Doomsday Hunter 4, page 11
My three other Wayfarer mates had all excitedly hopped below deck to find themselves a hammock each to sleep in, “like proper pirates” Tracey said, so our reigning captain Natalie surrendered the bed in the main cabin for Maurya.
My three beautiful partners had all shot me knowing looks and slightly waggled their eyebrows as they’d said goodnight, and I’d taken this as their cue for me to talk to Maurya and maybe explain about our job as Wayfarers to take it further with the beautiful Fishfolk woman.
“Natalie used to sleep in tents out in the wild.” I smiled at the memory of the Scavenger camp. “She’ll be fine in a hammock.”
“Did you used to sleep in tents, too?” Maurya asked as we entered the captain’s private quarters.
“I slept on the edge of a lake on a bed made of Radon root with Natalie,” I chuckled, and Maurya’s gorgeous face frowned in confusion. “Never mind.”
The captain’s private quarters were old and a little musty, but it was still plush and pretty luxurious. The room spanned the entirety of the back of the ship, and while some of the glass in the windows had shattered due to the battle earlier, it was an easy enough clean-up process.
The Fishfolk pirates obviously hadn’t used the quarters as they were meant to be used, because the walls were stacked with old crates and a couple empty barrels, all marked with the same “A inside a circle” branding that meant they’d come from the capital of Anadonis, and there were no piles of pirate booty or bags of gold coins and treasure chests. The largest thing in the room was actually a huge wooden table in the center, and it had a bunch of maps, dog-eared scrolls, and other nautical equipment scattered randomly across it.
I slowly made my way around the room and ignited the oil lamps with my lighter, so the cabin was soon glimmering with low golden light, and we could see the only properly kept thing in the place was the huge bed on the port side. It was nestled almost into the wall of the room, with a long velvet drape half-drawn across to reveal large squishy pillows and a thick fur comforter.
“Well, that bed looks… large enough,” Maurya muttered, and I could hear her breath catch in her throat slightly.
“You’ll be comfortable and warm, at least,” I assured her with a smile, and the beautiful green-skinned woman nodded thoughtfully.
“Who are you?” the Wayfarer of Dimension Two Thousand and Thirty-Five suddenly asked, and she turned away from where she’d been staring at the bed to face me.
“You mean other than my name?” I chuckled sheepishly, and she nodded. “Well, it’s a bit of a loaded question.”
“You’re not from here,” Maurya stated bluntly. “I’ve never seen Sunfolk like you. The four of you beat an entire crew of Fishfolk pirates to win this ship.”
“No, I’m not from here,” I admitted and went to sit on the edge of the bed. “I know that must seem impossible.”
“So… you’re from another, far-away Sunfolk settlement?” Maurya asked softly as she came to sit beside me. “I know you probably don’t trust me with that information, me being… a Fishfolk and all.”
“It’s not that,” I promised her and instinctively placed my hand over hers, and the touch made her breath catch slightly again. “I trust you.”
“It is strange since we just met, but… I trust you, too,” she admitted and blinked as if the information was still surprising to her. “Something inside me says I can.”
“Good, because you can.” I smiled, and we lapsed into a momentary silence.
“You want to know about the capital, don’t you?” the Wayfarer finally asked.
“Do you live down there?” I asked curiously, and Maurya shuffled where she sat beside me.
“Yes, I live in Anadonis. It’s been underwater for centuries, though no one really knows exactly how long.” She sighed deeply, and I waited for a moment in case she said anything else about where she lived, but she remained silent.
“And that’s where The High Council is?” I questioned eventually. “Underwater?”
“Yes.” Maurya nodded. “And it used to be a completely diverse group, made of both Sunfolk and Fishfolk equally, in order to govern the new worlds both above and below water. Not so much anymore.”
“Yeah, you mentioned some pretty highly-strung tensions,” I said. “I also got that first-hand when we, ahh, took this Fishfolk ship as our own.”
“Mmm, they can’t have been too pleased being bested by four Sunfolk, three of them women no less,” Maurya teased. “But I saw you go up against those sea monsters. My bet would definitely be on you four.”
