Fourth Vector Ch. 03

"Not to worry," said Jack while nodding his head. "I completely understand. Vigo has explained your history to some degree."

The elder woman nodded in return. "Before we go any further, we will introduce ourselves to you. The man on the very end here is Crio. To my right is Reyna and to my left is Pooma. My name is Numa and I am the head of the council of Lishkerra."

"A pleasure to meet you, Councilor Numa," said Jack with a bow.

"Likewise," said Numa with a small smile. "Is this the first time you've been exposed to our people?"

"Yes, that's right. We thought this island to be uninhabited at first glance and only later found out that we just weren't able to see you."

Numa continued to smile. "You made quite the impression when you passed our city three days ago. All of Lishkerra came out to watch your ships go by. Such large vessels haven't ever been seen in this area of the world."

"If that's the case, why did you fire on us?" interrupted Greg. "We were peaceful from the beginning."

"As are most humans who come to our island," said Numa knowingly. "Most don't come with hate from the beginning. Only when they see what our people can offer them do they start becoming violent. Mostly when they see our women."

Numa gestured to her giant breasts, making both men nod in embarrassment.

"See what I mean? Even you two can infer that of which I speak. It's much better for our culture to shoot first and ask questions later."

"If that's the case, then why are we here in front of you?" asked Jack. "You could have killed us any number of times here. You know my role with the people in those large ships and you know if you kill me, they'll be effectively leaderless. What could you possibly want of us?"

"You seek a simple answer to your question but there is none," answered Numa. "Instead, I will answer your question with another question. How much do you know of the Lishkerrans?"

Jack shrugged. "Only what Councilor Vigo has told us so far which hasn't amounted to very much."

Numa nodded. "Did you know that Lishkerrans used to live side by side with humans?"

"I'm surprised to hear that," said Greg. "Since we're so bloodthirsty toward you and all."

"At one time, all the Lishkerrans used to live on another island. A much bigger island very far from here. Back then, our people were much smaller than they are now and remained completely covered in hair. Our people freely intermingled with humans and bred with them as well," said Numa.

"Wait a minute. When you say bred, do you mean . . ."

"That is correct, Jack. Our peoples have mated together," said Numa with a reserved smile.

Jack shot a glance over at Greg before the both of them resumed their attention to the council.

"Things worked well in harmony for quite a long time. After so many years of breeding together, Lishkerrans became taller like humans and our bodies became more humanlike, but it also had another genetic effect on our population. You see, there are much more Lishkerran women than there are men. For every ten babies, nine of them are female. With all these extra women around, the humans had their choice of whom to breed with. Of course, they picked those demonstrating the most obvious signs of fertility."

"So that's how you all got the . . . well, you know the huge . . ." Greg cupped his hands in front of his chest.

Numa chuckled. "Yes, that's how we all became so endowed. Eventually, all Lishkerran women became so well-endowed and our bodies adapted from the continual mating with humans, however it had an adverse effect on our men."

"Adverse effect? Like what?"

"You see, with all the Lishkerran women breeding with the human men, the Lishkerran men weren't really needed as much. Eventually, they stopped being part of the sexual hierarchy and even now, Lishkerran men are completely unable to impregnate a Lishkerran woman. They are effectively sterile."

Jack's eyes darted back and forth between Vigo and Crio but the two older men remained completely unreadable in their facial expression.

"So what happened then?" pressed Greg.

"A great plague was visited on our island and many deaths occurred between the humans and the Lishkerrans. Unfortunately, both groups were prone to blame the other for the pestilence and war broke out. Most of the Lishkerrans were hunted almost to extinction."

"But you survived. You're here now, so you must have gotten away," said Jack.

"That is correct. When only a small handful of Lishkerrans remained, we were taken aboard a mighty vessel and brought to our new home on this island away from the humans. Over the centuries, we have endured and multiplied with the help of captive human men. However, there have been times when humans have visited the island in force and that violence has forced us to lose many of our race."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Numa," started Jack. "But I'm not seeing how we can be of service to you."

