Three Square Meals Ch. 076

Lowering her eyes submissively, she leaned forward, letting John slide inside her throat. Tashana felt that same tremor of fear she'd experienced last time she deep-throated him and she glanced up at him for reassurance. She could clearly see his concern for her in his expression and it gave her strength to fight back against the fear this time.

*That's right, just relax,* Alyssa murmured to her. *There's nothing to be afraid of; we're all here to protect you and keep you safe.*

Tashana was suddenly aware of Dana and Rachel cuddling her too and she was so touched by their concern for her, that she wondered why she'd felt any anxiety in the first place. When her belly had started expanding to house all John's cum and she'd fully emptied his balls, she actually felt disappointed as he pulled out of her throat.

"Are you alright?" John asked, as he sat down on his haunches. "I didn't expect you to try that again. At least, not right away, especially after you got scared last time."

She smiled at him as she sat up and replied, "I just wanted to show you that I trust you. Honestly, I felt fine after I got used to it."

He nodded and said, "Alright, but remember there's no hurry. I want everything we do to be fun and exciting, okay? You're not under any pressure."

They lay down together, with John spooned up behind Tashana and Dana facing the Maliri girl while Rachel cuddled her from behind. Tashana sighed happily at all the physical contact and readily reciprocated when Dana kissed her.

"I love having a tummy full of his cum," the redhead whispered, pressing her stomach against Tashana's blue belly. She glanced at John, before gazing into Tashana's eyes and adding fervently, "It feels like he's showing the world he owns me when I'm huge with his spunk."

Rachel laughed and kissed the redhead's shoulder. "Ignore Dana, she's just cum-drunk."

Tashana turned her head so she could look at John over her shoulder and asked him inquisitively, "Do you feel the same way about Dana?"

He smiled at her, then said to the redhead, "You're all mine, aren't you, Sparks?"

Dana nodded eagerly then leaned forward to give him a quick kiss before settling back again. She glanced over her shoulder and said to Rachel, "Don't try and be all coy, babes. I know you feel the same way."

The brunette kissed her lover and meeting John's gaze she admitted, "Let's just say I find the idea more than a little exciting."

Tashana thought about it for a moment, then smiled as she said to John, "I want to be all yours, too."

"That sounds good to me," he agreed, running his hand possessively over her rounded belly.

Tashana sighed contentedly and snuggled into his embrace, savouring the feel of the powerful muscles in his arms and chest. Alyssa's soothing voice then filled her mind, making her smile as the blonde told Tashana what a good girl she was.

They rested together for a little while before Alyssa let them know that dinner was nearly ready. Walking back as a group, they had a quick shower before getting dressed in fresh clothes. Dana found Tashana an elegant dress from Irillith's wardrobe and they strolled back into the Officers' Lounge arm-in-arm.

As the most accomplished cook of the group, Calara had acted as Head Chef, and they had prepared a sumptuous roast dinner with all the trimmings. Tashana smiled at her sister when Irillith patted the chair next to her and everyone settled down to eat the delicious meal. John was famished and he wasted no time getting stuck in, before thanking the Latina profusely after the first mouthful. It felt wonderful to be eating as a group again and he sat back to watch the girls as he had a sip of wine. While Faye couldn't eat, she sat at her customary spot at the other end of the table and he smiled as he listened to her light-hearted chatter with the others.

When they were done, they cleared away the table, then relaxed together on the new sofas watching the stars go by. Tashana and Irillith reminisced about the times they'd spent together as children, talking about happy times they'd spent with their father and pranks they'd played on one another while growing up. More than once they descended into fits of giggles as they shared some in-joke between them, before explaining it to their bemused audience. No one minded of course. It was wonderful to see Tashana so carefree and happy, especially compared to the tortured soul they'd rescued from Underworld. John particularly enjoyed seeing another side of Irillith and she looked more beautiful than ever, with a sparkling smile lighting up her face.

***

The pull to the Astral Plane caught him by surprise that night. John knew he should have been expecting it, but with everything that had happened with the Maliri Matriarchs and the sudden rush to leave, he forgot about it completely. Fortunately, the wards were still in place, but as the grey, impenetrable mists swirled about him, he could clearly make out the sound of hulking monstrosities lumbering about him, lurking just out of sight.

