As we headed back to the main group, and walked past the geisterung graveyard, Casey came running towards me.

"Is it over?" she asked, and I nodded, as I took a look around.

"We'll need to collect these cores," I said, and Casey nodded in agreement. "How's Nolan?"

"Healed, but resting. Accelerated healing like that really does a number on your core."

Come to think of it, Raul did pass out after we'd healed him...

And Casey slept a lot while she was recovering from her stabbing.

The Kobalt were up in numbers now, and gathering up their dead, but as we got to the camp, I spotted the little Kobalt girl.

She was sitting in front of a small plant, seemingly a fresh sprouting, and as I studied the earth around it, I noted that it seemed to have been freshly dug.

Was it where her father had been buried?

I wondered if perhaps the Kobalt custom was to plant a tree where a fallen comrade was lain to rest.

As I walked over to her, I noted an empty, forlorn expression on her face, and even as she spotted me approaching, she didn't react.

Not to be deterred, however, I grabbed the child by the back of her shirt and picked her up, and as she flailed about a bit, I spotted Gisela and walked over to her.

"This child," I began, "can I have it?"

Gisela blinked twice, her confusion evident, and she cast a questioning glance at Casey as she tried to process my request.

"Have?" she asked.

"Yeah. What did you plan to do with her, anyway?"

"If no guardian would accept her, we would try to find one at the nearest cluster," she replied, and I nodded.

"Good. Then I can be her guardian."

"If you desire it, none would dissent," she continued, before shaking her head. "But surely the burden of this sapling is one for which you need not worry..."

I waved a hand dismissively, as I turned to the child.

Her hands were folded, and a glum expression on her face.

"Being a brat, are we? What's your name?"

"Do you really expect her to understand you all the time-?"

"Lucia," she replied, cutting Casey off, and she rolled her eyes as I shot her a wry smile, before turning my attention back to the girl.

"Lucia, huh? I like it. So, do you want to stay with me, or do you want to go live with your people?"

Her eyes studied me, tinged with confusion, so I held her up to Gisela.

"Your people? Or me," I said, turning her back to me. "Choose who you want to stay with."

"Ich will Rache!" she replied, and I tilted my head at her.

"You want revenge? On what?"

Her eyes flicked to the little grave, and I furrowed my brow.

"The one who killed him got away?" I asked, and she nodded.

This was interesting...

So, she'd been marking the creature, huh?

Now that I think about it, we had killed, what, five of the things?

If there were seven that I'd seen, and two more that were apparently hiding further off, then that meant that four of these things were technically still out there; the one who'd retreated from our fight, plus the other three who had left to track me earlier on.

Maybe we weren't out of the woods just yet.

"So, you want to kill the thing that murdered your father?" I asked.

She nodded again.

"You still have to choose, though. Me? Or them?" I said, turning her to Gisela.

The girl frowned, then after a moment, she punched my armor, and let her hand stay where it had landed, keeping her gaze firm, and fierce.

She remained like that for a bit, before letting her hand fall, and softening her expression a little, and I nodded.

"Good," I said, but as I set her down, she took a little step, then stumbled, and I caught her, and steadied her a bit as I studied her.

I focused my gaze intently, as I had done before, and I noted that the little blue thread seemed to be moving a bit more slowly, labored, almost, and that the faint blue light that it emitted seemed a little duller than usual.

Her core must be almost depleted, I thought.

I picked her up again, holding her like I would a child this time, and as I moved over to the sleeping area, I set her down next to Bianca.

"Rest," I said, and she shot me a defiant look, before letting out another yawn, and I snickered a little, as I saw her resilience fast fading.

"What is your plan with her?" Casey asked, moving to my side, and I let out a tired stretch, as I plopped down beside the girl.

"She has a useful ability, and I find her determination endearing," I said.

"I know I told you that the Kobalt can eventually develop their cores to our kind of level, but I really didn't expect you to just up and adopt the first orphan you could find," Casey replied, and I snickered a little in response.

"What better way to find out what they're capable of, though? She's determined enough, and she basically killed an aufhöcker last night. If that doesn't scream 'give me a chance' then I don't know what will."

As I let out a tired yawn, Casey shot me a quick look.

"You probably exhausted your core," she said. "Get some rest. I'll handle things here."

"Will I be able to wake up if there's trouble?" I asked, and Casey shook her head.

"You might wake up, but until your core's power regenerates you wouldn't be able to fight or use any kind of abilities," she answered.

I lay back, then let out a sigh, but as Casey headed off, I noted that Lucia was sitting, with her knees into her chest, and wearing a frustrated expression on her face.

"If you want your revenge, you need to get stronger," I said, "and that won't happen unless you sleep."

She frowned, then scooted a little bit away from Bianca, before lying down on her side, her back to me.

I studied her for a bit, but my own mind was quickly accelerating towards unconsciousness, and as I drifted off, that image of her form, crumpled, and alone, stayed with me.

***

Joanna stepped into the office expecting an execution, and instead she was greeted with champagne, and Beluga caviar.

"What's the occasion," she began, a confused expression on her face.

"We're celebrating a promotion of sorts," the man explained.

"Yours?"

He chuckled a little.

"And possibly more," he said, tilting a glass towards her.

"I don't understand... our asset is-"

"Out of the woods, and on the way to great things!" he exclaimed, and she shook her head.

"This is a draft of the kill order. Even if they make it through Irileth's domain, he won't survive..." she began, and the man laughed.

"That kill order won't see the light of day," he said, and as she eyed him, he smirked. "Let's just say, the person who drafted that is currently 'looking for a new place to sit'."

"The chair? He's been removed?"

"Removed and replaced," he added, winking suggestively, and her lips finally broke into a smile.

"And your seat-?"

"-open, and awaiting my recommendation," he explained.

His eyes travelled over her body desirously, and Joanna suppressed the shudder, as she licked her lips.

She drew the blinds shut, then unclasped the front of her jacket, as she approached the desk.

"Well, allow me to submit my application," she said suggestively, as she cleared his desk with one sweep of the hand.

***

I woke up with a thick sheen of sweat on my brow, and as I sat up, I pulled at my breastplate a little, trying to get some air down into the stuffy space between it and my chest.

Thanks to the thick canopy above, direct sunlight was out of my face, as the only light that came to the grove was the little slivers that managed to make it through the shield of leaf, vine, and branches, and they shifted continuously as the treetops swayed gently in the light breeze.

I took a quick look around.

Francesca was asleep a few bunks down from where I was, and Nolan was a little bit further off; but the little bundle I'd expected to find beside me was gone, and Bianca too, I noted, was nowhere to be found.

I let out a yawn, as I stretched groggily, then slowly climbed to my feet.

Every muscle in my body screamed achily in protest, and I twisted to and fro a bit, trying to ease some life back into them.

Apart from Francesca, the sleeping area was basically empty.

What time was it? I wondered.

I took a look around, then spotted Myrinne, and I quickly moved to her side.

"Is Gisela around?" I asked, and the girl shook her head.

"Her first rest since the long night-cycle," she said, gesturing towards the sleeping area.

I nodded.

"And Casey?"

Myrinne gestured away from the camp area, towards the north east, where Raul's group had headed to set the forest ablaze.

I started making my way over there, when I noticed there was a long line of little saplings planted along the length of the battlefield where we'd engaged with the aufhöcker and geisterung the night before.

I counted twelve saplings in total, and I silently wondered how that loss would affect us going forward.

Losing runners and hunters seemed inevitable if we ended up in this kind of conflict.

Would we be able to replenish those reserves as we moved through the clusters scattered throughout the forest?

Then there was also my concern that the majority of our migrating party were men.

Most of them seemed younger, and were perhaps 'unattached' so to speak, but we'd need to start finding spouses for them to procreate with if we were to expand to a sufficient size after settling down.

As I walked over to the large group gathered on the other side of the fallen tree, I found an operation of sorts in apparent progress, and it made for quite the strange scene.

Bianca, for starters, seemed to be cutting into a dead geisterung at the direction of some Kobalt men, while Casey, my new young apprentice, and Evie, seemed to be gathered around one of the untouched corpses, apparently examining it.

As I approached them, however, some Kobalt men moved past me, apparently hauling planks of wood, and as I cast a look across, in the direction from which they'd come, I noticed that Raul seemed to be using his sword, with some attached wooden implements, to cut evenly sized planks of wood out of the massive tree trunk, and there already huge sections missing from it, along its length.

"Nate!"

Bianca dropped her dagger to the ground as she darted towards me.

"You're okay!" she called, leaping towards me, and I caught her as she hugged me tightly.

"I can't believe you let me sleep through all this. I could have stabbed these bastards to death!" she exclaimed, and I snickered at her.

"You need to learn some speed and strength skills before you can do any fighting," I chastised her, and she frowned.

"Yeah, well Casey is making me cut up corpses, and it sucks!"

I snickered at her again, then pinched her round, rosy cheek.

"Well, it'll help you work on your cutting skills," I countered, and she pouted a little.

"Fine! But if I don't get some lovin' later to make up for all this, I'm gonna be pissed."

She put her hands on her hips, and I ruffled her hair playfully, before sending her back to work.

"I see you finally got her under control," I said, gesturing to Bianca as I approached Casey.

"It's easy. Apparently if you say, Nate would be pretty impressed if you could skin fifty dead geisterung, she just jumps right to it."

I snickered a little, as Evie shot me a glum look.

"I'm not sure she deserves the chance you're giving her," she said, her tone a little worried, and I frowned.

"I don't think she's a bad person... she just needs the right kind of influence," I countered, and Evie sighed.

As I studied the group, however, I realized that they were extracting the core from the dead creature.

"How many cores did you get so far?"

"Nineteen. Without Gunter it was pretty tough finding them at first, but I think we're getting them much more easily now," she explained. "There's just four more over there, and we're done with the dead in this area."

"What happened to Gunter?" I asked.

"He was wounded. He's fine, but he needed to rest."

I cast a quick look at the Lucia, then smiled.

"Is she the one locating them?" I asked, and Casey nodded, scowling a bit as I gloated over her.

As I concentrated on Lucia, however, I noted that the ability to find cores wasn't really a new skill, but rather, one that seemed to branch from the already existing sensory one.

The girl seemed to shift uncomfortably under my gaze, and Evie shot me a disapproving look.

"She's an orphan now. We shouldn't be exploiting her just because she has a useful ability," she said, and I snickered.

"You seem to be mistaking her intentions. She has her eyes on the monster that killed her father," I replied, and as Evie glanced at the girl, she frowned.

"You have your whole life ahead of you. Don't throw it away chasing revenge," she offered, and the girl scowled at her.

"I don't intend to let her throw anything away, but she wants to get stronger, and we're in an opportunity to humor her."

Evie frowned, and I suddenly remembered the desire she expressed to have a family of her own.

Maybe I could use that?

After all, the child would need a guardian when I was busy.

I turned my attention however, to Raul.

"What's up with the lumber work?" I asked.

"Apparently, he did some wood work in his earth-days," Casey said. "It was his idea to turn the sword into a plane tool, and cut some of that wood off into planks."

"That could be useful," I said, and she nodded.

"Gisela said we might be able to make a few more carts before we leave."

"If the danger really is past, it might not hurt to stay here a few days," I said, and Casey nodded in agreement.

"Bianca is working on getting furs off of the corpses, but if we can get some of the meat off of them as well, then we might actually have something that the Kobalt value for trade when we start hitting the clusters."

"True. From what I gather, we were basically depending on good will up till now," I said, and Casey nodded.

"When you're done handling stuff over here, come get me. I wanna take my new apprentice over here for a little run," I said.

"A run?" she asked.

"Yeah. I'll need to build up her strength and speed physically until her core is developed enough to use armor. Plus, I don't wanna waste the cores from the run Francesca and I made last night."

Casey nodded as Evie shot me a disapproving look, and I offered her an apologetic glance, as I turned and headed back to the camp.

As I spotted the little stream from earlier, however, I took a quick look at my own armor, which was stained and streaked with dry blood, and I quickly decided to make a little detour.

I removed several of the pieces and gave them a quick wash, before washing away some of the sweat and filth from my skin as well, but as I splashed the water across my skin, a curious sound echoed down to me, from further up the stream.

Was that... a girl's voice?

It sounded like little, muted sobs, punctuated by little whimpers, and as I followed the sound, my chest piece and arm guards bunched in my hand, I moved upstream until I spotted a little armored figure, stooped down under a tree, and wiping at her eyes as she stared at the little, gurgling stream.

That armor... Jeannie was wearing that set, wasn't she?

I dismissed my armor piece, and stowed it away in my satchel as I approached her tentatively.

"Hey," I called, and she quickly wiped at her eyes, as she scrambled up.

"I'm sorry," she said, and I tilted my head at her.

"For what?"

"Everyone's busily taking care of what's needed..." she began, and I raised a hand to stop her.

"We've been through hell last night; if you need a moment to gather yourself, you shouldn't feel bad. Or hesitate to ask," I said.

She let out a sigh, as I gestured to a little rock beside the stream, and she nodded, as she took a tentative seat.

"We lost a lot of people last night," she said.

"We did," I concurred.

"Do you know their names?"

"Only a few," I replied, and she sighed.

"I only knew one; Lars. I found out his name less than an hour before he died. When those bear things came at us, I charged in following Francesca, but... I don't know how she can be so fierce and composed in the face of so much craziness. I killed one, I think, when everything just started spinning out of control around me... and just I froze. I couldn't move

"It was your first battle," I offered. "It's natural for you to be overwhelmed."

She shook her head.

