Mature Content Warning: Nothing much, perhaps a little naughty imagery.

Author's Note:

Chapter 22: Mesa-III

Her soft and charismatic expression captivated his senses. Scott could not help but smile in return. It was an infectious expression, and one that filled him with a sense of warmth and joy.

“I am so happy for you. What’s it like?” asked Alexis.

Scott smiled to her then said, “It’s nice to know that I came from somewhere; that I did not just sprout from dirt or something. But...”

“But?” she asked.

“I have a lot of misgivings. He’s supposed to be this wealthy and well known man. It is impossible to believe that he could not have found me if he had actually looked.” said Scott.

Alexis nodded. “True, it is possible that he did not look. Still, there is no guarantee that he would have found you even if he had looked. This took place around the time of the war, right?”

He glanced at her briefly then turned away. “Yeah, honestly that is the only reason that I give him a pass at all. Things would have been quite chaotic then, and they probably even reported everyone dead.”

Scott left unvoiced his belief that anyone who gave a damn would have at least had the bodies gene tested to see who they were. It was not possible to get that wrong, though there could have been other reasons that made the situation more difficult.

She squeezed his hand gently then leaned in and kissed him on the nose. “I know we aren’t really dating or even real friends, but if you need someone to talk to...”

Scott placed his other hand atop hers then nodded. “I thank you for that, but I consider you to at least be a friend.”

“Thank you for that.” she said.

“You’re welcome...” he said, but then spoke again after proffering her a lewd smile, “...it would be improper not to be friends with someone with such big breasts.”

Alexis snorted at him then started to laugh. “How do you always manage to make me laugh at the stupidest things!”

“I say so many stupid things that one or two of them are bound to be funny. Statistically speaking, of course.” he said.

“Of course... but what’s this about my breasts being big?” she asked cutely. Alexis leaned back and twisted her body left and right a little to make her bounteous bounty bouncy and sway.

“Well, they are quite formidable opponents. I’m a little intimidated by their prowess.” he said with an amused smiled.

“Oh yeah? Afraid to do battle with them?” she asked with a grin.

“Now those are fighting words. I fear no breasts. I’ll fight them hand-to-hand if I must.” he said. Scott wiggled his fingers then waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Alexis reached down and hefted her breasts up with her hands. “To arms girls! The time for Battle is upon us!”

Scott burst out with a jovial laugh then shook his head. “Yes, time for battle. Now, where did I put my protective gear?”

Alexis snickered at him. “Like you need protection for a breast fight.”

“Well, I like to fight using my long spear... You know to keep the mighty beasts at bay.”

Alexis’ snickering laughter died down and a bright pink tinge arose across her nose. “Did you just say what I think you said?”

Scott nodded. “Oh yes.”

Her nostrils flared and she looked away from him. “Well, you should know that I’d love to be more intimate with you... but...”

It was his turn to offer her comfort and solace. He squeezed her hand gently then said, “I know. Your heritage causes problems when it comes to being with men.”

Alexis sighed softly. “You have no idea how much I just want to be with you. Every part of my body wants to be wrapped around you and never let go... It’s a little disturbing.”

Scott squeezed her hand again. “You’re afraid that you’ll hurt me?”

“Yes, it’s not like when I spend time with my team mates. They’re all girls. My powers can work on them but I have to concentrate to do it. With you, though...”

“It’s the opposite. If your concentration lapses you’ll drain me dry.” he said.

“Yeah, I’m only part succubus. If I were truly a crystallim I could handle that much easier, but as it is... It’s really hard.” she said.

“I’ll say it is.” said Scott, with a smile.

She snorted at him then smiled as well. “I am doing well, I think. I haven’t absorbed much of your vitality during any of our meetings.”

“Would practice help?” he asked.

“Yes, I think so... but it would have to be really gentle so I could concentrate.” she said.

Scott slipped one hand forward and softly began to caress her cheek. He smiled at her with warmth and sincerity. “I would love to be gentle with you.”

