Chapter Text
Chapter 7: Reunions
Aloy had been having a great time conversing with the Marshal when he asked her to go some place a little more... private. She smiled coyly and said she knew of somewhere they could go. Getting up, she took a quick glance toward the SPEC OPS group and saw her son glaring at her and the Marshal. She felt a very small amount of guilt about what she was going to do, but it didn't last. Leading Kotallo away from the main gathering of G.A.I.A. troops, Aloy took him to a very secluded area of the city. Kotallo noted this and asked her why there were hardly any homes out this way.
“This used to be an area that was filled with lavish homes, all belonging to the wealthier families. But most have either died off or left for other places. Now, no one comes back here because it reminds the older people of times long past and the younger ones are warned that a terrible monster lives here.”
“You don't believe all that, do you?” he asked.
Aloy chuckled and shook her head.
“Why would I? I knew the truth of what happened here so I knew that there was nothing to fear.”
Kotallo nodded his head. “It does sound like you had a good mentor. He, or she, had taught you correctly.”
“Rost was very good with my training. Also good with raising me. He is a good man.”
“Rost... The man that the High Matriarchs sent to G.A.I.A., on Councilor Teersa's order.”
Aloy nodded. “He's the one who took me to the Meridian. And... the one to bring me back.”
Kotallo noticed the morose look on her face and stopped her. She turned and looked into his eyes. A sad smile upon her face made him want to change it. He cupped her face and turned it up toward his. He then felt the yearning. A want that was hadn't burned inside of him for many years. He bent his head and sniffed her. He could tell that she was in need of a man, someone to warm her bed with her. He was only to happy to oblige her, but he didn't want to take it without her permission. Bringing his head back to look her in the eye, Kotallo saw that she was giving him the go-ahead. With that, he swept her up in his good arm and took her to the closest abandoned home.
Once inside, they made their way up to the second floor- where the private rooms were- and entered one of them. He licked her neck, tasting her and relishing in her scent. They undressed quickly and Aloy laid upon the bed. Kotallo lapped at her bare breasts and she moaned. He was enjoying himself as he moved from her breasts and down to her folds. He licked her and she tasted divine. He growled as he became hard and Aloy watched him grow. She'd never been with a Tenakth before and she marveled at his physic, his muscle rippled beneath his skin and fur, his member long and pink as it became unsheathed. She bucked as he licked her entrance and he chuckled low, a rumble from his chest. She moaned louder, causing him to growl louder as well. He made his way back to her face and he grinned. It looked wicked, with his sharp teeth bared, and she knew that this was going to be and all night affair.
Kotallo flipped her over and pushed inside her. She gasped, it had felt like nothing she'd ever encountered before. He gripped her hip in a bruising hold and watched her as she rocked back into him. He thrust inside her over and over, resisting the urge to howl in pleasure. He was unsure if the homes here were able to block out the sounds they were making. Aloy slid a datapad out from under a pillow and tapped a code on it.
“Y-you can... uh... howl... agh... n-now. N-no one... w-will hear...AH... us.” she moaned.
Kotallo then began to thrust into her harder and his growling was bordering on that mighty howl he longed for. Aloy's moans grew louder and louder, screaming his name. A final thrust and his knot was in, his howl rang throughout the home. He collapsed behind her, breathing heavily, and wrapped his arms around her. She had hit her climax sometime before his came and seemed interested in why they were still connected. She even asked him and he replied. Aloy confided in him that he was the first of his kind that she had been with and Kotallo admitted that she was his first human as well. They laid there for sometime, Aloy snuggled into his warm fur and Kotallo breathing in her scent. Throughout the night, they made love, breaking in-between.
Morning light shone upon the couple, still exhausted from their last bout of sex. Aloy knew that she'd have to explain her actions to her husband but she'd been without for so long. She didn't feel bad, she really needed the release. So, she opened her eyes to see Kotallo looking at her.
“I will not brake up your relationship with your husband. He seems... kind. And possessive.”
Aloy was confused. She never mentioned that she was married. She sat up and looked at him, brow furrowed.
“Rost had told me,” he answered, seeming to read her mind. “He told me that you were wanting to return to him, on board the Meridian.”
Aloy looked away, knowing the truth he spoke. She did miss Erend deeply and wanted to return to him. But she also knew that he been drinking during their time away from each other, he'd taken other women to bed, just to satisfy his male urges. She understood that all too well, as she had just done the same thing with the Marshal.
