Chapter 31: Poriora Wha

Four days after our arrival at the breeding pen, Tambara returns to escort us to an audience with the senate. We gather our few possessions and put Rawiri in his travelling backpack. Tambara leads us through the gateway and into the underground city. Our route takes us straight to the large building that serves as the centre of the Merope government. The similarities to Thurn’s government building is remarkable. The architecture may be different, but the constant flow of clerks and officials bustling along the corridors, and talking in hushed tones, is reminiscent of Thurn. Tambara escorts us to an ornately carved door.

“This is the Sphere of Wisdom where the senate meet,” says Tambara. “Please enter. I will wait for you here.”

We do as Tambara asks. I’m surprised to discover that the room is like the inside of a huge ball. The door opens onto a narrow bridge leading towards the circular platform at the centre of the room. The platform seems to float in the air apart from a narrow central spindle that runs from the top of the room to the floor. The inside wall of the spherical room is a smaller version of the false sky above the city. Currently the colour of the wall is medium grey, providing enough light to illuminate the room, while creating a severe businesslike atmosphere. The platform in the centre has a horseshoe shaped table, around the outer edge of which sit the ten men and women of the senate. A strip of lights on the floor flash on and off like a wave, presumably indicating that we are to walk to the inside of the horseshoe shaped table.

The section of the long spindle that must support the platform, passes through the centre of the platform. A few metres of the spindle’s length is transparent, enabling the senators to see the opposite side of the table. It is difficult to know which way we should face, so we settle for standing in a rough circle with our backs to the spindle. Suddenly we are bathed in a purplish light originating from the transparent section of the spindle. The effect makes me slightly disoriented.

“We welcome you to our city,” says one of the senators.

That’s the last thing I remember any of the senators saying until the purple light disappears. I vaguely recall being asked a series of questions which I have no recollection of answering. Later I learn that Cassandra and the elves experienced a similar confused state of mind.

Leaving aside the strange method used to interrogate us, I dislike the rude invasion of my body and mind in this way. Cassandra clearly feels the same way. I hold her hand to calm her tendency to throw insults at the Merope assault. The elves seem more settled about the senators actions.

“You are foolish to explore the southern lands with pregnant women and a baby,” says another of the senators. “But that is a risk you seem ready to accept. Given the Atenex readiness for sex, I don’t doubt that more of your party will be expecting a child before you decide to return north.

“As for your desire to establish trade between Thurn and Merope, then your Chief Procurator has already declined such a proposal. Your government wants access to technology that we aren’t prepared to share. Merope must remain supreme among the races that inhabit this world, and we can only do that by observing and controlling the advancement of other races. As large as our population has become, we are still too few for the Merope to claim dominion over the whole world. However, one day the Merope will be the rulers of this world, and all other races our vassals.”

“You are assuming the other races will allow you to enslave them,” snaps Cassandra.

“One way or another, what I say will come to pass,” says the senator with an indifferent shrug. “Leaders can be bought or intimidated, and people influenced by what they are told.”

“You risk a war between our peoples,” I say.

“Possibly. War would be a last resort. A wasteful admission of failure. But Merope can raise an army if it must, and our superior technology will give us an advantage.”

“So what is to become of us?” I ask.

“Tomorrow morning, Tambara will return you to your boats, and see you safely on your way to wherever you wish to go.”

“We were seeking the Merope Potiora, which is clearly not here,” I say. “Will you allow us to travel to its location without interference?”

“Certainly. The Merope people have no further use for the tower and chambers that you call the Potiora. The tower is about five days travel by river. But be warned, the sentient artificial being that controls the tower may not respond to anyone who isn’t from one of its three client races. To us, the Merope tower is an ancient artefact that has now served its purpose.”

We leave the Merope city feeling a strange mix of enlightenment and disappointment. Tambara is evasive when we ask about the absence of Merope children in the city. Instead she shows us one of the walled settlements outside of the city that house crèches and schools for the young Merope. There are several aspects of Merope culture and life that I don’t understand, and the Merope feeling of superiority is very unsettling. However, we part company with Tambara on good terms the following day, and the youngsters who have been watching over our supplies and boats give us a friendly farewell.

