Felix was deep in thought while he slowly paced the porch. He stopped for a moment to admire the brilliant orangish-red sun as it casually set behind the tree line. Being outside to greet the sun when it rose in the morning and to say good-night when it set in the evening was a habit that he developed as a young boy. It gave him some semblance of peace to witness such a miraculous occurrence.
To his disappointment, the contentment that he normally felt during this time eluded him. His mind was filled with confusion and frustration. He’d intently listened to Ari’s tale of woes about all that occurred while journeying from Center Land to his home and was sorry for what she’d endured during it. A trip that should have taken her no more than two days on foot – less on horseback - had lasted the better part of a week. She’d been so preoccupied with fleeing for her life -as well as traumatized by the sight and sound of her mare being devoured- that she’d gone off her intended route and was lost in a barren area for a significant period of time. Since her supplies were strapped to the back of her mare, she only had the half-empty water canteen that hung, crossbody, on her torso. Food was something that she’d have to rummage for and, in the desolate area that she’d ended up in, it wasn’t to be found. She rationed her water while she searched for more and feared dehydration before she’d accomplished it. For someone whose body wasn’t used to the survival rigors of traveling the countryside afoot, she’d faired poorly; as was expected.
He’d given her food and water and then left her sleeping on the sofa. She looked weak and frail, yet he knew better. She was a strong and resourceful beauty who shouldered a responsibility that most men would find daunting. He assumed that the fact that her appearance was deceiving was one of the reasons that the leaders of Center Land favored using her for missions. He was sure that, like him, when people first met her they were deceived into thinking her weak and unthreatening. He didn’t know exactly how threatening she could be since the evilness of her late brother, Baelil, had overshadowed all else, but he knew for certain that she was anything but frail.
Regardless of the role that she’d played in delivering misery and mayhem to the life of his family, he couldn’t help finding her attractive. At one time, he’d contemplated mating with her. Of course, now that he was a eunuch, that could never happen.
The sun was almost completely set when he turned to find her quietly observing him from the doorway of the house.
“How long have you been there?” he asked with irritation. He was never one to appreciate being spied upon and that’s what it felt like she was doing.
“I didn’t mean to upset you,” she offered in a gentle tone. “You looked so deep in thought that I didn’t want to disturb you. So, I just stood here waiting for you to notice me.”
“You’ve been noticed,” he growled. Then, when she simply stood in calm silence, he added, “I expected you to sleep longer.”
Ari shrugged. “Not my bed, not my home… I’m sure you understand.”
“That’s a comfortable sofa, but it isn’t a bed,” he said with a smile as he forced himself to relax and be amiable. “I’ll show you to a room where you can clean up. Do you have a change of clothes in your backpack?”
Ari’s brilliant white teeth sparkled in the sunlight as she grinned. “As a matter of fact, I do. I saw no reason to change while on the road.”
Felix’s eyes locked on her mesmerizing smile as he nodded. “Understandable.”
Ari nervously fidgeted. “Will Kendra and Rex return soon? I’ve been gone so long already. I imagine that Olga is starting to get nervous.”
“They’re on horseback, so they go further than when on foot.”
“Horseback?” Ari repeated with furrowed brows.
“There were several freed up after your raid, if you recall,” he firmly stated.
“I’d forgotten about the horses,” she sighed.
“Don’t expect them back,” Felix quickly said. “They’re the spoils of war.”
Ari tipped her head and looked at him for a long moment. “You don’t like me.”
Taken aback by her bluntness, he sucked in air. “It’s not that I don’t like you. I just don’t like what you did.”
Ari looked away. “I was following orders.”
“Well, your orders suck,” he grumbled.
“I won’t argue with that,” she said with a soft sigh. “Much of what they ask me to do is distasteful.”
“If you don’t approve of what they ask of you, why do you do it?” he asked.
She shrugged and looked off into the distance. “If you want to live in Center Land, you have to earn the right. I find the roles for females far more distasteful than what they ask me to do as a soldier. It’s the lesser of the evils.”
