Last Exile Fan Fiction ❯ Soft Options ❯ Abnormal Normality ( Chapter 9 )

Soft Options

 

Rating: NC17/X

 

By: AZ

 

Chapter 9: Abnormal Normality

-

Claus yawned behind his hand as he followed Sophia down the hall. He had reluctantly awakened to find himself in bed with Sophia, who had apparently been awake for some time. The Queen was holding him silently, the place where Lavie and Al had been empty. Still more asleep than awake, Claus had done what came naturally to him: he had kissed her good morning. To his surprise, she had reacted by all but jumping on him, her kiss feverish and passionate.

Caught off guard, Claus had found himself dealing with an unexpectedly horny ruler. As the woman desperately kissed and stroked him, Claus had gathered his wits and returned her attentions. His hands worked her breasts, noticing that her nipples were already erect and her areolas puffy. Suspecting what he would find, he stroked a hand down her belly and between her legs, finding her to be soaked already. Rubbing her slippery sex, he heard her moan passionately.

His dick had long since reacted to her aggressive come-on, and was standing hard and ready. Claus started to settle in for a relaxed, extended union with Sophia, but the Queen had other ideas. “No time this time,” she whispered in his ear, slipping her leg over his hips and settling him at her entrance. With no further preliminaries, Sophia impaled herself on his hard length, growling softly in her throat as her pussy swallowed him in one shot.

Denied for so long, her libido would no longer be confined. Getting her heels under her, she began to bounce up and down on his rampant manhood, her hands resting on his chest for balance. Claus let his hands find a comfortable grip on her hips, letting her set the pace and control the depth. Sophia was setting a hard, fast pace, her stroke starting at the tip of his dick, and going all the way to the base of his shaft. After only a few minutes, Sophia felt her first orgasm wash through her. “Ugh!” she hissed, not slowing her pace.

Below her, Claus was nearing release, enjoying the sensations of Sophia's energetic love making. Lavie sometimes got excited like Sophia was, but not often. Feeling her frantically driving herself against his hard length, he finally moved his hands up to catch her heaving breasts, cradling them fondly as thumb and forefinger trapped her hard nipples, skillfully tugging, rolling, lightly pinching and rubbing them. “Yes!” yelled Sophia, another orgasm ripping through her as she felt her nipples being teased so expertly.

When Sophia's hot, slick tunnel seized his aching dick like a velvet vice, Claus knew he was done. His nut sack tightened and his dick jet after jet point blank into her welcoming sex. Three large spurts and two smaller ones more than did the job of filling her to capacity - and beyond. Trembling, Sophia experienced her third orgasm tight on the heels of her second as she felt his hot cum fill her. Dropping forward onto her elbows, she sealed her lips to Claus's, the two sharing a deep, long kiss as his dick slowly deflated in her sheath.

Barely ten minutes passed before Sophia regretfully struggled upright in bed and gently shook Claus, who had started to fall asleep again, holding her comfortably. “Sorry, Claus, but we have a meeting, and we have to attend.” she said, seeing him blink at her. “We need to get cleaned up and ready.” said the woman, smiling at him. Claus nodded, yawning as he got out of bed.

“Ok, Sophia.” he said, stifling another yawn. Just then, the door to the room opened and Lavie and Al entered. Seeing the naked Claus standing by the bed, and the equally naked Sophia just getting out of bed, her thighs shiny with cum, she didn't need to ask what had kept them.

“I went ahead and drew you a bath, Claus.” said the girl, smiling slightly at Sophia. “Guess you'll have to share it with Sophia.” she said. Al looked back and forth between the two.

“Claus, did you and Sophia have sex?” she asked him, curious. Sophia felt herself blush to her collar bone. Claus and Lavie didn't react to the question except for exchanging a brief smile.

“Yes, Al, we did.” he said calmly. “But now, we're running late for this meeting.” he said. Al nodded.

“Ok, Claus.” she said. “I'll tell Tatiana and Alister.” she said, moving out of the room quickly. Lavie paused, stepping to Claus and giving him a short, but warm, kiss.

“We'll be eating some breakfast, Claus.” she said. “The meeting can't start until Sophia gets there anyway, so don't worry about it.” said the girl. Claus nodded.

“Ok, Lavie.” he agreed. Turning to look at Sophia, who was still blushing badly, he tossed his head toward the door. “Do you want to get a bath, Sophia?” he asked her. Mutely, she nodded, accepting a towel from him and following him to the bath.

As she walked, she considered what she had just done. God, am I that weak? she asked herself. I'm supposed to be married, but I've broken those vows twice! And both times, it was with Claus. She studied her lover. What is it about him that makes me behave so shamelessly? Even if Nestor keeps saying that I have no reason not to, I have an obligation to be a proper wife. She felt a trickle of warm, thick liquid begin to leak down her thighs. Ignoring the debate in her mind, her pussy was nearly purring in delighted satisfaction. Sophia glanced at Claus, seeing him smiling to himself slightly.

-

“Your Majesty.” said Vincent, rising from his chair as Claus and Sophia entered the council chamber, seeing that the group was all there. Sophia had chosen to address some key issues with a group she could trust before deciding how to proceed. Assembled in the room were Lavie, Alister, Tatiana, Vincent, chief engineer Dagober, Duke Mad-Thane, his chief of staff, King Scheer and his three senior-most captains, and Alvis Hamilton. Al disliked being away from Claus and Lavie, and since the others she found acceptable substitutes were all in the room, she insisted on being there.

Given the grave nature of what was to be discussed, Sophia wished that the young girl wasn't so dead set on staying, but knowing that she had paid as much of a price as any in the room, she decided to let it go, and just address the issues with care. Claus moved over to sit beside Lavie, and Sophia took a seat next to King Scheer, who actually winked at her. Sophia had a sinking feeling that the sly old man had guessed what had kept her that morning. In retrospect, I suspect that showing up with Claus wasn't a very smart thing to do to keep our secret from being discovered, mused the woman. Too late to worry about that now, though.

“Good morning.” began the woman without preamble. “The King and I have discovered that we face a crisis that neither of us foresaw. This meeting is intended to give us options to deal with it, though I fear that the options will prove to be quite…limited.” she said. The room was dead silent.

“What do we face, your Majesty?” asked Vincent intently. Sophia closed her eyes for a moment, arranging her thoughts.

“Let me begin with some background information.” said the Queen. “As you know, for time beyond memory, the Guild had control of the skies of Anatory and Disith, and the Grand Stream hampered travel between our two lands. Eventually, the rains of Anatory grew less and less frequent and water became more and more precious.

“While the rains of Anatory were dwindling, Disith was suffering longer and colder winters as the years went by, ravaging their crops and destroying their means of sustenance. Anatory and Disith both petitioned the Guild for help, but none was forthcoming. With little else to be done, Disith began to brave the Grand Stream, following the rain birds, who had managed to find paths through the turbulent air, linking Anatory and Disith. Their intent was not to attack, as we had believed, but to offer trade for crops.

“Unfortunately, Anatory feared that the Disith were responsible for the lessening of the rains that supported our crops, and that led to a series of battles that sparked the war with Disith. Both sides were approached by the Guild, who degreed themselves the arbitrators of the war.” Sophia paused.

“You are all aware of what has happened since.” she said quietly. “Upon the successful seizure of Exile,” she paused to smile warmly at the young people watching her, “we finally ended that war. With the Guild's power broken, we had hoped to live out our lives in peace and prosperity. To that ends, we tasked chief engineer Dagober with taking charge of what remained of the Guild's headquarters, and to see if a means of undoing the damage to Disith might be found.”

King Scheer glanced at her as she framed her next words. “Chief engineer Dagober is, as you know, was a rebel from the Guild. He and Marius, among others, attempted a coup when house Eraclea ascended to the position of Maestro. Though the reasons for this coup have never been made known to most, I feel it is time to let him explain what happened.” she said, inclining her head.

Chief Dagober nodded. “It was the final straw in a long chain of events, but it proved to be the most critical.” he said to the assembly. “The Guild was supposed to be the protectors and care-givers for Prester. Instead, as time passed, they began to think of themselves as superior to others, and that hubris caused them to become indolent in their tasks. By the time that house Eraclea ascended to the position of Maestro, the Guild had become a bunch of self-serving louts, no longer even aware of the fact that they had been given a charge in exchange for their power.” The old man glanced at each person in the room.

“Within the Guild are records, devices and histories, intended to be used in the performance of our duties. My first task was to secure these records and tools. When I last was in the Guild, I knew that the records had been selectively altered as the moods of the Maestros changed with the persons holding that position. I had always believed, however, that the master records were untouched. That has not proven to be the case.” There were several murmurs from the assembled people. Dagober raised his hand, and the room fell silent.

“I have spent the last two months feverishly trying to put the pieces together, but it is of no use. Too much time, too many lost sections, and too little attention of the Guild members tasked with maintaining the archive have lost us the means of repairing the weather device that has caused ice to entomb Disith.” There were some murmurs once more, but Dagober cut them off.

“That was not the worst thing I discovered, I am afraid.” he said gravely. He instantly had their complete attention. “Anatory is doomed.” he said simply. Shocked silence greeted this statement. Dagober let that sink in for a moment, then continued. Reaching into his robe, he withdrew a rolled sheet of paper, and - with a crisp flick of his wrist - unrolled it over the table. On it, the two saw an hour-glass shaped diagram, with many, many markings all over it.