He ran blindly into the impenetrable fog banks, doing his best to stay one step ahead of the braying pack of abominations that hungered for his flesh. His tactic seemed to be working for a while until he heard a dreadful cacophony, which seemed to seep out from the gloom to assault his ears. It sounded like terrible, anguished wailing and as he listened to that awful sound, he began to make out distinct voices pleading for his help. The wards muffled the sound somewhat, but as he backed away from the hideous cries, he suddenly froze in place. To his horror, he recognised the girls' voices and realised that it was his own crew wailing at him in terror, begging him to end their misery.

For one dreadful moment, he thought that they might have been pulled into the Astral Plane again and his mind was frantic with worry as he knew they'd be without the dome of runes to protect them this time. Afflicted by madness born of desperation, he very nearly dispelled his own wards to better locate the sound of their tortured screams, before the more rational part of his mind asserted itself and he realised it was some hideous trick. Still, his willpower was sorely tested at hearing the women he loved shrieking in pain and he clamped his hands over his ears to try to block out the soul-crushing lament.

With the noise dimmed somewhat, he remembered that he wasn't powerless there and that mere thought had tangible weight. Eyes narrowing in anger, he channelled all his fury at the malevolent beast that would seek to use his love for the girls against him, then funnelled that anger into a burning spear of white light which he clutched in his right hand. When his fingers were throbbing with the power coursing in his grip, he ran forward a few steps and hurled the righteous javelin into the mists, aiming for the source of the agonised wailing.

A couple of seconds later there was a thunderous peal of pain, which seemed to reverberate from the very heavens above, shaking him to the very bones. Despite the terrifying rumble, John allowed himself a smug grin as he was unceremoniously dumped out of the pocket plane. He arrived in his body with a sharp jolt, causing Tashana and Dana to mumble in their sleep as they hugged him reflexively.

It didn't take long for his breathing to return to normal and John glanced to his left where Jade slumbered peacefully, her arms wrapped around Sakura. The Nymph's words echoed in his mind, sounding more profound than ever before: Be the cat, not the mouse.

Perhaps it was time to start listening to her wise advice...

***

The following morning, John woke up before his cute purple songbird could serenade him. Despite the nightmare interrupting his sleep last night, he felt refreshed and rejuvenated. He craned his head up and whispered, "Morning, Faye."

"Oh! Hi, John!" she replied, startled to see him awake. "It's only seven in the morning, you've woken up early!"

He smiled at her and asked, "Any problems during the night?"

Shaking her head, Faye replied, "We passed some merchant traffic but there was no sign of any military vessels. Were you expecting trouble?"

"No, all the Houses' fleets should have returned to their own territory. Besides, they're all allies now and I can't imagine any of them would be brave enough to turn against their Matriarch," he explained, mulling it over.

"Good morning," Sakura said to him, giving him a sleepy smile.

He turned to look at her and said, "Sorry honey, I didn't mean to wake you."

Sakura shook her head, her raven hair brushing over her shoulders as she replied, "It's okay, you didn't." Pausing for a moment, she added, "Bad dreams."

He nodded and giving her a sympathetic smile, he said, "Yeah, I know what you mean."

"Morning," Alyssa murmured, peeling herself out of Calara's loving embrace. She glanced at him curiously. "It feels a bit early."

John nodded then quickly explained what had happened to him on the Astral Plane the previous night. She listened with a grim expression on her face, then nodded eagerly as he explained his decision to start striking back.

Sitting up and stretching, she said, "We'll start psychic training in earnest today. You need to get stronger for these Astral jaunts and you're going to have to toughen up to fight your rogue guide."

"That's what I was thinking," John agreed, then gave Dana an apologetic smile as she started to stir.

She brushed her mop of auburn hair away from her face and yawned as she sat up and stretched. With a frown on her face, she grumbled, "Some of us were trying to sleep! What ungodly hour is it?"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you," John said, glancing behind her at the Ship's Chronometer. "It's seven-ten in the morning."

Dana smiled at him and said, "I didn't mean you." Glancing at Alyssa, she added, "Someone else gave me a telepathic poke!"

"Let them sleep. They've all been amazing these last few weeks, they deserve it," John urged Alyssa. He grinned at her then and added, "Besides we only need the two of us for training."

"Sure, that's fine by me," she readily agreed, before the two of them carefully climbed out of bed, trying not to disturb the girls any more.