“I... I understand.” She got up and began to dress. Kotallo stopped her.
“I never said that I didn't want to be with you, I just said that I don't want this to end your relationship with him.”
Aloy looked at him and pondered for a moment. Sure Erend was possessive, but he had confided in her once that he'd allow her to take on a secondary lover. He even told her that he might want to join in for a few times, as long as they were willing. She dropped her clothing, removed the ones she had put back on, and rejoined him in bed where she offered herself to him once again.
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Erend had made it to his ship and taken off before any more of Tilda's henchmen could come after him. He thought about going to the Sacred Lands System, but thought better of it. He'd have to find her and explain himself to her and he wasn't ready to face her just yet. He charted a course to Claim, thinking that he could land in Hidden Ember. The showmen there were fond of him and they would have decent drinks there. Plus, the shows they put on every night were a sight to see. If only he had been able to bring Aloy there...
He sighed deeply and his thoughts turned to how he would tell her. No, can't think like that! He chided himself for that, but the thoughts of his indiscretions bobbed to the surface. Memories of flesh and hair, nails and teeth, moans and fluid. He didn't even remember the names, or faces, of the women he had taken, just the feeling. While it had felt good at the time, he still felt dirty, disgusted. He'd told Aloy that he'd be ok if she took another man to bed, even join them, but he lied. His jealous nature would kill the man who laid with his wife. He loved her and he trusted her to make the right, and best, choices when it came to that.
The alarms went off, bringing him out of his own head. He'd already made the jump, so who was...
BOOM! An explosion rocked the ship, sending him flying back and bringing his ship to a standstill. He stood up, shaking his head from the knock he took, and set back up in his chair. He hoped that it wasn't his ship that was hit, but when another blast rocked the ship he knew that he wasn't that lucky. Erend started up the engines and was about to start evasive maneuvers, when he realized that his ship didn't respond. He stumbled out of his chair and raced to the aft of the ship, hoping beyond all hope that he could get her going again and out of there. Only the emergency lights were running and sparks were flying. That was bad news. He arrived to see a mess. Bulkheads torn apart and wires were askew, Erend knew that his ship was going nowhere. But the worst of all, he saw the one person he was trying to outrun standing inside his dead ship.
Tilda.
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Ersa woke in a daze, trying to gauge her surroundings. She had no idea where she was, other than she was chained to a bulkhead, the sound of other chains swaying and clinking together. He knew that she had been beaten badly, feeling the blood crusted to her face, arms, and legs. She couldn't open one eye, as it had swollen shut, but her ears still seemed to work just fine. She heard voices on the other side of the door and suddenly it opened. Ersa looked up and saw a figure approach. Her hair was grabbed roughly and here head was pulled back.
“Oi! This one's awake!” the figure spoke.
It took all of her strength to wait until the face turned back to her, but she flung her head at theirs and smash their nose with a satisfying crunch. He, a man she deduced, screamed in pain and others rushed in. Ersa felt a fist slam into her face, ringing her bell, and another fist punch her in the ribs.
“Captain Ersa, so good to see you,” came a voice she knew all too well.
“Dervahl.” she spat.
“Well, she does remember me. After all, it was your new second that nearly killed me. Oh, wait, she's no longer with the Vanguard,” he said laughing.
Ersa nearly ripped her arms off trying to get to the slimy villain. He laughed even harder at her struggle.
“DERVAHL! I. WILL. KILL. YOU!” she scream at him as the door closed.
She was once again alone, trapped by the very creature who nearly killed her brother and made her sister, and friend, an exile. She needed to escape and began to formulate a plan.
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Arden woke before the sun and was on watch when he heard it. A muffled howl in the distance, coming from the area that had once been a wealthy neighborhood. He scowled and shook his head. He would speak with his mother about that. He then was joined by someone. An Utaru woman appeared on the platform and looked at her quizzically. She smiled set herself up.
“What's an Utaru doing here?” he asked.
“I was assigned to this post.”
“No, I mean, here, as in, All-Mother. In the Scared Lands System?”
“I was assigned to this place,” she said, “The academy sent me here to help protect these people. They were rebuilding after the war.”