“This is the blueprint the Guild has of Prester.” he announced. “Disith is here.” he point to one lobe. “Anatory is here.” he continued, pointing to the other node. “The Guild was here.” he said, pointing to the narrow band that connected the two nodes. “Like an hourglass, the Guild was supposed to regulate the flow of water and materials between the two, to provide for a stable and sustainable means of survival for both nations.” His finger traced the numerous arcane lines around the two lobes and the narrow link between them. “These are the pieces of the weather control device, as well as the devices that sustain the atmosphere, gravity, orientation and what-not of this world.” he explained.

“That wicked little shrew Delphine amused herself by playing with the controls without having any idea of what they could do. Because of generations of neglect, the archives no longer contain the information to learn how to control theses devices, or how to learn the controls in the first place.

“With Disith locked in ice and depleted of resources, Anatory is short on water; and getting shorter by the day. Since no means can be found to thaw the ice from Disith, Anatory will wither and die.” he said.

“Surely, this will take time.” protested Mad-Thane. “I am aware that the level of water at my estate has been slow dropping, but could we not bring in the ice from Disith and thaw it here? Or find a means of cleansing it?” he asked. Dagober shook his head.

“You do not understand yet, Duke Mad-Thane.” he said simply. “The sun you see in the sky is controlled by the machines that govern this world. It is already unstable; and it will grow more so. So will the gravity control and structural integrity of this world.” He smiled wryly at Lavie and Claus. “These two will understand this, I believe: this world is in worse shape than their van ship was when they arrived on the Silvana.” he offered. Unwillingly, the two laughed softly.

“And yet, Chief Dagober, that very ship not only recovered, it flew the Grand Stream!” protested Tatiana. Dagober favored her with a half-smile.

“I knew that would be your reply, miss Wisla. Your Majesty?” he said, nodding to her.

“Tatiana, Claus and Lavie not only knew how to repair the ship, but they also had the means to do so.” said Sophia. “We do not know how to repair the machinery of the Guild, and even worse, we do not know how to work the machines, even if we could repair them.” explained the Queen. Tatiana lowered her gaze.

“I…understand, your Majesty.” said the girl. Lavie reached over and patted her hand. Sophia felt a smile on her lips when she saw the move.

“But even that is not all there is to this problem.” said the woman. The others at the table blinked.

“How much more of a challenge do we need, Sophia?” muttered Vincent, massaging his temples. A ripple of laugher ran among the group at his words.

“Apparently, we have been given an extra measure of challenge, young captain Alzay.” said King Scheer. The group focused on him. “I sadly must share that the Disith are nearly extinct.” he revealed. “Less than six thousand of us remain.” His words sank in, preparing the group for what he was about to say. “And fewer than ten thousand remain in all of Anatory.”

“What?” breathed Duke Mad-Thane, shocked. Sophia headed off any doubt of the veracity of the King's words.

“I had a quick census done, my good Duke, and it is true. In addition to the massive losses during the war with Disith, the overall population has been shrinking due to scarcer water and depleting crops. Looking at past censuses of Anatory in the archives, I have seen an alarming trend: we are dying, and quickly.” she said. The two rulers waited in silence as the group came to terms with their situation.

“All those empty sections.” murmured Lavie.

“Yeah.” said Claus, his hand seeking her hand.

“The smaller and smaller crops each year.” mused the Duke. Vincent took a deep breath.

“Well, this is indeed grave news, Sophia.” he said, almost succeeding at sounding casual. “I take it, you have some sort of plan.” He paused, then continued. “Or is it that you want us to know that we never had a chance?” he asked, trying for humor, but falling flat. Sophia looked to Dagober, who withdrew another piece of paper from his robe.

“This, is the plan.” he said simply, laying the paper on top of the diagram from the Guild.

“Al's painting.” breathed Alister, recognizing the rough painting that Al had made; the one of her dream.

“Yes.” confirmed Dagober. “While the records concerning Exile are sketchy at best, I did learn some important things.” he shared. “Exile is a ship that can take us from here,” he tapped the diagram of Prester, “to here.” he tapped the painting. “It can take us…home.” he said quietly.

“Home?” wondered one of the Disith commanders. “What do you mean?” he wondered. Dagober pursed his lips briefly.

“This world - Prester - was created artificially to be a kind of…life raft or refuge. The records don't say, and there has been too many destroyed parts to figure out why and when, but we are from a different world. Exile is the means to return to that world.” he said. Dead silence greeted this, but it wasn't long before questions were flying. Sophia took a moment to appreciate that the group in the room were living up to her expectations of them. The meeting ran well past lunch time, but no one noticed.

-

“Like this?” asked Lavie, making some marks on the paper in front of her. Leaning over her shoulder, the senior instructor shook his head.

“No. You have the scale wrong, Head.” he said flatly. “You have to make the maps to scale, or there is no point in making them!” he repeated irritably. “Now do it like I showed you!” he said, snatching up the practice map she had been making, wadding it up and tossing it to the floor. There were already several such discarded practice maps there. Across the table from her, Alister completed her map.

“Sir.” she said, the habits learned in the Anatory military academy still ingrained in her. The man crossed to his other student and critically reviewed her practice map.

“Not as bad as your last one, Agrew, but you are still forgetting important details - like the river that is right there!” he snapped, stabbing the paper with his fingertip. “Fine lot of good a map does if it doesn't show you that you're about to drown in a river!” Alister's map was similarly discarded. “Again! And this time, get it right!” he snapped at her.

“Yes, sir.” said Alister crisply, pulling another sheet of paper from the stack of blanks and starting over, checking her practice notes. The senior instructor slowly paced around the table, glowering at the two as they intently practiced map making.

“Agrew, I expected better from you, being a top graduate of the Academy.” he harassed her. “As for you, Head,” he shook his head in disgust, “your instructor must have been asleep when he taught you how to make maps.” he taunted her. Lavie's eyes rose to lock with his.

“That so?” she said, her tone hard and mean. Alister knew that tone. Lavie's about to go off! she thought. Before the fiery-tempered girl could blow up, a Royal guardsman stepped into the room, saluting the senior instructor before whispering in his ear. He nodded once, the guardsman departing the room.

“I have a meeting right now. When I get back, I expect those maps to be done - and done right!” he yelled before following the guardsman out of the room. No sooner had the door closed behind him than Lavie made an incredibly rude hand-and-arm gesture toward it.

“Fuck you, asshole!” she snarled angrily. Alister giggled softly.

“Lavie, he's trying to get to you.” she explained. “At the Academy, all the instructors do everything they can to rattle you as much as possible, to prepare you for battle.” she went on. “Just ignore him and concentrate.” she advised. Lavie took a calming breath.

“Yeah, well, to hell with him.” she huffed. Taking her sheet of paper over to Alister, she settled beside the older navigator. “I say we join forces. I have the details down, and you have the scale down. Let's figure this out.” she suggested. I have an appointment with Claus to fly that practice mission in two hours. she recalled.

While the two navigators were getting their technique worked out, their instructor was meeting with a very busy Queen. That the Queen herself had ordered him to personally instruct these two young women in map making and aerial surveying had come as a surprise to him, but an order was an order, so he had left the Academy and come to the capital, to the Palace no less, to teach them. And now, the Queen was requesting a progress report.

“How are they doing?” asked the woman without preamble. She was wearing the uniform of a naval Captain today, her hair braided and looking nearly exactly like she had when she was in the academy. This woman has no time for petty formalities, realized the man as he saluted her.

“Sir,” he reported crisply, “they are phenomenal students. In just two weeks, they have become better than most first-year map makers.” he said. “I instructed Agrew in the Academy in instrument navigation, so I knew she was a quick study, but this Head girl is unbelievable!” he marveled. “Whoever taught her cartography and aerial survey should be hung for a damned fool, though.” he allowed. “Give her to me at the Academy for a year, and she will be the best map-maker in the world!” he boasted. Unexpectedly, Sophia laughed softly.

“You should know some things, Instructor Kergon,” she smiled. “First, no one taught her navigation, cartography or aerial survey; she taught herself. Second, I can't spare her for a year - or even for a month! - for anyone, because she is rebuilding a van ship with her partner, as well as being involved in several projects of mine. And finally, I think you should know that her name is Lavie Head, daughter of George Head, partner of Hamil Valca.” She watched her words hit him like a bolder.

“She's his daughter?!” he gasped out. Sophia nodded.

“Yes, she is. And take a wild guess who her partner is.” grinned Sophia. Before the man could even guess, Sophia answered her own question. “Her partner is Claus Valca, son of Hamil Valca, hero of the Guild War, and the finest van ship pilot in Anatory and Disith both!” she bragged.

“I…I had no idea, your Majesty!” he sputtered. Sophia smiled a soft, introspective smile.

“No one did.” she murmured.

“If I may, Your Majesty, would it be possible for me to meet Lord Valca?” he asked her politely. Sophia chuckled.

“I might be able to arrange it.” she baited him. “Though, it will be a while - he is involved in a personal project of mine at the moment.” she said.

-

“Not too bad, son! Not too bad at all!” approved the balding man as he surveyed the work Claus had done on the building. “You're a fast study, son.” he approved. Claus shrugged.

“Well, Lavie and I kind of built our own house from the ground up, so I've done some things like this before.” he demurred. Claus had been spending time learning general skills like carpentry, masonry, landscaping and such in the mornings, while Lavie was busy with other things. Looking to the side, he saw that Mullin was still working on his section.

