Project - Prometheus Ch. 08

"It is simple... Alex," Lumi said gently from behind him. "The meat from these beasts will help feed my people. Also, the pelts and hide can be used, as can their bones. We waste nothing on Talemkha. To waste is to watch our families starve."

Alex considered that trail of thought for a few minutes before conceding her point. Although these creatures had tried to kill and eat them, he supposed that making use of their corpses would make logical sense. Especially since this world was one that was comprised of snow and ice. In the instance of survival, some ways of thinking and acting had to take a back seat.

"All right. Are you sure that the Hermes is capable of handling the weight of these four beasts together?" he wondered.

"It is, sir. Doing a rudimentary calculation, I've made the estimate that the Hermes is capable of handling at least five times what these monsters weigh. Possibly more, but I'd have to take the time to do proper calculations, to be sure," Nats said while heading back to the Hermes.

"As long as you're sure, that's good enough for me. Ok everyone, let's all get aboard! I've had enough of this place for one day," he called out. Hearing him loud and clear, everyone hopped to and made a beeline for the ship. With the lines secure and no creatures in sight, they all filed in, with Alex being the last one to board behind the closing ramp.

Inari was already starting the pre-flight startup and about a minute later, the engines whined as they came to life. In another two minutes, the engines keening hit a high note as the ship lifted off from the ground. They rose slowly off the ground, Inari being mindful of the payload they would be carrying. For an instant, the Hermes stopped its ascent but continued to climb, the engines firing a bit more forcefully.

"We OK Commander?" Alex called to Inari.

"Yes sir! Those bastards are heavier than we initially guessed but it's nothing this bird can't handle," she called out confidently.

"I guess I'll have to rework my algorithm," Nats mused.

"Do that later," Alex said playfully as he stepped to Natalya and kissed her tenderly. Nats sighed as she lost herself in the kiss and Korsa looked on, giggling quietly.

Luminia couldn't help but look outside as she watched the Dead Snows become smaller and smaller from the viewport. Her bodyguards had also looked on and were astounded by what they were witnessing. They themselves were having a hard time believing that they were flying but happy that they'd be home before dark set in. Brahktem turned and spoke to Lumi, breaking her concentration on outside.

"You have proven yourself to be a true hunter and warrior, Luminia," he said, bowing his head in deference to the woman. "You have avenged many of the fallen by slaying the Alpha. You will always be welcome in my hunting party and my home. We would be honored to have you as our guest whenever you wish it."

Lumi blinked before smiling tremulously. A hunter of Brahktem's caliber, offering her a place in his hunting party and at his table was high praise indeed! She knew that he had lost his mother and baby sister to that ravenous beast when it still ranged across the tundra.

His family had been out hunting when they crossed paths with it and it had been ill luck that the beast had killed both women in his life with a single strike. He and his father had barely escaped with their lives, the two of them barely making it back to the settlement alive. Neither man had been the same after that as they'd both obsessed with seeing that beast dead. Now, she had done what many in her clan could not and used her father's sword to do it.

"Thank you, Brahktem. You honor me with your generosity and I accept it readily," she said nodding in return. "With any luck, we will not need to fear the Tashkuun beasts any longer. Soon, we will feast and for this night at least, none will go hungry."

All four Artucian nodded their heads eagerly, glad that for that night, everyone would eat well. They turned their gaze back to the shrinking landmark of the Dead Snows, eager to see it behind them.

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On one of the uppermost wrecks in the Dead Snows, a solitary figure watched them depart in their ship. He was wrapped in a multitude of furs, making him seem much larger than he was. His four eyes blinked, then shut against the wind, which bit into his wizened and wrinkled face. He held a gnarled staff in his hands, which he set before him as he focused his mind. A ghost of a smile graced his lips as his mind found that which it searched for.

"At last," he croaked out. "One who is worthy. You will return and face your destiny," he told the retreating ship. With that, he blinked then turned and walked back into the wreckage he called home.

