Three Square Meals Ch. 075

The four women glanced John's way, eyes flashing with amusement at his look of stunned amazement, tinged with more than a little dread. He eyed Ceraden warily, as his friend walked over to him and clasped him on a shoulder. He had no idea how the man was going to react, especially if he suspected what had gone on between John and his four daughters.

"Children are a precious gift, John," he said earnestly, reiterating his words up on the balcony. "I'll never be able to repay you for returning mine to me. Thank you."

With that, he turned and left, with Laenya and Elinris on each arm, while Ifene and Dalesse hugged Myriana, and walked hand-in-hand with her, as they left the restaurant. Now it really was just John, Alyssa, and Edraele left inside, and he turned to look at both women with wide eyes.

"You set up all of this?" he asked them both, looking from one beautiful woman to another.

Alyssa glanced at Edraele, and grinned as she replied, "I was aware of everything once we'd bonded, but I can't claim credit for any of it. Edraele was the creative genius behind all that."

"A good surprise?" Edraele asked him tentatively, her face lifted in hope.

John pulled her in for a hug, and said, "I can't believe the lengths you went to, setting all this up! It could have all been an unmitigated disaster, but somehow, you managed to pull it off!"

She bit her lip coyly, and murmured, "You did say you were missing male company, and I really want you to be happy here. Ceraden was so overjoyed at being reunited with his daughters, he forgave my manipulation in ordering him to return to Genthalas."

Alyssa hugged Edraele from behind, and kissed her on the cheek, as she replied, "I've got a lot to learn from her, she's quite ingenious."

John blanched then, and asked, "What on Terra did you tell him I'd done to his daughters?! I can't imagine him reacting that way if he knew they'd all swallowed my cum!"

Edraele met his worried gaze, and leaned in to kiss him, as she replied, *I told him that you're related to the Mael'nerak, but a benevolent version instead. That you have psychic powers that let you heal the trauma Maliri society inflicted on his daughters.* When she pulled back, she added earnestly, "I didn't lie to him. Everything I said was true, but Ceraden didn't want to delve any deeper into talk of psychic abilities; he's quite squeamish in that regard."

John chuckled, and replied, "That was an incredible surprise, thank you."

"You're very welcome," she said in a soft voice, planting a tender kiss on his lips. "It was magical to see you looking so relaxed and happy with your friend."

"Come on, let's go to bed," John said with a grin. "Despite your best efforts to give me a heart attack, I'm fully restocked and ready to go."

Alyssa raised an eyebrow, and asked, "I assume you'll want us to leave the evening dresses on?"

He pulled back so he could admire both women in their figure-hugging outfits, and ran the backs of his fingers over their firm breasts, and down to their toned abdomens. "Oh yes, absolutely," he agreed, his cock throbbing at the thought.

They walked out of the restaurant arm-in-arm, as Alyssa mentioned conversationally, "The fabric's designed to stretch, but I think you should give it a field test. You should really stuff Edraele's womb for her, just to make sure..."

John put his arms around them both as they snuggled into him in the back seat of the car, and said to their driver, "Edraele's suite please, Avelissa. I think Edraele and Alyssa are going to be quite noisy tonight, and we wouldn't want to wake up the girls."

"Of course, John," she replied with a wide grin, the hover-car pulling away on silent anti-grav motors.

***

John gave his sleeping Matriarchs a final loving glance, before closing his eyes and pulling his astral-form away from his body. Even though he felt like he was dragging an anvil with him, it felt easier than the last time he'd done this, either through practice, or because of his growing strength.

"It's so good to see you!" Athena gasped, steadying him, and helping him sit upright on Edraele's bed.

John smiled at her, and was about to reply, but something in her deeply worried expression made him pause. "You look scared, Athena. Is something wrong?" he asked, pulling her in for a hug.

She tried to deny it at first, but his strong arms were comforting, and he felt her nod as she tucked her head in under his chin. "She's getting stronger, so quickly," Athena murmured into his chest.

It took him a moment to realise what she meant, then asked, "You're getting close? The time when the two of you are going to merge?"