Alexis’ blush deepened. “OK...”

She leaned into his caress then smiled at him. Alexis knew that it had to be frustrating for him, but she truly appreciated his tenderness and willingness to accept her limitations. It was a dangerous combination, and in truth it was quite endearing.

They could not do much, a little light petting could occur safely. She could even kiss him softly and maintain her composure. They tried various things in order to learn her limits, but sadly anything more erotic than a simple caress of her lips would draw at least a little of his vitality.

He did not mind the loss of his vital force, as it would regenerate, but Alexis knew better than to risk such a thing. In all honesty, if she were to lose control she could seriously injure Scott. Whenever she looked upon his warm and caring face she knew that she would never want to hurt him. He was a strange and beautiful creature to her. So patient, so willing to do what it took to make those around him feel better and to become stronger.

Alexis looked into his eyes and felt a hint of panic well up inside her. She could already tell that there was something about him that she could not easily replace in her life, and despite all of her succubus enhanced desire, that part was not related to his genitals.

***

Mesa-III, a small town in the vast northern territory, was one of the last enclaves of humanity before the frontier wilderness at the center of the continent. There was over a hundred miles of rocky canyons and scrub grass between it and the next town, Mesa-II. The Crystallim in the immediate area were not terribly powerful for the most part, but due to the fact that the town was so far away from the center of American life, the occasional strong Nightmare might appear.

The town continually purchased the services of hunters in order to police the wild lands near town. The militia handled issues in town and on the outskirts. Scott’s team would need to patrol the wilderness roughly five miles away. For the next month, they were part of the thin line of defense between life and disaster for the people in that town.

“Wow, so much smaller than America.” said Shaia from her seat atop Scott’s back. It was her turn to be out as his guardian alongside Pirouette. They had rigged a harness so that he could carry her around. She could use her water attacks if they were near water, but otherwise she would not be particularly useful in a dry region like Mesa-III. Still, she was a lovely girl and she deserved to be able to wander around with the group.

“Yeah, I think only three thousand or so people live here.” said Scott.

“The buildings look so different.” she said.

Scott smiled softly. “Yes, they’re designed to mimic the style of buildings from ancient Earth. They use modern materials, but look like something from the American period known as the Old West.

Pirouette looked around at the small town then noted the fact that they had a fairly small wall. “I suppose a wall would not be that useful in this area.”

She had never really spent any time in this area, though she had passed through once or twice. The wall’s height had never garnered her attention before, but since she would stay in the area for about two weeks it would be important.

“True, most of the Nightmares near here fly or burrow, so a wall only keeps out the few that don’t. The shield is probably more important.” said Scott.

They headed into town and made a bee-line for the local government office. It was a rustic building, like the rest of town. There was a large clock on the front part of the building’s second floor that showed local time. It was an old-style device that used an hour hand and a minute hand, but unlike old clocks from Earth it showed twenty-five hours in a day instead of twelve.

Inside the building, the receptionist greeted them then contacted the mayor’s office. A few minutes later a middle-aged woman, probably no older than one hundred years of age or so, came to meet them.

“Ah, it’s good to see a new face in town.” she said, a soft smile on her lips. She then turned to Pirouette and inclined her head, before she looked to Shaia and did the same. The girls greeted her in kind, as well.

Scott nodded to her then said, “Thanks for hiring us. Your mission request stated that I should speak with you on arrival?”

“Yes, of course. It’s about the position.” she said. The mayor waved for him to follow her and then led the group to her office.

“Now that we can talk more freely, I must thank you again for coming.” she said.

Scott inclined his head then smiled. “Sure.”

The mayor sighed. “The mission request is for you to patrol the area as a roving guard of sorts, but honestly there is a lot more that we need to have done in the area.”

“Oh? What else is there?” asked Scott in a casual manner. This could be either good or bad for his team.

