

"We're not sure, but... I've figured out a way to accelerate healing in a way that imitates when a healing vial is used."

I stared at her.

"Then what's the problem?"

"It rapidly drains your energy for me to use it; but while you're recovering, the healing slows down, so unless we can accelerate it more effectively, the total healing delivered ends up being less than if it's done gradually," she explained, and I nodded; glancing over at Bianca as I did.

"Is that why she's here? To provide energy for my healing?"

Evie nodded in response.

"That, and you both regenerate faster when you're together like that," she explained, and I nodded.

Guess there's much more merit to sleeping with her than I thought.

"So, unless I can regenerate much faster, the rapid healing technique won't be effective?" I asked.

"Pretty much," she confirmed, and I nodded.

"Alright. Well, let's test out this theory about my regenerative skill," I offered, and Evie studied me.

"Are you sure?"

I nodded.

"Do you have to get the princess? Or do you want to do the healing first?"

"I think she might be asleep. And her capacity is fine right now, anyway. She ends up afflicted again whenever she overdoes it."

I peered into Evie's core, then noted that her own levels seemed to be a little low.

"You've been overdoing it," I chided, and she rubbed her hands together, a little nervously.

"We had a lot of injured people to deal with. Sam has been working overtime, and we've taken on about four or five apprentices."

I eyed her a bit, then nodded.

"Will you do it, then? It'll regenerate your core a little," I suggested, and she nodded.

"I could get Molly," she began, and I shook my head.

"You need the energy," I countered. "Unless you don't want to..."

She shook her head.

"I want to. I just... thought you preferred her," she began, and I tilted my head at her.

"What do you mean?"

"You know... what I walked in on?" she continued, and I stared at her.

"Molly hasn't talked to you since then?" I asked, a slightly shocked expression on my face, and she quickly shook her head.

"We talk. Everything is fine with us, but we didn't talk about it, so I just thought that you and her were... more than, you know..."

"Evie; that was just me helping her vent some frustrations. It didn't mean anything more than that," I promised, and she bit her lip.

"Really?" she asked, and as I nodded, I noted with some surprise that her mood seemed to brighten a bit.

"Can we get started immediately, or does Bianca have to wake up?"

"We can get started," she said. "Bianca takes a bit longer to regenerate than you do."

I nodded, and Evie took a deep breath, before focusing on my arm, and almost immediately, I felt a curious sensation there.

It began as a feeling of tightness that quickly turned into a kind of itching; then finally, a slightly burning sensation that while mildly painful, didn't seem to cause me any significant discomfort.

The drain on my core, however, was much more dramatic than I'd realized.

It was definitely not as pronounced as the immediate complete drain that a healing shot produced, but it was easily quicker than any other action I'd observed.

I gritted my teeth as I endured the session, and after what I thought to be about thirty minutes, I began to feel my mind going hazy, and Evie quickly brought the endeavor to a halt.

"That should do it," she said. "May I?"

She gestured to my crotch, and I snickered a little.

"Awfully polite today," I teased, and she blushed.

"It feels a bit weird doing it with her there. She really likes you, you know."

I nodded.

"I know. But she has watched me do much worse," I explained.

As Evie fished my cock out of my pants, I placed my free arm around Bianca, giving her a little squeeze, and she seemed to make a soft cooing sound in response.

Evie, however, wasted no time at all as she sucked me into her mouth, but as I let out a soft moan, Bianca's eyes fluttered open, and she studied me for a second, before looking down, and spotting Evie, whose head was bobbing up and down as she blew me.

Bianca frowned, but as she returned her gaze to me, her expression softened.

"You woke up?" she asked, and I nodded.

Before she could speak again, I leaned into her face and kissed her, and I moaned a little into her mouth as I enjoyed the sensation of Evie's lips around my cock, and Bianca's lips pressed against my own.

Bianca moaned softly as we kissed, and the passion between us seemed to escalate as Evie quickly coaxed me close to an orgasm.

I broke the kiss and nodded to her, and as she quickened the intensity of her sucking, Bianca stared in awe as I let out a soft growl, and focused what was left of my energy on extending my orgasm as long as I could, all the while pumping serving after serving of creamy seed into Evie's mouth which she swallowed with an almost hunger-like intensity.

