Copyright 2024 – Daemon D. Hart
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The Human Bearer
He was floating, and whatever liquid he was immersed in felt warm and pleasant against his naked skin. Was it a dream? Riordan fought hard to open his eyes and discovered that he was in Xana's arms. His alien husband was kissing him slowly, tracing long lines along Riordan's neck with his forked tongue.
"What's going on?" he asked. "Are we still--"
"The place changed while we were asleep," Xana said.
Riordan turned his neck slowly, taking in his surroundings. Everywhere he looked, his eyes met luxurious vegetation. And, indeed, they were in a pond of some sorts. His feet couldn't touch the bottom, but Xana was holding him, while showing no signs that any effort was needed to do so.
"This is weird as fuck." Riordan touched the lower part of his abdomen, carefully feeling the eggs. They were there, and they seemed quite big. Maybe it had been a while since his first pregnancy, but those eggs appeared to have already developed a bit.
"I think I'm in an accord with you this time around," Xana said, while he, as well, observed their so-called breeding pen. "I didn't know we had the technology to recreate this sort of environment here, on Tu'lek."
"Can you feel my belly?" Riordan asked. "Being suddenly here, in this little corner of exotic paradise, is not the only thing I find weird."
Xana embraced him gently and brushed his hands over Riordan's inflated belly. His breathing became labored again.
"Are you getting horny?" Riordan asked. The idea wasn't that farfetched. After all, this species had a thing for bellies filled with eggs.
"I wouldn't be a Xeno if I weren't," Xana explained. "As for the strangeness you mentioned, I believe that we either slept for a couple of months or our eggs have developed at an incredible pace."
"Am I going to give birth to them right now?"
"No, but you are about halfway through."
"Ah, damn," Riordan mumbled, and his eyes filled with tears. "That must mean that we really did sleep for a long time. And that means Junior must have forgotten about us already. They're growing so fast, after all."
"I don't think he's forgotten about us," Xana hurried to comfort him. "It is ingrained in our genes to have a strong connection with our sires. Just as it happens with my father and me."
"Speak for yourself," Riordan said and frowned. "That's your race thing. But it's not like you remember your mom or have any deep connection with her."
Xana's silence was not a good sign, until he realized that his husband was focused on observing something at the far end of the pond they were swimming in.
"What's going on?" He couldn't deny that he felt a little fear creeping into his bones at the sight of that frown etched on Xana's forehead.
"There's someone here with us. I will have to investigate."
"Don't let go of me," Riordan said quickly. "Don't look at me like that. I'm only vulnerable because of the eggs," he added, taking a bit of offense at how Xana stared at him, an all-knowing smile quirking his lips.
"I wouldn't dream of thinking of you like that. My strong bearer," Xana teased him, which should have been a sign that he wasn't particularly concerned about whatever was in the pond with them.
Riordan wrapped his arm around Xana's and followed along as they swam towards the opposite end of the body of water. He didn't feel particularly apprehensive about whatever expected them there, either, which was strange, seeing how nothing around them looked like what they remembered.
The water splashed suddenly, and Riordan tried to stop Xana by holding him tightly. His husband, however, pulled him along and then drove one arm fast into the water, breaking its surface at bullet speed. When he pulled his hand out, he was holding something...
A tail... no, an entire Xenolite! With long blond hair and green eyes, and a very energetic one at that. Riordan squealed when the squirming little thing lunged in his direction, swinging his entire body and wrapping his thin arms around his neck.
"Ma..." The Xenolite grinned and slipped from Xana's hold. He wrapped himself quickly around Riordan and looked up at him.
"What?" Riordan barely managed. "What the hell--"
The pond surface came alive with around a dozen or more small tails, heads emerging, some dark, some blond, some a combination of both. And they were soon all assaulting him, speaking in as many different voices, but all Xenolites, and all...
"I think," Xana said in a startled tone, "that these are all our children, Riordan."
"That... can't be..." Riordan mumbled while the throng of small creatures began climbing on him, each one clearly bent on having a piece of him.
The first one was particularly affectionate and didn't let go of his neck, aware of his privileged position compared to the others. Riordan turned his head and his eyes met the green ones, so like Xana's that he couldn't deny the obvious truth.
"Have we been asleep years?!" he shouted, and all the Xenolites froze on the spot, and then caught their ears, their small faces scrunched up in distress. "Sorry, so sorry," Riordan added in a gentle voice and caressed the blond head resting against his neck. "Xana, please tell me there's a rational explanation for this, because I think I'm going crazy." He began hushing the crying bunch, touching their heads in passing so that he could get to everyone. "A little bit of help here, do you think you could spare, my dear husband?"
Xana laughed, which did nothing for the state of confusion he was in, a thing threatening to become irritation and more with each passing moment. Still, he couldn't start yelling at his better alien half, because the little ones had sensitive ears, just like Junior had taught him what seemed like not so long ago.