“Hey, there, Musketeer!” called their boss, moving over to the other `student' of his. “You have to overlap them like this, or water will flow into the house, instead of running off!” he chastised the young man. “Still, not bad for someone who just started this kind of work last month.” he softened his criticism.

“Um, well, thanks.” replied Mullin awkwardly. He had no idea why he had suddenly been ordered to accompany Claus on his little learning program, but he figures that it was just something that had to be done. Besides, his girlfriend was busy elsewhere in the mornings, so he wasn't really missing anything.

“So, all you've ever done is be a musketeer?” asked the older man, stooping to show Mullin a quicker, neater way to arrange the slate shingles.

“Well, pretty much.” admitted Mullin. “Though, I did serve on several ships - the most notable one the Silvana.” he said proudly. The old construction man frowned.

“Silvana.” he mused. “Isn't that the ship that was declared rogue by the king?” he wondered. “Never really kept up with that much.” he shrugged. Mullin sighed.

“Yes, but it is also the ship that the Queen served on in the War, and it was the ship responsible for finally defeating the Guild.” he said, his tone vaguely miffed.

“You don't say.” dismissed the old man. “Nail them like that, and you won't have to work as hard.” he said, satisfied with the arrangement of the shingles. A bell rang from down the street, and the older man straightened. “Well, that's lunch!” he said happily. Claus nodded.

“Thank you, sir.” he said, swiftly scampering off the low roof.

“Where are you off to every day, son?” wondered the older man.

“Lavie and Al are waiting for me, and after lunch, Lavie and I are going to fly some practice runs.” he called back. The old man had no clue who they were, but he gathered from the remarks between his two new `helpers' that Lavie was a girl, and that told him all he needed to know.

“You be sure and treat her right, son!” called out the man as Claus jogged off. He and Mullin climbed down more sedately. “Strange one, that Claus fellow.” he said amicably to Mullin. “Good kid, though.” he approved. Mullin nodded.

“You have no idea how good.” he murmured.

-

“Claus! Try some of my bread!” called Al, waving to the young man as he swiftly washed off his hands and arms before joining his family at the table. Lavie, Al, Alister, Tatiana, Mullin, Dunya and - today, at least - Sophia waited at the table, which was covered in food.

“Hungry, Mullin?” asked Dunya of her boyfriend. He nodded, taking a seat opposite Claus.

“Good,” said Dunya, “because Al and I have been busy!” she declared. Together, the two girls put down the last few dishes and took their seats as the group began to dish up the food. Claus started with the bread, seeing as how Al was watching him intently. Biting into it, he found it good, if a bit floury for his taste.

“It's good, Al.” he assured her, smiling at her. Al beamed back.

“I'm glad.” she said, handing Lavie a dish of thick, heavy soup. “Lavie, try this!” she asked eagerly. Lavie ladled some out, grabbed the piece of torn bread that Claus handed her and scooped up a generous amount of the heavy stew. Biting into it, she hummed.

“Wow, Al!” she praised the girl, “This is really good!” Al nearly glowed with pride.

“I learned how to make that from Briand.” she explained. It took the two a moment to place the name; he was the cook on the Silvana. Mullin, meanwhile, was looking at the deep-gold colored meat on his plate.

“More bird, Dunya?” he guessed. Dunya smiled at him.

“Yep!” she confirmed. “Like I said, Mullin, if you wanna be strong, you gotta eat bird!” she boasted. Mullin, raised on beef and mutton, carefully cut into the surprisingly light-colored meat, sampling it delicately. It tasted kind of strange to him, but not bad.

“It's not like beef or mutton.” he offered, unsure if the meat tasted like it was supposed to or not. Dunya frowned.

“What's that supposed to mean, Mullin?” she wondered.

“Uh…” replied the former musketeer brilliantly. Lavie snickered.

“Mullin, you should know by now not to piss off the cook.” she chided him. Reaching over, she speared a bit of the strange meat and chewed. Claus and Al watched her as she sampled the new food.

“It's got a light taste to it.” said Lavie, swallowing. “I bet it would taste great on a sandwich!” Dunya watched her.

“So, you like it then?” she challenged. Lavie nodded.

“Yeah, I could get used to eating bird.” said the girl, grabbing a plate of smoked beef and some bread. “But right now, I'm in the mood for a Lavie special.” she grinned at Claus. “Pass me that, would you?” she said, pointing to the plate of sliced vegetables. Dutifully, Claus handed it to her, and she grabbed some of everything and dumped it on top of the bread and meat, then added some more bird, and some cheese, and finally, a good layer of mayonnaise before dropping another thick slice of bread on top.

Looking at the formidable sandwich, Tatiana spoke up. “Um, Lavie, are you sure you can fit that in your mouth?” she wondered. Lavie grinned at her.

“No problem!” she assured the other girl, putting her hands on top of the sandwich and leaning down on it with all her weight. “You just have to press it down some.” she grunted softly as she crushed the layers together. Beside her, Claus was smiling at her fondly. Lavie noticed. “Want half?” she asked him warmly.

“Sure, Lavie.” he accepted her offer.

“Then hold it while I get the knife.” she said, moving aside slightly as Claus pressed down on the protesting sandwich. Grabbing her knife, she carefully lined it up and began to cut through the sandwich. The rest watched the two work. When Lavie's knife reached the plate, she pulled it free and set it aside. “Ready, Claus?” she asked her partner, sharing another smile with him.

“Ready, Lavie.” he said, shifting his hands to one half of the sandwich as Lavie took control of the other half.

“Careful now.” murmured Lavie. “You always mess up and let it slip out.” she murmured fondly. Claus got a secure grip on the bread and lifted it as Lavie did likewise. Both of them took large bites of the heroic sandwich.

“Mm.” they both hummed in pleasure as they ate the sandwich. Lavie finished her sandwich while Claus had nearly half of his left, reaching for her glass of water. Draining it, she accepted a refill from Al while Claus finished off his own half of the sandwich. Handing Claus his glass of water, she watched him as he slowly drained it.

“Ah!” he sighed, setting the glass back down on the table. Alister giggled softly.

“I have never seen something like that.” she said conversationally. “Where did you pick that habit up at?” she asked them. Lavie sipped her water.

“I'm not sure where she got the idea, but she's been doing it as long as I've known her.” said Claus, shrugging. Abruptly, he chuckled. “Mom used to tell her to take her time and enjoy her food, but she always said that she enjoyed it more that way.” he said quietly.

“And I do, too.” confirmed Lavie. “Besides, you've never complained about it.” she added playfully. Claus shrugged.

“What good would complaining about it have done, Lavie?” he asked her rhetorically. “You would always run off to get more food and make me hold your sandwich together, too.” he recalled, grinning at her. Lavie sniffed dismissively.

“So?” she said loftily. “I always shared mine with you, didn't I?” she challenged him. Claus nodded.

“Yeah. It's why I like them so much.” he murmured softly. Lavie gave him a fond smile.

“Good thing you like my cooking.” she said quietly. “It's been all you've had for nearly ten years.” she said.

-

“Tatiana, are you ok?” asked Claus, seeing the platinum-blonde girl stop walking and lean against a wall. The two of them had broken off their training and flown to the run-down home of Tatiana's parents when word came that the old man was failing fast. She had asked Claus to accompany her, which he had gladly done. The visit had been somewhat brief.

Claus recalled what Tatiana had said in the desert about her family, so the condition of the small manor house and modest, weed-besieged yard were not a surprise to him. When he had met with an older woman whom Tatiana addressed as `mom', he had gotten the distinct impression that the woman didn't look like Tatiana. But Tatiana had swiftly herded him along to meet her father, asking - somewhat stiffly - if the funds that she had been faithfully sending back were making it to them.

When he followed Tatiana into a room with a large bed in it, he had seen a withered old man in the bed, propped up with pillows. Tatiana had greeted her father. For several moments, Claus wondered if the man was asleep, but finally, he spoke. It surprised Claus to be introduced at her suitor, but he ignored it as being at least partially true. When she had introduced her father to `Lord Valca, head of the Valca family', it had taken him a few moments to realize that she was talking about him.

After some polite conversation, Tatiana had excused herself to speak with her mother, leaving him alone with her father. The two had sat in silence for a long moment before Tatiana's father had quietly asked Claus to come a little closer. Claus had done so, and when he was next to the bed, the old man had asked him to care for his daughter. He hadn't known how to reply to that, finally choosing to tell the old man that he would do his best.

Moments later, Tatiana swept into the room, her face tight, and informed her father that the two of them had to get back to the Capital because they were serving the Queen directly. The older girl had nearly dragged him from the house, and now, almost back to the red van ship One, she had stopped and leaned against a wall. Sighing, Tatiana straightened. “I'm ok.” she said quietly.

“Tatiana, did something happen?” he asked her. For a moment, Tatiana looked sad. Then, her expression turned determined and she shook her head.

“Nothing to worry about, Claus.” she said. “Come on, let's head on back.” she said quietly. Together, they completed the trip back to the ship, and Tatiana climbed into the rear seat. Ever since the desert, she had taken the rear seat when flying with Claus. Claus settled into the cockpit and brought the engines up, the ship delicately rising from the ground and climbing toward the blue sky. It was about an hour back to the capital, and they could cover it easily enough without pushing the ship.