“Why is there so much hatred between the two races?” I asked, and Maurya’s teasing expression turned to one of sadness.
“The classic ‘he said, she said’ story,” Maurya sighed and readjusted herself where she was sat beside me, and her knees brushed against mine.
I felt a burst of attraction settle in my chest as the Fishfolk woman left her knees pressed up against my leg, but I remained silent as she continued to speak.
“The Sunfolk believe The High Council only cares for the Fishfolk and that they are monopolizing our world’s money, produce, agriculture… Everything,” Maurya explained as she dropped her gaze sadly. “And the Fishfolk believe the Sunfolk are hellbent on destroying Anadonis and taking the ocean for themselves, where they can ruin it like they did the land.”
“Sounds like you guys are on the brink of all-out war,” I said and shook my head.
“I’ve had aspirations of a diplomatic solution…” Maurya sighed deeply. “I just want peace, but no one sees it my way. That’s why I volunteered to come to the surface in the first place. I wanted to see for myself.”
“Well, if anyone could, I believe it’d be you.” I smiled at the unknown Wayfarer as she blushed slightly, and the heat in her cheeks turned the soft green of her skin a beautiful shade of coral.
She didn’t seem sure of herself, and during the battle with the sea creatures, she’d seemed to be unfamiliar with fighting. But she had taken on this mission in the hopes of peace, and she didn’t even know she was a Wayfarer yet.
That took bravery.
“I hope so,” she murmured as she broke eye contact with me. “It’s my family I have to convince.”
“So, your family live in the capital, too?” I wondered aloud, and Maurya shifted uncomfortably next to me again. Then she moved her knees so they were no longer pressed up against my leg.
“In a manner of speaking,” she agreed a little reluctantly.
I could sense she was holding something back, but she steered the conversation away, and I dutifully played along since I didn’t want to force her to talk about things she didn’t want to talk about.
“Are Natalie, Tracey, and Daphne your… family?” she asked me, and her voice was quiet and curious.
“In a manner of speaking,” I repeated her words back at her playfully, and she grinned at my teasing. “They’re my mates.”
“Mates?” Maurya asked, and she frowned slightly.
“I’m with them, all three of them, romantically,” I explained, and Maurya’s frown melted into a set of raised blue eyebrows.
“Oh!” The Fishfolk woman swallowed thickly. “Well, I mean, I figured that but… I mean, you… We could never…”
She balled her hands up into fists within the fabric of her long black robes and refused to look at me.
“You feel drawn to me, don’t you?” My voice was quiet as I asked the question, and Maurya nodded slowly and brought her eyes up to look at me.
She really was beautiful.
Her eyes were pale green, almost a light gray, and they glimmered so much it looked like they were filled with tears most of the time. Her face was a gorgeous complexion of sea-green and sky-blue, with high cheekbones that glittered with almost invisible scales, and she had sharp navy-blue eyebrows that perfectly framed her face. Her lips were a deep blue with a pointed cupid’s bow, and I wanted to kiss them so badly, but I cleared my throat and eventually pulled my hand away instead.
I owed her an explanation at least, before I gave in completely and kissed those perfect lips of hers.
“You’re right, Maurya,” I began. “I’m not from here. And not that I come from a different settlement or anything, I’m not even Sunfolk.”
“I don’t understand, Hunter.” Her pale eyes glimmered again in the lamplight as she looked up at me in confusion.
“I’m not from this world at all,” I told her. “I come from a different dimension and time. Your world actually used to be just like mine, before everything was flooded.”
The Wayfarer blinked a couple times before she broke off into a loud peal of laughter.
“Okay, Hunter,” she chuckled, and I tried not to get too distracted at the shape her lips made as she smiled. “I’m sorry for asking, I know you don’t trust Fishfolk all that much.”
“No, no, really,” I said, and I grabbed her hand again.
She giggled at the touch and wound her fingers between mine. Then she looked up at me through dark eyelashes, but her wide smile faltered a little when she realized I was being serious.