"Have fun," Dana murmured, before flopping back into bed and wrapping her arms around Rachel. She fell asleep again before John had finished climbing off the bed.

He headed into the bathroom and had only just started the shower when Sakura came padding in to join them. She pre-empted the question on his lips by saying, "Alyssa said you were getting up for some training. I'd like to come along too, if that's okay?"

"Of course, you're always welcome," he agreed, pulling her into the shower with a grin.

They made sure they were all exceedingly clean before creeping back into the bedroom, with John and Alyssa tiptoeing to stay quiet in an attempt not to wake the rest of the girls. Meanwhile, Sakura breezed across the room in a fast heel-to-toe walk, that seemed as effortless to her as it was silent. John stopped to watch her, admiring the precise grace of her motion until she turned and blew him a kiss, before sweeping out the bedroom door.

He followed Alyssa into the walk-in-wardrobe and had just finished dressing in his training gear when he heard the sound of the shower being turned on. He glanced at Alyssa to ask who it was, but stopped when he saw her buttoning up her elegant blouse. "That's an interesting choice of outfit for our training session," he remarked wryly.

Alyssa picked out a pair of heels that matched her pencil skirt and she arched an eyebrow at him as she replied, "We'll be developing your psychic abilities, handsome. You're going to be training your mind, not those lovely muscles of yours." She draped a long dress over her arm, then selected a second pair of strappy shoes. "If you want to get me all sweaty afterwards, just say the word. I'm always up for a good pounding."

Feeling rather foolish, he followed her out into the bedroom, just in time to see a nude Maliri girl creeping out of the bathroom. The shy wave and blush gave her identity away and Tashana gratefully accepted the long dress from Alyssa before pulling it on. They all left the bedroom after that and padded down the corridor to meet Sakura, who was waiting for them outside her bedroom.

"Well, I suddenly feel underdressed," Sakura remarked, glancing down at the set of black gym gear she'd borrowed from Calara, as her elegantly dressed companions stopped to put on their shoes.

Alyssa smiled at her as she let her eyes roam over the Asian girl's spectacular body. "Don't worry, John's nearly as fond of skin-tight leggings and crop-tops as he is of formal wear, especially the way you fill them out. You should hear what he'd like to do to you."

"Hey! You're giving away all my secrets," John protested, before winking at Sakura.

She grinned back at him and exclaimed, "No wonder you're always so keen to watch me sparring with Calara!"

Alyssa gave John a knowing smile. "That and the victor's celebrations afterwards."

They walked into the grav-tube and dropped down a level before stepping out onto Deck Three. As they strolled along the corridor, accompanied by the sound of clicking heels, John turned to Tashana and said, "I was surprised to see you up and about. Didn't you fancy a lie-in this morning?"

She shook her head. "When Alyssa told me what you were doing, I wouldn't have missed this for the world! I can't believe I'm about to see two Progenitors using their abilities!"

"I'll try not to disappoint," he said, smiling at her. Glancing over at Alyssa, he added curiously, *What happened to letting the girls sleep?*

*I'm just killing two birds with one stone. You did put me in charge of Tashana's psychic training, didn't you?* she replied, sending him a teasing telepathic smile.

They had arrived at the door to the Training Dojo by then and Sakura opened the door then led them inside. She walked past her suit of Paragon armour, then exchanged a quick glance and swift telepathic conversation with Alyssa. The blonde frowned slightly, before reluctantly nodding her agreement to Sakura's plan and followed the Asian girl as she walked through to the Dojo itself.

"This is our training facility," John explained to Tashana, oblivious to the silent conversation between the two girls. He nodded towards the practice armour. "We usually get geared up in those when Sakura and I are duelling with swords."

Tashana frowned as she looked at the swords. "Why are you training with melee weapons? Aren't guns much more effective?"

"You'd be surprised," John replied with a grin, before taking her hand and leading her into the dojo.

Alyssa was already waiting for him in the middle of the training mats, standing coquettishly while twirling a finger in her golden hair. She smiled at him and asked, "Are you ready?"

John left Tashana with Sakura, the Maliri girl gazing around the room at the spectacular views in awe. He strolled across the mat before bowing to her. "Teach me, oh great-and-powerful witch!"

She pouted and replied, "I prefer 'sorceress', that sounds much sexier."