Numa gave him a funny look. "It was just over ten years ago that men aboard sailing vessels came to Lishkerra, burning and raping and plundering. They destroyed most of our cities, leaving only this one as the single settlement on the entire island. Our numbers have plummeted. There are now just under two thousand Lishkerrans remaining. If we don't reverse those numbers, we will surely go extinct. And as you know, we cannot count on the Lishkerran men to impregnate us."

"Wait a second. So you mean you want us to . . . well, you know?" asked Greg with his mouth open.

"That is correct, Greg. Tonight is the beginning of our Festival of the Moon where we celebrate the fertility of our people. I think there's no more fitting way to begin the festival than by having our human guests lay with our fair maidens and help to replenish our numbers."

"You want us to have sex with your maidens? Just the maidens?" asked Jack.

Numa chuckled. "Yes, just the maidens, Jack. I'm afraid we on the council have long since passed childbearing age many centuries ago."

"Centuries? Just how old are you?"

"Lishkerrans live much longer than humans on average. Our lifespan lasts around five hundred years. I myself have seen the passing of four hundred and sixty-three years but I stopped being fertile two hundred years ago," said Numa with a slight smile. "We would have you mate with our granddaughters. Most of them are in the prime of their lives, only a hundred years old and ready for babies."

"So you just want us to breed with them? Nothing else?" asked Jack.

"That is correct. Lishkerran women are made to breed with human men. I think you'll find it surprisingly easy to impregnate them. It is the only thing we ask of you and afterwards, you are free to go as long as you go in peace."

"What if we don't do this? What if we choose not to lay with your maidens?" asked Greg.

Numa fixed him with a stare before answering. "Well, then we'll have to treat you as hostile. We will kill you both and then use our remaining strength to destroy what's left of your human friends. Your weapons have already caused much devastation to our warriors so we hope for our own sakes that you will take on our request."

"Not much of a secondary option there, is it?" Greg whispered in Jack's ear.

"If we do this for you, can we talk about an alliance?" asked Jack. "With that being my primary mission here, it would help us to talk about how our peoples can help each other. Perhaps come to each other's aid?"

Numa began to shake her head. "Lishkerrans don't get involved in human affairs, Jack. Our numbers are low enough as is. Yet, if you do help us, perhaps there are other ways we can show our thankfulness."

"Such as?"

The councilor thought for a few moments before answering. "Such as having our settlement here as a resupply point for your ships. The Fourth Vector is a large place and having our island as a point of supply could only help you from here forward. At this time, it is the best we can offer you."

Jack looked over at Greg and shrugged. To him, the deal seemed rather straightforward and one that they should take. After all, it would only be a little sex before they were on their way again. Yet it was Greg that brought up the next good point.

"Before we give you our answer, are we going to be in any danger by sleeping with your kind? Are there any adverse effects that we should know about?"

Instead of Numa answering, the woman on her right, Reyna, spoke up for her. "We've only seen one main side effect that occurs in human men during the mating process, and we aren't quite sure how it is caused. We think it has something to do with our genetic makeup but your refractory time in between each girl will dwindle down to nothing."

Greg frowned. "What do you mean by refractory time?"

It was Numa who responded. "That is the time between your orgasms. Once you begin the mating process, you'll find you'll be able to achieve orgasm much more frequently than you do now, which will allow you to sleep with all the girls and have a chance to impregnate all of them. You'll also notice that the quantity of your ejaculate will increase several times over."

"So we'll cum heavy and often. Is that the gist of it?" asked Jack.

Numa chuckled. "Precisely, Jack. We always tell the men upfront so they know what to expect. It can be rather . . . exciting for the men to figure it out the first time. But there is one more thing you should know. The decreased refractory time and increased ejaculate will only last during the sexual encounter. When this is all over, you'll be back to normal."

"You sure you don't have a way to prolong that? Just in case we wanted to show off later to a lady friend?" asked Greg, wearing a prominent smirk.

Several of the councilors began to laugh. "We hear that request most often from human men. That particular joke never gets old. Are all of you obsessed with your sexual performance?"

Jack ran his fingers through his hair. "You can say it's kind of hardwired within us to make sure our partners have a good time."