They hadn't been in the air more than ten minutes when Tatiana spoke up on the intercom. “Claus, will you come around to three o'clock and descend toward the mantle?” she asked him softly. “I want to show you something.” she said. There was no reason not to, so he banked and dove.

“Where to, Tatiana?” he asked as the ship plunged down toward the edge of the mantle. Darkness was falling, and he wanted to get a bearing on the location she wanted to show him before it fell. He could find it, he was sure, without light, but it was so much easier if he could mark it before night fell.

“Edge of the mantle, by the run-off - see the fissure?” she asked him.

“Got it.” confirmed Claus, adjusting the course slightly.

“Roll under the mantle and move toward the center.” said Tatiana, engaging the running and landing lights. “Reduce speed - it's kind of crowded in there.” she said. Claus silently did as she requested, gracefully slipping the ship under the mantle and moving toward the center of the land mass. As the powerful landing lights and running lights illuminated the dark area under the mantle, Claus found himself looking at ruins.

“Amazing,” he breathed softly. He had heard of the ruins, and he and Lavie had flown in some, but these were unlike any other. The abandoned city was nearly as big as Norkia, the buildings of stone, the streets paved and looked nearly intact. Few of the buildings were damaged, but they were all covered in dirt, lichens and the occasional training vine.

“Alister and I found this place when we were training in the academy.” said Tatiana softly. “No one ever comes in here, really.” she added. “Bear right, toward the arch over there.” she said, with the van ship barely past stall speed, Claus moved along the deserted ruins, following a street below him. Tatiana watched silently as the ship adroitly moved deeper into the abandoned city. As Claus neared the archway, Tatiana gave him his next instruction.

“Just past the arch, you will see an open square, with a dry fountain in the center. Land there.” she said. Claus acquired the spot and deftly set the ship down. Tatiana unbuckled and stood up, flare gun in hand. Aiming overhead, she fired a high-intensity white flare, lighting up the immediate area around them in false sunlight. Taking two more flares from the signal kit, she tossed her head. “Let's take a short walk, Claus.” she suggested, climbing down from the ship.

Claus followed her and she led him toward the building at the center of the square. As she got closer, she fired a second flare, since the first had begun to fall behind some buildings. Stopping at the entrance, she pointed above the door where an emblem was carved. “Look familiar?” she asked him.

“Sort of.” he replied. “Isn't that kind of a stylized diagram like Dagober showed us? But I don't know what those other markings are.” he said. Tatiana nodded.

“I'm not surprised.” she said. Pointing to the one above the diagram that resembled Prester, she named them. “That is the emblem of the Guild. Below them are the five senior houses of Anatory: Hamilton, Forrester, Bassianus, Feilding, and Mad-Thane. Below them are five more houses: Alzay, Wisla, Agrew, Sumorinum, and Valca.” she said. Claus blinked. “Yes, your family crest is there, Claus.” confirmed the girl.

“What is that emblem on the bottom half of the diagram?” he asked her. “I think I've seen it before, but…” he shrugged. Tatiana nodded.

“You have. It is the emblem of Disith.” she said. “When Alister and I first found this place, we thought that this meant that the Guild and Anatory's noble houses were keeping the Disith in check. Now, I think it is more of a reminder that the Guild was the one with all the real power.” Pausing, she shot another flare into the sky. Claus looked at the emblems over the doorway.

“Claus, I don't want to live in a world like this.” she said, gesturing to the crests and emblem. “I want to live in the world that we fought for.” she said quietly. “I…want to live in your world, Claus.” she said quietly. “A world of endless blue skies, with no war, no nobility and no Guild. Will you take me with you to your world?” she asked him, clenching the flare gun in hand. Claus wondered what she was trying to say.

“Of course I will, Tatiana.” he assured her. “We'll go there together with Lavie, Alister, Al and the rest.” he promised her. Tatiana lunged over and hugged him tightly.

“Thanks, Claus.” she whispered against his chest. Claus hugged her gently, the last of the flares fading as it fell behind a row of buildings. The only illumination in the ruins were the running lights of the van ship, still idling quietly. Several minutes passed before Claus gently pulled Tatiana off his chest.

“Let's get back, Tatiana.” he said softly. “This place is kind of depressing.” he half smiled at her. Unexpectedly, she giggled.

“Yes, it is.” she agreed. Holding hands, the two of them moved back to the van ship and mounted up, Tatiana firing a final flare to help Claus take off safely, and them the ship darted back out the way it had come in, nimble as a hornet. Clearing the covered area, Claus opened up the throttles, gracefully rolling the ship through an intricate maneuver that both turned them in the right direction and gained altitude. Steadying out, the van ship skittered off toward the capital. For Tatiana, the trip back was a warm blur, the warmth from Claus's promise wrapping around her like a hug.

When they landed at the palace's van ship pad, it was about a half hour past their scheduled arrival time. Turning the ship over to the ground crew, the two moved toward the guest wing, where their rooms were. As they moved into the less-traveled passages, Tatiana silently took Claus's hand in her own again. Other than a brief glance and smile, he didn't react to that. Reaching their rooms, Claus peeked into his room, finding the bed empty. “Wonder where Al and Lavie are?” he wondered aloud.

“Maybe my room?” suggested Tatiana, the pair stepping across the hall to peek into the room that Tatiana and Alister shared. Like his room, hers was empty. “Well, I'm sure that they are around somewhere.” said Tatiana. “It's pretty early, really.” she reasoned. Claus nodded. Before he could suggest going to look for the others, Tatiana struck. “Claus, would you like to spend some more time with me?” she asked, color rising on her cheeks as she tossed her head toward the bed.

When Claus nodded, Tatiana felt a shiver run down her spine to her groin, which exploded with lust. Silently, she grabbed him and pulled him into her room, closing the door behind them. Since both of them were wearing military flight suits, it took them some busy seconds to get them off. As Claus watched Tatiana's suit fall off her, he found himself admiring her lithe build and pale, pale skin.

She had barely stepped out of her suit before he had cupped her breasts and started to feast on the erect nipples. Tatiana sighed happily, hugging his head to her bare chest. Claus continued his oral assault even as his hands slipped down from her breasts to her waist, then around to grab her toned ass cheeks. Growling around his mouthful of tit, he pulled her hips to his, grinding his hard length against her mound. Tatiana mewed softly deep in her throat. Humping back against him, the two staggered toward the bed, but their course was off. Neither noticed that they were going to miss the bed until Tatiana's back bumped into the wall.

Against her belly, Claus's dick throbbed needfully as the pair briefly wondered if it was worth the effort to move the five feet to the bed. When their eyes met, they both knew that moving was too much of a delay. Reaching down, Claus grabbed one of the blonde's legs, lifting it to open her pussy to his hard length. The girl grabbed his shoulders to keep her balance, feeling his tip slip into place as the back of her knee hooked over his elbow.

Feeling the wet kiss of her lower lips against the tip of his dick, he braced himself with one arm, her leg hooked over the other, and pushed forward. Both of the lovers sighed in pleasure as her sex was opened to allow him to enter her most intimate place. Working his hips, Claus drove deeper and deeper into her until he was fully buried in her. With his intermediate goal reached, he moved ahead to his primary goal: fucking Tatiana senseless.

Using long, strong strokes, Claus nailed Tatiana to the wall, the wet squishing sounds of their joined sexes and the soft grunts of Claus mixing with the gasps of Tatiana filling the apartment. Relaxing against the wall, Tatiana tried to get her other leg around Claus's hips, but couldn't find the purchase to make the transition. Fortunately for her, Claus understood her intentions, and snaked his other arm down to grasp and raise her free leg so he was holding her up, her knees over his elbows, her back resting on the wall, and his chest pressed to her chest.

Taking advantage of the situation, Claus kissed her passionately. Naturally, Tatiana returned the kiss, her tongue dancing with Claus's as his pace picked up slightly. Each thrust into her dripping sex was excruciatingly pleasurable to the girl, as her spread sex was tightened by her body weight and the angle allowed Claus to get particularly deep in her, his tip pushing against her cervix with each stroke. Each assault on the entrance to her womb increased her desire for him to make another run. With his weight pressing hard on her chest, crushing her tits between them, she could only hold on as she built toward release.

Oh, god! This is so incredible! the girl thought deliriously. Claus shifted his arms slightly, the sheen of sweat that covered them both making her skin slide slickly on his own slippery skin. Small though the change in relative attitude might be, it caused his shaft to run directly over her G-spot with significant pressure. In short, Tatiana came like a volcano, shuddering and twitching like a seizure victim as Claus held her. As the girl slowly came down from her climax, Claus managed to reach his own, leaning back so her entire weight held him sealed tight to her cervix, all four of his jets going into her womb entirely, not one bit of them wasted in her vaginal space.

When the young man was aware of his surroundings once more, he found Tatiana's head slumped against his shoulder, her arms loose on his back. Suddenly aware of the fact that he had been holding her up while he fucked her, he felt his legs begin to buckle. Gracelessly jerking her away from the wall, he staggered as he desperately tried to catch his balance, taking several ragged steps back into the room before catching himself.

Adjusting the girl in his arms, he moved back to the bed, his legs weaker with each step. He did manage to get her to the edge of the bed before she slipped from his arms, his limp members being easily pulled free from her soaked sex as she dropped to the bed, sprawling back onto her back, barely conscious. Claus crumpled face down beside her. After a few minutes of deep breaths, he managed to get turned over so he was on his back. Looking beside him, he saw that Tatiana was already asleep - her face gentle and innocent in sleep.