Arden remembered reading about the war in his studies. The Red Raid War was a long and bloody affair, instigated by the Carja System and it wrought chaos throughout all the systems. Only a small band of fighters from the planet Claim, as well as the Carja leader's son, were able to end the bloodshed. Peace fell across the systems and G.A.I.A. was formed. Councilors were chosen to represent each of the systems, save Claim who had given their best fighters to protect the new Carja leader. They called themselves the Vanguard and his aunt was chosen to be their captain.
“Ok,” he nodded his head before continuing, “Was there a reason that you were picked to come here?”
“Because I was the best. The academy had never known anyone who could be a better protector than me. An Utaru who just had slightly better senses than the other Utaru.”
Arden's eyes suddenly went wide. It had just dawned on him to whom he was talking to.
“Wait... You're the Utaru that the Quen keep talking about?!”
“Zo Singer, a pleasure.”
“A-Arden. Arden Hammersmash. T-the pleasure is all mine! Whoa! This is... Wow!”
Zo giggled and he whipped his head around. His cheeks warmed and he gave a shy smile. Zo regarded him for a moment, taking his appearance. She could tell that he had abilities, ones that made her happy that they were fighting on the same side. He was tall, but still not as tall as a man. He was young, no more than a youth but no longer a child. Eyes as blue as a clear day over All-Mother. And hair as red... Red hair? She only knew of two people in all of the systems who had that color of hair.
She looked at him and said, “By any chance, do you know of Aloy Brightspark?”
She watched as his smile faded and a dark shadow fell across his face.
“Yes, I do. She's... She was exiled from the Meridian, for what reason, no one knows. Some say it was because she entered into a relationship with a Vanguardsman, others say she defied the Council for forge knows what.”
“She's also your mother, yes?”
Arden looked at her incredulously. How had she known?
Zo chuckled and spoke. “There's only two that I know of who hair like yours. And both are here, in All-Mother. But one is still too young to have a child your age. And the other is-”
“Off with the Marshal. Neither one returned last night to the camp.”
“Aloy has a home of her own. What, with her daughter-”
“Wait, daughter?! W-when did that h-happen?!” Arden demanded.
“A year ago. It... wasn't easy for her. Or the baby.” she said, looking sad.
Arden was finding it hard to wrap his head around. He had a little sister. He was a big brother now. He definitely had to talk to his mother. This was... Big. He would tell his father the next time he saw him, whenever that happened. The Quen were not too keen on letting the students visit their families. But, he guessed he wasn't a student anymore. He was part of G.A.I.A.'s SPEC OPS now. He might be able to see his family more often. Be the big brother to his little sister. That thought made him happy.
Another SPEC OPS member reached that platform and informed Arden that his shift was over. He was also told that Marshal Kotallo wanted to see him. Arden couldn't get down the tower fast enough. He would confront him about his mother and he would talk to his mother about his sister.
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Aloy and Kotallo parted ways after their final love-making session, with Kotallo heading toward the G.A.I.A. troops and Aloy heading to her home. She forgot to tell Vala that she wasn't returning and she felt kind of bad. Well... not too bad. She really did enjoy her night with Kotallo. Really enjoyed it. She hoped that Erend wouldn't be mad with her. Hell, maybe she could get him to join them. Now that would be a grand night!
Before she could enter her home and relax, she saw a figure standing on her front porch, waiting with agitation in his steps. Arden. She had nearly forgotten that he was here. He looked up and she swallowed. He'd grown since she last saw him. He looked just like his father, which made her feel guilty for what she had just done. His eyes were piercing, just like Erend's could be. But, there was a softness to them as well. The stubble on his chin was new to her, an indication that he was no longer a child. She approached him, standing at the bottom of the steps.
“Hello Arden.”
“Hello, mother.”
Aloy detected anger in his voice. She sighed. She'd been expecting that, as he may have seen her leave the camp with the Marshal. She was about to explain it to him, when he launched himself off the porch and tossed his arms around her. She was taken aback. He was crying!
“I missed you so much!” he said, his voice muffled in her shoulder.
Aloy gently wrapped her arms around him and said, “I missed you too son.”
Silent tears rolled down her cheeks, happy that she was finally reunited with her son. They stood there for sometime, quietly weeping. When they pulled apart, Aloy noticed that Arden had grown. He was now almost as tall as she was. He wiped his tears away and, with a final sniffle, looked at her.
“Mother, I-”
“Arden, let me explain. I've-”
“Do I really have a little sister?”
The question took her by surprise. She thought he was going to berate her for her frivolous evening with his commanding officer. She sputtered.