"While I was frozen in place, one of those things leapt at me, and Lars lunged at it and knocked it over, putting himself in the way... it tore him to shreds before I could stab it. My lack of ability cost us a life; and now my hands just won't stop shaking."

She broke down, and I took her hands into mine, and steadied them, before putting an arm around her shoulder.

"That's what we're here for. We can depend on each other to deal with things when they become too much. You don't need to deal with this by yourself, okay?"

She nodded, resting her hand on top of mine, as we sat there for a bit.

"I'll be fine," she said. "I'm sure you're probably needed."

"It's fine. You can take as long as you need," I offered. "And if you need anything, please don't hesitate to ask."

I gave her one more reassuring squeeze, before turning to leave and heading back to the camp, but when I got there, I spotted Cameron with the princess, and I suddenly noted that her brow was wrinkled with concern.

As I headed over to her side, however, I realized that the princess seemed to be practically glowing with excitement.

Mine Götze! It brings me joy to see you unharmed, she said, and I nodded, regarding her change in mood with some curiosity, as I turned to Cameron.

"The last time you had that look on your face, you thought we were gonna be forced to have an impregnation ceremony," I said. "What happened?"

"Come with me," she said, and the princess followed us excitedly, as we moved to a portion of the princess' sleeping area which was out of sight from the main camp.

There were two of the princess' companion-servants there, and she dismissed them, as Cameron released my hand, and took a deep breath, before lifting up her shirt.

"Holy shit... is that-?" I began, and she nodded, as I stared at what could only be a subtle but undeniable baby bump.

"I- I don't know how it's possible, but-" she began, but I quickly cut her off as I swept her off her feet, lifting her up by the hips, and nuzzling my face into her stomach as I spun her around a bit.

She giggled at the stimulation, and as the dizziness eventually floored me, I cushioned her fall with my own body, and we collapsed into a bundle on the soft, padded earth.

But even as she laughed, that worried look reappeared on her face.

"You don't need to worry; your core is just accelerating your pregnancy," I said, and she bit her lip.

"Are you sure? What if something's wrong," she began, and I shook my head as I leaned in to brush my fingers against the little bump, and caress the spot gently.

"I promise you, nothing's wrong. It's just like the accelerated healing, and accelerated everything else," I explained, and she sighed, relaxing a bit.

The princess took a seat beside Cameron, the movement performed with an almost practiced grace, and she too placed a hand, beside mine, over the bump.

"Wunderschönen," she muttered, before moving her hand to my face.

The child will be as beautiful as you, my king. Enjoy the moment with your goddess, she finished, as she stood, and left us to our own devices.

I pulled Cameron to me, and kissed her lips.

"You are happier than I expected you to be," she began, and I snickered a little.

"I guess I am. Maybe it's something I never thought I'd have, much less with someone whose company I enjoy as much as yours," I said.
"Do you still feel nothing though?" she asked.

"I feel excited. We're having a baby," I said, and she folded her hands.

"Well, duh. I mean, that's a big deal... but are you excited that it's with me?"

"Of course, dummy."

"But you'd be excited no matter who it was with, wouldn't you?"

"To an extent, maybe?" I replied, "But... you would be too, you know? I mean, what if the kid was Nolan's?"

"Ugh, no way!"

"Fine... what about some hot celebrity or something; someone you like! If he was kind? Treated you well~?"

She folded her hands.

"I guess... but, I'm really, really glad that it's with you."

"I am too," I replied, teasing her nose a little with my fingers. "So, what's wrong?"

"If Francesca was having your baby, would you be just as happy?" she asked, and I laughed.

"No. She's too young," I replied, and she rolled her eyes, as she turned away from me.

"So, is her age the only problem there?"

I scooted close to her, and rested my chin tentatively on her shoulder.

"No... I genuinely like you," I said. "I might not feel the same kind of sentimental feelings that people in love feel in relationships, but I really enjoy being with you."

She let out a sigh.

"Aren't you worried at all though? Even if the baby is healthy, we're bringing it into a world full of death."

"We left a world that was just that; it just did a better job of hiding it," I countered, and she frowned.

"I wouldn't have had a child in that world, either," she said, shifting a little.

"Really? And not just because of the sex thing?" I asked.

She bit her lip.

"The man who abused me was the one who raised me," she said, "and the thing that scares me most is that almost everyone who knew him still thought he was a saint. I mean, I told people before... and no one believed me. It made me realize that I needed to be sure that I wasn't going to bring a daughter into the world to have that experience. So, every time I met someone, I'd try to figure out if I knew that they would never do that, and I've never once felt sure... like there'd always be doubt in the back of my mind."

"Do you think I fall into that category?" I asked, and she quickly shook her head.

"I didn't know what it meant to feel completely safe until you held me."

"But, what if that's just the hypnosis?" I asked, and she sighed, but as I trailed my fingers across her stomach, she shook her head.

"You're right. I have no way of knowing for certain... but everything inside of me wants you to be what I need you to be... and whether I can know for sure or not, I guess I kind of just decided that I'm going to trust you."

"Blind faith?" I asked, and she nodded, as she climbed on top of me.

She kissed me, and I rolled her onto her back, and kissed her, petting her stomach lovingly as I did.

"You know, you don't need to just trust me blindly."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Where was your mom... when the abuse happened?"

She let out a sigh.

"She left us when I was a kid... I dunno what happened to her, honestly."

"Do you think it would have been different? If she was around?" I asked, and she shrugged.

"Maybe? Who knows? Maybe it would have been worse..."

"Do you think it would have been different if you were the mother, and the child, your own?" I asked, and she nodded.

"Fucking hell be damned if I would let someone do that to my kid," she shot, and I smiled.

I turned to her stomach, then planted a gentle kiss on it, before addressing our unborn child.

"Hey there. I'm your father; Nathan. And I may be an asshole; your mommy isn't really sure yet... but you don't need to worry your pretty little mind, because even if I am, she would never let a single thing happen to you," I said, and Cameron studied me, smiling.

"That's cute, but could you not swear in front of my kid?" she joked, and I snickered a little, as I climbed on top of her.

"That kid better shut its ears or something, because mommy's about to make some dirty sounds."

As our lips met, and we began to kiss, Cameron broke away, and cast a tentative look around.

"Are you sure we have time?" she asked.

"I fought off an army of monsters last night. I doubt anyone's gonna mind if I take a moment to be with the woman I love."

"You love me? What happened to the 'unable to feel'?" she asked, and I snickered.

"I dunno. Maybe I think I'm in love, when I'm not... but I definitely can't say that what I feel for you is nothing anymore."

I leaned in to kiss her again, and Cameron cooed into my mouth.

"What if I asked for exclusivity?" she asked.

"I'm sort of engaged to a princess," I replied. "I can offer you 'first wife' privileges?"

Cameron snickered at my counter offer.

"Oh, I don't care about that. I was just making sure the Nate I fell for was still in there."

"How would you know if he wasn't?" I asked, genuinely curious.

"I dunno. Maybe I wouldn't? But about these first wife privileges... don't I have to be your wife first?"

There was a teasing look in her eyes, and I studied her with interest.

"Do you want to be my wife?" I asked, and she put a finger to her lips, as if pondering the suggestion.

"I dunno. I'm a young, energetic, fetching lass. Maybe I need to play the field a little, before settling down."

I studied her as she tried to keep a straight face as if giving serious consideration to her options, until I lunged in with my fingers in an attempt to tickle her, and she quickly gave up the charade, as she giggled and squirmed in my grasp.

"I'm just kidding. If you actually take a wife, half of this group is going to riot," she said. "Besides, that status wouldn't actually mean anything. You're spending all of the time with me that you can... so, nothing would change, really."

I frowned.

"I always wanted a wife, though," I said.

"You always wanted closeness, and you have it. What difference does it make what word we use?"

I shrugged.

"Wife has a nice ring to it."

"It does, when you say it," Cameron concurred, and she leaned up to kiss me again.

"Come make love to your wife," she said, as she pulled me down onto her, and I cooed into her mouth as we kissed.

My hand reached under her shirt, and up to one of her breasts, and I squeezed the fatty mound in my grasp.

"Do you think they'll get bigger?" she asked, and I snickered a little.

"Maybe. Although, I must admit, I find them to be absolutely perfect as they are."

"Flattery?" she asked, and I shook my head, as I leaned down to kiss and suck them.

They were just as large as Evie's, but rather than that pear-shaped look, Cameron's were round, and firmer to the touch, and her areolas not as wide.

Maybe they weren't quite as perfect as Eradne's; but she did seem to have a few years of maturity on Cameron, so maybe that's what Cameron's would look like after childbirth?

"Where is your mind right now?" Cameron asked, and I realized I had probably taken on a bit of a pensive look, as I appraised all of the breasts I'd recently held and sucked.

"Somewhere bad," I admitted, and Cameron snickered a little.

"Come here," she said. "You know, you never came to me... after the Emily thing. Is that still on your mind?"

I shook my head.

"I've decided to ignore that," I replied, and she studied me.

"Ignore it?"

"Psychopath superpower. If I don't want to feel something, I just switch it off, and ignore it."

She frowned.

"What?" I asked.

"Is that what you'd do if you lost me?"

"I dunno... probably. Would you want me to feel sad?" I asked.

"Maybe a little," she said, and I snickered, as I leaned down to kiss her.

"Then I will," I said, and she sighed.

"I'm trying not to let this bother me... but you know, you could come to me when you need someone, too. This arrangement doesn't need to work only when I want you."

"I know; but I don't want to. When I'm with you, I'm in a world that starts and ends right here," I said, drawing a little circle around Cameron's form. "Everything else can stay outside. And I like being in this little world; with you, me... and this."

I leaned down as I spoke, and planted a little kiss on her shoulder.

She made a content little sound, before frowning.

"I know you said we could have the time, but I get the feeling that someone is going to come calling you where you're needed."

I nodded, a little dejectedly, and she shook her head, before quickly going for the straps on my armor.

I slipped off my shirt, while she quickly undid the clasp around my belt-plate and hurriedly fished out my slightly stiffened cock from my pants.

"I don't think you need to rush," I began, when-

Nate? Where are you?

-Casey's voice spoke into my mind.

Cameron caught the momentary inflection in my speech, and frowned.

"Casey?" she asked, and as I nodded, she licked her lips, as she stroked me. "Fine. Let her wait; I'll be quick."

She took a deep breath, before leaning in, and planting a kiss on the soft underside of my cock, as she held it straight up.

"Mmh," I moaned in response.

"You know... I've never willingly given a blowjob in my entire life," she said, and I placed a hand against her cheek, as she nuzzled my part affectionately.

"You don't have to do anything that makes you feel uncomfortable," I reminded her, but she shook her head.

"I've always wanted to," she said, as she looked up at me, while leaning in, and taking one of my balls into her mouth.

She sucked on it gently, and ended it with a sucking kiss, before planting her lips against the spot again, and trailing up from the loose sack, to the smooth, long shaft that pointed straight up.

I moaned again at the pleasurable sensation, and she smiled.

Nate. I'm not seeing you around. Where are you? Casey's voice called again, and I frowned.

"Fine," Cameron said, "I'll let you go. But can we have some time tonight?"

"It's a date," I promised, caressing her face gently and giving one final kiss, before she quickly retrieved my armor, and helped me dress.

I held her close, and gave her another gentle kiss, before we made our way around the little bushy area, and back to the main body of the camp.

Casey shot me a slightly annoyed look, and Cameron went off to check on Nolan.

"We should talk," I said, as she yawned.

"You can do whatever you want, you know," she said, nodding subtly in Cameron's direction. "I just wanted to let you know I'm going to bed, so if you need to find out anything, now's the time."

I nodded.

"Is there anything I need to know?" I asked, and she shrugged.

"Can't think of anything, but I'm running on empty here, so I might be forgetting something."

"It's fine, but before you go..."

I pulled her aside, before continuing, in a low whisper.

"Cameron's showing a little bump," I explained, and Casey frowned.

"It's been, what? Six days?"

I nodded.

She sighed, then stooped down, and got a little stone, and began doing some math on the earth.

"Nine months on earth is... about two hundred and seventy days. In hours, that's..."

"Six thousand, four hundred and eighty," I answered, and Casey frowned.

"Right- forgot I had the numbers wizz, here. Any chance you can convert that to Kepler-days?"

"Two hundred and sixteen," I offered, after a moment, and she frowned again.

"I kind of hate you. So, normally, first time mothers don't show until sixteen weeks or so, but that's because their bodies are stretching to accommodate the change; our bodies will do that much more effectively, so let's say, twelve weeks in earth time? Do that conversion in your head, math nerd."

"Sixty-seven days," I replied, and she frowned again.

"Seriously, fuck you. So, she compressed sixty-seven days into six? Fuck, Nate... at this rate she'll have that baby in-"

"Fourteen days," I breathed, my mouth slightly agape.

I slumped down to the floor, and Casey studied me, before resting a hand on my shoulder.

Ever since we first got here, everything seemed to be moving at a whirlwind pace, but even by that metric this was ridiculous.

Two weeks...

Could I even guarantee the child's safety in that time?

I wasn't sure.

"Where's the kid?" I said, looking around as I climbed to my feet and shook my misgivings aside.

"Over by the supply cart with Evie," Casey answered, as she studied me.

"If I put her in armor, will she learn the abilities? Like speed-one?"

Casey nodded slowly.

"Yeah, but you'd need a way to keep an eye on her core or-"

"I've got it," I said. "New ability, remember?"

"You know, you never told me how you got that ability..."