"Come on, boys, go to papa," Riordan said as he started pushing a few of them gently in Xana's direction.
One head, covered in equal parts strands of blond and dark hair, tipped back, and odd eyes stared at him.
I'm not a boy.
Riordan smiled and took the small female Xenolite in his arms. At their age, it was impossible to tell the difference, save for the fact that she seemed to be a little on the smaller side compared to her siblings.
"Sorry, my princess," he said in a pompous voice, and the girl giggled and hid her face in the crook of his shoulder. "Anyone else who's a little princess and not a prince here?" he asked.
He began numbering them. Three girls. He had heard enough about how females were uncommon, so was that number already high compared to the total? "They don't sit still a moment. Do you think you could count them?" he told Xana.
"We have a total of fifteen here, and there's also the pair you still have inside."
"Oh, yes," Riordan said as he touched his belly. He had almost forgotten about that. "Damn it, I really hope Marn has an explanation for this. Seventeen boys and girls, and... no, eighteen, with Junior included. How are we going to afford college for all of them?" he joked.
Xana was busy measuring each of the Xenolites by criteria only he knew. His movements reminded Riordan of how Xeus had weighed Junior while holding him, appraising his quick development.
"How has all of this happened?" he murmured and touched his forehead.
Some fragments of memories flashed to and fro with the speed of light. At first, there was a small water tank, and he saw himself giving birth while Xana was holding him tightly. Then, the setting changed and he was in a small pond, with a few plants growing around, although he could still see the metallic walls of their room, the same one he had nicknamed a breeding pen. And after that, with each consecutive birth, almost always twins, the room was growing, transforming, until it got turned into this.
"I'll be damned," he murmured. "I think I got a glimpse into how we ended up with this whole litter. But, Xana, how is this even possible?"
"Maybe it was because of how the environment was manipulated. We were made to experience an unusual level of desire for one another."
"We were horny out of our minds, in other words," Riordan said. "Still, this just doesn't make sense. I mean, I feel like I remember things, here and there, and this lot is surely ours, but--" He had no idea what to add to that. "We need to find Marn or at least a way out of here."
As if his words had the power to summon the head honcho, the lush vegetation to his right parted, and Marn slithered through, looking mighty pleased with himself.
"Riordan, Xana," he said while opening his arms wide, "how wonderful to find you surrounded by our young ones."
All the fifteen small heads turned to examine the newcomer. They must have seen Marn before, right? Riordan pressed his fingers against his temples, since his boys and girls had no trouble hanging on to him without his help.
"Wonderful my--" He pursed his lips before he ended up regaling Marn with a string of expletives that would haunt him until they reached Tanez. He opted to sigh instead and keep that thought for later. "How has this happened? And how come we haven't starved to death while getting busy to produce so many Xenolites for your whatever purpose? More important, how long have we been out while caught in this breeding frenzy?"
Marn's smile was sly, to say the least. "It wasn't as long as you might imagine. We never get in contact with a new technology of psychic skill without trying to get the best out of it."
Riordan frowned while struggling to put two and two together. Xana was faster than him. "Your Excellency, that can't be," he said in a tone that expressed pretty much his disappointment. "The manipulation of time... such as what happened when Gamni Gafilos attacked us?"
Marn nodded, seemingly unbothered by how his grownup audience was staring at him. The young ones appeared completely uninterested in this newcomer and were back to frolicking happily in the water. The first girl announcing proudly that she wasn't a boy still remained hanging from Riordan's neck, though. Her big eyes said that she was somewhat different from her siblings, and her young brain tried to process what was going on.
"That is correct, my dear counselor. Such an astonishing feat on his part. Too bad he had to use it for doing something as evil as that. To this day, I am glad whenever I recall the way he went. General Lei, your esteemed father, told me everything."
"Still, what does that mean? Is it safe? Did you experiment on us?" Xana asked through his teeth.
Riordan was of the same sentiment, but he was a lot more interested in finding a way to escape that prison of time if that was what that was. "Your Excellency, is the experiment over? Can we go back to business as usual? I mean, if not so much time passed, that means that Junior hasn't yet forgotten about us."
Marn smiled pleasantly. "I know there must be something you truly want when you don't mind addressing me so formally, Riordan. Very well, I will grant your wish. You will return to your quarters."
"Along with all of them, I hope," Riordan said.
"So that you can mollycoddle them like you did with Junior?" Marn asked. His all-knowing grin was getting on Riordan's nerves. The fact that, by his side, Xana was fuming didn't help, either. His husband obviously had plenty of things to tell his superior, but since the little ones could all hear their telepathic conversation, he had decided to remain silent – and disapproving – for now.
"Well, yes," Riordan replied promptly. "I'm sure my mollycoddling, as you call it, hasn't dulled Junior's natural gifts. I know it for a fact. How is he? And how is Xeus?"