"I've only likely got a matter of weeks, maybe a month or two, at most! Then I'll be gone," she corrected him, shivering in his arms. She glanced up at him, and he could see the fear etched in her radiant face, as she added plaintively, "I know that's why you created me, but I want more now! I see how much pleasure you gain from each other's company, and now I've tasted some of what life has to offer, I want to gorge myself on it!"

"I didn't realise we were that close," he apologised, as he stroked her back.

Athena shuddered, and said, "We still had some time, and I was starting to hope, but when Alyssa bonded with Edraele..."

"We'll try and come up with some ideas," John said, trying to stay optimistic. "Rachel, Edraele, Alyssa, Dana, they're all very clever, they might be able to come up with something!"

She shook her head, her face looking forlorn, as she replied, "There's no time. You should forget about me, you've got enough to deal with." She pulled out of his arms, and sat back as she gave him a sad smile, and added, "Let's get this Astral Ward in place. You already know what to do, you learned the Progenitor runes during the last nightmare, so it should be easy."

"Wait, let's talk about saving you fir-" John started to say, before she cut him off abruptly.

"No, this is too important. You can't waste too much time in the Astral Plane, you don't want to exhaust yourself. Now, you need to weave a tight set of wards around yourself, no more than a few inches from your body. Keep it close, so you don't accidentally drag Alyssa or Edraele into the nightmare, if it goes wrong," she advised him, sternly. Her expression softened then, and she smiled as she added, "Don't forget to close all the gaps this time. We don't want a repeat of the dome fiasco."

He nodded, understanding what he had to do, then reached out to stroke her arm, and said, "We'll try and think of something to help you. You've done so much for me, I won't let you down."

"You can't save everyone," she told him softly, turning away as he was pulled out of the Astral Plane, his concentration broken.

John fell back into his body as the Spirit-walk ended, the disorientation fading as he readjusted to being back in the Physical Plane. He was tempted to rest and try to reach Athena again, but he knew she'd be furious if he ignored her advice so blatantly, putting himself at risk. She'd saved them time and again over the last few months, and it was galling to think that he couldn't reward her for such unflinching dedication, with what she desired the most. He was determined to speak to the girls about it the following morning, but for now, he had work to do.

Relaxing on the bed and calming his breathing, he felt the runic language of the Progenitors flowing from his subconscious. The runes tingled with potential, and while he understood what each of the glyphs meant, linking them together into runic phrases of Eldritch power, was something else entirely. He chose the nebulous rune that represented the Astral Plane, the warding rune for protection, and the shadowy rune for concealment, before discarding the rest.

Mashing them together into the equivalent of "Run, Spot, Run," he formed a primitive sigil that he knew would do what was required. He summoned a glowing shell constructed of hexagons that completely encased his body, then daubed that sigil on every one, armouring himself in a runic fortress that would protect him while he slept.

With one last glance to check he hadn't missed anything, he smiled as he wriggled between Alyssa and Edraele, then pulled them close to him. They mumbled in their drowsy state, then snuggled closer, pressing their warm, cum-filled stomachs against his sides, as they nestled in against him. He let out a contented sigh, then closed his eyes, letting himself drift off to sleep.

***

The swirling mists came for him that night, some otherworldly horror in the Astral Plane drawn to him like a beacon, just as he'd feared would happen. The feelings of mind-numbing terror were muted this time, and he felt like he was able to view them dispassionately, almost as if they were tangible things, on this Plane of dreams given physical form. With a start, he realised the leviathan was swathed in an insidious psychic aura that would worm its way into a man's soul, filling him with paralyzing terror, and leaving him vulnerable to ruin.

Although he couldn't see anything more than a few feet in any direction, what with the obscuring nature of the fog that pervaded this realm, he could -feel- that something was hunting him. It was vast, ancient, and possessed of an alien and unnatural intellect that left him quaking, even with his protective wards in place. Although he desperately wanted to exit the dreamworld, he had no way of forcibly ejecting himself, not while the hideous presence was blocking the exits as it had done before.

Something titanic loomed overhead, eerie wails and discordant cries trailing in its dreadful wake, but the shroud of wards held strong, hiding him from the Astral behemoth. He heard something else skittering nearby, his mind conjuring frightful images filled with eyes and fangs. Then, yet another antediluvian monstrosity lurched past, unseen, but its dread presence left a wake of horror in its passing.