Just a moment to catch my breath, and then I'll tuck her in and go find Lavie and Al, he promised himself. It wasn't until he awoke the next morning with Al asleep on top of him that he realized that he had joined Tatiana in a well-deserved post-fucking sleep.

-

“It's done.” sighed Lavie happily. “Finally, it lives again.” she breathed.

“And just in time, too.” noted Claus. The two of them were looking at the just-finished rebuild of their fathers' ship. In the early morning light, the ship shone a brilliant rubbed-silver color, the polished steel nose and figurehead pristine and without a single blemish. New wheels were tucked into straight, perfect wheel shrouds, the body lines were straight and gracefully blended.

Behind the two, Tatiana and Alister stood, dressed in work coveralls that bore the signs of the amount of time and effort the two had put into the ship's repairs. It had been a fast three months since they started the project. Lavie had found an engine identical to the one in the ship, and rebuilt it with what she had learned from the military engines, making this single-engine as fast - maybe faster! - than the twin-engine van ships. Hers and Claus's van ship carried a similarly built-up engine.

“Just like we remember.” said Claus, one of his arms crossing Lavie's shoulders, pulling the girl to him gently. Lavie needed no encouragement, turning to hug Claus fiercely.

“We've finally done it, Claus.” she whispered to him. He nodded against her mahogany hair. “When do you think we should tell them?” she asked Claus quietly. Claus looked at her for a moment, then glanced at Tatiana and Alister.

“Claus! Lavie!” came the high, clear voice of Al as the girl ran toward them. Behind her was Sophia and some of the mechanics of the Silvana. Al jumped into the joint hug the two offered her, smiling happily as she waited for Sophia to reach them.

“Hey, now!” came the booming voice of Godwin. “That ships looks brand new!” he congratulated them. “No, actually, it looks better than new!” he corrected himself. Turning to the others, he grinned at them. “Told you we'd win that bet!” he snickered.

“What bet?” wondered Lavie. Godwin turned to give her a cocky smile.

“The maintenance crew here at the Capital said it would never fly again, so we made a little bet with them.” he explained. “They thought we were suckers because they thought you two were just some rookie kids, so we bet them every bit of money we could scrape together at five to one odds that you'd fix this ship and she would fly like new.” He snorted. “They have no idea what a first-rate mechanic you are, Lavie. With you and Claus both working on it, there was no way we could lose that bet!” he bragged.

“So, what are we? Liabilities?” muttered Tatiana.

“No, you two were the handicap.” replied Ethan helpfully; helpfully, but ill-advisedly. Tatiana's eyes narrowed and ran cold.

“Is that a fact?” she asked stiffly. Thought she might have changed in the time since the desert incident, she hadn't changed completely; at least, not yet. Ethan realized his mistake.

“It…it's not like that!” he protest. Sophia came to his aid.

“The ship of Hamil Valca and George Head.” she said, distracting everyone from the imminent explosion. “I never dreamed that it would be found, let alone be able to return to the skies in the hands of their children.” she said softly.

Claus and Lavie exchanged looks at her words. “Um, about that.” said Lavie, her tone serious. Everyone immediately focused on the two. “Claus and I have been talking about this for a while now.” said the girl, looking to Claus.

“It's just that we can only fly one ship at a time, since we want to fly together.” Claus picked up the explanation. “But, we want to have our fathers' ship in the air, too, so we decided to ask Tatiana and Alister if they would pilot this ship whenever Lavie and I aren't able to.” The two looked at the other pair, awaiting their answer.

Tatiana blinked. “You mean…you're letting us pilot your fathers' ship?” she breathed confused. Not only would we have a ship of our own, but their ship! she thought, shocked. Lavie and Claus nodded.

“We are keeping the ship, but we want it to fly, and we can't trust just any pair to fly our fathers' ship.” Once more, the two exchanged looks. “We both trust you and Alis to take care of it; and to fly it like it deserves to be flown.” Lavie said quietly.

“Barely sixteen, and you already own two ships.” smiled Kostabi.

“And what a pair of ship!” enthused Gale. “I think it's a fitting pair for a pair like you two.” he approved.

Sophia looked over at the second ship, seeing that it had received some repairs as well, in addition to the upgrades for the anticipated job ahead. “You are flying your ship, then?” she asked. Claus spoke up.

“Yes.” he said, gazing at the ship. “It may have once been Alex's ship, but Lavie was right when she said that it is ours now. Our hearts and souls, blood, sweat and tears are invested in that ship.” he said introspectively. The two glanced at the show-room-ready van ship that their fathers' had flown. “But that ship…” the two went silent, unable to put into words the connection the two felt for the ship. The group standing with them could tell how deep their feelings ran on this issue; words weren't necessary.

“We are honored, Claus, Lavie.” said Alister softly. “If you trust us with this ship, we will strive to honor that trust. Won't we, Tatiana?” she said. Tatiana nodded.

“I swear it, Claus. And Lavie, too.” she said. Smiling a little, she added another promise. “And I promise I won't crash this one.” The tension broke, the group laughing with her.

-

“Ready, Lavie?” asked Claus softly. Silently, Lavie nodded. Together, the two boarded Exile. Waiting just inside the ship were Tatiana, Alister, Alvis, Dunya and Mullin. Of course, they were not the only ones going. They were part of the advance party, who were tasked with assessing the home planet, and beginning preparations for the second, general migration. Sophia was not coming this trip, nor was King Scheer. This trip, there were only twelve hundred volunteers, made up of Anatory and Disith forces.

In over-all command of the mission was Vincent Alzay, who was trusted by Queen Forrester, King Scheer and Duke Mad-Thane all. His second was one of King Scheer's hand-picked commanders; the man was a nephew to the old king, and both Vincent and Sophia agreed that he was both capable and trustworthy. For the last three weeks, the berth of Exile in Disith had been the scene of a round-the-clock loading convoy, with ships of all three factions ferrying supplies and personnel to the massive Exile.

Most of what had consumed Sophia's attention these last several months had been planning and organizing the advance party. Exile was stocked with all sorts of supplies, plenty of skill groups, and chief engineer Dagober was in control of the ship itself, along with three of the pitifully-few Guild survivors. Both Vincent and his Disith second had reservations about the Guild men under Dagober's command, but when the chief engineer assured them that they could trust the ex-Guilders not to sabotage the mission, they had grudgingly agreed to accept his word on the matter.

And now, Claus and Lavie, who had been among the last to board, watched the massive hatch silently close and seal. Lavie's hand found Claus's hand as they made their way with their group to the `bridge' of Exile, arriving just in time to see Prester receding into the darkness, the numerous rings and lines of arcane machinery cocooning visible. As they watched their former world fade, they noticed that several of the rings had gone dark, and others were flickering, like a shorted lamp. The two knew that they were looking at proof that Prester was doomed.

Chief engineer Dagober had not been able to find much in the way of information on the specifics of the trip, so the planning staff had planned out contingency plans in bulk. Within the cavernous holds of the ship, they had a tent city set up, and there were provisions for feeding and caring for the necessities of the group if the journey proved to be extended. Lavie, Al, Tatiana, Alister, Claus, Dunya, Mullin and one of Dunya's Disith friends shared one of the large tents, each tent holding an average of eight people.

As the first day of their journey drew to a close, the group enjoyed a simple, but filling, meal in the common mess and retired to their tent. Or rather, some of them retired to their tent. Claus, Lavie, Tatiana and Alister made a trip down to where their twin van ships were securely lashed down in a hanger compartment. Even though they had checked the machines five times before launch, and once since, the four re-checked it all again before moving back to the tent; those two machines represented the core of their world, after all.

Back in the tent, they found Al preparing their beds, and Dunya, Mullin and her Disith friend playing a card game. Entering the tent, they saw that there was a series of rings and pegs that could be used to roughly divide the tent into two or four rooms. After experimenting a little, the group decided that since Al was hell-bent on sleeping with Claus and Lavie, they would just divide the tent in half, and give the three the other half of the tent. Wishing the three good night, the rest turned in, finding that the cramped quarters necessitated that their simple pallets were set up literally in a single row.

Exchanging some amused looks, the five got ready for bed, sorted themselves out and got comfortable. Lavie opted to give up her normal spot to Al, since the young girl was the smallest and lightest of the group. Al happily climbed on top of Claus and curled up on his chest, Lavie at his side, and Tatiana on his other. When getting ready for bed, the group had taken off their outer clothes, which meant their flight coveralls for Claus and Lavie, military flight suits for Tatiana and Alister, and her dress and under shorts for Alvis. Lavie had set aside her top as well, and since neither Alis nor Tatiana wore tops under their flight suits, it left the girls in panties, and Claus in his shorts.

Once they were situated, they blew out the single covered candle that lit their side of the tent, plunging them into near-darkness, since there were three candle-lamps going on the other side of the thin canvas divider. The group swiftly drifted off to sleep, unaware that their preparations for bed had been a kind of silhouette show for the other three in the tent. Mullin in particular had found himself excited by the knowledge that the shadows on the canvas were cast by two of his most powerful crushes; as well as knowing that Lavie was laying only a short distance away, nearly naked.

His tented trousers were not missed by Dunya's sharp eyes. “Hey! Are you getting all excited over the other girls?” she challenged him, throwing her cards in his face. Beside her, her fellow Disith chuckled.