"Ferix is still taking care of General Lei. As for Junior, he is a fussy one. Apparently, he needs more time to understand the importance of hierarchy in our society. Although, that might be in his genetic makeup, seeing who carried him in his womb for quite some time."
"Ha, serves you right," Riordan said while a smile tugged at the corners of his lips. "Did he give you a hard time? By the way, I am so not going to apologize for that."
"And you don't have to. Your Xenolites will remain here, in this wonderful crèche, yes, a different one than what Cario Hamen had in mind, for a very simple reason. Here, they will thrive and grow fast."
"Don't tell me I have to choose between them and Junior," Riordan said and hugged the small girl in his arms tightly.
"No, you will be required to visit them daily so that you can feed them. Especially now, since Junior doesn't need your lovely tit anymore, it is fortunate that you will have enough for the rest of your children. Also, your bonding with them matters."
"And I have a feeling you're only trying to flatter me. Just for the record, are they enough?" He gestured at the small heads appearing and disappearing under the water surface as they played around. "And I still have two inside me." He fell silent and exchanged a look with Xana. There was just something not entirely adding up. He couldn't tell what that was and hoped his husband was better at things like that than he was.
"Yes, and those will progress the same way your first pregnancy did. I wouldn't want to take such an experience away from you."
"Funny you should say that. I do have some vague memories about giving birth to all of them. Why not give our memories back in their entirety? Xana can't remember much, either."
"That, I'm afraid," Marn said as he opened his arms as if some things couldn't be helped, "it's beyond my power. This manipulation of time, as you call it, doesn't allow for more. Now, you can say your goodbyes for the day so that you can return to your quarters."
Riordan looked around, at the happy Xenolites. "How am I supposed to leave them? They're so little."
"And every bit Xeno," Marn assured him. "Don't worry. You will be back tomorrow."
"We should name them," Riordan said and rubbed his forehead. "This might take a while."
Marn nodded, offering an affable smile. "And you have all the time to do so. Now, please come."
"Anxious for us to get Junior out of your hair?"
"You can say that."
"Wait, let me at least have a proper goodbye with all of them." Riordan turned and opened his arms, calling for the little ones that gathered around him like ducklings around the mother duck. Overnight, he had become the mommy of so many young souls. He had no idea how Xana was feeling about all that, but he felt pretty damn overwhelmed. Hopefully, he wasn't the only one.
At least, none of the Xenolites appeared that bummed out that their parents needed to take their leave. It seemed like they were used to being left to their own devices, and Riordan's heart squeezed in phantom pain. How strange, to not have been able to witness them growing, even if they were still very small, no matter how he looked at things. How long had they played on their own, while their parents had to see about delivering batch after batch of new siblings? This felt wrong, but he couldn't say much about it. He could barely wait to be alone with Xana so that they could talk. There were so many things he needed to learn about, such as Drato's condition, Cario, Jasno, the final fate of the traitor... His head was like a hive of dizzy bees.
"I can tell you are unhappy. Xana, talk to me," he began as soon as they were alone. Marn had promised to send a pair of lizard guards with Junior, so they had this time to try to make things clearer between them before their first born was there and started asking questions of his own.
"I don't like it when I don't understand things," Xana said. "Before His Royal Chancellor came, I thought all was alright. Everything made sense. But as soon as he appeared... It isn't like me to experience such difficulty in expressing my thoughts, even in speech."
"Something's definitely fishy. Is that what you also think?"
"Not in the same terms you're using, but yes."
"Do you have any recollection of how we came about having so many kids? I mean, all I see in my mind is just... some fragments, and not much else. Is it the same for you?"
Xana nodded, his lips pursed. Then, as the frown on his face deepened, he took Riordan in his arms and wrapped them over the swollen belly. His hands brushed over the taut skin as if he were looking for something.
"What? What is wrong? Is there something the matter with these two eggs?"
Xana shook his head. "No, they're developing well, as far as I can tell, although I will have to put my tail inside you to assess their progress properly."
"To think that we even have to leave those young ones by themselves. That doesn't sit right with me. Wait, do you believe that Marn thinks Junior might become jealous of his siblings? Since your kind is used to having just one child per each individual of your species."
"What you say makes sense, and yet," Xana said, tapping his lips with one finger. "Just as much as you, I'm not particularly pleased with having to leave them alone. After all, our bonding with your species has come with a new way of raising our young. And I sincerely believed that His Royal Chancellor was in an accord with me over this."
They didn't have time to add anything else because the doors opened, and Junior promptly jumped from one of the guards' arms to get as fast as he could to his mommy. He looked different from last time he had seen the boy, which meant he had grown a bit.
"Junior," Riordan said, opening his arms wide. "Did you miss us?"
The dark eyes were filled with tears. "Where did you and daddy go?" he asked reproachfully.
Oh, well, that would be a tough one, Riordan thought while taking his first born in his arms and holding him close. He exchanged a short look with Xana. His husband looked just as preoccupied as before, but he smiled once Junior turned his attention to him.
tbc
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