Chapter Three-Of Moles and Aerokens
Well, here's the third installment of my From the Ashes series. As always, questions, comments, flames, death and or dismemberment threats, all welcome. So, without further gilding the lilly, and no more adeu, I present: Of Moles and Aerokens:
The couple stepped from the blue vortex into a vast stretch of plains dotted with small hills and littered with strange rock outcroppings dotted throughout the plains. Jared took a breath, testing the air. He didn't detect anything wrong, but then again, Veronica said this Sector was full of habitable planets, although the Swarm had already passed them. Jared was astounded the way the planet was rejuvenating itself, there was already grass growing.
Jared's peace was interrupted by a squeal of pain behind him. He turned to see his lover, Veronica holding a charred paw. He walked over to the feline and clasped her paw in his hands, ignoring the smell of burnt hair. "You really need to stop that." Jared smiled at her, knowing full well she couldn't help it. Veronica was a planethopper, and Five years of Hopping had tuned her reflexes to scan a planet as soon as she landed. But, having a broken scanner that delivers a powerful shock when operated didn't help at all.
Veronica's slit-pupil yellow eyes glared playfully as Jared used his other hand to summon up the Aether from the core of the planet. This planet was alive, and the Aether proved it, maybe the Swarm didn't suck planets completely dry after all. Pushing those thoughts aside, Jared concentrated the Aether into the wounds on V's paw, and watched amazed as it made the cells in his mate's hand burn into overdrive, causing rapid healing of the wound.
He watched as her hand healed to as good a new and the excess Aether drained into her bloodstream, giving her an ethereal glow. Jared was always amazed at just what the force inside all things could actually do when manipulated.
Even after the healing was done, Jared continued to hold his lover's hand, basking in her radiating beauty. V must have sensed this, as she pivoted, twisting her paw free, and brushed a glowy tail across Jared's neck and chin. "Hey!" Jared laughed at her. Veronica just smiled slyly as she continued to walk off, swinging her hips in that sexy manner that girls like to taunt guys with. "Sorry, reflex." She cooed.
Jared had his own teasing to do, however, and ran up behind her, twisted her around, and gave her a light kiss (to both V's surprise and pleasure), only to break it instantly and take off running. Veronica felt the elation of her mate's touch recede, it having just registered in her mind what was happening, and she gave chase. "Sorry, reflex!" Jared yelled as he ran across the plains, zigzagging around and through the rocks. They would continue their game of kiss-tag until one of them got tired, rested, then resumed (although Jared spent most of his time being "it" than Veronica).
Jared perched atop an outcropping, awaiting his prey. He squeezed himself flat on one, lying in wait. He watched as he saw her get near, then he pounced. He launched himself from his vantage point at the pile of blue-gray fur that was his lover. He hit his mark, sending both of them tumbling in a big ball of fur and skin.
They laughed as they rolled around, half making out, and half wrestling, at least until they lost momentum and slowed to a halt. Veronica got up, helping Jared onto his feet as she did. They brushed and dusted each other off before one last kiss.
"We need to find that pod. The crystal said that a lot of them had fallen around here." Jared was too busy staring at a rock formation to respond. Apparently, Jared's leap had upset some sort of balance, sending the rocks sliding off of the Sleeper Tube lying underneath it. Jared grinned at his little kitten, "Well, that was easy. So, let's crack the egg and say hello."
This, however, was easier said than done. They spent the remainder of the day digging out the Sleeper Tube. Once it was clear, they sighed and took a break. "You ready to do this?" Jared asked Veronica, who nodded. They both placed their hands on the two sets of what looked like black slabs of obsidian. He wasn't surprised, though, when a blue light stirred the Tube to life, and it opened lengthwise, revealing a yawning mole. "Victor, have you slept well?" Veronica asked.
The mole rubbed his eyes, and walked forward. "Veronica, is that you? Can't very well know, as you know, sights not what it used to be." Victor said as he laughed at his own joke, moles were blind and his vision had always been dark. "I detect a male. Bonded, no less. Strange, I do not believe I know him. So, who's the lucky guy, V? Zeig? Rad? Christov?" Victor chuckled again.
"This is Jared." Veronica said, who threw her arms out to hug the old mole. "You always were clingy." Victor said, chuckling once more. "Charming old man." Jared said, causing the old mole to jump. "V, get behind me! Swarm! Where is Zeig? Christov, move left, Rad, go right!" Jared couldn't suppress a laugh as the mole shouted out battle commands to invisible troops. Veronica managed to calm him down, explaining who Jared was, and the fact that they were Bonded.