"Maybe later, when you're rested. For now, just get some sleep," I said.

Casey studied me a bit longer, then nodded, but I felt her eyes on me as I moved over to the supply cart.

"Saddle up, kid. Let's go," I said.

Evie folded her hands in protest, and frowned.

"You know, she's been at work on those cores all day. How about you give her a break," she said.

I turned to the kid.

"Do you want to rest?" I asked, and the girl shook her head.

"She's a child; she doesn't understand her limits yet," Evie pleaded, as I began to browse through the stuff in the supply cart.

There were a few scattered pieces, and I scanned the collection of slivers looking for a pair of greaves, and a breastplate, preferring the low-grade T-one stuff.

"It's fine; I can see her limits with a skill," I explained.

"By limits, you mean before she passes out?" Evie asked, and I nodded.

"It's not like working until you're tired. She has a core, and it'll probably deplete quickly when in use," I explained, but Evie still seemed unhappy, so I decided to try a compromise.

"Look; maybe the kid is pushing herself because this is her way of dealing with her dad's death. If that's the case, I'll let her quit the second she asks to, and then you can spend all the time you want with her helping her work it out. But until then, I'm giving her the shot to do the things that she wants to accomplish, okay?"

Evie frowned, but nodded, her concerns evidently assuaged by my argument, and I smiled.

I turned around, then picked the kid up and headed off.

After running with her in my arms for a bit, the discomfort of running while holding her like that began to annoy me, so I paused.

"Can you hold onto my back or something?" I asked, and the girl nodded, as I helped her over my shoulder.

She placed her hands onto the neckline of my armor, and held on, but rather than wrapping her feet around me, she climbed onto my shoulder, and balanced herself there in a crouching like position, as she held on.

She tapped me on the head, letting me know she was ready, so I decided to run, and see if she would really be able to hold on like that.

To my surprise, the arrangement worked quite well, and before long, we came to the first of the geisterung corpses.

I let her climb down from my back, and she scanned the creature for a bit, before indicating a spot over its stomach.

I made the incision, then retrieved the object, before moving to the other creature.

"Your 'life-bringer'. What was his name?" I asked.

"Tomas," she said.

We finished up the other two in silence, before moving to the next set.

Again, Lucia worked in silence, and after we'd collected the twenty or so orbs, I let out a tired stretch.

"I'm not sure if it's the daylight, but the blight seems to be fading from this place, isn't it?"

"Ja," she replied, and I smiled a little.

"Well then. I guess it's time for us to take a little run."

I retrieved the armor from my satchel, and she studied the armor warily.

"I'm not sure what you've been told, but it won't kill you," I promised, and she nodded, as I summoned the armors from their sliver forms.

The breastplate was almost as big as she was, but as I fastened the straps, the armor began to fold in, quickly adjusting itself to her small stature, and she studied the process with an expression of awe.

As soon as the arm-guard was in place however, she seemed to quickly compose herself, and she shot me a determined look.

"Ready?" I asked, and she nodded, so we took off.

I made sure that she was beside me as we sprinted off, but she quickly began to pull ahead, and I smirked a little.

You're a feisty little one, aren't you? I thought, and I snickered a little, as she seemed to be quite annoyed by how easily I matched her pace.

"Ngg," she grunted, as she put her head down and really started to sprint, but the explosion of speed was short lived as she began to slow down a bit, and I noted that she was breathing pretty heavily.

I slowed a bit, and signaled to her to do the same, but despite how out of breath she was, she seemed pretty annoyed at me.

"What? Evie was right, you know. You need to learn your limits, or else you'll just burn yourself out with nothing to show for it."

She wore a confused expression on her face, and I snickered, as I realized that the sentence was probably too complex for her translation ability to really pick up the meaning.

"Restraint," I said, and she nodded slowly.

I offered her a little sip of water from my waterskin, and she nodded, as we got ready to run again.

This time, we kept to a quick jog, and as she maintained the speed, I kept my focus on her, and noted that her core was almost completely depleted.

That was quick! I thought, as we'd been running for no more than fifteen minutes.

On the one hand, if she needed to sleep every time we did this, it would take some time to develop her skills, but I quickly noted that, even as a child, her core's total capacity wasn't as meagre as I had originally imagined, and if it drained from use of our armor at a quicker rate without an implant to regulate it's usage, then that technically meant that I would be able to build up her total core capacity much more quickly than I could with Bianca.

We ran for a bit longer, when her steps faltered a little, and as I caught her, I could see her struggling to keep her eyes open.

I quickly stripped away her armor as she collapsed, and as I scooped her up, she fell fast asleep, or perhaps straight unconscious, in my arms.

I carried her back to the camp at a walk, and as I got there, an angry looking Bianca was on hand to receive me.

"Well, lookey who. Mr. 'I'm here when you need me, except I run off with little green girls all day'," she shot, as she put her hands on her hip.

"Experiment X-1, meet experiment X-2," I said, and she frowned.

"She's a super soldier candidate?" Bianca asked, suddenly a little bit worried.

She came over and began to inspect the child, furrowing her brow as she did.

"She doesn't look like much," she shot, and I snickered at her.

"Lemme just put her to bed, and then we'll see about your training," I said.

Bianca followed me, a scowling look on her face, and as I lay Lucia to rest beside Casey, who apparently, was already fast asleep, I shot her a curious look.

"What?" I asked.

"I worked really hard. All day! I skinned like twenty of those things," she complained, and I moved forward and patted her on the head.

"Did you now? You did well," I said, and she folded her hands, and stomped on the floor.

"I demand to be spoiled," she said, and I rubbed my chin.

"You're right... you do deserve a little spoiling," I said, as she did indeed work quite hard at her assigned task.

"Well. You decide something, and we'll do it," I offered, but she frowned.

"Ugh, never mind! I smell like... meat," she said, and I suddenly remembered the stream.

Would that be enough?

I mean, the flow of water was really weak, so it was really only good for a sponge bath, unless you could gather up some of the water there, and have a proper wash.

As I rubbed my chin, however, I suddenly thought of the waterfall Eradne had taken me to.
That night, we'd left the cluster and headed west for a bit, before heading north...

So, the main water course should be a little way northwest of here, shouldn't it?

Would we be able to find it?

With the map module, finding out way back wouldn't be a problem, so maybe it would be worth a shot.

"Armor up," I said, and Bianca frowned, stomping her feet in protest again.

"But I don't want to train right now~," she whined, and I snickered, as I moved my hand to her face, and pinched her round cheeks affectionately.

"We're mixing our training with your reward," I said. "There's a special place that I want to take you."

"Special?" she asked. "Have any of the other girls gone there?"

I shook my head.

"I'm not one hundred percent sure I can find it, but we'll look; and when we get there, you can probably take a bath," I offered, and at this, her eyes quickly lit up.

"A bath? Like we did at the springs?"

"Something like that," I answered, and she nodded enthusiastically.

"Okay! Which armor do I need?"

I picked out the pieces for speed and endurance, as I had with Lucia, but this time I also opted for the pieces for strength and agility as well.

"Hey- how do I get this thing on?" she asked, holding up Lucia's tiny armor.

I inspected the thing for a bit, as there was no way to get the straps around Bianca's torso, until I noted that the straps could extend some way, and as soon as they were clasped in place, the armor began to reshape itself, and mold into that form fitted style that accentuated Bianca's bust.

She got the rest of her armor on without a hitch, and with that; we set off.

"So... a lot happened last night, huh?" she asked, and I snickered a little.

"That's an understatement, but yeah."

"Sorry I slept through it," she offered, and I shook my head.

"That's the thing about your training. I'm hoping it makes you really useful, but you're probably going to be sleeping through a lot, until we get your core-power up a bit."

"I guess... probably wouldn't have been much use anyway," she said, and I turned and eyed her a little as we moved through the woods at a steady pace.

"I dunno. You seemed to be plenty useful back there," I said, and she frowned.

"Oh please. Most of the useful people were sleeping off their post epic-battle weariness."

I shook my head.

"Fighters aren't the only things we need right now. When we have to fight, we have to fight; obviously. But figuring out how to live comfortably is the long-term goal."

"Skinning dead carcasses still doesn't feel like something that ranks all that high," she countered, and I snickered again.

"Well, I don't see any of the fighters off on a special retreat with their leader," I said, and she smiled a little.

"I guess."

"Besides; from what I've gathered, the fur we collected today might be useful in making us some more comfortable sleeping accommodations, and we might be able to trade it for some useful stuff too."

She smiled happily at this, and took my hand as we ran.

Eventually, we came to the place where Francesca and I had killed one of the geisterung the night before, and something occurred to me.

"Have you eaten today?" I asked, and Bianca nodded.

"When I woke up. I am feeling a little snackish though," Bianca replied, grinning cutely, as she eyed me, and I rolled my eyes at her.

I moved to the dead creature, and inspected it a bit.

It had been killed by a single piercing strike through the heart.

Probably Francesca's kill?

The meat, however, seemed pretty fine...

There were no odd smells to indicate that it'd begun to spoil or anything, even in the humid heat of the rainforest.

I withdrew my little dagger, and quickly sliced off a bit of meat from its hind legs.

"How are we gonna carry that?" Bianca asked, and I cast a quick look around as I considered the problem.

"I think I have an idea," I said, as I moved to one of the little bits of shrub that were growing thickly beneath one of the nearby trees.

I used my dagger to cut off a few broad leaves from the shrubs, and using the leaves, I wrapped the meat into a neat little parcel, then secured it with some vines.

"Wow. That's neat!" Bianca exclaimed.

I quickly cut off a bit more meat, wrapping them into several neat packages, and as we loaded up with as much as we could carry, we headed off again.

As I paused to get an idea of where to head, Bianca shot me a questioning look.

"Are we lost?" she asked, and I snickered.

"Pretty much, always."

She frowned.

"I thought you were taking me somewhere special?" she asked.

"I am. I've just gotta find it," I replied, and she pouted.

I spotted a hilly bit of land up ahead, and as we headed there, I managed to make out another small stream, like the one that ran near to our base camp, and I paused to study it.

The water was running from northeast to southwest...

So, if I followed it upstream, then it should take me to the main waterway, shouldn't it?

We began to follow the little rivulet, but I found to my disappointment, that the little waterway seemed to have passed underground in its course, preventing me from following it directly to its source.

"Are you sure we aren't lost?" Bianca whined again, and I snickered.

"Well we certainly aren't found," I replied.

I quickly decided to just head north, since it seemed reasonable enough to assume from the direction that the little stream was headed in, that we would come across the waterway eventually if we did that, and sure enough, after another ten or so minutes of walking, the sound of water rushing along a larger course came to us from the distance.

"Is that a waterfall?" Bianca asked, and I bit my lip.

"I'm not sure," I said.

The waterfall should be much further downstream, I thought. Maybe that was just the river itself?

Though it did sound quite loud.

We moved in the direction of the sound, and when we finally came to the waterway, my stomach lurched, as the water was rushing dangerously along the river's stream, making it much too difficult to cross, much less bathe in.

"Am I supposed to bathe in there?" Bianca asked, shouting over the din, and I shook my head.

"Let's follow the path; there might be a little bend somewhere along the way, where the flow is less turbulent."

As we walked along the edge of the river, I spotted a bank on the opposite end where the water was shallow, with a bit of sandy deposit just beyond, and I frowned, as while it was exactly what I was looking for, crossing the river seemed to be impossible.

We continued along for a while, before finally, we found a similar bank on our side of the river, and Bianca dashed to the sand, and kicked off her leather sandals as she did, and quickly buried her toes.

"Aww, it feels all slimy and gross," she complained, and I snickered a little.

"Well, it's no beach. This is probably just the silt that it collects as it moves through the mountains."

She folded her hands and pouted, as I found a place to stash our stuff.

"I promised you a bath, not a beach," I said, and Bianca pouted again, before turning to study her armor.

"Is it safe for us to disarm here?" she asked.

"For you, yeah. But I should probably keep something on just in case," I replied.

Bianca wasted no time in unclasping her breastplate, and she quickly threw the pieces haphazardly to the side, together with the rest of her stuff, before making a beeline for the water.

"It's so fucking cold!" she yelled.

"Well, it is a river," I replied, and she frowned.

"You're going to have to warm me up," she shot, and I shrugged, as I moved to join her; but as soon as I stepped into the water, Bianca shot me a playful smirk, before lunging at me and catching me completely off guard.

She knocked me clean off my feet, sinking me into the freezing cold water, and as I emerged from the water, I shivered a little, and shot Bianca a wry look.

"You're being naughty," I scolded her, and she smirked.

"When you say it like that, you sound like an eighty-year old man. Are you gonna spank me, grandpa?"

"I might," I warned, and she began to wiggle her rear like a cat, readying to pounce again.

I pretended to let my guard down, and as I turned, I caught her lunging out of the corner of my eye, and this time, I caught her, and as I lifted her up by the waist, I shifted, to hold her in place with one hand, while with the other, I mercilessly attacked her ribs.

She screamed and cackled as I tickled her, begging me to stop, until finally, I relented, and dropped her unceremoniously onto her butt in the shallow water.

She turned, her arms folded crossly, but she quickly uncrossed her arms, as she scooped up some water and splashed it onto her face.

"Ugh... I thought I'd never get to bathe again after those baths back in that tree-town."

"Well, water might not be as much of a worry as I thought. There seem to be a lot of little streams running through here, and we also found a way to draw water out of the trees themselves," I explained.

Bianca smiled happily, then wiggled her butt as she nestled herself into place on the shallow bit of bank.