She waved her hand then tapped her desk. A holographic map of the region popped up and then several colored dots appeared. “We’ve been having various troubles near town that the militia can’t really take the time to handle.”

“Why not? What kind of troubles are they?” asked Pirouette.

“Mostly minor annoyances. The militia could handle them, but we don’t have the budget necessary to recruit enough people. Honestly, it’s less expensive to hire a hunter.” said the mayor.

“That’s fine, but do you plan to compensate us further?” asked Scott. The job he had accepted was only to patrol the region and capture Nightmares, not to handle individual problems. That sort of thing was truly the job of the militia.

“Of course, though the one who would pay you would be the people who need your help. I’ll download the necessary information for you so that you can add the hotspots to your mission roster. Do what you can, please. You’ll be paid.” said the mayor.

Scott nodded to her. “We’ll do what we can.”

She smiled at him then began to discuss the job that he had actually signed up to complete. His group was tasked with hunting in various areas a short distance from town. Basically, he needed to capture Nightmares and report any strange events such as bandit sightings or surprisingly powerful crystallim discovered in the area.

After their talk with the mayor, the team headed to the local hotel to settle in and prepare to start their mission the next day. Today they would take the time to learn the layout of the town and to scout the local area to see what sort of people lived here.

The type of people who lived in small towns had a tendency toward self-reliance. They might have special skills or items not available in a bigger city, and the prices tended to be more reasonable for them onsite than in a shop located in America City.

Scott sat Shaia on the bed then discussed plans with the girls. While in town he was only allowed to have two of his girls manifested. So, he had chosen to place them on a rotating schedule. Today Shaia and Pirouette would be allowed to run around and get fresh air, so to speak. Tomorrow Tera and Flora would get to stretch their legs in town.

Of course, out in the wilderness all four of the girls would be allowed out if necessary, though he did plan to keep only two of them out at any given time. If they were manifested then he lost his active abilities derived from their bond.

“Tomorrow will be the real start of our first legitimate mission. We should enjoy ourselves today.” said Scott.

Shaia flapped her tail cutely. “I noticed that they have a fountain in the town square for water crystallim to play in...”

Scott grinned at her. She was much more confident in the water and it would be nice to let her play with a few other water element girls. “Want me to take you there to make new friends?”

“Would you?” She smiled brightly then fanned her tail a bit.

“Sure, you’ve earned a bit of play time.” he said with a smile.

Shaia clapped her hands happily then smiled. “I was right. You are a very nice boy.”

“You’re a sweet girl, Shaia. I hope you make a lot of friends today.” he said.

She giggled softly then her scales reddened. He said such sweet things to her at times. “I hope so as well.”

Scott turned to Pirouette. “What about you, Pirouette? Is there anything that you want to do?”

She smiled at him then shook her head. “No, though we could wander around town a bit.”

“Sounds fun. Let’s take Shaia to the fountain then see what else is going on here.” said Scott.

Shaia lifted her arms and fanned her tail. This was her favorite part of the adventure so far, the part where Scott picked her up and carried her around.

Scott turned around then knelt down. Shaia used his shoulders to lift herself up then hopped up and slipped her tail into the harness. Shaia had to wrap her arms around her master and press her face against the back of his head in order to get enough leverage to wiggle into the harness the rest of the way. The closeness of the interaction and the heat of his body against her flesh caused her tail to turn bright red. She loved every minute of it, but the sensations flowing through her body were quite frightening. He was so muscular, she was afraid that she might hurt herself if she hugged him any tighter, though such a thing might have its merits...

“Alright, girls. Let’s go out and enjoy the day.” said Scott. He reached a hand out for Pirouette to take.

Pirouette reached over and clasped his hand gently. It was a simple gesture, but it meant a lot to her. Closeness, true intimacy, was something she had lacked for a long time until she had met Scott. The day promised to be fairly mundane as the town was small, but the simple joy of being close to someone was more than enough to keep her excited about the time they would spend together.