He quailed, as he suddenly realised that whatever hideous abomination lurked there, as the mastermind behind this pocket plane, it was not the creature that attacked them last time. That massive titan was but one pawn in this terrifying legion of slavering monstrosities, who were searching for him in vain, and so hungered for his flesh.

The minutes stretched out for what seemed like an eternity in that damnable place, but his wards held strong, shrouding him from the monsters' malevolent intent. Then, just like that, the confining blocks were removed, and he was able to burst clear, his eyes snapping open as he returned to reality again. His heart hammered in his chest, but it wasn't with the same feeling of unspeakable horror as before. He quickly calmed himself, then smiled at Edraele and Alyssa, as they hugged him tightly.

Sending a heartfelt message of thanks to Athena, he closed his eyes, and drifted off to sleep once again.

***

The following morning, John did as he promised he would, and called a meeting with his crew and Edraele, asking all of them to think of any possible way they might be able to assist Athena. They agreed that they would, before they moved on to a quick recap of the refit plans. Rachel had been delighted by the return of the dedicated engineers from the last refit, and she put them into supervisory roles, freeing up the crew for more useful work.

Sakura and Calara were both overjoyed when Rachel told them this. Not only did they now have time to spar again, Sakura was able to devote more time to the security upgrades, while Calara was able to test the holo-functionality in her new Fleet Command interface. There was to be no respite for John and Alyssa, though, as they were the only ones able to psychically shape the Crystal Alyssium they were using to reinforce and protect the ship.

Before John started any work that morning, he sought out Filaurel and her friends, to gently decline their wonderful offer. He was surprised, but greatly relieved when they weren't distraught, and told him that they understood, when he explained that he had already made such commitments to a significant number of other women. Ioelena looked guilty as she admitted that Myriana had reached out to them late the previous night, with a most intriguing alternative. Sensing Alyssa and Edraele's hand in events, he thanked them both profusely, then went back to assisting with the refit.

A week passed, with the work on the Invictus proceeding faster than Rachel had scheduled. The dedication and focus of all the engineers was remarkable, and they swept through the mid-section of the hull, building the Maliri Crystal superstructure for the new rooms and corridors, before laying down the required power and data cables. After several more days of feeding sessions, every engineer in the project was now linked to Edraele, her psychic network throbbing with new potential.

While John and Alyssa helped with the heavy-lifting and psychic reshaping, Dana focused on the complex and detailed work of constructing the new Progenitor components. She finished the third Power Core, and the moment it had been installed, she launched straight into construction of the Progenitor variant of the Tachyon Drive. Irillith soon had all of the old digital network restored, and working with Jade and Faye, they began to construct the Nexus server required to host the Invictus' gateway.

Everything seemed to be going fantastically well, but there was one unknown that had them all on edge: Tashana. They all wondered where she was, and equally as importantly, was she alright?

John stood with Dana outside the Invictus, studying intricate schematics on her portable holo-viewer, of her variant of the hugely-upgraded Maliri Pulse Cannons. He'd been tasked with extending the defence grid and constructing another sixteen of those weapons, while his mischievous blonde counterpart had started working on the exciting new weapons. As he flogged his brain to memorise the exact dimensions and precise shape of the two-metre-long barrels, Edraele's alarmed voice echoed through his mind.

*I've received some very disturbing reports, John,* she said, sounding alarmed. *Do you think you could return to my suite? I'd like to go over these with you in person.*

*Of course, I'll be right there,* he agreed, trying to sound as reassuring as possible.

Dana looked at him curiously, and said, "You zoned-out for a second there. Everything okay with Edraele?"

He nodded, then said apologetically, "Sorry, Sparks, I need to get over there. I think I've got the Pulse Cannons memorised now, though, and I'll make a start on them as soon as I can."

She shrugged, and said, "There's no rush. It won't take long to fit them on the ship, not like the big fuckers Alyssa's working on. I can leave you the holo-viewer, if you want a refresher on the Pulse Cannons."

Shaking his head, John jogged over to a passing hover-truck, and jumped nimbly onto the back to catch a ride. "I'm sure I've got it now. See you after lunch!" he called back to her, waving goodbye.

The redhead grinned at him, showing him a sparkling white smile, before she bounced off to her Engineering Bay, to continue work on the Tachyon Drive.