“Careful, Mullin.” he cautioned the Anatory musketeer. “Dunya is possessive sometimes.” he smiled. Dunya glowered at him.

“Say something?” she asked distantly. The young man shook his head, tossing his cards to the open spot where the rest lay before laying back on his pallet.

“Not me.” he denied, pulling his blanket over him as he kicked off his boots. “See you tomorrow morning, Dunya, Mullin.” he said, bunching his thin pillow under his head. Sniffing disdainfully, Dunya turned to her boyfriend.

“As for you,” she said, her tone low and aggressive, “I'll just have to deal with you personally.” she hissed hungrily, grabbing his dick through his pants. Mullin gulped as Dunya lunged forward, forcing him back onto his pallet. Stroking his dick through his pants, she kissed him.

“Uh, Dunya…?” Mullin whispered when she allowed him to free his lips from her own. Dunya didn't answer him, being busy with his pants. Mullin licked his lips. “Dunya!” he whispered more urgently, grabbing her hands.

“What?!” she replied impatiently.

“What about the others?” he breathed. I can't believe that she wants to have sex right here with everyone so close by! he fretted, feeling himself blush at the thought.

Dunya gave him a confused look. “What about them?” she asked him, sounding like she had no clue what he was talking about.

“Dunya!” he squeaked, “They can see us!”

“So?” she asked, pulling her hands free from his loose grasp and resuming her work on his pants. Swiftly, she had his still-erect dick free. “It's not like any of them haven't seen people having sex before.” she reasoned reasonably. With his dick free, she grabbed the bottom of her close-fitting short skirt and pulled it up to her hips before shifting over his hips.

Mullin groaned as he felt her slick folds touch the tip of his dick. She was horny before we started! he realized, surprised. Dunya checked to make sure she was aligned properly before lowering herself onto him, his pole squeezing into her tight sheath. “Ah!” she breathed, feeling him fill her. “Mm.” Mullin found her vocalization to be oddly provocative. Is it because there are others so close by? he wondered before his lust pushed all that from his mind.

Reaching up, he grabbed her top in his hands and roughly pulled it off her, baring her small tits to his gaze and touch. Dunya's breasts reminded him a lot of Lavie's compact, shapely breasts, with the exception that her skin was darker shade and her nipples were a light brown, instead of Lavie's warm, rich pink. Seizing one in each hand, he began to firmly knead them, interspersing the hand job with some nipple play. He had discovered that Dunya liked it a lot rougher than Lavie preferred it.

On top of him, Dunya was slamming down on him as hard as she could, grunting each time his tip rammed the threshold to her womb. “Mullin! Fuck me, Mullin!” she snarled passionately. Squeezing her breasts, he used them to help her bounce harder on his dick. “Like that!” she husked, feeling herself nearing the top. Mullin was fighting not to cum too soon, biting his lip in an effort to maintain control. It had been a relief to discover that Dunya seemed to reach her release a lot quicker than Lavie did; his inability to control himself long enough for Lavie to cum had really messed with his self-confidence.

“Dunya, I'm gonna cum!” he warned her, panting harshly.

“Same!” she cried out, reaching her release a split second before he did. Balls tightening, Mullin fired his load into her as Dunya held still on him, her quick breathing all that told him that she was awake. With his dick swiftly losing its harness in her pussy, he pulled her down on top of him, cuddling her. Dunya hummed to herself.

“This feels pretty good.” she murmured, absently opening his shirt so she could rest on his bare skin. Mullin stifled a yawn.

“Yeah.” he said. “No wonder Lavie likes it so much.” he mumbled. Dunya opened her eyes.

“Lavie?” she asked, her tone more alert than before. “Mullin, have you been sleeping with other girls behind my back?” she asked, her tone setting off warnings even in his half-asleep mind.

“No!” he denied instantly. “It was before I met you.” he explained. Dunya hummed impassively.

“We'll talk about that tomorrow morning.” she told him, closing her eyes and resting her head back on his chest. “Pull the blanket over us, Mullin.” she said, yawning.

-

Sophia looked around as she boarded the heavy transport. This was the last of the heavy transports departing Prester, and she was the last person to board it. King Scheer had been carried into the heavy transport not ten minutes before, and now, it was time to say good-bye to all she had ever known. Silently, she saluted the two guards who were remaining behind at the palace to oversee the final matters. The two saluted her in return.

Pushing her doubts and second-guessing aside, Sophia crisply cut the salute away, turned on her heel and marched up the short steps into the heavy transport. Behind her, the door was closed and secured as the ship lifted. It would be a day to the berth of Exile, and another three days to load the ship, and then, it would be the end of her involvement with Prester. Moving to the side of the bed where her husband lay, she touched his shoulder. “We're on our way at last, Nestor.” she said quietly. With them in the heavy transport were four others - the last of the staff that was leaving.

“I hope to see our new home.” wheezed Nestor. Sophia squeezed his shoulder.

“I hope you see it as well, Nestor.” she said quietly. For the last two months, his health had been deteriorating at an accelerated pace. He hadn't left bed save for trips to the bathroom in three weeks. It frustrated Sophia to know that she could do nothing to help him.

Her thoughts turned to those who were staying behind on Prester. It had been one of the hardest arguments she had ever faced, but it had to be done. There were hundreds of old and infirm who had no interest in leaving Prester so close to death's door. It had been the argument of her planning committee that they be forced to migrate, since there would be no way for them to leave once Exile lifted for the last time.

Arguing that they should be left where they wanted to be buried, Nestor had said that moving them would likely kill some, and the hardships they would face would finish the rest off. So, it was decided that when the announcement was made public, along with the evacuation plans, there was a royal order that no one would be forced to leave Prester, but that those that stayed would be on their own. Sophia had insisted that no attempt to downplay the situation they would face if they chose to stay be made. To stay is to die, but I guess if the choice was seen to be dying where their family and friends were buried and dying in a strange land from a harder life than they live here, it isn't that strange of a choice, mused the Queen.

It had been a year since the advance party had reached the new world; or old world, depending on your view of things. It was a three day trip to the other world, and from what chief engineer Dagober had determined, Exile had a limited number of trips back and forth in it. So, once the initial party had set up a base of operations, he and some of the section heads had come back to deliver the first report. It had been that visit that had finalized the evacuation plans.

Now, this last heavy transport was heading out, leaving a virtual ghost town behind. Norkia was entirely abandoned, with those who had been living there moved to Duke Mad-Thane's estate and the surrounding farms. The rest had been moved from their towns and cities to the capital. All told, there were just over one thousand people staying on Prester. Among them were a volunteer force of guardsmen who were tasked with maintaining order and tending to necessary tasks like burials and resource management. All of the ones that volunteered were either the oldest guards, or had aged family that had opted to stay. With so few left to start over, each that chose to stay on Prester was one less to help them rebuild, but there was no help for it, really.

Unnoticed, time slid by as the heavy transport made the first leg, to where Walker had anchored his floating casino/refueling station/repair shop/black market operation for the final time. Sophia blinked herself free of her reverie as she felt the heavy transport jockey into the landing hold-pattern. Every heavy transport left was in use for the final air-lift. Theirs was the last one, the rest having started the trip to frozen Disith and the waiting Exile the night before. Now, they were holding as the last few ahead of them filled up and took off on the final leg of the journey. Sophia turned and looked at Nestor, finding her king to be asleep.

When her ship touched down, she took the opportunity to stretch her legs and use the bathroom. She had chosen to go in her Silvana uniform, rather than her official gowns, since she anticipated a rough trip. As the woman made her way toward the bathrooms, she saw a familiar face coming toward her. “Walker!” she said, surprised. “I thought you were scheduled to be on your way to Exile by now.” she said. Walker smiled at her.

“I decided to delay my departure until the last of the transports were through.” he explained. “My crew is down to skeleton status, and the last four are going with the next to last transport. I was going to see if I could bum a ride with a friend.” he said. Sophia had insisted that each of the last ten heavy transports only be partially filled for just this reason.

“I can find a seat for you, Walker.” she said quietly. He nodded.

“I appreciate it, Sophia.” he said. Turning to walk with her, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. “By the way, I've been meaning to give this to you for more than a year.” he said casually, handing her the piece of paper. Sophia took it and opened it, frowning at it.

“What is this? A barkeep's list?” she wondered. Walker grinned at her.

“Alex's bar tab, your Majesty.” he snickered. Sophia blinked.

“There is no way that anyone could drink that much and live.” she denied.

“Certainly not in one sitting.” agreed Walker. “But he and I had a long, long business relationship, you know.” he hinted. Sophia thoughtfully tucked the paper into her uniform blouse's pocket.

“Very well.” she said. “But we will have to discuss this when we reach the new world.” she added, stopping in front of the door to the ladies' room. “And now, if you will excuse me…?” she hinted. Walker inclined his head.

“Of course, your Majesty.” he said, his tone almost mocking. “I have to have a final drink with a friend. See you at the transport?” he suggested. Sophia nodded, closing the door to the bathroom. Sighing softly, Walker turned and made his way down the corridor. As he went, he pulled a small bottle of his best reserve whiskey. When he reached his goal, he uncapped the bottle and raised it. “Alex, this is farewell, my friend.” he said softly, taking a swig of the powerful drink. “I hope you found the peace you were looking for after all this.” he mused, taking one final drink before capping the bottle and putting it back in his pocket. “And now to clean up my own affairs here.” he murmured, withdrawing a small key from his pocket and unlocking a panel. Behind that panel was a switch and a timer. Glancing at his watch, he calculated the time, turned the timer, and threw the switch.