“Y-yes, it's true. I... gave birth to daughter, your little sister. W-would you like to... meet her?”
Arden beamed. “Would I?! Yeah!”
Aloy smiled. She had most of her family here. She was just missing the biggest part of it. Erend.
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Kotallo had arrived at the camp and spoken to Arden. The boy had a good head on his shoulders was a smart kid. But the ire he'd received from the young man was warranted. He may still be young, but he wasn't unaware of the world. He knew about the activities of grown men and women, even saying so, and that he'd watched as the Marshal and his mother had gone off alone. Kotallo felt a small amount of guilt about having been with the red-headed huntress now that he knew that she was the mother of the boy. He explained everything and dismissed him.
Kotallo went back to his duties, but his mind still returned to the events of the night. She was so willing, accepting of him, and he enjoyed it. The guilt he'd felt before melted away as he sat in his private quarters, ruminating on the huntress and their passionate love-making. She was very beautiful and strong, he clearly saw why the Vanguardsman fell for her. He, himself, hadn't felt as he had in many, many years. Kotallo shook the older thoughts out his head and tried to turn back to his work. The haunting echoes of her moans rattled inside his head, fighting to consume him from within.
He stood, having become restless, and left his quarters. He was need to brawl and looked around, but finding no one who could be his equal. His ears twitched and his nose danced. His fur stood on end as he felt a dangerous presence. Leaving the command to his second, he left the city and ventured into the forest. He followed the scent and sounds until it led him to a clearing. A ship of unknown origin sat in the middle of it and the grunts of a man were coming from within. Kotallo approached cautiously, weary of who this was and where they came from. The man emerged from the hatchway and Kotallo immediately recognized him.
“Erend?” the Lyconite spoke.
The Vanguardsman turned and smiled.
“Kotallo! Good to see you my friend!”
Kotallo strode toward Erend and gripped his forearm in the traditional greeting of the Tenakth. Erend beamed, grateful to see a familiar face.
“Erend, my friend, what brings you here?”
“Well,” he began, “First, I don't even know where 'here' is. Second, my ship was hit by pirates. Couldn't find a spaceport anywhere, so I limped down onto the nearest planet I could. Figured I could fix my ship up just enough to get it to a shipyard.”
Kotallo nodded and said, “You are in the Sacred Lands System. More precisely, you're on All-Mother, just outside Mother's Heart.”
Erend's eyebrows shot up. “A-All-Mother?!” He whistled, “Well, I certainly traveled far off course this time.” He laughed a nervous laugh.
Kotallo sensed that his old friend had known where he was and a feeling of dread began to creep up. He didn't show any of it though, his training had taught him not to reveal one's plans too soon. He would get the truth out from his friend, one way or another. They continued polite pleasantries until Kotallo started to feel restless again.
“Erend, do you still spar?”
“Not so much anymore, not since the accident.”
“How about a practice match? For old times sake?”
Erend thought about it for a moment. It would be good to swing his hammer around. It had been ages since he last did that. He told Kotallo that he'd be right back, he just needed his hammer.
“Actually, I thought we could fight like we used to. No weapons, bare fists.”
A look of fear flashed across Erend's features before it vanished. He gave Kotallo a nervous smile.
“Ah, hell. Why not?”
Kotallo grinned, baring his teeth, and removed his top. Erend had also removed his top and the Marshal saw the metal arm. He was going to have to be careful if the man decided to use it in the sparring match. It may be a practice spar, but he knew that things could get out of hand quickly. They began to circle each other, watching for the first move to be made. Kotallo fainted left and Erend took the bait. Kotallo side-stepped the charging man with ease, cuffing him upside the head as he passed by.
Erend turned, a smile on his face. “Is that how you wanna do this?”
The Marshal's eyes shone in anticipation, his blood beginning to race. Arms raised, he beckoned Erend over in challenge. The Vanguardsman mimicked the stance and got nearer to the Lyconite. Before Erend knew what was happening, he was on his back and Kotallo had him pinned. The sparring match was over before it even had a chance to begin. Erend yielded, but Kotallo didn't back away.
Erend's blood was flowing but something happened. It was flowing to a part of him that he'd not expected it to go. He looked up at the Lyconite, pinning him down, and it clicked.
Oh...
Oh...
Kotallo bent his head and inhaled deeply. His old friend had the unmistakable smell on him. A smell that was driving him crazy with lust, one that he had just smelled that morning.
This was Aloy's husband.