"'Sorceress' it is then," John agreed amiably.

She made a casual flourish with her left hand and a broad shield of white hexagons materialised in front of her. Tashana felt a slight flicker of trepidation when she saw that gleaming shield, but she suppressed it as she watched in fascination.

"So, how did you do that?" John asked, looking at the translucent barrier with interest.

Speaking to her audience as much as John, Alyssa replied, "Creating a shield like this feels as natural as breathing and I saw your Progenitor-half react the exact same way, protecting himself against my attacks. He reacted instinctively, responding too fast to consciously think about it. To create it, all I do is think about protecting myself and the shield forms. I can reshape or embellish it at will after that."

"Why is it made of hexagons?" Sakura asked, studying the glowing six-sided tiles.

Alyssa glanced at her shield. "I'm not sure, but I did try making a shield out of squares one time. It felt really weird, like it was wrong or something." She turned back to John. "Okay, now you try."

"Just think about protecting myself..." he muttered, before furrowing his brow in concentration, and putting both hands in the air.

It was silent in the dojo as he strained his mind, squinting at his hands as he tried to make the hexagons spring into place. Nothing happened for several painfully long moments and he even tried just making one solitary hexagon, but his efforts were fruitless.

He frowned and looking at his hands, he said, "Maybe this is another of those things that I don't have an affinity for, like telepathy."

Shaking her head, Alyssa's voice was stern. "Nope, I'm not letting you give up that easily, not after what happened yesterday." Clicking her fingers imperiously, she demanded, "Try again!"

John rolled his shoulders and took up another defensive stance, before gritting his teeth and straining as he tried to summon up a shield. The three girls waited patiently as he tried again and again, but despite how hard he strained, it all came to no avail.

"It's no good," he finally blurted out, his shoulders sagging. "I know you make it look effortless, but I just can't make a shield appear."

Alyssa gave him a wicked grin. "Maybe you just need a little encouragement."

Her fingers flickered and half-a-dozen disembodied hands appeared, floating in front of her in an eerie white glow. Making a casual gesture towards John, the six Alyssa-hands approached him, wiggling their spectral digits ominously.

"What are you up to now?" he asked, eyeing the hands warily.

She smirked at him and replied, "Getting some revenge!"

With that, the hands swept forward to surround him, one of them goosing his bottom as the rest zipped in to tickle him. John started laughing as she sought out his ticklish spots, but when he attempted to bat away the hands, his own hand brushed straight through them. Soon, he was rolling on the floor, laughing as her merciless legion claimed her tickling vengeance.

"Stop! Stop!" he pleaded between chuckles, Sakura and Tashana laughing along with him.

Alyssa finally relented, withdrawing the six hands as she harrumphed, "That was terrible! You didn't even try and block them!"

Panting to get his breath back, John stood up and said, "Sorry, you caught me by surprise. Let's try again."

Her own hands flowed through the air as she applied her will to the incorporeal fingers and the half-dozen telekinetic projections swept towards him. John focused on trying to block them, but they glided past his crude attempts to halt their progress, nimble ethereal fingers teasing out his vulnerable spots. Soon he was writhing on the floor as they rendered him helpless once again.

Sakura shook her head. "He needs this to be more real. I only got him to tap into his psychic speed when I'd really pissed him off."

Alyssa nodded, then tapped her chin thoughtfully, studying the floating hands as they bobbed in the air before her. With a flicker of her fingers, the six female hands were abruptly flesh-coloured, looking like exact replicas of her own slender appendages. The hands suddenly clenched into fists and began to move slowly towards him.

"These will hurt," she warned him, her face expressionless as she stared into his eyes.

"Hey, wait!" John protested, leaping to his feet and backing away from the incoming fists.

Shaking her head, Alyssa replied, "This is too important. I'm not going to watch you get badly hurt again, not when we can do something to prevent it."

The hands bore down on him, moving more quickly now as they got closer. Alyssa grimaced inwardly, but tried not to let it show on her face as she ordered the fists to attack. John hurriedly tried to meet the first one with a block, but it sailed past his arm and hit him lightly in the chest. It wasn't enough to leave a bruise, but he definitely felt it. He danced away from the hand, trying hard to form a protective shield, but nothing happened no matter how much he tried to summon a wall of hexagons into place.