“I’m from a different dimension,” I repeated. “I know it sounds crazy, but it’s true.”
“A different dimension?” Maurya’s nose wrinkled. “But how is that even possible?”
“I’m something called a Wayfarer,” I sighed. “My job is to literally save other dimensions.”
“This sounds crazy, but I can’t help but think you’re… serious,” the Fishfolk woman muttered and stared deep into my eyes, probably trying to find the lie. “I’m… drawn to you because you’re a Wayfarer?”
“And you’re a Wayfarer, too,” I explained. “That’s why we feel connected.”
“I’m a Wayfarer?” Maurya scoffed. “I think I would know whether I was something or not.”
“That’s what I thought, too,” I laughed.
Then I spent the next few minutes sitting beside Maurya on the captain’s bed and explained the entire story to her, right from the beginning where Karla had called me to dispose of some termites. I explained how I’d met Natalie, Tracey, and Daphne in their respective dimensions, and how they were now tied to me as Wayfarer mates. I also explained the IFDR machine, and about Karla and Dr. Nash back home, and why I sometimes spoke to a voice in my head.
The Fishfolk woman kept her hand in mine throughout the entire story, and her green eyes watched me intently as I spoke, like she didn’t want to forget or misunderstand a single word. The skin of her hand was soft and smooth, and I found myself tracing little circles with the pad of my thumb as I continued my story.
“So…” Maurya started once I had finished my explanation. “You’re here to stop Doomsday from happening?”
“Yes.” I nodded. “We don’t ever know exactly how, but that’s our job as Wayfarers.”
“And I’m a Wayfarer, too?” The Fishfolk woman waited for my confirmation, and I nodded again.
I expected her to reject the information, but if anything, the beautiful green-skinned woman’s eyes glinted with interest and intrigue, and a warm smile spread across her face.
“Does this not… Scare you at all?” I asked tentatively.
“Not at all.” Maurya smiled widely. “All I’ve ever wanted is to find a way to broker peace between the Fishfolk and the Sunfolk. And you fall right into my lap to help me.”
“Wow, and I thought Daphne took it well,” I laughed loudly and squeezed her hand. “Thank you for believing me. We couldn’t do this without you.”
“And I couldn’t without you, it seems.” Maurya blinked up at me, and her face was innocent and excited.
We sat in silence on the edge of the captain’s bed for a long while with our hands still laced together, and I didn’t want to interrupt whatever the Fishfolk woman was thinking. Even if she was excited by the idea of being a dimension-saving Wayfarer, it was still a lot of new information to take in, and I just wanted to let her process it all for a little while.
Besides, it was nice to sit with her. She had a calming presence, like floating on still water.
“Hunter…” she finally half-whispered my name, and I turned to look at her.
“Yes, Maurya?” I smiled.
“If Natalie, Tracey, and Daphne are Wayfarers of their own dimensions… and they’re mated with you…” Maurya seemed to be stalling.
“Yes?” I prompted her gently.
“Does that mean I’ll be mated with you, too?” she asked, and an adorable flush colored the green of her cheeks like a sunset on the ocean.
“Only if you want to,” I assured her. “But you said so yourself that you’re drawn to me.”
Maurya’s hand slid out of mine, and she shuffled awkwardly on the fur comforter. She was still dressed in the thick black robes she’d been wearing the night we’d first met, but one side had started to gently slip and revealed the soft skin of a green shoulder.
“But you… I know you said you’re not Sunfolk, but… I mean, if you’re not from this world… I-I’m Fishfolk, and I don’t know if…” Maurya frowned, like she was annoyed at herself for not finding the right words.
“If what?” I asked her quietly, and the green-skinned Wayfarer sighed deeply.
“If you… see me like that.” She gestured to her face and then stared intently at her hands, and this time her eyes really were glimmering with tears. “Your women resemble you more and are obviously attractive and--”
“Maurya,” I laughed and put a hand on her tantalizing bare shoulder. “You’re gorgeous. I would think so even if we weren’t drawn together by some weird transdimensional force.”