When my orgasm finally subsided, Evie slipped my cock out of her mouth, then swallowed what was left of my seed, before taking me back in and cleaning my shaft before tucking it back into my pants.

"How do you manage to swallow all of that?" Bianca asked, and Evie shrugged, seeming a little embarrassed by the question.

She seemed to be pressing Evie, oblivious to her embarrassment, but the voices were fading away as I quickly drifted off to a peaceful sleep.

But while my sleep was restful and dreamless, it felt quite short, as I quickly found myself stirring to the sound of an argument.

"Just, take care of it yourself, or something."

"I don't want to!"

"Then let me help!"

"I don't want that either!"

My eyes fluttered open to the sight of Bianca and Molly engaged in a little back and forth, while Evie looked on helplessly.

"It makes you regenerate faster. The faster you regenerate, the faster we can heal Nate! Why are you being so stubborn?"

Molly seemed to be pressing Bianca, whose hands were folded crossly as she sat on the bed at my side.

"Look, he's up. Let him do it for you, then."

"Ugh! Just leave me alone!" Bianca shot, and Molly let out a sigh.

"What's going on?" I asked, as I shifted a little.

It was impossible for me to even sit up with the restraint on my arm, and Bianca turned to me, a slightly panicked look on her face.

"She's being difficult for no reason," Molly shot, and I turned to study her.

"About what?"

"It's nothing..." Bianca began, but Molly quickly cut her off.

"Yeah. It is nothing. So, why make a big deal about it?" Molly continued.

"Hold on a sec. Explain," I said, and Molly sighed.

"She's close to depleting herself, but if she has an orgasm, she'll trigger accelerated regeneration," Molly explained. "Everyone is out there depleting themselves and doing what it takes to get stronger; why is it too much to ask for her to just do this?"

I glanced at Bianca, who seemed to be shifting uncomfortably, and I sighed.

"Give her a little break," I said, reaching out and placing my free hand over hers, and she smiled.

Molly frowned, but as I shot her a look that said 'let it go', she sighed.

"Fine. Let's give them a little space," Molly said, a little bitterly, and Evie nodded.

"I'll be back for another healing session in about an hour," she added, and with that, the two girls left the room.

"I'm sorry!" Bianca began, a slight tone of panic in her voice, but I quickly stopped her.

"It's okay, we're fine," I said.

She buried her head into my neck, and I hugged her tight.

"I was so scared," she began, and I nodded, stroking her back reassuringly as she snuggled close.

"Did he hurt you?" I asked, as I vaguely remembered Ethan using his dagger quite liberally in the final moments of the fight, and Bianca shook her head.

"Only a little," she said, a little despondently, and I frowned.

"I guess I couldn't protect you from that, huh..." I said, and she looked up into my face.

"I don't care about that. I- I can fight! I can protect you... I- I just need to be stronger; stronger, so this doesn't happen ever again. He... he hurt everyone. Even Lucia."

I leaned in and kissed her, and she shot me a curious look.

"What was that for?"

"For being cute. Adorable; and perfect," I said, and she blushed.

"I'm not perfect..."

"You're not the scared little girl who thought she couldn't offer anything except blowjobs anymore; that's for sure," I replied; before adding: "I'm proud of you."

She blushed even more, then shook her head.

"I'm sorry I can't do... uh, you know..."

"It's fine," I said. "I'm gonna do everything I can to get Cameron back, but I'm not gonna hurt you, or ask you to do anything that you're not capable of, to help me accomplish that."

Bianca frowned.

"Molly was right though. Everyone is working hard. Francesca and Raul are running training sessions all day, and everyone is depleting their cores as much as they can."

"You're doing what you can too," I said, leaning down to kiss her again, but she still had that 'slightly bothered' look on her face, even as she settled down beside me.

She didn't talk again, and my core must have been in 'recovery mode' because I quickly drifted off, and when I woke up later, Evie was sitting beside my bed, nodding off a little.

I gazed into her core, and quickly noted that she seemed to be pretty low on energy as well, so rather than wake her up, I decided to work on my own healing for a bit.

What time was it? I wondered.