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Back on the Perseus, Shazza was just finishing with a basic workout routine of body weight exercises. She had forgone the clothing that she had been given and was working out in the nude. It had been a couple of days since she'd seen anyone come back down to question her and she was getting a bit restless. She'd hoped that the attractive male would come back and stumble onto her state of undress but had been disappointed so far.

Though it was the pragmatic thing to do since she had no other clothing to wear and at least had a way of keeping herself clean via the built-in facilities. Food had kept coming thankfully though it wasn't as hot or fresh as it had been previously. Though Shazza had little reason to complain as it afforded her some time to think over her current situation.

One thing was certain was that she wasn't getting out of this cell easily. It was clear that this cell had been constructed with all avenues of escape thought out and circumvented. She'd already looked into multiple avenues for breaking out of her cell, but each one was not possible. Not only were the possible ways of getting free out of the question, there was also the problem of those guards.

They were robots yes, but ones that had been given orders to ensure her incarceration or kill her if she attempted to escape. Also, they seemed like they could understand and execute complex sets of orders, if the interactions between them and her captors was any indication. Maybe these humans weren't as primitive or barbaric as she had been led to believe.

Shaking her head to purge the heretic thought, Shazza caught the attention of one of the guards. Although they didn't listen or interact with her, they had obviously been ordered to ensure that she had access to the basic necessities. Once she had their attention, she pointed to where the shower stall would come out of the floor and mimed washing herself.

Without any indication it had heard or seen her, it turned to the wall and pressed the same panel that the male had pressed the first time he had shown up. The shower facility rose out of the ground and set itself up in less than a minute. Shazza picked up one towel by the foot of her bed and walked into the partitioned area.

She dropped her towel on the bench outside the shower and turned on the water. She brought it to a nice heat, just below scalding, before she stepped in. Letting the water pepper her skin felt nice in its own way. She used the cleaner once again and after building up a nice lather on both her hair and skin, Shazza stepped under the water again, to let it sluice away the sweat and grime.

As the water did its work, Shazza realized that it had been too long since she had done anything to sate her lusts and desires. The water and suds playing along her sex didn't help matters, and she didn't realize just how much those feelings had been building up within her until now.

Though she would rather have had someone to play with to work it out that idea was not possible at this moment. The heat of the water was already wreaking havoc with her over sensitive body and she quivered at the stimulation. Shazza slowly snaked her hand down to her puffed up pussy and the moment her fingers brushed her lips, her passion ignited.

With one hand stroking and diddling her steaming quim, she caressed and pinched her tits. The resulting shock to her system was enough to get her fires stoked, but not enough to quench them. She needed more than just random hormones and searched her memory for a lurid encounter. After thinking for a few moments, she found one that would do nicely and closed her eyes, losing herself to it.

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The hour was late as she strode on by the various guards and techs as they walked about the ship. The corridors were black, accented with red, with stark whitish yellow lighting, giving off the feeling of an ominous gloom. It was the way that most Xuul'khani ships were designed, to invoke a feeling of fear and helplessness. Any captives brought aboard had to feel this, so they knew that resistance was futile.

Her boots clacked on the decking, echoing through the halls as she walked by other Xuul'khani going about their nightly routines. Although guards were everywhere on the ship, none dared to bar her way. Not only was she a skilled warrior, but she was the Prince's personal assassin, trained to not only in the use of deadly weapons but also to be one.

It didn't take long for Shazza to reach her destination since she knew where she was going. Soon, she stood before the ornate doors of the Prince's quarters and let herself in. She was one of the few who could walk in unannounced and not be punished for it. The receiving room was empty as the throne in which her Prince usually sat upon was vacant. She looked about and noted that his attendants and concubines had also been dismissed for the night and tried his personal chambers.

Shazza went straight ahead and maneuvered herself behind his throne, finding the secret entrance that would allow her access. Quietly, she opened the concealed door and slipped inside quickly. The moment she closed the door, she heard the intimate sounds of sex echoing through the room. She smiled to herself as she walked forward and saw him laying there on his bed, stark naked, while a concubine was busy servicing his massive cock.