"So, the others are all gone? The Swarm got to four of you?" Victor asked. "Yes. I am the only one, aside from Jared and yourself." Veronica answered, tears welling up in her eyes. "Who are the ones you were talking to?" Jared asked the Elder, who turned out to be the head of the Building Clan, sort of the Construction Bureau for the Confederation. There was a reason Veronica had picked this planet first. "Zeig, Christov, and Rad were the three guys of the Original Five. I assumed they would be here for the opening, since I sensed that V was Bonded, I assumed it was one of them."
So, after formalities were exchanged Victor and Veronica proceeded to establish plans for the first Confederacy City to be built once the rest of the Builders were Waked, a new capitol to rebuild.
Over the next few weeks, Veronica and Jared opened many more Tubes. As it turned out, the Builder clans and their families decided that they would live or die together, and reprogrammed their Tubes to land on the same planet. Although it was unwise, it made finding and opening them a LOT easier for V and Jared. Overall, V and Jared opened about two hundred, and countless other were opened when V gave those that were Waked DNA from her and Jared to use to open the other Tubes.
Jared thought they were lucky that they had found an entire clan of engineers and scientists that knew how to fix and build their technology. Veronica had Victor fix her Hopper Bracelet as soon as they harnessed parts from the used Tube.
Once the vast numbers of the Builder clan were Wakened, Veronica told the Elder that they would jump to one of the Five to start work on the Capitol tomorrow. Until then, everyone would rest and get reacquainted.
Veronica was worried, however, as they didn't know this planet's status with the Swarm. For all they knew, the Swarm had it marked for stripping tomorrow, and it worried her. She wanted to make the jump tonight, but everyone was too tired. Even though the Waken had slept for years, they needed rest from the days work.
Jared and Veronica stole away to the woods when night fell. They hadn't had a night to themselves in five weeks, as they still didn't have the technology to harness the Aether into matter. That had to wait until the Shapers were Waken. So, everyone was forced to sleep under the stars in crude lean-tos made from scraps of the Tubes.
Needless to say, they didn't provide much cover for two young lovers lost in the throes of their lust. So, with only one chance, they both slipped out of their sleeping bag (singular, they shared one) and snuck into the forest. Once there, they followed V's nose to water. They bathed in the water, washing away the month's worth of dirt and grime.
Once they were done washing, the fun began. Jared laid his cat lover down on her stomach in shallow water. It was surprisingly (and pleasantly) warm to the touch. Jared cupped the water in his hands as he dribbled it onto the sensitive areas of V's back. He watched her shudder as her muscles begged for more of the soothing touch. He ran his wet hands down her fur, admiring the silky smooth feel. He let his fingers roam her back, over her fleshy butt, and down her thighs and calves.
He watched as Veronica's sore muscles tingled at the soft touch, much more stimulated by the change of the feel of rock to the feel of a tender lover. He moved his hands back to her...well...back and massaged her shoulders. He loosened up her shoulder muscles and then worked on her back, kneading the flesh ever so gently.
He watched Veronica enjoy every minute of it, and found himself getting hard from V's constant squeals of pleasure and ever so soft moans. He moved his hands past her ass to massage her legs, saving the best for last. He would pleasure that area with special care...
Once he was done, he knew that Veronica was feeling a bit yiffy. He laughed as he turned her over and saw the lust in her eyes. He massaged her stomach, then her front legs, then bent in for a deep kiss. He almost chuckled as he saw how wet he was making her, apparently the weeks of lust and lack of a tender touch had gotten to her. He purposely avoided those sensitive spots he knew would drive her wild, just to tease her. He then ran his hands down her front, stopping to lightly rub her breasts before moving on to her waiting sex.
He laid on his side as he pet his lover's streamlined body. He kissed her lips, then her neck, then her chest. He stopped for a quick suckle on waiting nipples before he moved on. He licked her stomach and continued like that all the way down to a quick flick of her clit, then back to a deep kiss. He knew that she was enjoying it with each moaning crescendo.
He placed his hand on her wet labia and felt her squirm with pleasure. He knew she wanted to feel him, but he wanted to draw it out, make her think he was finally going to, then he would recede. He inserted a finger just to the bulb, halting once it disappeared into his Veronica, then stopped. He felt a shudder run from her thighs to her stomach, and then up her spine. He inserted further, and further, and finally all the way, each time he went deeper a new sound escaped V's mouth. He felt a rumbling groan as he started to thrust in and out, inserting another finger. She gushed more juice over Jared's hand, as each thrust served more to satisfy her needs.
And idea struck Jared as he pulled out. He got to his feet and stood over his kitten. He wagged his exposed (not to mention stiff) member over his lover's face. He looked into her eyes and said, "You want it?" She shook her head in earnest. "Come and get it." Jared said playfully. He ran into the water and swum to the middle. It wasn't that deep and the current was light. Perfect. Or should he say, purrrfect.
Veronica splashed in after him, giggling at their little game. The met in the middle and wrapped their legs, arms, and lips around each other. Jared felt her throw herself on him, wrapping both her legs and tail around him to pull him even closer.