The Fishfolk woman lifted her head up to look at me with shimmering green eyes, and her dark blue lips had slipped into a low pout.
“No one’s ever… expressed any attraction toward me. Ever.” Maurya sniffed and blinked as she tried to pull herself together. “Because I’m an advocate for peace between the two races, even Fishfolk tend to dislike me completely. I’ve never been accepted, or… Or loved.”
“Well, I think you’re incredible,” I told her firmly.
She didn’t reply to my compliment, but just stood up from where she was sitting beside me on the captain’s bed and took a couple steps away with her head lowered so the waves of her green and blue hair concealed her face.
I watched her for a moment and let her gather herself as she turned her back on me.
I understood her frustration. I definitely hadn’t expected the Wayfarer of Dimension Two Thousand and Thirty-Five would be a Fishfolk woman, and I definitely hadn’t expected to find her so damn attractive, but god, she really was.
It was like she somehow heard my internal monologue, because she remained facing away from me but started to slowly push the black cotton robes away from her shoulders. The robes fell slowly, and with each slip of fabric, she revealed more of her body to me, until eventually she stood in front of me wearing nothing but what looked like soft brushed leather underclothes.
Her body was lean and tight, and her slim waist curved out to perfectly rounded hips. The soft leather of her underwear was a tiny scrap of fabric that could maybe be called a thong, but it showed off her perfect ass and shapely thighs. The dark blue ends of her hair skimmed across the top of her ass cheeks as she shook it out, and desire burned through my veins like a wildfire.
“Turn around.” My voice was dark with lust, and it came out more like a command than a question, but she did as she was told, and I felt my dick twitch in my pants as she slowly turned to face me.
Her long hair had hidden the fact she wore no bra, and I could now see her breasts were large enough but perky, and her toned stomach bore a small dusting of shimmering scales that stretched to her hip bones.
The thing I marveled at most was her gorgeous skin color. It was like she’d been painted by Monet because her skin was almost translucent. It shimmered with all the colors of the ocean, and her breasts were a deep green that swirled into a beautiful coral pink around her nipples.
“How about now?” she asked quietly.
“Now?” I muttered, and this time Maurya looked up at me and met my stare with her own.
“Do you still think I’m gorgeous?” the Fishfolk woman asked as she stood almost naked in front of me, and I could see her jaw was clenched in fear of my rejection. The warm flickering light from the oil lamps danced across her bare skin, and she shimmered like a mirage.
“I think you’re incredible,” I muttered as I stood and walked the few steps over to her.
She looked up at me with her pale-green eyes full of fire, and I gently brushed a soft wave of sea-blue hair away from her face as I stood over her.
“Hunter…” she whispered my name slowly and curled the word around her tongue, and I needed no more invitation than that.
I took her face in both hands and roughly pulled her in for a kiss. Her midnight-blue lips parted eagerly at my touch, and her tongue wrapped itself around mine as she moaned softly into my mouth. She pressed her nearly-naked body up against me, and I let my hands wander from her face, down her neck and across her collarbones, until I eventually came to her bare chest where her breasts waited for my touch.
I gripped her flesh tightly and made her breath hitch into my mouth, and my thumbs circled her nipples slowly so her sudden gasp descended into a low moan. Then I ran my hands down her chest, over her slim waist and round hips until I could grab at the tightness of her ass.
Maurya shuddered against me at the feel of my hands with a tight grip on her skin, and she pulled at my shirt desperately. I nibbled at her plump bottom lip, and she whimpered into my mouth, hungry and needy all at the same time.
“Hunter…” she groaned again, and though my dick was rock-solid in my pants at this point, it twitched again at the sound of my name in her husky voice.
“Gorgeous…” I muttered the word again as I kissed her, and she pushed herself against me even more in reply.
The Fishfolk woman got a grip of my shirt and pulled it hastily over my head, and as our kiss broke in order for me to discard it, she placed both hands on my pectoral muscles and stared in wonder at my chest.