"I never did anything like this in my life," she explained.

"What? Bathed in a river? I'm not sure many of us would have..."

"No, I mean... bathed in anything that wasn't a shower or tub... or a swimming pool. You know, places with buildings and stuff."

"Water park?" I asked, and she shook her head.

"Never been to a beach either," she said, and I frowned.

"Hiking? Camping?" I pressed, and Bianca again, shook her head.

"The closest I've been to nature was the park between my old high school and the library; and Nate... I never went to the library."

I snickered at her a little, as I plopped down on the bank beside her.

The silt was much coarser than sand, and it got soggy in a way that sand didn't, making it feel mushy, though not quite like mud.

"I thought you'd married one of those, 'honeymoons in Aruba' type guys," I said, and she frowned.

"He took me to Paris for our honeymoon," she said. "I thought it was gonna be the best thing in the world, but we didn't really do much; I never even got to see the Eiffel tower or anything. All he did was take me out to a few fancy restaurants, before he'd take me back to the hotel room and rip off whatever slutty dress he picked out for me that night, then fuck me until he came."

"How romantic," I said, and she frowned.

"I hated it so much," she said. "You know, people always act like sex is really great, and they seem to go absolutely crazy over the stuff I do... but I don't really like it."

"You don't like what? Doing stuff for others?"

"No, that's fun. It turns me on; when I really wanna do it, I mean. I just don't think I actually like when anyone does anything to me," she clarified, and I studied her.

"Is this the husband experience speaking, or are we working with more than that."

"More," she said. "I had sex with six guys before my husband."

"High schoolers?" I asked, and she nodded.

"Maybe you're not working with the best of experiences there," I offered, and she shook her head.

"No... I really just don't think I'm into it," she said, and I snickered again.

"It's like, a universally accepted thing, that sex feels good," I countered. "Maybe you just need a more caring partner."

Her eyes flicked to me, and she smiled a little.

"Was that an offer?" she asked, and I shrugged.

"I'd say you've earned it, if you ask for it."

She frowned, before scooting over to me, and resting her head against my chest.

"I wanna cuddle with you, and if you want, I'll give you one of my special mind-blowing blowjobs; but I don't want anything in return, I think. Just this place by your side."

I shook my head in response.

"You know, there are a lot of studies that show that non-reciprocal sex is highly detrimental to women in heterosexual, binary pairings."

"Wow. Does that come with a translation?"

"You aren't likely to be happy, statistically speaking, if you're giving me blowjobs, and getting nothing in return."

She frowned.

"I'm not sure if I'm happy giving you nothing, either," she said, and I chuckled again, as I slumped down onto my back, and stared off into the canopy above.

"Is that because you're still thinking that it's the only way you can assure yourself of a place by my side?" I asked, and she shrugged.

"I dunno. You made me a promise, and so far, you've kept it... I know I complained about the skinning thing, but it felt nice doing something, and having people talk to me like I was part of the group. Maybe I just want to show my appreciation?"

She placed a hand on my chest, as she rested against me, lightly, and she shifted a little, to let me sneak a hand around her hip, as I pulled her closer, and caressed her side gently.

"I don't want you to ever show your appreciation for anything that I do for you, using sex," I said, and she shot me a dubious look.

"What? How else am I supposed to, then?"

I chuckled, as I returned my gaze to the canopy above.

"You're a smart girl, Bianca. I'm sure you'll figure it out."

"Maybe I'm not as smart as you think I am," she said, a forlorn expression on her face, and she withdrew from me and folded her knees into her chest the way she did whenever she seemed down.

"I think you are," I countered, and she frowned.

"Then why don't I get this?"

She flopped onto the ground, and stretched her legs out, and kicked them around in the shallow water beyond the bank, and I giggled at the childlike response.

"It's not that you're too stupid to get it. You've just been socialized into a state of accepting sex as a bargaining tool, or means of exchange for something... whether that something is material, status, or whatever. And you aren't necessarily wrong; it is used like that, and quite pervasively too. I just don't want it to have that meaning between us."

"Between us, huh? What do you want it to mean between us, then?"

I bit my lip, then locked my eyes onto hers.

"The purest expression of affection and closeness," I replied. "A state in which reciprocation ceases to exist as a concept. Where your desires, my desires, and the feeling of pleasure all meld together into one singular, shared, experience."

"So, you want us to be lovers?" she asked, and I shook my head.

"I don't want anything. But if we're ever going to have sex, it's that. Or nothing."

She frowned.

"I'm not sure I can ever give you that," she said, turning away again as she did, and I studied her.

Her anxiety over intimacy reminded me a lot of Cameron... even Casey.

There were a lot of fairly broken people in this group, weren't there?

Come to think of it, my own experience with intimacy back on earth had been one filled with abuse, manipulation, and secrecy.

I guess it just didn't wound me in quite the same way that it did to normal people.

Hell, it even gave me a clearer lens through which to see the scars that people carried around in their hearts, didn't it?

As I relaxed in the water, my mind went to Miriam.

Her hypnosis could probably help Bianca get past her own anxieties about letting someone past her defenses, couldn't it?

Though, resorting to that sort of manipulation would hardly go down well, if discovered.

Besides, this was a good opportunity to see if I could help someone navigate their own trauma through patience and proper care.

It would probably be good practice too, and help to establish a much closer bond between us.

As Bianca sulked, making little trails in the sand with her fingers as she enjoyed the water flowing carelessly across her lower body, I stood up, and made my way over to our supplies.

I scanned the area for some bits of wood that I could use to make a little makeshift spit, as well some drier sticks, and kindling for a fire.

I had with me a little supply pack from the camp that contained the 'spark seed' so getting a fire going shouldn't be difficult, and as I set to work, I caught Bianca's eyes on me.

Getting the fire going was simple enough, but roasting the meat proved to be a task in itself, as my attempts at making some kind of spit over which to keep the meat in place proved quite the failure.

I'm so not cut out for this life, I thought.

I ended up resorting to making some skewers with my dagger, and sticking them through the meat, and holding them over the flame.

Getting the meat to cook evenly seemed quite problematic, and the roasting process itself ended up taking much longer than I'd expected.

Remind me to learn how to cook when I get back, I thought to myself.

"That looks kinda dry," Bianca noted, and I nodded.

"The meat is really lean, but I've got no oil or anything to rub on it."

"Try water?" she suggested, and I frowned, as she took one of the sticks from me, and drizzled a bit of water on it, and as the water sizzled, and the meat continued to cook, I noted that it did seem a little less stiff and dry.

"You do much cooking for the husband?" I asked, and she shook her head.

"I didn't do anything, really. Maybe a little cleaning, but he didn't want his glorified fuck toy to be tired when her services were required," she said.

"So, how did you spend your time?" I asked.

"Sometimes I went shopping; that was fun. I got to buy a lot of stuff, then I'd plan my outfits, try them on, see what works and what doesn't. The good-ish stuff went up on social media. The really good stuff, he'd rip off of me, and fuck my brains out."

"Hn~. You ever get into fashion? Designing stuff?"

She shook her head.

"Don't have to when you can buy the perfect thing whenever you see it. I honestly never thought I'd get bored of clothes, but eventually I did."

"Then what happened when you ran out of outfits to get ripped off of you?"

"He'd work late. Probably see someone else, who knows?"

"You knew that he was cheating?" I asked, and she shook her head.

"I had no proof. But I knew his moods. When he wasn't getting any, he was irritable, quick to anger. So, when he wasn't like that, but we hadn't done anything in a while, that just seemed like the logical conclusion."

We ended the conversation there, as the meat seemed to be more or less fit for consumption, so we sat on a little rock on the river's edge, and ate.

"Had enough of the water?" I asked, and Bianca thought about it.

"Do we have to head back?"

"Eventually? Yeah; but I think we can hang around a bit," I said, and she nodded.

We were silent for a while, when a new thought occurred to me.

"What do you want out of this relationship?" I asked, and Bianca turned to me, a slightly dazed expression, as she considered the sudden question.

"With you?" she asked, and I nodded. "I dunno. You seem like the person who has the best grasp on things. I figure you can keep me safe, especially if I make it worth your while."

"Well, I'm going to do that whether we're intimate or not. So, is that all you really want?"

She frowned.

"I dunno. There's a little bit of status that comes with standing at your side. I guess it looks kind of nice, so maybe that too?"

I snickered a little.

"And I guess you've figured that you can't stand there unless you're indispensable to me in some way, huh..."

"Well, that is a fact," she said.

"So, what happens when you come across someone in a, let's say, higher leadership position?"

"What do you mean?"

"Our group isn't going to be the only one out here. I've come across other adventurers. People way beyond our level. If you spot a chance to move up the ladder... let's say a prince, or some kind of noble?"

She frowned again.

"There's no guarantee that they'd be any different from my husband. You treat me well... and besides, I'm not the kind of girl that just chases every guy who can offer her something better."
I considered her argument, before deciding to throw a little wrench into the equation.

"What if I released you from your pledge?"

She bit her lip, and I studied her reaction carefully.

She had been making calculations from the start based on the power I held over her, and the power she perceived to be in my possession, hadn't she?

"You would do that? What about the rest of the group?"

"Well, maybe not immediately, but I'm sure I could talk them into it. You've been behaving and everything... or I could do it and just not let them know."

She licked her lips a little, as she considered my suggestion.

"And what's that gonna cost me?" she asked, and I shrugged.

"Nothing."

"Nothing?" she asked, as she continued to eye me, and I nodded.

She thought about it for a while, before speaking again.

"Okay, forget about the status for a moment. What if I want emotional support?"

"Hn~. You mean apart from doing things like this?"

She nodded.

"I don't like to sleep alone. What's it gonna take for you to sleep with me?"

"That's a difficult request to grant. I mean, the group won't like it at all. Maybe when everyone's more comfortable with trusting you," I offered.

"And you would do that, asking nothing in return?"

I nodded.

"I wouldn't say nothing. Sleeping with company is in itself, pretty nice... sometimes."

"What about sex?" she asked.

"What about it?"

"What if doing stuff with you is part of what makes me feel more comfortable with you?"

"Are you trying to suggest that blowing me is part of the emotional support that you may need?" I asked, chuckling a little, and she frowned.

"Yeah. I mean, let's just say, what if it is?"

"Well, I guess I'd have to say that I have my own conditions for getting into that sort of thing, kind of like what I said earlier. I don't do those things unless I feel there is a mutual interest at stake."

"Fine. I can negotiate. What if I let you kiss me? Guys like kissing my body, so that should be enough, right?"

"I guess; that depends, though," I replied.

"On what?"

"On how the kissing goes," I replied. "Do you want me to kiss you? Or are you just trying to fulfill some minimum requirement on the way to getting yourself into a particular place at my side?"

She shook her head.

"I actually want to kiss you," she admitted. "I thought about it... a lot. After you saved my life, and after the first time we talked."

My eyes focused on her as she spoke, and I noted that her response actually did seem genuine.

She suddenly seemed a little shy, and she shifted her shoulders nervously as I kept my eyes on her.

I snickered a little, as I approached her and reached out, taking her hand in my own.

I pulled her up from her little perch on the rock beside the fire, then reached for her nose, and wiggled it a little between my fingers, and she giggled a little.

"Do you like it when I act like a child?" she asked, retreating an arm's length away, and swaying girlishly while holding onto my hand.

"It's cute. Endearing even."

"That's what they all say at the start," she said.

"Hm? Who's the they?"

"Everyone."

I snickered a little.

"Well, if it helps, Casey can't stand it at all," I replied, and she smiled.

"I know. She can't stand me, but she keeps an eye on me, because I think she knows I'm a threat."

I raised an eyebrow.

"To the group?"

She shook her head.

"No, not that. I meant, to her position by your side."

"Casey knows her worth," I countered, and she smiled playfully.

"As your advisor? Sure. But she wants to stand by your side as more than that. You just don't realize how bad it is; and I don't think it's down to just hypnosis."

"Hn~. And did you ever figure out who the hypnotizer was?"

She thought about it for a while, then answered.

"Your princess?" she asked, and I smiled, nodding.

"See? You're not just smart, you're brilliant!" I said, pulling her in, and ruffling her hair playfully.

She smiled happily, before studying me again.

"You don't seem to hate that I act childishly, yet you didn't try to rip my clothes off yet. In my experience, people usually react to this kind of behavior with either one of the two things," she said, watching me closely.

"Were you trying to convince me to jump you?" I asked.

"Maybe," she answered, her tone playful and suggestive, and I snickered.

"Well, it won't work. Besides, I know you're only acting like that because I didn't kiss you yet, and you're trying to hide how nervous you are about it."

She pouted a little, and folded her hands defiantly, as I snickered at her some more.

"Oh please! I've got more experience than you, in case you're forgetting. I'm waay past getting all nervous about something like- wha? Hey! What're you-"

I began to advance on her, and as she backed up to the little rock she'd been sitting on, she tripped, and fell a short way onto her butt, as I placed my foot beside her on the rock, and leaned down.

I grabbed the hem of her shirt, and cut off any further retreat, as I nuzzled my nose against hers.

Her chest heaved as she panted, suddenly seeming flustered and out of breath.

"Don't discount the experience that comes with age," I chided her, as I pulled her nose, then retreated, smiling wickedly as I turned my back on her and headed back to our supplies.

"What? That's it? I thought you were gonna kiss me?" she called out.

"Maybe~," I teased, and she folded her hands and glared at me as she pouted with an almost exaggerated tenacity.

"You're not playing fair," she complained, and I laughed in response.

"Well, maybe you should stop playing games, and just be honest about what you want," I countered.