“What roles for females are distasteful?” he asked with curiosity. “Are you saying that you’re not domestic?”
Ari giggled. “I haven’t a domestic gene in my body, but it’s not that.” After filling her lungs with air and then slowly letting it out, she said, “If I wasn’t working as a soldier for the council, I’d be expected to enter into the breeding program.” She visibly shuddered. “I have no desire to become a baby factory.”
Felix suspiciously eyed her. “Enforced breeding is something the aliens do for food supply. Why would they be doing it in your land?”
“It’s not enforced,” Ari said. “It’s elective, but expected. Our reasoning is different, of course. We aren’t cannibals. Our goal is to drive the aliens off the planet and we can’t do that until our numbers are up. There are far too few of us right now.”
“Do the aliens know about your little community?” he asked with sudden interest.
She shook her head. “If they did, we’d be wiped out by now. We use a machine that creates a holographic covering over the village. So far, it’s proved effective.”
“So far,” he mused, more to himself than to her, “but with a breeding program in play, the community must be growing quite large. How long will the holograph be able to cover it?”
“We send the children to our sister community in the center of the earth where they are raised and given proper training in preparation for when we go up against the aliens. They have plenty of room to grow and no need for disguise like we have,” Ari offered.
Felix scowled. “So the mother gives birth and then relinquishes the child? Egad, that’s awful. They really are just baby factories.”
“Olga is close to remembering the formula for the cure to zombiesm,” she eagerly offered. “It’s been a lot of years, but it’s slowly coming back to her. We expect to be manufacturing it very soon.”
Felix scowled. “Will curing the zombies take care of the alien problem? No, it won’t. You’ll still need numbers to go up against them.”
“We won’t need to send the children away, though. They’ll be able to stay with their parents and be raised normally,” she said with a pensive tone.
“I don’t see how,” he said with a shake of his head. “The zombies aren’t the reason you’re hiding your community, the aliens are. You’ll still have to be careful to keep the village small.”
Ari shook her head. “The elders say that when the zombie’s are taken care of, we’ll have no more reason to hide and I believe them.
Felix pursed his lips. “I don’t understand why Olga didn’t come forward with who she was and what she could do before this,” Felix grumbled. “It would have been nice to know.”
Ari looked surprised. “She never told you?”
He shook his head. “We had no idea who she was until Kendra stumbled into you while hunting and she felt it necessary to tell us.”
“She was hoping that the virus would attack the aliens and wipe them out. Also, she was worried about the aliens getting their hands on her. She’d be their science slave if they did,” Ari said. “I can’t blame her for not wanting to tell anyone.”
“Yet, she told you,” he said with a hint of bitterness.
“We want the same thing, Felix,” Ari impatiently stated. “Can’t you see that?”
Felix looked at Ari long and hard before turning away. “It’s difficult for me to separate what was done to me from the lot of you and just blame Baelil. It is your village’s practice, after all.”
“It is,” she admitted, “but only to prevent severe mutations from being passed on. It shouldn’t have happened to you.”
“But, it did,” he snarled.
“I’m so sorry,” she said in a breathy whisper.
Felix warily eyed her. Was she truly sorry for the horrific deed that her brother had done to him or was she simply giving him lip service in order to gain favor? He just didn’t know.
“Did Olga send you to fetch all of us or just Kendra?” he asked.
“All of you,” she said with a smile that she hoped would help to melt the cold barrier he’d put up.
To her disappointment, instead of softening toward her, his body visibly stiffened. “I need to know what will happen to Eugene if we go there.”
“Eugene?” Ari repeated with curiosity.
“Your nephew,” he replied with a tone of disgust.
Ari looked away. Things just hadn’t gone well since she’d left the village. She was more than sorry to have accepted the assignment. “The children are sent to…”
“Oh, hell no!” he bellowed before she could finish her sentence.