Looking upon her Prince and master, she couldn't help but smile salaciously as lewd thoughts ran rampant in her mind. Her Prince was a massive beast of a man, standing at nearly seven feet in height, with deep red skin, drawn tight over his hard and muscular frame. He had hair blacker than space, with glowing yellow eyes that complemented a rugged and handsome face.

His cock glistened in the low light as the lilac skinned woman tried to fit his majestic cock down her throat. Shazza gave the girl points for effort as it was nearly three inches thick and at least eleven inches long. The girl was just as nude as her master, save for a small thong that rode her ass like a second skin. Her silver hair glinted as it swept back and forth as her head bobbed up and down, eager to please the Prince.

The girl had skin that shone in the light because of the sweat that ran across her body. Her legs were long and strong, almost like that of a dancer's, but less defined. Her hips looked to be about forty-five inches around, with an ass that was so round and plump, it made Shazza want to sink her own teeth into it. The concubine's breasts seemed to be larger than her own, an EE, maybe even an EEE. She let some thoughts run through her mind before turning back to the reason she was there.

Shazza halted and stood at attention, her heels clicking to a stop in front of the massive bed. She waited for her Prince to address her, as was her place, as his assassin and servant. He made her stand there and wait, wanting her to watch as this woman continued to suck his tool with reckless abandon. After five or six minutes had passed, he decided that he'd tormented her enough and spoke.

"Report, my assassin," his deep bass voice called out to her.

"Your rival, the Prince Kor'lahk, lies dead by my hand, master," she said as she bowed to him formally.

"His servants and fleets?"

"They have pledged their loyalty to you my lord and will come to pledge it once again in the morning," she replied. "Those who refused were... made examples of."

"The proof?" he asked, extending his hand.

With that, Shazza walked over and reached into a satchel that hung on her left side. She pulled out a small wrapped bundle that was both sticky and wet with blood. Unwrapping it, she laid Prince Kor'lahk's still warm heart on the bed next to him and waited. He brought his hand to hover over the organ as though gleaning some kind of power or information from it.

"Yes!" he hissed. "I can feel his power contained within it! You have done well Shazza. Take his heart to the ritual chamber, then return here," he commanded. Bowing slightly, Shazza collected the grisly item and stepped away from her master. She turned from the carnal scene before her with some effort and hurried to the ritual chamber.

The door slid open at her approach leading to a vaulted chamber that was barely lit. The braziers that stood at regular intervals were cold and dark. The various runes and pillars were also cast in a gloomy light, making the room seem much darker. Shuddering involuntarily, Shazza moved quickly to where the dais stood, at the center or the room. Adorned with various runes and grisly scenes of sacrifice, it was one of the few things she feared.

She'd seen many a once faithful servant, who had failed, be brought here to be sacrificed to her Prince. Their deaths not only gave satisfaction to him as a punishment, but he seemed more energized and youthful with the taking of their lives. Somehow, despite his long years, he seemed to be as healthy and youthful as any male would be in their prime. Though how it was so, was one of the things that she was not permitted to know.

Despite being a skilled and capable assassin, she had not been born into the nobility of the Xuul'khani empire. Because of her lowborn status, she could not learn of, or was allowed to know how they kept their youth. It was something she strove to know, hoping that one day, her Prince would appreciate her enough to raise her place above what she was born.

Such things were rare, but not unheard of. If a lowborn had proven themselves to be both cunning and ruthless enough, a noble of commendable status, either a Lord or Lady at least, could petition for them to become part of the nobility. Such a petition though, meant that the lowborn in question would have to mate themselves to the petitioner.

The thought of which had given Shazza much to think about as being mated to beings of such power had their benefits and drawbacks. She had seen many sides of her Prince and though his anger was terrible to behold, his generosity and benevolence knew no bounds, to his faithful. Only the failures could incite his anger, which is why Shazza had been such a quick study and a hard worker. She did not want to end up on that table, feeding her Prince's already long life.