Closing the cover, he re-locked it, breaking the key off in the lock. Tossing the stub of the key over his shoulder, he made his way back to the deck, seeing that the ladies' room was empty as he passed. When he emerged from the inside of his life's work, he saw that the only ship left was Sophia's ship. The Queen was standing by the loading ramp, waiting for him. Quickening his step, he almost jogged to her. “Finally.” was all she said, motioning him into the ship.

“My apologies, Sophia.” he said, grinning as he lightly stepped into the transport. Sophia swept the deserted deck area one more time before pulling the flare gun from the transport and firing a black burst flare. With that done, she boarded the transport and the pilot reported ready for flight.

“Take us on out, please.” said answered him over the intercom. The engines hummed and the transport lifted. The cabin was silent for several minutes before a muted peal of thunder came from astern. “What was that?” demanded Sophia. Walker chuckled.

“That was me concluding my affairs here, Sophia.” he said. Pulling the bottle out of his pocket, he uncapped it and offered it to her. “Want a sip?” he asked her, his tone almost playful.

-

“Hello?” called the woman as she stepped onto the porch of a large, but simple house on the far outskirts of the growing town. “Anyone home?” she called again. From inside, she heard the sounds of footsteps, and a few minutes later, the basic screen door opened, revealing a familiar face.

“Your majesty!” exclaimed Dunya, shifting her youngest child in her arms. “You didn't tell us you were coming to see us, or we would have been here to greet you!” she said. From behind her, her middle child made his way toward his mother on unsteady legs. “Please, come on in!” invited the young woman.

Sophia accepted the offer, stepping inside the house for the first time. Dunya was wearing a plain, single-layer, one-piece dress of raw cotton, covering her from just above her breasts to mid thigh, the top secured with a simple cord. Against her breast, her baby began to complain. Guiding Sophia back through the house to the back porch, she tossed her head to one of the sturdy chairs there, taking another for herself.

“I didn't come at a bad time, did I, Dunya?” asked Sophia. The Disith girl shook her head.

“Of course not!” she denied easily, untying her dress top and tugging it down enough to bare her breasts. “I was just taking a short break and was about to feed this bottomless pit.” she smiled lovingly at her daughter. Her youngest son arrived and began to play with some wood blocks that were sitting on the wooden porch. “If you can spare the time, I'm sure the rest would love to see you.” she said. “They are all out right now, but they should be starting back in a couple of hours.” she noted, glancing at the shadows cast by the large tree in the back yard. All around the house, wild grain grew in abundance, and a bit farther away was a grove of fruit trees and some wild berries.

It was something that worked in their favor, as the faint traces of previous occupation were still to be found here and there in odd places. From the condition of the area around the berth for Exile, it was obvious that there had once been massive fields and orchards of many different crops. They had gone wild long before, but were still an easy food source for the new arrivals. Already, there were large areas of reformed crop lands, being tended by experienced farmers, while the city that had sprouted a couple of miles from the moorings of Exile already had paved streets and had completed a simple power grid just the month before. Even with all the improvements, it will be decades before this world is at the level that Prester was, thought the woman fleetingly.

“Where are the others, Dunya?” asked Sophia. Nursing her daughter and watching her younger son play, Dunya answered.

“Claus and Lavie took their ship out on a new survey grid, Tatiana and Alister took the other ship over to the lake with Al and Holly, and Mullin and our oldest are working in the field.” she said. “I swear, you'd think he was a farmer all along from the way he acts now.” she snorted.

“Well, he did say he came from a family of farmers, you know.” replied Sophia. Dunya gently pried her nipple free of her daughter's mouth and switched her to her other nipple. Sophia felt an odd sense of jealousy seeing that. “How old is she, again?” asked the older woman.

“Ansia is four months yesterday.” said Dunya happily. “She'll be just over a year old when she gets her little sister.” smiled Dunya, absently patting her lower belly. Sophia blinked.

“You're pregnant again, Dunya?” she asked in surprise. That was quick! she marveled. Dunya nodded emphatically.

“Sure am!” she exclaimed. Sophia thought she sounded disgustingly happy about her fertility.

“So, how many are you planning to have, Dunya?” asked the older woman. Dunya hummed softly as she considered that.

“As many as I can, I guess. Or as many as Mullin wants; either way.” she shrugged. “Gotta have a lot kids to run this place.” she said pragmatically. “How about you?” she asked.

“Me?” wondered Sophia intelligently.

“Yeah. How many kids are you planning to have?” wondered the girl. Sophia wondered what to say to that.

“I…hadn't thought that far ahead, Dunya.” said the woman. I've been too busy with administrative duties to even get laid! she thought resentfully.

“Well, you better hurry, or you'll fall behind!” smiled Dunya. “Tatiana's beginning to show, and Alister missed her period, so she's caught as well.” she relayed the latest news. Sophia blinked.

“Both of them?” she wondered, surprised. “And Lavie?” she wondered. Dunya shook her head.

“Not that I've seen or heard.” she said. A moment later, she continued. “I'm beginning to worry about her, actually.” she confided. “As often as she and Claus have sex, she should have caught by now, but so far, nothing.” Sophia recalled something she had heard long before.

“Dunya, I think it would be best if you didn't press her about this.” said Sophia softly. Seeing Dunya looking at her, she elaborated on the point. “Lavie's mom died in childbirth, and my cousin told me that she was talking with Justine - Claus's mom - once, and she said that it was possible that Lavie might not have kids, seeing as how her mother had a troubled pregnancy.” she explained. Dunya's eyes widened.

“Lavie never said anything about that!” she murmured, shocked.

“Lavie might not even know about that possibility, Dunya, so please don't worry her unnecessarily. Dunya nodded somberly.

“Sure. No problem.” she promised. “I'll make sure that Mullin keeps his mouth shut about it as well.” she added.

“Mullin? What does he have to do with any of this?” wondered Sophia. Dunya gave an indelicate snort.

“He's been hinting about her having kids lately.” answered the woman. “Like he's some expert on fertility!” she snickered. Sophia blinked.

“Um, he's not…with Lavie, I mean?” she asked. Dunya had to think a minute to straighten out the meaning. She shook her head.

“He's not sleeping with her.” she said. Or he better not be, if he knows what's good for him! she left unsaid. “I don't know why, but it's almost like Lavie not catching is some sort of weird victory for him. Men are so flaky.” she complained. “He doesn't seem too interested in the fact that Tatiana and Alister are both swelling.” she frowned. “Only Lavie.”

“I see.” replied Sophia, unsure of what to say. Seeking a new avenue of conversation, she asked about a name she had heard earlier. “You said that Tatiana and Alister had taken Al and Holly to the lake?” she asked. Dunya nodded. “Who is Holly, again?” she asked.

“Holly is the daughter of that Mad-Thane guy.” replied Dunya. “She was a bit vaporish the first few months, but she's a lot better now!” bragged Dunya. “She and Al are close friends, so she comes over fairly often to visit. Today was so lovely that the two of them begged Tatiana and Alister to take them to the lake, and since Claus and Lavie headed out before first light, they decided to go ahead and take them.” said Dunya.

“Claus and Lavie headed out before sunrise?” wondered Sophia. “How did Claus manage to wake up that early?” she asked, her tone amused. Dunya shrugged.

“Don't know, but Lavie can usually get him up when she wants to.” she grinned back at the other woman. Feeling her baby release her breasts, she shifted her to her shoulder and burped her, the infant nearly immediately falling asleep on her mother's shoulder. One-handed, Dunya pulled her dress top back up and tied the string.

“Those two have been the backbone of the scouting and mapping teams.” smiled Sophia. “No one can map like them.” she said smugly. Dunya nodded.

“Yeah, Tatiana and Alister try to keep up with them, but they are just too fast and too good.” said the girl. “Lately, I've heard the four of them discussing an idea Lavie had about starting up a van ship school for pilot/navigator pairs. With the availability of van ships and the size of this place, we're gonna need pilots and navigators, so they were discussing making some money by instructing.”

“They will turn out the finest pilots and navigators, I am sure of it.” Sophia said quietly.

-

Tatiana and Alister lay side by side on the thin blanket that they had spread out on the grass by the edge of the lake. Just a little ways back, the silver van ship they still thought of as Claus and Lavie's ship gleamed in the sun. Both girls were naked, having just come from a dip in the lake not ten minutes before. When they had first come to the lake, they had tried enjoying the large body of fresh water with varying degrees of clothes on, but swiftly discarded them all in favor of just skinny dipping. While their panties were comfortable enough in the water, it left them with wet clothes that took far longer to dry than their skin, so they had gotten in the habit of simply stripping naked and enjoying the water.

Even now, Alvis and Holly - the daughter of David Mad-Thane - were still splashing around in waist-deep water. Tatiana smiled a little as she recalled the first visit of the girl to the lake. She had come out with Claus, Lavie, Al, Tatiana and Alister, and had been stunned by the sheer size of the lake, which likely held more water than there was in all of Anatory. As she stood there, the others had set out their supplies and began to get ready to cool off from the summer heat in the lake. It wasn't until Al tugged on her hand that she realized that the others were all naked, Claus and Lavie already in the water up to their chests, and Tatiana and Alister heading toward there as well. Al had urged Holly to get ready, being already naked herself.