I left her to stew for a bit, as I began to gather up our things, as if I were preparing for us to leave, when suddenly, she crashed into me, and we went tumbling down the side of the bank, to the damp, sandy stretch on the river's edge.

We landed with a dull thud, and I stared up at her, her hands on my chest, grasping onto my armor firmly, as she stared at me with a fiery expression.

She licked her lips, but as she moved in for the kill, she faltered, pausing in her approach, and I frowned, as I saw her intent quickly fading.

Her hands loosened their grip on me, and for a brief second, I saw that look, and I recognized it as the one that matched what I'd felt, through her, when she had offered her pledge.

I took her hand, and held her in place as she moved to get up, and as she studied me, I leaned forward, and as her eyes closed shut, I let my lips brush gently against hers; the faintest of touches, before she leaned to meet me, and we kissed; a soft, but pressing kiss, that lingered into a five second long-eternity.

"What was that?" she said, smiling despite herself, as we finally broke apart.

"What was what?"

"I chickened out, but you kissed me anyway," she said, staring at me with a curious look.

"As long as you take the first step, I'll take ten more to meet you," I replied, and she blushed as I brushed her cheek affectionately with my hand.

She moved to kiss me again, this time, her eyes flicking between my lips and my own gaze, as she hovered above me, like a cautious child being told that it was okay to go for the cookie jar before dinner, and not knowing if it really is allowed or not.

I let her take the first tentative moves, before she leaned down and our lips pressed together, before her tongue made an exploratory incursion, searching for its opposite member.

I reached out with my own tongue, and as our lips met, again and again, our tongues played little darting games with each other, and we made out for several minutes until eventually, she withdrew, panting slightly, and gripping her chest as she sat beside me, studying me with a sheepish grin.

"I've never had a kiss like that before."

"Well, maybe you might have if you'd given your middle eastern charity case a fair chance," I teased, and her eyes went wide.

"Oh my God; that was literally the first thing I thought!" she exclaimed, and I snickered as she shoved me playfully in retaliation.

"Was that one of those 'reading my mind' things?" she asked, and I shook my head.

"I can't read your mind; not unless you send the thoughts to me yourself," I reminded her.

She eyed my lips again, but as I moved to kiss her, she put her hands on my chest, and positioned me into a sitting position, then began to fiddle with my belt plate.

"How does this come off?" she asked, and I raised an eyebrow.

"There's a clasp. What're you doing, though?"

"We kissed. Now I'm gonna blow you. That was the deal, wasn't it?"

I shook my head, and chuckled at her.

"You need to learn to take things a little slower," I chastised her, flicking her on the forehead, before getting up, and she pouted.

"Then why did we even kiss?" she asked, a little bitterly.

"Because you wanted to, remember?"

She folded her arms crossly, then bit her lip, as she couldn't really find an argument to make, and I patted her on the head, before heading for our stuff.

We'd probably spent more time on this excursion than we should have anyway.

Bianca dragged her feet a bit as we got ready to leave, but she gave in as I pointed out that we were still in a fairly dangerous zone.

After consulting my map, I figured we could make the run in just over an hour, and although it took some pushing for me to get Bianca to keep a steady pace going without stopping for breaks, we eventually made it back to the camp, and I breathed a sigh of relief, as everything seemed peaceful when we got there.

To my surprise, however, Lucia was up, and seemed quite well rested, and eager for another round of training.

"Are you up for depleting your core?" I asked Bianca, and the girl made a whining sound in response.

"Do I have to?" she asked, and I shook my head.

"You've done a lot today," I said, brushing her cheek affectionately, and she smiled.

As I turned my attention to Lucia, however, she pouted, and followed me with a determined look on her face.

"I changed my mind!" she declared, and I raised an eyebrow at her.

Competing with a child? I thought.

Although, it wasn't a half-bad way to motivate her.

As we headed for the open area north of the camp, which I now noted had been completely cleared of geisterung and aufhöcker corpses, I heard a grumbling sound, and raised an eyebrow at Lucia, as it had most certainly come from her stomach.

"When was the last time you ate?" I asked. "Was it this morning?"

She nodded.

The Kobalt actually didn't seem to do lunch, as far as I'd seen.

Just two meals; breakfast and dinner, more or less.

We took a quick detour to Miriam's sleeping area, where to my relief, I found Gisela.

"Hey. Did you sleep well?" I asked, and the girl nodded sheepishly.

"Forgive my absence, Herr Nathan."

"It's fine. You must have been exhausted after last night. Is there something we can get for Lucia to eat, though?"

Gisela studied the child with a confused expression, and she spoke to her quickly, before shaking her head.

"She says she will wait until the day-end meal," Gisela said, and I shook my head.

"She's just acting tough. She'll need to eat more to deal with the added stress of her training," I explained, and she nodded.

She motioned to one of the nearby Kobalt girls, speaking to her, and the girl hurried off, returning with one of the gourd-type fruits I'd seen Gunter and the others collecting the day before.

I began to wonder if it was edible, when I noted that a strap, fashioned from some kind of reed, was attached to the thing, and as Gisela took the object, she twisted the top, and it came off, like a cover, and as she held it up to me, I was surprised to find that the inside was filled with strips of dried, roasted meat, wrapped into a ball like shape, so that individual strips could be picked out in a sort of roll, one piece at a time.

"The runners carry these for sustenance when on long, tiring, journey. Will it suffice?"

"How long do they last?" I ask. "I mean, does the meat spoil?"

She shook her head.

"The curing process, and storage, preserves the vigor. One of these, filled, lasts an adult runner a month," she explained, and I nodded.

As I handed the gourd to Lucia, however, I caught her glancing at Gisela with a dubious expression.

The look seemed to say, 'is this really alright?' and I quickly remembered the way Gisela had reacted when I'd offered meat to her back in Palancar.

The Kobalt weren't accustomed to eating meat, were they?

I decided to ask, and Gisela nodded.

"It is true. The meat of the geisterung is like delicacy; reserved for those of elevated status."

"Really?" Bianca cut in. "Doesn't even taste that good..."

I shot her a disapproving stare, and she quickly turned to Lucia, and fished out one of the strips, and began trying to stuff it into the little girl's mouth, which caused her to resist quite vehemently.

"How much meat did we manage to get?" I asked Gisela, as I left the two to their shenanigans.

Gisela gestured to the far end of the camp, and I noted for the first time that there was a veritable contingent of Kobalt over there, working on smoking and storing the meat for travel.

"We have managed to procure a lot."

"Will the other villages trade for it?"

Gisela nodded.

"It is highly valued by my people. We may be able to procure the cloth, and other supplies, using it."

"What about the people here?" I asked, and she tilted her head in confusion.

"Our people have no item for trade," she began, and I raised a hand to stop her.

"No, I mean. Are we going to distribute any of the meat to our people?" I explained.

"The Gods?"

"No; your people. The Kobalt," I explained, gesturing to those around the camp, and she nodded, understanding.

"Only in the direst of circumstance would we resort to such means to feed them," she explained, and I frowned.

"I'd prefer if we could distribute some amongst them. There's certainly more than enough, isn't there?"

She studied me.

"One might consider this a waste of valuable commodity," she replied, and I shook my head.

"They're putting their lives in danger to come with us. I think this is the least we could do," I countered, and she studied me again.

"I will deliver your recommendation to the princess," she said, and I nodded, before heading off to join Bianca and Lucia, and lead them in their training.

"Did she eat any?" I asked, as I caught Bianca snacking on a little bit of meat.

"Wha-? Yeah. By the way, this actually tastes pretty good when it's prepared properly."

Wow, thanks, I thought, even though Bianca seemed quite oblivious to the jab she'd made at my cooking skills.

I stooped down to study Lucia.

"Did you eat?" I asked, and as she nodded timidly, I shot her a suspicious look.

"Food and sleep are important if you're gonna get stronger," I said, but I noted again that the look on her face was more one of fear than reluctance.

I took the gourd from Bianca, and as I took one of the strips out, I broke off a piece and ate it, before offering it to Lucia.

She studied me as I chewed, waiting until I swallowed, before nodding, and accepting the piece from my hand, and taking a small bite.

She seemed to be looking between me and Bianca, as if waiting for some kind of reaction, and as we simply waited for her to eat, she took another bite, and eventually ate the entire piece.

"Do you want more?" I asked, and she nodded, eating two more strips before she decided that she'd had enough.

I then offered her my waterskin, and she drank for a while, before handing me the container.

We walked to the stream, and as I refilled the thing at the stream, she shot a little glance at it, and I offered it to her again.

I studied her as she drank, draining half of the skin, before returning it to me, and I refilled it again.

"You need to tell me, okay? When you're hungry, or thirsty. My eyes can see when your core is weak, but I can't tell what your body needs."

She nodded.

"Okay," she said, and Bianca turned to her, a look of surprise on her face.

"She speaks English?" Bianca asked, and as the girl shook her head, I snickered.

"She will," I added, as we moved on to training.

"This is a god-weapon," I began, as I took out the dagger from its place, clasped onto my shin guard. "Now you need to be careful, because if you cut anything but the armor, it can cut right though, and really hurt someone."

Lucia's eyes flicked to the dagger, and she nodded, her hands firm as she accepted the weapon from me.

She bit her lip as she took a moment to weigh the weapon in her hand, before she nodded, letting me know that she was ready to start her training.

Since Bianca was basically worn out, I decided to let Lucia stab at her armor with the little dagger, while I monitored her core with my sensory perception ability.

"Can't I stab her instead?" Bianca whined, and I snickered.

"You want to stab a child?" I teased, and she frowned, as Lucia stabbed at her again with a determined look on her face, almost knocking Bianca back a little.

"Just you wait!" Bianca shot, keeping her eyes on the girl. "It might look like you're winning, but I'm gonna kick your butt!"

As I oversaw the session, Cameron and Jeannie made their way over to us.

"What are they doing?" Jeannie asked, a curious look on her face as she studied the unusual scene.

"Core training," I replied.

"Should we all be doing it?" she asked, and I shook my head.

"When our cores deplete, we lose the ability to use our weapons and armor, so it'll be a little dangerous for us to do it until we're in the clear. I'm basically using Bianca since she's not allowed to do things like carry weapons, or keeping watch just yet," I explained.

"I heard that!" she shot, and I snickered a little as I continued:

"The training is mostly for Lucia... our brave little warrior from the battle last night."

"Do they have implants? Like ours?" Cameron asked, and I shook my head.

"Just cores, so it's a little difficult for them to master abilities... or actually, it's the other way around. Our implants are basically cheat tools that allow us to learn things much quicker than the natural route."

"So, learning, healing... it basically accelerates everything, huh?" Cameron asked, eyeing me as she did, and I nodded.

Jeannie frowned.

"After last night, I feel like if I could use some kind of instruction though. I'm nowhere near as useful in a fight as you or Francesca."

"Francesca's a natural," I replied. "I wouldn't even stand a chance against her if I wasn't in superior armor... but training may not be such a bad idea. I had Jordan and Francesca spar once, and I think Jordan improved as a fighter as a result. We'll just need to make sure we regulate the training, so that no one really wears their cores down, in case we have another crisis to handle."

Jeannie and Cameron watched as Lucia actually managed to deactivate Bianca's armor several times, but as her core began to flicker out, and she let out a tired yawn, stumbling a bit as she did; I called the session to an end, and retrieved the knife from her, before scooping her up into my hands.

This time, however, she didn't fold her hands defiantly, and she put her arms around me and relaxed as I carried her, followed by my entourage, to the sleeping area.

As I tucked her into her little spot on the bedding, I suddenly noted Cameron's eyes on me, a sparkly look in them, and I smiled a little to myself as I could easily guess what she was thinking.

"Are we done for the day?" Bianca asked.

I took a quick look at her core, and realized that while her energy levels were indeed low, she still had a little bit of juice in her.
"Hmm. Try this," I offered, handing her the knife, and tapping my chest.

"Really?" she asked, and I nodded.

"Your core's power is low enough that I think I can deplete you without straining myself," I offered, and she shrugged, as she moved in and began to assault my armor, as I lifted my hands and gave her free reign.

Cameron snickered at me, and Jeannie took up a little perch on the supply cart, as she observed the proceedings.

Bianca, however, was either much closer to exhaustion than I'd imagined, or my armor had depleted her energy much more quickly than the ordinary armor had, as she'd made no more than twenty or so jabs, when she began to falter a little.

"Bianca, wait-" I began, but she made a final jab, and the dagger went flying from her hand, and clattered dangerously to the floor close to her own foot, but rather than attempting to evade the dagger, she tottered, then collapsed, and I caught her, and quickly picked her up.

"Whoa. Is she okay?" Cameron asked, and I nodded.

"This is what happens when your core runs dry," I explained, and Jeannie moved to study Bianca.

"Wow. She's out cold... is she unconscious?" she asked, and I shrugged.

"I'm not sure. Anyone wanna help me get her to the sleeping area?" I asked, and Cameron quickly moved to my side, as Jeannie cleared a spot for her, close to Lucia.

"I still don't like the idea of her sleeping here, untied," Jeannie said, and Cameron frowned.

"I know she chose the wrong side, but I feel as if she's on the right track now," she offered, and I shot Cameron a thankful nod, as Jeannie bit her lip, before giving a reluctant nod.

The girls helped me strip off Bianca's armor, and as we stowed it away in the supply cart, Jeannie let out a little sigh.

"Boring watch?" I asked, and she frowned.

"A boring watch is a perfect watch," she said. "I'm still trying to sort myself out, after everything."