"If that is the case, then I'm sure our granddaughters will have a lovely time with you," said Numa with an amused smirk.

"I have to say, Numa, that this offer is very interesting. May we step to the side and have a moment of privacy just to discuss this?" asked Jack.

"Very well, you may have your time. Just don't keep us waiting too long," answered the councilor.

Jack nodded and reached to pull Greg by the arm to a spot just out of earshot from the table of councilors. Once he had put some distance between them and felt like he could talk without being overheard, Jack stopped and turned to face the marine commander. He nodded his head back toward their captors. "So, what do you think?"

Greg's eyes rolled up in mocking motion. "Well, if I have this straight, they want us to stay for an orgy, knock up all their granddaughters, and then let us go our own merry way. I'm not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, Jack, but have you ever heard of a better deal?"

Jack found himself chuckling at his friend's words. "It's a rather unique deal, that's for sure. I'm just wondering if there's a catch behind this."

"They already told us they won't ally with us," said Greg. "And I'm not sure we could still persuade them after the festival."

"Still, just getting out alive will be its own kind of accomplishment. We don't really have many options at this point," said Jack.

"I hope I'm not going to regret this," said Greg thoughtfully while rubbing his chin. "I mean, what if they hurt us during sex? Like what if their pussies are lined with teeth or something? I didn't sign up to lose my cock in all of this."

Jack found himself laughing. "We'll clear that with the council before we give our final agreement. They've been pretty forthcoming with us so far, and I don't think they would leave out a part like that."

"Let's hope not. If I lose my dick then I've lost my reason to live," said Greg with a heavy sigh.

"I'm in as long as you are. What do you say? Take one for the team?"

Greg nodded. "I always wanted to be in an orgy. Never thought this would be the way it would go down! By the way, when they say these granddaughters are a hundred years old, you don't think they look that old, do you?"

"I guess we'll find out," said Jack with a heavy chuckle. Both of them began to walk back to the council and suddenly five pairs of eyes were locked back on the two men as they came to an abrupt stop right in front of the table.

"Well? What do you say? Will you be attending our Moon Festival tonight?" asked Numa impatiently, while leaning heavily against the table.

"We will," said Jack with a grin. A quick glance and a nod from Greg told him that they were now fully committed to the task. "On one condition," he finished, earning an inquisitive look from the rest of the council. He watched their faces turn to curiosity as he explained his terms.

There could be no going back now.

*****

The rest of the day was spent in remarkably different fashion from when they had first arrived. Jack and Greg exchanged their damp, dark cell for more comfortable quarters, being settled into a guest room of the main palace. While still not sophisticated compared to common Eastern standards, the room did boast of natural light, comfortable beds, and a small army of Lishkerran servants to ensure they wanted for nothing.

However, it was only when the sun began to set did the festivities really start to take hold. As the main servants of the palace lit the evening candles, the sounds of loud music began to echo across the hollowed walls and drift into their chambers.

"Sounds like this moon festival is about to begin," said Greg while cracking his knuckles together in anticipation.

"At least they brought us some new clothes," said Jack, raising a tiny loincloth in his hand humorously. The tiny pieces of cloth had been dropped off by the servants a few hours prior. They were told that their uniforms wouldn't suffice for a Lishkerran event and that they needed to be clothed like the others.

"At least that prevents us from having to ask what to wear to an orgy," said Greg with a shrug. "By the way, do you really think this is going to go down the way they said? Are we going to fuck all their granddaughters right in front of them?"

"Greg, I don't know what to think anymore," said Jack before pursing his lips. "I figured we'd just play this one by ear and see what happens.

Greg snorted. "If anything, it will make one hell of a good story."

"That it will!"

It wasn't long after the music started that one of Numa's servants arrived at their chambers. A short, bald-headed Lishkerran, he stopped at their door and lowered his eyes. Both men found their hands crossed around the front side of their bodies, their modesty in full effect from wearing the simple cloth of fabric.

"Your presence is now requested. Please follow me," said the servant.