Schooling herself back to calmness from the agitating thoughts, she quickly placed the trophy from her mission on the dais and hurried out. Once she crossed the threshold back into his chamber, lewd and lusty thoughts took hold of her once more as she approached the bed. Shazza kept her smile suppressed as she stopped by the bed, hoping that her Prince would ask her to join him. Her wish was granted as he spoke.

"You have done well Shazza and now must be rewarded. Shed those pesky clothes of yours and come join this concubine in serving your Prince," he stated, his voice promising delights yet to come.

Eagerly, Shazza unbuckled and unzipped her assassin's uniform and left them as a puddle of clothing at her feet. Her onyx skin glistened in the low light as she crawled onto the mattress, seeking her master's cock. The concubine was still sucking on it, though she had about half of it in her mouth, as she was having difficulty managing more.

Shazza caught her attention by placing her fingertip on her forehead and slowly pushed, causing the woman to remove her mouth from her Prince's dick. At the moment that their eyes locked, Shazza almost squeaked in surprise at who it was. It was Palesia, her acourtat(love of her heart)!

When her training was done, she had first started serving her Prince in earnest when she met Palesia. She was a concubine of the Prince and one who like her, was lowborn, but beautiful enough to end up in his harem. They had interacted cordially when they first met, but it wasn't long before their relationship had ascended to something more.

They had met in secret, speaking to each other earnestly of who they were and how they felt. About their people, their lives, everything! Soon they had confessed to feeling things about each other, they became lovers. They kept meeting, engaging in secret trysts, defying many of their laws to cling to the comfort they gave each other. They often spoke of what they would do and how they would escape, but once the Great Crusade was called, they fell into their roles as assassin and concubine.

They met at irregular intervals, which wasn't often but they kept their hopes alive with each encounter. Although the Prince was a powerful man with strong magics at his command, he wasn't omniscient. If he was, he would have put them both on the altar long ago, taking their lives for his own. Though they loved each other deeply, they couldn't risk getting caught, so they threw themselves into their duties, doing everything possible to keep their Prince occupied.

It had worked, and they'd still met up time and again, renewing their faith in the other. This was the first time though that they'd both been called to serve their Prince at the same time. The shock had worn off after an instant, with Shazza seamlessly engulfing her Prince's cock with her own mouth, slowly deep throating it.

Palesia stared at Shazza, utterly astonished that she could take the whole thing down her throat! Though her skills as a concubine were second to none that was the one thing she could not do! She had tried but had limited chances to practice at it and here was Shazza, showing her up!

"She's skilled, is she not?" the deep bass of the Prince rumbled, amused at her consternation.

"Indeed, she is, my Prince!" Palesia stuttered as she goggled.

"Study her and how she moves. Then you may join me here again tomorrow, to see if you've learned anything," he ordered.

"As you wish!"

Palesia watched with both awe and the eye of a student, hoping to replicate what she was doing. She was sure that Shazza would have choked on the oversized rod, but she saw that whenever she only had the tip in her mouth was when she breathed. Sia also noticed that her Prince had taken care to remain as still as he could while Shazza went to work on him. Then there were the facts he was both well lubricated and Shazza angled her head so he didn't bend so much.

Palesia made a mental note of all of this as she watched, enthralled. She couldn't help but touch herself slightly, rubbing her already lubed up nethers, as watching others engage in lewd acts always got her riled up. She noticed her Prince's gaze on her and he nodded in approval, before pointing to Shazza's ass.

Needing no further instruction, Palesia scrambled over him, taking care not to hurt or discomfort the man, before plastering her mouth to Shazza's sex. A sharp intake of breath and lustful moan escaped the black-skinned woman as she felt Sia's tongue dance on her lower lips. Having done this many times in secret, she knew how exactly to get Shaz riled up and dripping.

She stared by teasing her outer lips, using her tongue and heated breath to stimulate her nerves. In long, slow strokes, she deliberately licked at a snail's pace to the pinkish purple center of Shazza's quim. Although Shazza wanted to stop and savor the feeling of being eaten so deliciously, she didn't dare stop servicing her Prince. Her head bobbed as rapidly as she could manage, lubricating and enflaming his massive red cock.