"How's Nolan?" I asked, gesturing towards where he was sleeping.

"He's fine. Terrified out of his mind, but apparently sleeping off the accelerated healing, since that really takes a lot out of you; energy wise, I mean."

"Jordan? Francesca?" I haven't seen them all day.

"Francesca was doing push-ups this morning," Cameron said, and I tilted a head at her.

"Really now?"

"Yeah... said she needs to learn the skills on her armor as soon as possible so that she can pass it on to one of us."

"I'm not all that certain that she needs to constantly push herself that much," I said, casting a glance at where she too, was still sleeping, and Cameron nodded.

"I know. It's nice to see that she cares about her role this much though," Cameron replied, and I shot her a teasing look as she stuck her tongue out at me, hiding the gesture just as Jeannie returned her gaze to us.

"I think we could all learn from her. Us girls, I mean. Your group is carrying most of the load, and all we've done is bring you unnecessary trouble."

"Give it time," I said, patting Jeannie reassuringly on the shoulder. "You guys are still adjusting. It's only been a few days; the chaotic things happening around us is just making you feel more insecure about it than you need to."

Jeannie nodded, resting a hand on mine, as she let out another sigh.

As we spoke, a group of Kobalt came walking over to us, from the direction of the fallen tree from earlier, and I watched them with concern, as they seemed to be carrying someone.

"Is that... Raul?" Cameron asked, and as I moved toward the procession, I spotted Gisela.

"What happened?"

"The enemy-god fell unconscious," Gisela explained.

"Damn. He really overdid it with the planks, didn't he?"

Gisela nodded.

"We have supply to create many more than what is needed," she said, and I snickered a little.

Maybe he was working out his own frustrations, I thought.

The Kobalt took him to his usual sleeping spot, away from the main group, and I frowned a little.

How much time should we take before letting him sleep with the rest of the group? I wondered.

As we oversaw the operation, several more hunters came bearing huge loads of wooden planks, which they piled up alongside the supply cart, and I spotted Molly coming along, with Leanna following closely behind as the last of them moved to rejoin the camp.

"Hey, you," Molly called, as soon as she made her way over to us. "You slept so long, I started to worry."

As I spotted Evie, asleep in our section, I shot her an apologetic glance.

"Did we break up your night watch team?" I asked, and she waved a hand.

"Oh, we'll still get to talk in between shifts. It's fine. We have waay more important things to worry about anyway."

"What about you? How are you handling everything?" I asked, turning to Leanna, and the girl shook her head.

"I dunno. I feel so at lost in this world," she said.

"A natural reaction," I replied. "You take your time finding your feet. There's no rush."

Her long, brown hair had now been plaited, and she was twirling the loose bit at the end nervously, as she cast furtive glances around the camp.

She nodded, a little absently, and Jeannie shot me a nervous look, as she gestured to the area just beyond the camp.

"Is that where we buried them?" Jeannie asked, and I nodded, as we moved over to where the planted trees stood, representing those who had fallen in the conflict the night before.

As I studied them, a curious thought occurred to me, and as I signaled to Gisela, she moved over to join me.

"Do you know the names of all who died last night?" I asked.

"Apologies, Herr Nathan. My knowledge is incomplete," she replied, and I frowned.

I cast a tentative glance across to Lucia.

"What about their families?"

"Only two have brought forth saplings," Gisela answered. "The rest, only just barely matured from saplings themselves."

I nodded.

"Can we get all of the Kobalt together sometime this evening? In the final segment before darkness," I clarified, and Gisela nodded.

"It can be done. This segment is convenient," she answered.

"What are you thinking?" Jeannie asked, studying me.

"We could pay tribute to them. Maybe, inscribe their names on something, kind of as a memorial."

"That sounds nice," Cameron said, and Molly nodded in agreement.

What could we use for the inscriptions, though?

There were the wooden planks that Raul had cut from the tree... but I felt as if that might not last for very long.

The best thing would be stone, but even if we could find a large enough boulder, hauling it into position could be difficult.

I mean, we couldn't carry the thing ourselves... or could we?

My armor had already made me quicker than I ever thought I could run.

So, maybe it was possible?

I relayed my suggestion to the ladies, and Molly quickly perked up.

"I think there was a loose boulder over by the tree! Pretty big, but I think it looked moveable."

I nodded, indicating for her to lead the way, and as we got there, I noted with interest that the boulder seemed quite freshly moved.

Was it due to natural causes?

There wasn't a waterway nearby, but maybe it was a flood or landslide?

But it didn't rain inside of the forest, did it?

And everywhere, for the most part, seemed quite dry.

Nonetheless, as I pushed against the boulder, it shifted, and I clapped my hands together, as that certainly meant that it was worth the try.

"Okay gals, let's armor up!" I called.

"You're gonna make us push? Big, strong guy like you?" Molly teased, and I snickered.

"Oh please. That's definitely not gonna work on me," I replied, but Jeannie seemed to regard the comment with some annoyance.

"Nate has been doing everything for us. Would you really stand there and make him push that boulder all by himself?"

"Wha-? I was kidding," Molly quickly explained, as she shot me an apologetic look. "I really didn't mean it."

"It's fine. The armor's gonna do half the work anyway, so get your womanly muscles in gear and let's do this," I said, poking her playfully in the ribs.

Jeannie was already wearing the medium grade T-one set, and there was another set in the supply cart, but Raul, Francesca and Jordan were asleep in their armor.

As we returned to the camp, I opted for disarming Raul, as he was more or less unconscious, and his core depleted, making it a simple process of undoing the straps and stripping it off of him.

"I'm wearing one!" Cameron quickly called, shooting me a teasing look, as Molly opted for the other set, while Leanna seemed quite happy to sit it out.

As the armors began to fold into place, however, Molly's eyes lit up, and even Leanna seemed drawn to the spectacle of the transformation.

Molly's armor, I noted, took a quite distinctive form, as not only did it accentuate her breasts, as it had done with Bianca, but it also formed some unique projections on the back, that went up to her shoulder and looked almost like... wings broken off just at the root.

"That's interesting," Jeannie noted, studying the protrusions. "Do I have those on my back?"

I shook my head, and Molly beamed happily.

"Does that mean I might have a unique skill or something?" she asked, and I shrugged.

"It's certainly interesting."

Cameron's armor also fitted her form, though somewhat less exaggeratedly than it did on Molly and Bianca, and as she twirled a little, I shot her a quick smile to let her know that I quite liked the look on her.

As they finished putting their armor on, we returned to the boulder, and everyone, sans Leanna, got into position to push.

"Heave, ho!" Molly called, and as we pushed, to my surprise, the boulder moved quite easily from its perch, and we gave a quick celebratory cheer at the result.

The celebration, however, was quite premature, as we quickly learned that while we were able to move the thing, it was too misshapen to roll properly, so we ended up pushing it over onto its sides in repeated heaving thrusts, and guiding it along the way.

"Whew. Can we get some Kobalt power to help on this or what?" Molly asked, as we still had some way to go before getting to our destination.

"No. These people died protecting us last night. I think we should do this by ourselves. It's the least we could do," Jeannie said.

Molly bit her lip, as I nodded in agreement with Jeannie.

Of course, it would definitely help our image if the Kobalt were to see us working hard at something that was meant to honor their dead.

I considered finding some way to draw their attention subtly to it, but it was hardly necessary, as by the time we made it within ten, or twenty feet of where we needed the rock to be, we were drenched in sweat, and all eyes were glued to us.

"Herr Nathan, do you require support?" Gisela asked, quickly moving to my side, and I shook my head.

Leanna helped guide us to a spot at the heart of the little grove of saplings, and we collapsed against the rock for a breather, as we finally got the boulder to where it needed to be.

"How are we gonna do the engraving?" Molly asked, and I gestured at my dagger.

"These things cut through stone easily enough," I said. "The real question is; whose got the best handwriting?"

We all took a shot at it, carving on the dirt using sticks, and to my surprise the eventual candidate turned out to be Leanna.

"What do you think? Are you up for the task?" I asked.

"I don't know. Are their names, like, weird tribal things, or something like that?"

"I think they're mostly German," I replied, and she frowned.

"I guess, it should be fine... could we, uh- talk, for a sec, though?" she asked, glancing around, and Jeannie shot me a quick look, as I nodded, and we headed away from the group, towards where the supply caravan was.

"I'm worried about something," Leanna began, casting a quick furtive glance around, and moving closer to me, to speak in a lower tone. "Emily said something to me before we went to that place, with the tree building."

"I'm not sure you should trust anything that Emily had to say; ever. Chances are, she was trying to manipulate you... and everyone, from the start."

She shook her head.

"No, you see. What she said is starting to make sense now," she said, casting another cautious look around. "About these... people, and what they really want with us."

I suppressed an inward sigh, as I nodded to Leanna to continue.

"Emily said that they're terrified of us, and that they would do anything to destroy us, because we're stronger than they are. She said they would lead us somewhere, and show us things that we want to see, and promise us those things for our own group, but that to get there, we would have to go through danger."

"Leanna, many of them died in this fight last night. Died protecting our group, specifically. They left their homes and their lives just for our sake," I reasoned, and she shook her head.

"No, you see. That's what Emily said they'd do. That they would pretend to help us, as if they were on our side."

"Huh..." I muttered, studying her, and she nodded.

"Then they would lead us somewhere, into danger that we can't get away from, and there they would finish us off. Doesn't it feel like if that's what they're doing? I mean, whose idea was it to come into this part of the forest."

"Mine," I replied, and she shook her head.

"Yeah, but you wouldn't have decided that if that girl with you didn't suggest it, would you?"

"I wouldn't have any idea of where we should go in any place. We have no maps, no knowledge of the lay of the lands," I reminded her, and she frowned.

"You need to stop trusting them so much. What if Emily was right? It can't be a mistake, can it? That what's happened is exactly what she said?"

I bit my lip nervously.

If the Kobalt were willing to so far as to sacrifice themselves and their princess, all to lead us into trusting them, just so that they could wipe us out, then to be honest, they deserved that win, I thought with some amusement; but maybe I need to take a different approach here.

I mean, she didn't seem as if she was going to drop this, and her willingness to believe something as farfetched as this led me to believe that her mindset was not about to change.

So, if she thought that I was on the Kobalt's side no matter what, then there was the probability that she would try to act against them in secret, and it was much better for me to know what she was up to than to have to worry what she was doing on her own.

I cast a quick look around, before pulling Leanna with me.

"We should go somewhere a little more private," I said, and she nodded, and as I took a quick look around, I spotted the large tree on the eastern fringe of the camp.

Presently, it was deserted; but I'd seen Kobalt walk past quite frequently to 'take care of business', which suited my plan perfectly.

I led her there, and as we got to the large tree, I cast a conspiratorial look around, before leading her around the trunk to the side that was hidden from the main camp, then pulled her close; closer than she was comfortable being.

Her back was to the trunk, and trapped between it and me, she suddenly seemed nervous, and I smiled internally at the reaction.

"What I'm about to say to you, can't be repeated. Period," I said, and she studied me, as the words instantly captured her attention.

"W-what is it?"

"The Kobalt can't be trusted, but we can't leave them either."

"Oh my God, I knew it! But why can't we leave?"

"I'll explain everything in time, but you need to be careful. The Kobalt are very, very adept at reading lips, so from this moment on, you and I need to keep these conversations away from prying eyes and listening ears."

Her eyes were glued to me, and her mouth slightly agape, as she nodded, hypnotically almost.

I took a quick look beyond the tree and smiled as I spotted a Kobalt approaching, quite unaware of our presence, giving me the perfect opportunity to put Leanna's gullible nature to the test.

"Quick, kiss me," I said.

"What?"

"Someone's coming! Put your arms around me, and kiss me."

Leanna seemed stunned by the request, then suddenly, a determined look replaced the expression, and she wrapped her arms around me, and pressed her lips against mine.

We were frozen in that position, our lips pressed awkwardly together, but as the Kobalt walked past the tree and into Leanna's line of sight, her eyes quickly flicked after him, slightly panicked, and she began to move, her arms ruffling my hair at the back of my head, and moving her head a bit, engaging my lips now as if in the throes of passion.

Impressive, I thought, as she continued the kiss.

"Kiss down to my neck," she said, and as I obeyed, moving my head down to her neck, she continued to ruffle my hair passionately, and she pulled me closer, into her body, and lifted a leg, and began to rub the back of my calf with her toes.

I didn't overdo the acting, and rather than kiss along her neck, I merely moved my head back and forth, brushing the soft skin there as if dedicated to the act, but not overly so.

"He's gone," she said, panting a little, and I nodded.

"You were fantastic; where did you learn to act like that?" I asked, shooting her an impressed smile.

"Drama club?" she asked, smiling a little as she shrugged.

"That was close though. If we're meeting up like this, we need to keep up an image, as if we're secret lovers or something."

"Secret? Why can't we just pretend that you're my mate? Like Cameron?"

I furrowed my brow, and put on a troubled expression.

"I don't want to talk about this, really... but they made me impregnate Cameron. And they might make us do some other stuff. I don't even want to think about it," I said, shuddering a little, and she put her hands over her mouth.

"Oh my God. They wouldn't-?"

"No, if they think we're having an affair, it should be fine... but the Kobalt aren't the only ones we need to trick. None of the girls can be trusted."

She nodded.

"I knew it! Molly and Evie keep trying to tell me how 'noble' the Kobalt are. God, they're so fucking gullible," she said, shaking her head contemptuously.