Kendra twisted in the saddle so that she could better see the trail behind her. She and Rex had left their home at dawn on their hunting trip to a new and unexplored area. Interestingly enough, the grounds were lush with plant life in comparison to most of the areas that they’d been hunting in, yet there was absolutely no game to be found. At first, they’d thought that it might be due to an abundance of zombies about, but they’d yet to come across a single one of them.Rex had tested the water in several of the streams that they’d come across and found it potable and delicious. The grass was thick and ripe with nutrients for grazing and the trees were heavy with foliage. The fact that there was no game to be found made no sense.Since they were traveling on horseback, they decided to split up their search. They’d designated a large boulder that was surrounded by trees as their meeting place n
The well-developed, lean muscles of Rex’s tall frame flexed with tension as he paced in front of the boulder that was the agreed upon meeting place for him and Kendra. He anxiously scanned the trees for a sign of her approaching. The sun’s rays were barely able to push their way through the thick green canopy that blanketed the tree tops during its highest point of the day. Now that it was almost set, visibility was practically nil. Where could she be? He’d been back for well over an hour. He’d had a devil of a time finding it once he’d ventured out and wondered if she was experiencing the same problem. Adamant that he wouldn’t return home without her and certain that she’d wait for him as well and concerned with the time of day and poor lighting, he resigned himself to the fact that he’d more than likely be spending the night right where he stood.Deciding to be proactive, he began gathering
Kendra groaned as she uncurled her body from the fetal position that she’d lain in on the damp ground for the better part of the night. She’d made sure that her horse was close by so that she could watch over its safety in the event of a zombie or cyborg invasion. What she hadn’t expected was that the horse would lie down so close to her that their bodies were actually touching. It was as if the gelding knew the benefit of staying close.She lay with her back against the horse’s back. The combination of their body heat was fantastic for her torso, but it also emphasized the cold dampness of the ground beneath her. She’d gathered a few pine branches to act as a barrier between her body and the ground, but they proved ineffective over the long haul. Her pants were so damp as to be considered wet. They clung, uncomfortably, to her slender legs. Her muscles had tightened from a night of damp cold and were struggling to f
The world slowly came into view as Rex struggled to get his sky blue eyes to work for him. He raised his hand to inspect the lump on his broad forehead and tried to remember how he got it while, at the same time, working on determining just where he was.It took him some time to realize that it wasn’t his vision failing him that caused visibility to be so poor. It was the fact that he was in a space that was so dimly lit that it could almost be considered dark. Feeling his pulse quickening, he worked at controlling his breathing to avoid panic. All of his life, he’d suffered from mild claustrophobia. Waking up in a strange and unknown environment while unable to see his surroundings made him feel trapped and closed in. He couldn’t let it overtake him. He needed his wits about him more than ever.Going back over the chain of events leading to his waking up in this unsettling place, he slowly remembered the tall
Kendra straightened her shirt as she cuddled her infant son while sitting in one of the Adirondack chairs that were lined in a neat row on the front porch. He’d greedily emptied her burdensome breasts and she’d been happy to let him do it. She’d had a difficult time enduring the sensation of milk filled breasts that were long overdue for release. Olga told her how, prior to the war, women fed formula to their infants and bypassed nursing all together. Oh, how she would have liked to have been able to do that.“He’s almost ready to stop nursing,” she said to her cousin as he sat on the top step with his back against the rail post.“You sound happy about that,” he mused.“I won’t miss it,” she admitted.“It’s one on one time with your son that no one else can share,” he observed. “I’d think you’d want it to go on forever.”She shrug