John leaned forward to tap the driver on the shoulder, and said, "Hey, Zinthae! Are you heading to the crystal plant in sector fifty-seven?"

She glanced over her shoulder at him in surprise, then grinned, as she said, "That's right, I'm off to pick up the next delivery. Hey, how'd you know it was me driving?"

"Your elegant posture gave it away," he replied, with a wink. "Mind if I hitch a ride part of the way? I've got to see the boss lady."

She chuckled, and shaking her head, she replied, "I can't believe you, of all people, have to answer to a Matriarch!"

"I've got two nagging me all day!" he answered in a staged whisper, while rolling his eyes.

She giggled at that, and he sat back on the truck, enjoying the banter with the young woman. He frowned then, remembering that she was actually seventy-eight, but she looked so youthful, it was easy to forget.

*I do not nag,* Alyssa said, faking a frosty, disapproving tone.

*Sure you do,* he teased her, in return. Adopting a high-pitched telepathic voice, he continued, *Have you remembered to bone this girl today? How about fucking that one up the ass? Don't forget to have these four girls blow you! Oh, and leave the recruitment of nubile young playmates to me, I'm the XO, remember...*

*Your life is just one monotonous grind, isn't it?* Alyssa said, with faux-sympathy. *You must really wish you could catch a break someday?*

*Welcome to my life,* he replied glumly, then grinned as he heard her laughter reverberate through his mind.

"Nearly there, John," Zinthae called back to him.

"Thanks, beautiful!" he replied, patting her on the shoulder, before leaping off the side of the truck.

He jogged down a side corridor as he headed from the main thoroughfare towards the Matriarch's quarters, and the blonde guards smiled at him as he walked between them. The lounge was empty, so he walked straight through to Edraele's study, where he found her sitting behind her desk, while the four young Matriarchs sat on the sofas nearby. He acknowledged each of them with a warm smile.

"Thank you for arriving so quickly," Edraele said, rising to her feet and gliding over to greet him with a kiss.

"Of course, what's the problem exactly?" he asked, looking at her tense expression with concern.

She sighed, and said, "We think we know where Tashana went." She glanced over at the House Loraleth Matriarch, and continued, "Kali, could you show John what you showed me, please?"

"Of course!" Kali replied, springing energetically to her feet.

She took a deep breath to remind herself to be stately and calm, and walked over to the holo-projector on Edraele's desk and pressed a button. A Maliri Regency territory map sprang into existence in the centre of the room, clearly showing the areas of space owned by each of the rival Houses. She pointed to a significantly-sized area of territory, that was marked as belonging to House Perfaren.

"I've been receiving reports from spies and hidden sensor probes, which have been showing massive fleet movements into House Perfaren territory," Kali explained, hitting a couple of buttons which showed sizeable numbers of ships crossing the border. "My sources believe that Matriarch Gaenna Baelora has stripped every fleet asset from her territory, and has sent them into Perfaren space."

"Are you sure it's not some kind of massive invasion?" John asked, just to check.

Shaking her head, Kali replied, "No, definitely not. Their forces are forming up together in huge staging grounds. It looks like they've thrown everything into an alliance."

John frowned, and pointing at the House Baelora territory on the map, he asked, "Won't that leave this Geanna vulnerable to attack from Houses... Holaris, Romenor, and Kayden?"

Nyrelle shook her head, and replied, "I'm afraid not, John. House Aeberos shares a border with Holaris and Romenor, and my spies report they've withdrawn all fleet assets from the border as well. They're all gathering in House Perfaren territory."

Edraele placed her hand on his shoulder, and sounded deeply concerned, as she explained, "That would mean that House Perfaren at Rank Three, has formed an alliance with Houses ranked Six, Eight, Nine, and Fifteen."

"How many Houses are there in total?" John asked, looking around the group of worried women.

"Nineteen!" Leena answered in a rush. "The number fluctuates slightly as new houses are formed or old ones brought down."

"Alright, but your Houses are ranked One, Two, Four, Five and Seven, right? Surely based on pure power, we have a significant advantage?" he asked them.

"Against those five Houses alone, we would have a huge advantage in fleet size," Edraele confirmed for him, but her frown told him there was more bad news.