Chapter 21

"There is a beautiful lake. They say it's sweet. There's even a waterfall."

"Biting insects or predatory animals?"

"Yes to both, but they're not bad. There are signs of people but nothing recent. There are only a few trails that are narrow and all of them are overgrown."

"Then do you want to sleep on the beach or in your hammock?"

"I like my hammock and it can go with us."

A lot of the crew were already on the beach. They spread out for some unaccustomed privacy and I was sure it was going to be used to make love.

Another portal was already set up and it took only a few tries to establish contact with the Skussa. A watch would be set up for each. I went back with the winners and found my tent and air-mattress. My guns always came with me. The magical paraphernalia all had to come, too. A priest could come in the back door when we were away and rob me blind.

Fires were started and music began. We did this on the ship but it was special on land. The pretend natives lost any clothing they might have been wearing and danced around the fire. Their movements were beautiful and erotic.

Camsa handed me a bottle of wine and we watched the dancers. The bottle went around and around. It must have been a few hours later that we went to bed. I climbed into the tent and Camsa followed. With slightly slurred speech I asked, "I thought you were going to sleep in your hammock."

"I want my turn. You promised us an hour and I want it to start now."

"You're a boy, Camsa."

"I know you love me. I can see it every time you look at me. You have never broken a promise yet. Are you going to start with me?"

I had to think. My mind was muddled with alcohol and testosterone. I wanted him as much as I wanted the rest. I reluctantly said, "I will abide by my agreement."

"Then lie back. I have wanted to do this for a long time."

His mouth went around me and I barely kept my hands away from his head. His technique was different than the girls and I guess better because he knew just what to do. He paused or went slow or fast to just drive me crazy.

Camsa moved all the time and soon I was presented with something special to both of us. It took only a second to decide and I knew that there was no going back. I sucked him in and held him tight as if he might get away. All he did was pump up and down to increase the enjoyment. Soon he was working very fast. I held off as I waited for Camsa to give me something I wanted since I first met him.

He pumped wildly then pushed hard as if to go as deep as possible. He picked up his hips to drive in again and again until he was empty and just rested. I cleaned him off the way I liked to be cleaned and waited for him to move.

Camsa released me with a long suck and got off. He went to where his clothes were but I couldn't see what he was doing in the dark. In a moment he found my hand and pulled me up. I got on my knees and he guided my hand to his butt. He pushed it down and I felt something slippery.

"I'm too big, Camsa. I don't want to hurt you."

"I have lots of friends and I'm used to it. You can use just the front end until I stretch more."

"I might hurt you."

"I have my hour and I want you to do this."

I put my hand down on the floor of the tent and moved forward enough to put my hand around Camsa's head and turn it so I could kiss him. He groaned and turned to hold me too. It was quite a while later that Camsa got me back where he wanted me.

I used one finger, then two, then three. Some of the girls liked it this way and I did too. Camsa was large and I think it was because he used this part of his anatomy so much.

When I thought the time right, I pushed my cock in slowly. Camsa groaned and pushed back faster than I wanted to push forward. We both waited a while, then it was Camsa that did the moving. Soon his strokes got longer and longer. His voice mentioned my name constantly, as if he would forget. I was excited but had to force myself to hold off so Camsa could have what he wanted.

His groans got louder and louder until he squeezed me tight. I was beyond caring at this point and I pulled out and pushed in at least a dozen times before I filled his passage.

Camsa's arms collapsed and I bent over his small body and savoured the feelings running through me. I opened my mind to him now and felt love coming from him. This worked with most of my partners but usually it took a lot longer for the effect to work.

As a test I said mentally, "Are you sore?"

I repeated myself a few times until I got the feeling that he was happy just where he was. I held him tight to me and fell on my side. In a moment I was asleep but I would not let Camsa go.

When I woke up in the morning, I found Camsa sitting on my waist as he did squats. He had swallowed me and had a grin on his face.

"Do you really love me?"

I guess he did get to read my emotions. "I've always loved you."

"I knew that even then. You love all of us. I mean do you love me more?"

Most of the time the girls woke up the same way and I used the same answer I gave them. "I love you more than I did. It's something special to feel what you feel and know that I'm bringing you joy. I know that you love me too. We can be happy but we have to share."

"I guess I know that too."

Camsa began to move faster and faster. He pushed himself so I struck his prostrate time and again until he got that funny look in his eye. I got ready too because the end was near.

Camsa sat down hard this time and he stretched to fit all of me. He came up and did it a few more times before he shook. His small prong erupted and he sprayed past my head then down my body as I filled his colon.

It took a while for the feelings to leave us both, then Camsa started to get up but fell back. "I like it here just like this."

"I do, too, but we have to investigate the island."

Camsa finally got up and squeezed his cheeks tight and smiled. I got up and together we raced to the water. I washed him very well until a look came into his eyes so I stopped and we went back to get our clothes. I was getting darker but we could all still sunburn.

We had breakfast and I checked on the ships. Everything was ok. Tonno and his girlfriends looked tired. I guess they had stayed up late but then I remembered he stood watch.

Tonno looked at Camsa and me and said, "It's about time. He loves you and you are just going to have to make room for him. I had a friend like that once and we would still be together except we ran into a man that objected. Anyway, he died and I cried a lot."