The constraints around his ankles made it difficult for Rex to walk. He was forced to take small, clumsy steps as the excessively tall and surprisingly strong alien males half-pushed, half-dragged him from his cell. He stumbled his way down a long, narrow corridor to a set of double doors. After pushing their way through the doors, his alien tormentors shoved him into a room that was large enough to support a double bed, two metal chairs, and three rolling medical trays. They pushed him with such force that he fell to his knees. He had to fight back the urge to strike out at the laughter that came from his evil captors.They unceremoniously yanked him to his feet by his cuffed wrists and secured them to a chain that hung from the ceiling so that his arms were raised above his head. He was surprised when a male pulled on a few zippers along the shoulders of his kaki colored jumpsuit and the entire suit puddled around his ankles.Completely naked
They’d pushed the horses hard for several hours without stopping or even speaking when Kendra finally gave the orders to let them rest while they got their bearings straight and decided what to do.“We need to go to Center Land,” Ari said with conviction as she hopped off her horse. When Kendra simply pursed her lips and looked away, Felix spoke up. “Is it really that bad there? I mean, other than what Baelil did to you, what else was done that was so bad?”Kendra could think of nothing. In fact, she had to admit that, although she felt as if she’d been kept on the sidelines when it came to socializing, she’d been treated well enough. Even so, the memories that place held were still fresh in her psyche and periodically tormented her in her dreams. As far as she was concerned, if she never saw Center Land again, it would be too soon.Ari stood before Kendra with her
Felix marveled over how quickly the slender, shapely legs of Ari’s petite body were able to cover ground as his longer, lean muscled ones struggled to catch him up with her. If she’d remembered his club foot, she wasn’t giving him allowance for it as she moved along at a pace that was as close to a jog as one could get and still be walking.“I don’t need a bodyguard,” she hissed over her shoulder as she leapt over a log-like branch that had fallen off a half-dead tree.“What’s bothering you?” he managed with labored breath. “Geez, can you slow down just a bit?”“If you can’t keep up, then go back,” she snipped. “I didn’t ask you to come along to begin with.”His ankle was beginning to pain him from the unfamiliar demands that he was putting on it, but he held firm. “I’m not going back.”She abruptly stopped
Waiting for the drunken soldiers to finish their plans of turning Rex in the following morning had to be one of the most grueling things she’d done in a long time. She longed to run inside and warn him, but knew better than to alert them. They may be drunk, but they were still highly trained men of combat. If they decided to capture Rex, they’d find a way to do it. Superhuman strength or not.She did her best not to show her relief when Felix popped his head out of the door to find out what was taking her so long to return. The soldiers pulled him out into their drunken circle and jovially bantered with him about his future as a married man until they finally tired and the call of alcohol pulled them back inside. He was about to escort her in behind them when she tugged hard enough on his arm to grab his attention.She was grateful that he hadn’t consumed enough alcohol to cause him to lose his faculties. One look at her eyes and at
Felix noted the looks on the faces of the three people he loved with all of his heart as they joined in the reception celebration, but he and Ari were inundated with well-wishers and their toasts so he was unable to make his way to them to see what was up. Also, his beautiful bride was glowing with happiness and enjoying the adoration and complements that were flowing her way. After such a long time of being mistreated by her peers, it had to be like a dream for them to be surrounding her with laughter and marriage jokes as if they were the best of friends. He couldn’t spoil the moment for her. If whatever was bothering his family was truly serious, he was certain that they’d find a way to confer with him about it.As time progressed, he and his bride eventually managed to work their way to the table that his family sat around. They were in such deep and serious conversation that they didn’t notice the newlyweds standing next to them.