Their passionate kiss broke as Veronica started to jump up and down in the water, rolling his cock around her slit, evoking every sensation as water around it swished and churned, adding to the feeling even more.
Jared didn't move once, he let his kitten do all the work. He let her bring them both to the brink and back. He felt his little kitty fall asleep on his shoulder, his hands supporting her by her cute little butt. He lifted her so she was lying in his arms, and walked out of the water. He went back to a tree right off camp and wrapped them both in a blanket, drifting off to sleep in the moonlight.
Jared woke to a strange yeowling noise. He rolled over to tell Veronica, but she didn't seem to be there. He headed off toward the queer sound. He turned the corner and laughed.
Right in a clearing was Veronica, surrounded by trees that had deep gashes in them. Veronica was currently scratching long gashes in the bark of trees. He chuckled as she drew her claws down slowly, obviously relishing in the sensation as she arched her back and let out the yeowling sound.
She jumped as she heard Jared's laughter. She gave him a shy look as she stopped and looked down. Jared saw Veronica give that "well, what now?" look that parents get when they catch their kid doing something embarrassing (it was the same look Jared had given his mother when she caught him masturbating).
Jared walked toward her and lifted her chin so they were eye to eye. "I love you. Just the way you are." He told her, then before she could reply, he kissed her, interlocking their tongues.
They were like this for a long time until they heard someone clearing their throat. They broke and saw Victor flanked by a huge Lion and a Bear. "Well, it seems the couple missed the confines of their tent."
Jared and V looked sheepishly at the grinning trio. "How'd you find us?" Jared asked. "Well, I was told that you two were missing, so I took Lecter and Jet here to come and find you, for we feared the worst. However, I'm surprised that the Swarm itself aren't bearing down on us homing in on the sounds you two were making."
"Sorry." The pair said in unison. "Ah, pish-posh. I know what it is like to be young and recently bonded. But, it seems all is well. No harm, no fou-"
A piercing scream cut through the trees. "SWARM!!!!!!!!!!"
"Drek." Veronica said as all five ran back toward the camp.
"Fuck." Jared said, running alongside her.
They broke the tree line to see a horrid site. The camp was in peril as three huge Aerokens swooped over the throng of people, letting loose multiple bursts of lightning at screaming people. The Aerokens were large pterodactyls that were rigged with Swarm technology. They gathered Aether in their beaks and released it as lightning at targets.
Jared watched their tactics amazed, as one let loose, the other two were charging, a continuous stream of death.
Victor yelled at Veronica as they neared the destruction zone. "Veronica, we need that gate. Jared, can you bend Aether?" Jared nodded. "Good, I need you to form a tornado with me. Jet and Lecter will disrupt the Aerokens." At his words, Jet and Lecter charged on ahead, letting loose what looked like bursts of fast moving air at the winged beasts.
Victor and Jared stopped and assumed a conjuring stance. "I see Veronica has taught you well." "Yessir, but I have no idea what to do."
"Just try to summon air, I will shape it."
"Okay."
Jared summoned the Aether, bending it into air. He felt it being shaped by the Elder Mole, who was apparently more powerful than he let on. He felt it get faster and faster until it vanished. Jared opened his eyes (he closed his eyes to better concentrate on summoning and to shield from the wind), and saw that a big gray swirling disk (what Jared assumed was the compressed tornado disk they just formed) was hurling toward the Aerokens.
The Aerokens were taken aback as they were batted around in the air and slammed forcefully on the ground. Screams of pain and crunching sounds emitted from the beasts as they were crushed by their own weight (magnified almost tenfold by the machinery built into it. The Swarm loved power, and even thought the Aerokens were less maneuverable due to the excess weight, they were deadly weapons.).
Jared turned to see the last dregs of the Wakened run through the blue vortex that was the Jump Portal. He saw Veronica's figure moving her hands in powerful, pronounced motions, keeping the Aether flowing into the gate, keeping it open. Jared grabbed the mole and ran toward the Gate. He hurled the slow-moving mole bodily through the Portal, and clasped his lover's hand as they jumped through together.
Back on the first of the Five Planets deemed able to reform the Confederacy of Allied Species, the people stopped to lick their wounds and rebuild. Jared ended up sprawled on the grass, his hand still clasped in Veronica's. They sat up and looked at one another, Veronica brought her tail up to brush away some of the sweat on Jared's brow. He returned the favor by brushing her cheek.
"Well, well. Even in the face of danger you find time for yourselves. Alas, to be young again." They both looked up to see Victor hovering over them. They all laughed, the danger was over and they had made it. "Will the Aerokens be missed?" Jared asked.
"Definitely." The Elder replied. "But that bridge, my boy, will be crossed when we get to it. For now, we are safe, and that is all that matters."
To be continued...