"That's too bad. We both know how much it hurts to lose somebody you love."

Later, we explored the island to find its secrets. The paths were made by a group of apes that used the land as much as the trees. Around noon we came back to eat. One young lady took me from Camsa and I had to pay off another debt and it caused me to love another person just a bit more.

The trip home was expected to last almost two months. The Army of the Righteous had not shown up yet, but I still hurried. It was only a matter of time before I would be needed.

Some nights I would think of Lauren, Tiffany, Jonna, Fislu, Selna and Caiti. I also thought of those that had died. I was homesick for my family. I reached out the way I did so many times and tried to contact them even at this distance. Some nights it felt that I was so close. I did feel a contentment in me because I thought they were safe.

On a foggy day the lookout found four ships following us. They were even larger than the Vecta. The crew ran around to prepare for battle and Dale came to me and simply waited.

"We can't leave the other ships and the enemy is probably faster than us anyway. Prepare to come about."

"Yes, my King."

Tonno didn't have to be told and he set up the mortar but this time it was in foredeck position.

At ten klicks they started shooting and this was further than any gun had tried before. The ball fell short and wide. This had to be the Church and it meant they knew about our weapon.

We had to tack into the gentle wind and the four ships were running before the wind. We were closing fast. The cannon balls came a lot quicker but we took our time to get dressed and armed. The closest shot was only three metres to our port side. Their guns were powerful but not accurate at this distance.

I checked the decks and found that Dale had moved nearly everybody below decks or to the remaining ships. Dale changed course on a reach to confuse the enemy and we avoided some balls but one hit us amidship. I could feel pain but I had to keep focussed.

We extended our reach the next time and when the ship seemed stable I called out. "Keep her steady."

"Yes, my King."

With one ship partially obscured by another I pointed to the ship and Tonno adjusted the fuze and dropped it down the barrel. Fillo was the gunner and aimed the mortar. The deck shook and soon I saw a white splash near the ship. Fillo aimed again and called out the time for the fuze. This hit the deck and burst into flame, a flame they would not be able to put out.

A cannon ball hit our bow and stove it in. I heard the damage the ball was doing. The other ships changed course to attack and Fillo impatiently called for a new setting and then adjusted the elevation. Another ball struck us just as we fired and the mortar missed. Fillo ordered a reload right away and this time the mortar fired just before we were hit again.

The ship in the lead caught the willie pete a hundred metres up and the small flames quickly grew. Fillo called for another round this one grazed as the ship moved to the side.

We had one round left and two ships. A cannon ball hit the fo'c's'le and wood flew back at us. Tonno was hit. I rushed in and listened to Fillo as he called out numbers. I set the fuze and Fillo fired. This time the Church ship could not move in time and the shell blew up over the decks showering the rigging and the men with death.

We had nothing else that would reach that distance except our small cannons.

I pointed and Dale changed course on another reach. I wanted to shroud us in smoke and fog if possible. Only the undamaged ship was firing now and we were hit twice more before we entered the smoke. Dale immediately altered course without an order. I heard splashes about us but none hit.

We could see a ship all aflame and in a second it erupted in a tower of flame and smoke as its magazine went off. We came out of the smoke long enough to be hit twice more.

Tonno was being helped up. He had a piece of wood through his arm. Solsa was busy bandaging it. They must all know what was going to happen now but I still said, "We try to ram the ship. It is only a little bigger than us. We can take it."

He smiled but I knew it was for me. More shots were fired but they did little damage except to our sails and rigging. The fires allowed us to see just how close we were to one ship. We veered off to stay away. Behind that ship we saw a sudden explosion as a second magazine went off.

Once past the ship we could see the others and they could see us. I had a quick smile and said to the guys, "We won. We got all of them."

Solsa and Fillo got up to see for themselves. There were two hulks burning near the waterline and two more with their rigging all in flames.

Tonno croaked, "What happened?"

I bent over to hold him so he would not get up. The second explosion must have set the last ship aflame. They are too busy fighting a losing battle. The flames are just too great.

"Let me see."

"Your arm?"

"I want to see even if I die."

All three of us got Tonno up and I saw him grin. Soon there was a third explosion. Dale took us as far away as possible but still upwind. Ten minutes later the last ship exploded. We watched the fire for a moment more and I started to work on Tonno. Dale was already checking onto the condition of his ship and crew.

We got the wood out of Tonno and I saved the piece. If he lived he might want a memento. Crew were being brought on deck and tended. I went from one to the next doing what I could do. In most cases it was nothing.

I worked and cried. There was so much death. Seven of them I had made love too and it hurt like it was me who was stabbed. The Captain and his wives were at work seeing what they could do.

Two hours later I ordered the ship to turn around. The rigging was damaged but we could still sail. It was only a few minutes later that we came upon our carnage and dropped our sails. There were only a few bodies in the water. The men wore armour and sank. These were just women and children.

One boat was a klick away and I saw the other three. We found some men in the water holding onto flotsam. They cursed us vehemently. They would not want or except succour. There were women that were still clinging to wood and life.

We found enough crew to put a boat in the water. A woman survivor refused to be aided but she was pulled in anyway.

The Vecta was blown downwind but the undamaged Niña and the Skussa were better able to help. I heard firing and got out an AK with a scope. The men in the boat were firing into the water.