Kendra slipped out of the great hall as quietly as she could. She’d just witnessed Felix’s wedding and was filled with mixed emotions. She was happy for him, of course. It was wonderful that, after all of the misery he’d seen in his short life, he’d managed to find love. Unfortunately, the blatant happiness of the newlyweds mirrored her own misery back at her.She and Rex were far from normal in their relationship since they’d escaped the aliens; let alone happy. It was weeks since their escape and they’d yet to come together as man and wife. Nor had they sat down to talk about what they’d been through. It was like it had never happened.They could use the excuse that their days were filled with searching for information about how they might get Eugene back. Olga had even stood before the village leaders on more than one occasion to plead for his return. Sadly, she was given the same response each
They made it back to Center Land without mishap. True to his word, Jax spread the word that Trevor had been speaking garbage and that he and his men had witnessed, firsthand, the courage that the female soldier possessed. He proudly proclaimed that he’d accept a mission with her at any time and urged his men to give her the respect, consideration… and apologies… that she deserved. Although it felt good to finally be free of their taunting and ostracizing, Ari just couldn’t muster up a warm and fuzzy feeling for her comrades and she doubted if she ever could.“They love you now,” Felix said as he lay on the narrow bed and nestled his face into her bare breast.“I could care less,” she sighed. “It’s too late.”“You need to try to find the good in what we’ve been through before you become permanently embittered,” he murmured.“That’s one
It was past midnight before the camp settled down for the night. Although Rex and Kendra lay together in the make-shift tent that they’d created with the tarp from the cart, they lay stiff and separate. Kendra wanted to feel the security and love of being wrapped in his powerful arms, but she feared that he might want more from her than she was presently comfortable with.The thought of being touched in an intimate way - even by Rex- after being manhandled for so long by the guards and being forced to climb atop strange men by the aliens made her hesitate. She just needed a little time without sex to put the past behind her.Understanding that everyone was different and, therefore, had different needs for healing, she decided that if he needed the intimacy of coupling with her to bring normalcy back into his own existence, she would ignore her own emotions. She loved him and wanted things to go back to the way they were as quic
It took all three of the prepared shots before Rex was able to comfortably move about and speak coherently. At first, he remembered very little about what he’d endured, but what he did remember left his mood dark and sullen. As time moved forward, more bits and pieces of what occurred came forth, like a puzzle waiting to be put together.He quietly sat and listened to Jax and his men update him on the preparations that they were making and the precautions that they were taking in the event that the aliens sent a search party after Kendra and him.Doing his best to focus on their words, he battled memory flashes of strange naked women mounting him as he lay strapped to the bed. When his manhood began to react as erotic sensations accompanied one particular vision, he quickly forced it from his mind while doing his best to put his body in check. This type of reaction to a sexual thought had never occurred before. He assumed it was residue from the shots
The location that Ari found for them was as close to perfect as Olga could have asked for. She quickly went about assigning tasks for everyone so that the camp was set up in record time. Kendra was amazed at the lack of resistance Jax gave Olga when she barked orders to his men. Most of them obediently obliged her right away. Of the one or two who looked to Jax for guidance over what to do, he simply nodded his approval of her request and they went about it without question.Felix took charge of the baby that Kendra had rescued. As he swaddled the infant in a clean shirt from his backpack, he noted how familiar the features of the little tyke were. Was he Kendra’s child? No. He had Rex’s bone structure and -although he was still too young to tell for sure- it looked like he had his nose as well.Olga took a brief moment to coo over the infant before she poured her attention towards Rex’s well-being. She accepted the littl
Olga and Felix had just finished packing up their camp when Ari returned with Jax’s soldier. She quickly explained that the others were bringing Kendra, Rex, and a baby by pony cart but that he wanted them all together for strength in the event of a battle against the aliens as well as peace of mind in knowing where everyone was. She’d hardly finished her explanation before Felix and Olga were mounted and ready to leave.They were closer to each other than they’d imagined. Within an hour Kendra’s cart – surrounded by Jax and his soldiers- could be seen making its way down the road.Felix kicked his horse into action and raced toward them. Not as expert in the saddle and very aware of the hard macadam beneath her horse, Olga had to be content with urging her horse into a trot.The reunion was bittersweet as they embraced and cried while giving just enough information about what had been happening to each
Kendra stroked the stubbled hint of a beard on Rex’s face as she debated whether or not to give him his first shot. She cursed herself for not having the presence of mind to have asked Josie to explain what type of reaction Rex might have. Would it be physical? Emotional? Was she capable of handling it on her own? Or, should she do her best to get back to her family where she’d have help.Taking the water jug, she carefully tipped it to his lips to make sure that he stayed hydrated during their long journey.After checking on the baby’s position to make sure that he’d stay secure during the travel, she loosely propped the tarp over them to protect them from the sun’s rays, but still allow a comfortable air flow for them, and then climbed back into the driver’s seat.By the position of the sun, she guessed that she had about four hours of sunlight left to her before she’d have to find a