"We can't stay here for long. We'll arrange another meeting, somewhere safer, out of their reach. For now, just know that everything you say, they're probably watching, so even if you suspect them, take note of it, but don't talk about it with anyone but me, and wait until we're clear before you do."

She nodded again.

"I- I understand," she said, as I rested a hand on her shoulder.

"I thought I'd have to do this alone, after we lost Emily... but maybe, now we have a chance," I said, and she held my gaze, as she took my hand into her own.

"If you need me, for anything. Don't hesitate to ask," she said, and I nodded, taking a deep breath, as if composing myself, before heading out from behind the tree.

Leanna waited for some time before following me, shooting me a quick glance, before looking away and heading back to rejoin the group, and I made a note to myself to make sure that everyone in the group knew that under no circumstance was she to be left with a weapon.

Ever.

Jeannie walked over to my side, as Leanna left.

"To be perfectly honest, I'm really worried about her," she said. "I don't know if she's ill-natured in the same way as Emily was, but she's unhinged, and I have no idea what she's capable of."

I studied Jeannie for a bit.

"I share your concern, but out of curiosity; what would you suggest we do about it?"

"I dunno. I feel as if we're constrained by our civility here. Imprisoning her would be a bit much, since she hasn't really done anything; but the idea of waiting for her to do something just leaves me feeling... downright uncomfortable."

"If there was a way to control her, though. To rein her in, and keep her in check; but the means were questionable... how would you feel about that?"
"Would this way hurt her? Physically I mean," she asked, and I shook my head.

"No. But, let's say that it would be a 'morally questionable solution' to say the least.. Not coercive, but manipulative, rather."

She shot me a curious look, then nodded.

"For the sake of the group? I would say do it," she replied, and I nodded in response, as she turned and walked away.

As I spotted Gisela in the distance, overseeing the new construction work being done by the supply carts, I headed over to her side.

"How is it going?" I asked.

"The workings of the gods are truly a thing to behold. Jiren, our artisan, says that enough material was acquired to build proper supply-carts. We might even be able to carry excess material, for repair, or trade."

I nodded, though I wondered if transporting wood was a good idea, given that we could cut planks quite easily whenever they were needed.

Either way, it was quite a relief, as it meant construction would be much easier when we were ready to settle down.

"Gisela, can a more private space be prepared for me to sleep? I wish to spend the night with Cameron," I explained, and she quickly nodded.

"Of course, Herr Nathan. It will be done. It brought me great joy to learn of her progression."

I rubbed the back of my head, chuckling a little as I did.

"Thanks," I replied. "By the way, I've noticed that most of the Kobalt who came with us were, life-bringers, is it?"

Gisela nodded.

"Will it be of concern later on? Finding mates for them?"

Gisela bit her lip, as she considered my question.

"It is beyond my sight. Seed-bearers will not flock to stalks whose roots are not anchored firmly to the earth, so the burden rests upon us to convince the rooted to cast their seeds out to the unpredictable, shifting winds of our crossing."

I rubbed my chin as I considered the predicament.

The problem would solve itself if our caravan generated sufficient attention, wouldn't it?

With the princess of Palancar amongst our number, there was bound to be interest, but maybe we needed to demonstrate stability.

Maybe even some tales of our daring deeds would help to generate some renown, and draw settlers to our cause?

As I considered the possibilities, my mind went to Miriam.

Her speeches had been quite charismatically delivered, hadn't they?

I mean, the people of Palancar; even those who did not follow us... they had been moved to tears by her words, hadn't they?

"Gisela, is the princess well known for her ability to speak in gatherings?"

Gisela nodded.

"Princesses often are, but she was regarded highly even amongst their ranks."

She'd spoken at the cluster before we left, and it was reasonable to assume that she'd planned on addressing the gatherings at the various steadings we were bound to pass through on our journey.

But maybe we should consider throwing in a story or two, perhaps, of our battle here with the monsters?

Maybe play up Francesca's heroism in combat?

The selfless sacrifice of those who'd died?

I relayed the idea to Gisela, and she rubbed her chin thoughtfully, smiling.

"This suggestion is virtuous. Regaling listeners with word of our accomplishment will certainly draw interest."

I smiled, as I was sure that Miriam would excel at the task.

As I chatted with Gisela, light had begun to fade in the grove, and one of Miriam's companion-servants came over to us.

She spoke to Gisela for a bit, and Gisela nodded, turning to me.

"If all is prepared, we may gather the Kobalt," she said.

I nodded, then headed over to the sleeping area.

Apart from Raul, Bianca, and Lucia, everyone had gotten at least some rest, and would be able to at least attend the memorial.

As I woke Francesca and the others, however, my eyes fell on Lucia, and I wondered if maybe she would have wanted to be there as well, given that her father would be memorialized with those who had fallen in combat on that night.

I shook her gently, and as she stirred, I scooped her up into my arms.

"You can sleep if you like, but I plan to honor your life-bringer," I said, and she rubbed her eyes, studying me.

I wasn't sure if she understood, but she didn't complain, so I carried her in my arms while Cameron and Jeannie explained our plan to those who'd just woken up.

"This is a good idea. Was it yours?" Francesca asked, moving to my side.

"I guess. Though I did get the idea from Jeannie," I said, shooting her a knowing look, and she blushed, and looked away.

"And is this the little lioness? You killed a freakin' Aufhöcker last night!" Francesca exclaimed, pinching Lucia's cheek, and the girl giggled a little in response.

I regarded the interaction with some amusement, as it was perhaps one of the few childlike responses I'd ever seen from her, despite her age, but as I kept an eye on her, I noted that she seemed to keep stealing glances at Francesca, and I figured that she had been captivated by her combat ability, like so many of the other Kobalt warriors.

Wouldn't be a half-bad idea to have Francesca train her a little, I thought.

Maybe they might both develop their combat skills in the process?

As the Kobalt gathered up into a crowd, and the conscious otherworlders gathered with us, alongside Miriam, Gisela, and Myrinne, Gisela shot me a look, and I cleared my throat, and handed Lucia over to Francesca, as I moved to the front of the group, beside the boulder we'd moved there.

"Last night, we faced an army of monsters. One that threatened to erase our very existence in this world-"

As I spoke, Gisela began to translate, and while the Kobalt nodded in response to her words, their eyes were on me, as I continued.

"-but thanks to you. Our brave hunters. Our tireless runners. And everyone who worked night and day to keep this caravan moving along on this journey. You, who left your homes, uprooted yourselves, and cut yourselves from the trees that would anchor you safely, had you chosen to stay. Thanks to you, we survived the night!"

"Ehre sei den Göttern -- Glory to the Gods!" a voice from the crowd cried, followed by a quick flurry of words in their language, and cheers and cries of affirmation sounded in response.

"Glory to the gods," Gisela translated. "He says without you, they are nothing, and that they would follow you even into the thickest grove of blight."

I raised a hand, then turned, and directed everyone's attention to the saplings, planted in honor of the fallen Kobalt.

"Without the sacrifice of these brave Kobalt, we would not stand here today. Not the gods, nor Kobalt; so, let us honor them!"

As the time to make the inscriptions came, however, I eyed my dagger, then turned to Cameron.

"Do you mind?" I whispered, and she shook her head, as she shot a quick glance at Leanna.

The girl however, seemed happy to be relieved of the task, and she shot me a conspiratorial look, as if to say 'good performance', as Cameron moved to the rock, and began to inscribe the names at Gisela's direction.

"We will embed the names of these Kobalt, so that all who look upon these trees will know the names of those who fell, only to rise to heights that we could never dream of!"

The Kobalt cheered again, and I turned as Gisela went over the names, one by one, with Cameron, and she inscribed them onto the rock.

When the process was done, I gestured to her, and as she nodded, the princess moved forward to speak.

Her speech was short but solemn, and as it drew to an end, Gisela signaled to the rest of the companion-servants, and they began to bring out the customary evening meal, which the gathering sat and enjoyed as a community.

"How was that?" I asked Gisela, and she smiled.

"You were captivating," she said, an admiring expression on her face, and I nodded as Francesca brought Lucia back to me.

Lucia seemed a little down, and as I scooped her up, I decided to move over to the memorial stone.

"This is your father's name," I said, brushing the name with my fingers, and as she repeated the gesture, her eyes teared up.

She wrapped her arms around me, and as I rubbed her back soothingly, she sobbed a little; soft, little whimpers, while I held her.

Evie shot me a pitying look, and I nodded, as she walked over to me.

She offered Lucia a little pat, before turning to take a look around.

"You're a pretty good speaker," she said, and I snickered a little.

"Had no clue what I was doing up there, to be honest."

"That kind of describes everything that we're all doing right now. I mean, I was holding a knife in my hand last night and thinking that I have no clue how to even fight off those things if they broke past our front line, and came after the rest of us. I mean, killing one with just a knife kind of seems improbable."

I snickered in response.

"You know, the first one I killed was with one of those knives," I explained, and she sighed.

"Of course it was."

She gave Lucia one more pat, before resting a hand over mine, and giving it a little squeeze, as she headed over to Molly's side.

Lucia seemed quiet, and as I wondered if I should get her to bed, I spotted Cameron and Nolan close by, so I headed over to join them.

"How's the injury?" I asked, and Nolan sighed.

"I feel tired, but nothing else, honestly. If I wasn't having nightmares about how it felt inside of the jaws of that monster, I'd probably doubt that it'd even happened."

"You should probably rest anyway," I said, and he nodded, as Jordan moved to join us, with a little wooden platter of roasted meat in his hand.

He offered some to Nolan, and Cameron moved to my side, as we left the two to their meal.

"She looks tired," she said, and I nodded.

"Was just thinking to put her to bed. Wanna come with?" I asked, and she nodded.

We moved to the sleeping area, and as I settled her down beside Bianca, she took my hand, and curled up into a little ball, clutching onto it, and holding me close to her chest.

"You know, she did the same thing when she slept last night," Cameron said, and I tilted my head.

"Oh? I was unconscious, I guess," I replied, as I'd basically had a dreamless night of sleep after the battle.

I stroked her back reassuringly, and as I caught Cameron studying me with that sparkly eyed look, I blushed a little.

"What're you thinking?" I asked, and she chuckled.

"You know what I'm thinking," she replied, and I smiled.

"I know, I just wanted to hear you say it."

She scooted over to me, then leaned over to kiss me.

"Can't wait to see you do that with our own child," she said.

I felt my stomach tighten a little, as I recalled momentarily how imminent that day might actually be, but I quickly shook the thought from my mind.

As Lucia's grasp on my hand loosened, I figured she'd fallen fast asleep, and I withdrew slowly, trying not to wake her, before standing up, and pulling Cameron with me.

"I made sure we could sleep together tonight," I said, and she blushed a little.

"Oh~. When you make it sound all official like that, a girl gets a little nervous," she said.

"We don't have to go straight to bed," I replied, casting a little glance over at the gathering, but she quickly shook her head.

"I wanna go straight to bed, just not straight to sleep," she said, and I smiled a little as she blushed, despite the suggestive nature of her words.

As she moved towards me, however, I stole a quick glance around, before pulling her with me to one of the larger trees within the camp, and she shot me a curious look as we disappeared from the sight of the rest of the camp.

Despite the questioning look in her eyes, she followed, and as I pulled her to me and kissed her, she shook her head.

"You know, we could just do this in our little space," she began, and I shook my head.

"This way, it kinda feels like we're naughty teenagers slipping away from the party to make out behind the bleachers," I said, and she giggled.

"Is that something you miss?"

"More like, something I've never done," I replied, and she frowned.

"You know, you say these things and I find it difficult to believe. How were you not a complete chick magnet back on earth?"

"My psychological assessment had a tendency to get out no matter where I went. Made it difficult to pick up chicks. Or, sane ones at least."

"Hm. So even the ones who were attracted to you, only saw your label, and not... you," she asked.

I nodded, and she smiled.

She took a look around, then ran a finger down my chest suggestively, as she licked her lips.

"Well, allow me to make it up to you," she said, as she leaned in to kiss me.

She put both hands on the sides of my face as she kissed me, and pressed her body against mine, forcing me to wrap my arms around her, to steady her as she did.

"We wouldn't be horny teenagers if you didn't feel me up," she suggested, and she smiled as I gave her butt a playful little squeeze.

As she leaned in and we kissed, and our tongues began to explore, my own part slipping past her lips, and as they danced, I began to really let my hands roam her body, fondling and squeezing her ass with my left, while my right hand reached up her shirt, enjoying the smooth feel of the bare skin along her side.

"Mmh," she cooed, as my hand finally found the outer swell of her breast. "As much as I want to fulfill your teenage fantasies, I'm dripping wet right now and in dire need of a proper fucking."

"So much for not swearing in front of your kid," I replied, brushing my fingers against her stomach, as she broke away, and pulled me with her to the princess' sleeping area.

We quickly moved to the little area, out of sight from the general campgrounds, and as Cameron lay down, I moved between her legs, and brought my lips down over her stomach.

I caressed the tiny, almost imperceptible bump, and her eyes were sparkly as she studied me.

"You put that in me," she said, her smile gleeful, almost, and I smiled, as I leaned down, and slowly removed her pants.

She spread her legs before me, and I drank in the sight, before locking onto her eyes again, as I crouched low, and approached her sex with a determined look; like a wild animal on the hunt for its prey.

She squirmed in anticipation, and as I moved in, I placed my hands around her legs from underneath, and held her firmly in place as I leaned down and placed a single, deliberate kiss on this inside of her leg.