We travel down the river as it continues its southward flow. After a few hours we see one of the large river beasts that Tambara mentioned. It doesn’t seem interested in us, and we quickly pass by it. We stop at a Merope river settlement, but decide not to linger. While the local Merope are not overtly hostile, our presence is clearly unwelcome. We resume our journey and continue downriver.

We sight a small herd of the huge animals we were warned about. They watch us from the shallows by the riverbank, but they thankfully don’t make any move towards us. They could easily overturn our wakawakas if they chose to attack.

“We need to find somewhere to stop for the night,” says Whina, who has again adopted the role of our leader while we are on the water.

“Where do you suggest?” I reply.

“The east bank is likely to be Merope territory. After our reception in that settlement earlier, I suggest we try the west bank or one of the islands bordering it.”

Most of the islands we have encountered on our journey have been small, and little more than slightlyraised mud banks and shingle. However, occasionally we come across a larger island with scrubby trees growing on it. The river beasts are more numerous as we travel south, but so far none of them have shown more than a passing interest in us. Nevertheless we have one of our number in each wakawaka keeping watch, and armed with a spear.

We stop on an island that provides enough slack current to be able to beach the wakawakas with relative ease. Having established that we are safe from any predators, we settle down for the night. With two Elf Maidens in heat, and Cassandra’s constant eagerness for sex, I fully expect there to be a demand for my cock. What takes me by surprise is that there are two more elves in heat ... Ikaroa and Whina. Both make unexpected additions to Makareta’s and Defina35’s powerful pheromones. Obviously, it means Ikaroa isn’t pregnant, and that Whina has completed her transformation into adulthood. Neither discovery is a complete surprise, but the timing could be better.

Ikaroa doesn’t seem to be too upset that she isn’t carrying Mikaere’s child. She had previously admitted her earlier claim was a ruse. The poor fertility of elven males is an ongoing problem, although the Merope hinted at having a solution. As for Whina, the signs of her pending transformation have been obvious since she joined us. Emere isn’t too far behind in her development.

With Ihapera and Emere left to keep watch, I do my best to satisfy the sexual demands of five women. Fortunately, Rawiri sleeps through the whole orgy. Whina is understandably nervous and she relies on Defina35’s experience and guidance. Makareta is slightly subdued, and I wonder whether she is comparing my cock to the massive shaft that reamed her back in Merope.

“The senators back in Merope seemed upset that some of us are pregnant,” says Makareta when she stops to allow one of the others use of my cock. “Why did they say it was unwise to continue south? It isn’t as though a pregnant woman is incapacitated.”

“Well I won’t be one of them,” laughs Defina35. “I’ve been fucked by Thurnian men numerous times without any sign of a pregnancy.”

“I understand that,” says Makareta. “But I can’t understand why the Merope would warn us against travelling south.”

“They may only be guessing,” I reply, not really convinced by my own argument. “To be honest, I’ve no recollection of what questions they asked me while I was in that purple light.”

“I can’t recall their questions either,” adds Cassandra. “But why did the senators raise the issue at all. We were already impressed with their city and technology. Nothing we did in Merope would indicate that any of us were pregnant. Does a pregnancy present a problem for you with your mother, Makareta?”

“No, although I suspect Akenehi wants me to produce an elven son,” replies Makareta. “I’m not sure how she expects that to happen. She was vehemently opposed to any Atene male claiming me as his mate.”

Even with my months of experience at fucking Elf Maidens, trying to simultaneously satisfy the needs of five women is ambitious by anybody’s standard. However I do my best. Defina35 and Cassandra are understanding, and defer satisfaction of their own needs in favour of helping Whina through her first sexual experience. Whina isn’t the first elven virgin who has been deflowered by my cock, but she is certainly the most enthusiastic. Her tight passage is a delight to plough and after a few moments it becomes obvious that she is enjoying it. Her own orgasm is a wonder to behold, both in its intensity and its duration. I look forward to repeating the experience over the coming days.