Holly was the daughter of an aristocratic family, who had never really had occasion or inclination to exert herself before coming to this new world, and her mother had raised her as a lady of society, so running around naked was something that was alien to her mindset. Al had given her a puzzled look when she said that she couldn't take off her dress. Ever practical, Al had swiftly stripped her dress off the other girl, noting that it wasn't difficult to undress yourself. Before the young noble could react, Al was dragging her toward the water while she tried to cover her budding breasts and groin with her free hand. Of course, she very soon got over her modesty, and ever since, the lake had been a favorite in hot weather for her.

“What are you smiling about?” asked Alister, noting the smile on Tatiana's face. The young pilot glanced at Alister.

“Just recalling Holly's first visit here.” she explained. “Al is certainly showing some Lavie traits, isn't she?” she grinned at Alister. Alister giggled softly.

“You know, she doesn't get it all from Lavie.” sniped Alister. “She is showing some signs of a certain Wisla girl as well.” Tatiana's hand slowly traced her growing belly.

“Guess we all raised her.” said the platinum blonde girl softly. Alister's hand came to rest on top of Tatiana's, which was resting on the bulge in her belly.

“You'll do fine,” she assured her friend. “We all will.” she added, remembering that she was carrying a child as well, though she was months behind Tatiana. “Just relax and let nature take its course.” said the long-haired navigator.

“Did you feel it move?” came the eager voice of Al, accompanied by cold water dripping over them. Side by side, Al and Holly were standing beside them, dripping water on the two. Tatiana smiled at them.

“I can feel it sometimes, but it's too early yet to feel it from the outside.” she said. Alvis sighed.

“Oh.” she pouted. At fourteen, she was developing from a cute girl into a stunning beauty, her hair growing a little lighter and her grey eyes a touch darker. It had been remarked on more than once on the similarities between the two of them. Alvis still wore her hair long, though, and every so often, the two of them would pose as sisters when meeting someone in town who didn't know who they were.

“You can check for yourself, if you want.” offered Tatiana, knowing that Al was eagerly watching her pregnancy develop. She suspected that the girl was impatiently waiting to conceive herself, but Al had a sweet nature, so she might have been misreading the whole thing. Al and Holly carefully put their palms on her modest bulge.

“I guess it is too early to feel her moving.” sighed Al a few minutes later, sitting down by Tatiana's side, while Holly sat down by Alister. Tatiana glanced at Al.

“What do you mean, `her', Al?” she asked. “Do you know something that I don't?” she wondered. Al had correctly guessed the sex of each of Dunya's children, and while it could have been pure luck, the other girls were beginning to wonder about her uncanny ability. Al shook her head.

“Not yet.” she said honestly. “It just kind of feels like a girl.” she said. “Once I can feel her move, I'll know better.” she promised eagerly. Tatiana and Alister exchanged looks.

“Al, will you tell me which I'm carrying when I'm far enough along?” asked Alister. Al smiled.

“Sure!” she promised eagerly. “Are you still hoping for a boy?” she wondered. Alister blushed slightly.

“Yes, I am.” she said quietly. Stretching out, the two young girls relaxed while they dried off in the air and fading sun light. Alvis hummed to herself before speaking.

“I wonder if Lavie will get pregnant before I do?” she wondered aloud. Tatiana and Alister traded a subtle glance. It wasn't the first time that that topic had come up when it was just the two of them. Given how long she had been having sex with Claus, they were a little worried about her, since she had yet to even miss a period. “I think Claus is a little worried about her.” added Al introspectively. That got the older girls' attention.

“What do you mean by that, Al?” wondered Alister. Al frowned as she thought about it.

“I think that they are both a bit scared that if Lavie has a baby, she might die.” said the girl quietly. “Lavie's mother died giving birth, so I think maybe they are scared that the same thing will happen to her if she has a baby. Claus would never be the same if he lost Lavie.” Not for the first time, the others wondered about Al, since she was far more mature and insightful than her years indicated she should be.

“I don't think any of us would be the same if we lost her.” murmured Alister. Within a half hour, the two girls were dry, and the four of them rose, donning their daily wear dresses. Within the first few months of landing on the new world, they had discarded their fancier dresses for hand-made ones that Lavie and Dunya had come up with. Single-layer, raw cotton fabric, and functional, the dresses were surprisingly flattering to their figures, having draw strings just below the breasts, allowing the rest of the dress to hand lightly on their bodies to just above their knees. Lavie's dress was strapless, having a drawstring just above her breasts in addition to just below, while the other girl's dresses either tied around the back of their necks, or had simple loop straps.

Re-dressed, the four boarded the van ship, Al settling in Tatiana's lap, while Holly got comfortable in the back with Alister. Starting the motor, Tatiana smoothly launched the ship, bringing it around and moving higher as they headed for home. As she flew, Tatiana's mind was pre-occupied by the brief discussion about Lavie's situation. She hoped that everything would work out with those two; god knew they deserved a break.

-

“Welcome home, you two!” exclaimed Al as Claus and Lavie entered the house. The two had gotten back well past dark, their running light giving the other inhabitants of the house time to get ready for their arrival. Both of them blinked in surprise. Arrayed before them were Tatiana, Alister, Al, Holly, Dunya, Mullin and Sophia. Apparently, the children had been put to bed by now.

“Um, we're back?” replied Lavie, uncertain what was up with the others. She and Claus glanced at each other, unaware that they were still holding hands. “What's going on, guys?” she asked, feeling Al relieve her of her surveying notes, gloves and goggles.

“Sophia, what a surprise.” said Claus warmly. “If we had known, we'd have come back sooner.” he added. Sophia shook her head.

“It's fine, Claus.” said the older woman. “How about you two have supper and then we can talk for a bit.” said the former Vice Captain. Claus and Lavie moved into the kitchen, finding a meal waiting for them. Both dug in hungrily. It didn't take long for them to polish off all the food on the table. With the meal done, Dunya moved the group to the back porch, where they got comfortable.

“So, what did you want to talk to us about?” wondered Lavie, settling an arm around Lavie and the other around Al.

“Actually, I was wondering what your plans were for the future.” said Sophia, starting easy. Claus and Lavie traded a glance before answering.

“We were just talking about that today.” said Claus. “I think we are going to start easing back from surveying runs, and maybe start a flying school; at least, for the next few years. We might go back into surveying eventually, though.” he said.

“So, you are serious about the school, then?” asked Tatiana, from where she was sitting close to Claus. Beside her, Alister listened closely. Once more, Claus and Lavie looked at each other before answering.

“Yes. We are.” said Lavie softly. Al was watching the two closely.

“What happened?” she asked bluntly, shifting so she was sitting in Claus's lap, staring into his eyes. “Something happened, didn't it?” she demanded.

“It's not like that, Al…” began Claus.

“I can see it in your faces. Something happened.” insisted the girl. Long experience with the young girl had taught the two of them that when Al got going on something, she didn't let it escape her.

“Guess we should tell them.” murmured Lavie, looking into Claus's eyes. Claus nodded.

“Do you want to, or should I?” he asked her softly. Lavie glanced away from him.

“I'll do it.” she said quietly. Raising her voice, she addressed the group. “I…I'm pregnant.” she said, her tone tainted with worry. A surprised - but pleased - ripple ran through the girls at that news. Al threw herself into Lavie's arms, laughing happily as she hugged her tightly. Holding Al, Lavie went on. “Claus and I took most of today and talked it over. We think it would be better if we took things a bit easier until…well, you know.” she finished. Sophia could feel her heart speed up.

“Anyway, what was it you were going to discuss with us, Sophia?” Claus turned the topic away from Lavie's condition. Sophia blinked.

“Oh! I was just wondering what you were going to be doing for the next while.” she said lamely. “I am finally done with the day-to-day administration of the city, so I came here to catch up with you all.” she said.

“You're welcome to stay here as long as you like, Sophia.” said Dunya, grinning at her. “It'd be a lot easier to catch up with us if you are near Claus.” she added slyly. Sophia blushed slightly.

“Dunya, stop teasing her like that!” chided Mullin. Dunya glanced at him.

“You stay out of this, Mullin!” she declared. “This is between Claus and Sophia.” she said. “That is what you came for, right?” leered Dunya. Sophia felt her cheeks color. It had been a long time since she had gotten more than a quickie, and she was very horny. She had been toying with the idea of seeing if she could join Claus's little family, but with Lavie now pregnant, and both Tatiana and Alister knocked up as well, she was re-considering the idea.

“Sophia, you should stay here with us!” declared Alvis. Sophia was one of her most favorite people, after all. “Isn't that right, Claus? Lavie? Tatiana? Alister?” she called the role. All of them nodded.

“Yeah, you should move in with us.” said Lavie.

“Plenty of room.” said Tatiana.

“And we could use a good administrator if we are going to be running a flying school.” added Alister. Sophia wasn't sure if this was a blessing or a curse.

“I know that grandpa would want you to be with those you love, Sophia.” said Dunya quietly. The king of Disith had died en route to the new world, and had been buried not too far from the berth of Exile, overlooking the ocean. “Besides, you have to catch up to the other girls, right?” added the girl suggestively. Sophia took a breath.

“If you're sure…” she said, only to have the others interrupt her.

“Welcome home, Sophia.” came the chorus from all of them.

 

END