Cameron cooed, and tried to clamp her legs down on me, as shudders ran up her spine, and I smirked a little, as I continued my probing, teasing approach, kissing along her leg, the spot above the beginning of her slit, before finally moving to the main course, and placing a long, smacking kiss onto the moist waiting lips of her slit.

"Mmh, baby," she moaned in appreciation.

Her hands went for my head, searching desperately for me, and I kissed her slit several times, before running my lips all along the wet folds of her mound, smearing her juices about as I inhaled deeply of her musky, womanly scent.

"Come to me, baby," she pleaded, and as I stood up, I undid the straps on my breastplate, and tossed the thing aside, before quickly stripping off the rest of it and treating it in kind, and she licked her lips as I crawled up onto her.

"These feel wonderful," she said, as her hands moved to the muscles along my abdomen, and she trailed the lines of what was quickly developing into well-defined abs, licking her lips as she did.

"I know you probably didn't have these in your younger days on earth, but even so, you probably had some quiet little girl in high school creaming herself while thinking about you at night. You just never knew it."

I smiled, then leaned in to kiss her.

"I think I much rather the pretty girl in front of me right now," I replied, and Cameron blushed as I brushed her cheek, and she pushed me back, then stripped her own shirt off in one move, tossing it onto the pile of armor, before leaning back and pulling me towards her chest.

She purred into the top of my head as she planted a kiss there, and I took one of her firm breasts into my mouth, and wrapped my lips around the stiff, puffy nipple that stood enticingly at me.

The camp was now more or less shrouded in darkness, and I noted once more that Cameron's body always seemed to glow almost in that light, her dirty blonde hair turning silver, and her skin glistening with a kind of radiance that made her seem... angelic, even.

As I fondled and devoured Cameron's breasts, she spread her legs out under me, and began to grind her hips against me, eagerly awaiting the next step.

I reached down, and she gave a little yelp as I aimed my cockhead at her sex, brushing it just slightly, and I shot her a little worried glance.

"Sorry. Reflex reaction," she said, and I shook my head, as I rested my hand against her cheek, and kissed her.

"You never have to apologize for that," I said, and she smiled, then put her hands to my chest, and gently directed me onto my back, as she climbed on top.

I nodded, as I'd realized that being in control when I first entered her always seemed to put her nerves to ease a bit, and as she took a deep breath, she positioned my head at the opening of her slit, and as her lips parted and I slid slowly inside, she shuddered again, and I put a hand on her hip comfortingly, as she took a deep breath in.

"I want you so much, that I feel stupid for reacting like this," she said, biting her lip a little, and I shook my head again.

"Even if the heart wants, the body remembers; and it will take time to heal," I replied. "You can take your time, every single time we do it. I'm not going anywhere," I said, and she nodded, smiling again, and resting her hand against my cheek this time as she leaned down to kiss me.

As our lips met, she kept them mashed together as she moved, slowly, taking more of my rigid length into her inner canal, until I finally bottomed out, and she let out a little pleasurable sigh into my mouth.

"I love you so much," she said, biting her lips as she made the admission, and I smiled, and kissed her again.

"I love you too," I answered, still not entirely sure if I really meant it or not, but knowing that it meant the world to her in that moment.

She made a happy little squeak, as she nodded, and again, we kissed as she began to slowly move up the length of my cock, and back down.

The rhythms were soft and gentle, but the stimulation, combined with the euphoric feeling of holding this beautiful woman in my arms, as we kissed, caressed each other's bodies, and gently made love, collectively made for an experience that I absolutely savored.

There was no rush, and every sensation was heavenly, making me wish that we could spend an eternity in that gentle, rocking rhythm, enjoying each other in that sensual little paradise.

"Despite all of the impending death, I'm starting to feel glad that I was sent here... if nothing else, to meet you," she admitted, and I nodded in agreement, as I leaned in and began to suckle her breasts.

"You truly are a goddess," I crooned. "My goddess."

She moaned at the added stimulation, cradling my head into her bosom, as she picked up the intensity of her riding.

I could feel myself slowly approaching my climax.

"I'm getting close to cumming," I said, and she smiled, as she picked up the pace a little.

"It's- fine. At this, mmh... rate. I'm gonna cum, ahn... when I feel you; unloading inside of me."

Being ridden to an orgasm while smothered between her breasts, and the feel of her insides wrapped around me, moving as I came; it had quickly become one of my favorite sensations.

Period.

It was addictive, even, and as she rode me to the cusp of my climax, I let out a little sigh as I leaned back, and to my delight, she followed me, mashing her breasts against my chest as she slapped her pelvis up and down along my length, and I wrapped my arms around her instinctively as I let out a final grunt, and began to unload deep inside of her womb.
Cameron moaned in response, as she felt the spurts of my cum emptying inside of her, and she momentarily increased her movements to a frenzy, before slowing her riding down as her own orgasm came to meet my own.

She rode me through the sensations, and I nuzzled her, kissing and cuddling her affectionately until the waves of pleasure subsided, and we collapsed into a happy, but exhausted heap.

Her hair clung to her forehead, and a little sheen of sweat covered her naked body, and I leaned over to her shoulder and stuck my tongue out, taking a long, slow, lick along the length of sweaty skin, and cooing contentedly, as my tongue processed the taste.

She watched me with interest, then smiled.

"I want in on this," she said, as she scooted back, then leaned down to my softening cock, she took a tentative lick, tasting me, then opening her mouth, and sucking deliberately and lapping up the remnants of my seed.

She sucked me dry, moving down to my balls, which were coated with the sticky remnants of our combined juices, and she sucked them clean, before moving back up to my cock, and sucking on it some more.

"You sure got back on that horse quickly," I noted, and she blushed.

"It's your taste; I just can't get enough of it," she admitted, as she moved her own hand between her legs, withdrawing it with a coating of our combined juices, before licking it clean; and I studied her with a big smile.

Her eyes flicked back to my cock, an excited look in them, and I smiled.

"You can, if you want to," I said.

"Don't you need time? To recover?"

I shook my head.

"I've apparently learned how to use my implant to enhance even that," I replied, and her eyes lit up.

"Really? Because, I've kinda been thinking about it a lot today," she said, poking my thing, and moving it back and forth as she studied it with a look of fascination.

She seemed to be weighing her options in her mind, and eventually she nodded, staring up at me as she turned her head to the side and placed a little kiss along the middle of the shaft, and I let out a low moan, as she ran her lips all the way up to the tip, before parting her lips, and slowly, deliberately, sucking me in.

I felt her tongue dance against the head of my cock, flicking against the opening a bit, before wrapping around the base and underside as she slid me further along.

She took me halfway in, before pausing, and sliding me back out, then moving her lips back and forth over the first few inches of my meat.

"How am I doing?" she asked, as she released me, and I patted her on the head.

"Fantastic," I replied, and she smiled happily.

"I think I rather the feel of you deep inside of me, though," she said, "and, I'm struggling to comprehend how girls take this thing deeper in than I just took you."

I snickered in response, then pulled her up to me, and she smiled, as she settled into my arms.

"We probably need to get dressed before we go to sleep, huh..."

I nodded.

"When we've got our own trees, we can sleep naked and have all the sex we want."

"Mmh. I like the sound of that. Although, I'm probably going to have to wade through a sea of pussy to even get a night with you by then."

I bit my lip as she continued:

"First wife privileges are starting to sound really good."

I shook my head.

"For you, my dear wife, I'll fuck all of my bitches during the day, and you'll have your nights," I replied, in a tone of mock 'gallantry', and she giggled in response.

"Awfully considerate of you," she replied sarcastically, before snuggling up to me once more.

We lay like that for a while, but as we heard the sounds of others moving close by and probably getting ready for bed, we got up and quickly dressed, before settling in for the night.

Cameron pulled me close, and I wrapped my arms around her as she nestled herself into the nook of my arm.

My hand wandered to her stomach, and she nuzzled me a little in response.

"Do you think one day our own little one will snuggle up to us right here?" she asked, gesturing to the little space in front of her, and as I reached out and patted the spot, I let out a little sigh.

"Hopefully," I said, and as my tone sounded just a little wistful, Cameron turned and shot me a questioning look.

"What was that?" she asked, and I shook my head.

"I've been putting it out of my mind, but every time I think about it, I get a little restless. Like if I need to do everything I can right now before our child is born, to make sure that they'll be safe from harm."

She chuckled, reaching back and gently caressing the hair at the back of my head.

"You're already doing more than you can," she countered. "Besides, we have some time..."

Not as much as you think, I thought.

"Have you ever felt this way, though?"

I considered the question.

"A few times, I think."

"Oh? Over what? Or should I say, 'who'?"

I frowned, as I thought about it.

"Who," I clarified. "My grandmother. She got sick at the end, but before she died, I told her that I would sacrifice my entire family to save her."

"Terrifying, or maybe cute? How old were you?"

"Eight, I think?"

"Then definitely cute. I can picture you now, an innocent little psychopath," she teased, giggling a little, and I frowned. "Was that the moment when she found out that you were one?"

I considered the question, then shook my head.

"No, actually... I don't recall a single time in memory when she didn't know; my entire family, in fact."

She turned a little, then frowned.

"What? Are you serious?"

"I mean, they never used the word psychopath until I was, like, in my teens, I think? But every memory I have of my grandmother involves her expressing to me in some way the knowledge that I was 'special', which I think was just her way of seeing it."

"I think I'm on team grandma with this one, but that's weird. Do they usually pick up on that kind of thing that early?"

"No. A lot of the things that flag psychopathy are just ordinary childish behaviors; impulsivity, self-centeredness, delusions of grandeur. I mean, children mostly don't have the range of experiences needed to even properly exhibit empathy, so even that can be a bit problematic. It was always something that bothered me," I explained.

"Did you ever ask about it?"

I nodded.

"I did, but when my grandmother died, I think I lost my last real meaningful connection in my family. My mother had passed away right before that, and the two of them were the only family members who really spoke to me. I tried to find my real mother, in the hopes that I might get answers, but she was practically a ghost."

"Hnn~. Do you still think about it?" she asked, and I shook my head.

"I haven't in almost a decade, honestly. I guess when I was younger, I was a little curious as to whether or not my mother was maybe a low functioning psychopath who my parents were in some way connected to."

"Wait, is psychopathy genetic?"

I nodded, and Cameron frowned.

"Most of the research agrees that it is. The chances of it appearing in my own children is fairly low, but once the genetic trait is present, as it is for me, then there's the chance that somewhere along the line, even beyond the three-generation cut-off point, it will appear amongst my descendants. I'm sorry, I'm scaring you, aren't I?"

I couldn't quite see Cameron's expression to gauge her feelings, but the sound she'd made sounded a bit like distress.

"No, no. I guess I'm still associating psychopathy with violent criminals, to some extent."

She let out a sigh, before continuing.

"Truthfully, if our child was like you, then they'd stand a much, much better chance at survival in this world, huh?"

"Well, Casey's company sure seems to think so. The fact that they hunt us is something that I'd be worried about, though."

Cameron thought about my words for a bit, before snuggling back into my arms.

"I'm not worried," she said finally, this time, her tone sounding much more convincing. "Besides, you were right, earlier. With the two of us here to raise the child, they're going to turn out fine. Psychopath or not."

I continued to trace a little path on her back, and she hummed contentedly, but I still felt a little unsettled.

I want you to be safe¸ little one, I thought, as I placed a hand, protectively, over Cameron's stomach.

And with that thought in my mind, I settled in, and tried to get to sleep.

***

Fuck!

Fuck, fuck, FUCK!

Was that man still tracking me?

I paused my running, and put my hands to the ground and let my energy flow through them to the forest around, and as I sensed everything within the sphere, I breathed a sigh of relief.

Maybe he finally stopped to tend to that wound?

Who knows?

At least it was better than being hunted by that fucking monstrosity with the long sword.

To think that she almost killed Irileth.

Fuck!

This domain was done, but so was I...

No!

I need to make it in time.

Pick up the pace, Jasper!

I began to run, when suddenly, I sensed something, and pulled up to a stop.

Was that him?

No...

It's that man.

The one who was with her!

So that's where his camp is, huh?

Maybe I should just end him right here...

No, focus.

You'll have his core when it's ready, just stick to the plan!

Where are you, little minion?

What happened that you fled so far north from your assigned target?

Pick up the pace.

You can do it.

Just reach him in... yes!

There!

I exerted my influence, calling out to the creature, and it quickly moved towards me in response to my command, but as it reached out its hand, I tried to transform my own limb into a scythe, but it would not turn.

Fuck; my core is spent!

I guess I'll have to use the knife, then.

I withdrew the thing, a weapon I had not drawn in almost a century, and I closed my eyes shut as I raised my left hand and severed it at the forearm.

Then in one motion, I severed the creature's arm, and it wailed.

It'll be over soon, I thought.

I grasped my severed hand, and placing it onto the creature's stump, I poured what was left of my energy into healing the thing, and transfixing my limb in place of its own.

The rest is up to you, huh?

Wait!

I have to name him.

I placed my hand against his chest, and thought for a bit, then uttered "Hans", and a blue light pulsed out from his core.

His eyes narrowed, a kind of realization dawning on him, and he shook his head.

"Why, master?"

It was the creature's first words, and probably the last thing I would ever hear.

"Because, my task must now become your own. Eat the core. Leave nothing behind," I ordered, and I fell to the ground.

As my vision faded to an eternal blackness, I wondered for a brief moment, if perhaps, I was myself, not the original.

Funny thought, huh?

Though I guess it matters little now...

Be well, my minion.

And make certain he dies a horrible death, to pay for what that woman has done...

***