Wordlessly, they both followed the Lishkerran as he navigated his way through the palace. Most of the wings of the giant structure were empty, and as they moved further into the palace, the sounds of music continued to get louder. Finally, the view opened up onto a ledge that overlooked a giant courtyard and Jack saw a large crowd representing all of Lishkerra just below them.

Almost all of them were in the courtyard. There seemed to be well over a thousand people packed into the grounds below, surrounded by the walls of the palace on either side. Several great bonfires were already roaring, most of them taller than Jack in their size. In the center of the grounds stood a small grouping of middle-aged Lishkerran women, all playing what appeared to be wooden instruments and making the musical noise that was so apparent from inside the palace.

The servant stopped them while they were on the ledge, letting them look out at the assembled gathering of all the Lishkerrans.

"Amazing view, isn't it?"

Jack whirled around to find himself looking into the face of Numa once more. Or rather, looking down as the elderly councilor only reached to his chest once she was out from behind the great councilor's desk.

"It certainly is incredible. I've never seen anything like it in all my years," said Jack.

Numa nodded and grinned. "Nor will you after tonight. My people below will be in your debt. Come, let's start the festival."

She then raised her arms up over the ledge, signaling the assembled ranks below. In one loud yell, the combined masses of Lishkerrans began to roar in approval at their head councilor. In that next moment, Numa grabbed Jack's arm and raised it with her own, holding him aloft as some champion. The ranks simply roared louder.

Jack found himself not knowing what to do at seeing such an applause, especially knowing what was about to occur. He let slip a small smile and gave a tiny wave of the hand. Below, the great mass of people yelled their approval.

In the next moment, Numa led them down a grand staircase that dropped them into the central courtyard. At the bottom, they found a small honor guard of male Lishkerran warriors guarding the main entrance into the palace grounds. Jack surmised most of the city must have come in from this guarded entryway and even now looking back out to the rest of the city showed an empty darkness.

After walking past the guards, Jack and Greg were showered with attention from the main group of Lishkerrans. As they walked by, groups of them flung all kinds of adornments at their bodies. From a simple offering of water to various spices, the Lishkerrans threw what they had, offering their well-wishes for the ceremony to follow.

"You'd think we were gods for being here," Jack muttered to Greg as they passed by.

Greg shrugged. "To them, we kind of are. We're the only way they can breed so I'm guessing we're a big deal to them."

"It's an odd feeling regardless."

"I guess now we know how the emperor feels," said Greg with a smirk.

Numa finally led them to a small table in the center of the courtyard. On the table were two small cups, each filled with a liquid that appeared nearly black in color. The rest of the Lishkerrans gathered around and formed a circle around the two humans and their head councilor.

"The festival is about to begin. I need you both to drink this," said Numa, reaching out to offer the dark drink to them.

Jack took one look at the drink and then looked back at Numa. For them to ask to drink something unknown at this stage, when they were so willing to kill them just hours ago, was a big leap of faith.

Thankfully, Numa smiled reassuringly without any formal protest. "Relax, Jack. That potion in your hands will help you perform for the night ahead. You'll need plenty of stamina for the task ahead of you."

Jack looked down at the cup once more and swirled the contents around the rim. With one final shrug, he brought it to his lips and downed the contents. The taste was bitter, almost metallic in texture and had him rubbing his tongue along the roof of his mouth in an effort to remove the taste from his mouth. It was almost like he could feel the contents of the cup sink down into his stomach, warming his insides as it traveled through his body.

"You'll be happy once that stuff kicks in," said Numa with a laugh as she collected their cups. She gestured for them to sit at one of the many chairs around the table and they both did as indicated. Numa took a seat as well, and the remaining seats were filled with the rest of the councilors.

Once everyone was seated, silence filled the rest of the crowd. Everyone seemed to be waiting for some signal to resume the festivities. It was provided from the band once more just off to their right. Low percussion instruments provided the first break of the silence, the steady beating of drums indicating the resumption of the festival. The rest of the Lishkerran band followed suit and soon the entire crowd was dancing in a wide variety of moves, shaking their bodies to the beat of the music.