Chapter 1: Survival

I was just returning to Addison's World after serving my time in the Marine Recon. Addison was home to me and one of the deadliest planets around. If you were on the ground the big predators considered you food. The exception was the huge clearings in the northern and southern continents where a majority of the colonists lived.

My family did not and were considered tree huggers, they called us that because we lived in the upper part of the trees and hunted in the lower. My name is Firehawk Michaels and I am twenty two. I had taken a couple of extra days to visit friends before taking a ship to the Addison system.

The huge asteroid station was almost crowded with miners and prospectors for the two asteroid belts. I had missed the prior shuttle down to the planet and spent a couple of weeks doing make shift work in a custom shop. I set up items brought up from the planet and sold them to miners eager for something different.

I found several large pieces of rainbow wood and got a deal from the shop owner. When I was off I worked a long piece of the wood into the shape of a longbow. The rest of the pieces I split several times before making two dozen arrows. I even used feathers from a Blue Falcon, which was one of the smaller avian hunters in the upper branches of the trees.

I used a standard hard container to add them to my things. The shuttle down had several new families for the northern colony site as well as the usually tourists coming to see the planet. I always make checks of conditions before taking a shuttle to any world. This time there was a serious meteor shower warning for all shuttles going to or leaving the planet.

The shuttle entered cleanly and awhile later turned for the northern hemisphere. That was when the meteor struck, one ripped off the whole front of the shuttle as others passed us. After that it was just screaming as the shuttle flipped and spun. I used the arm comp on my seat as we fell and ignored everything.

It took a lifetime for me to access what was left of the ship's data net and enter a ship emergency command. The entire shuttle shuddered as anti gravs on the body and wings began to spin up and crash foam exploded in the cabin. It was almost enough, the shuttle crashed through the huge trees, ripping limbs and branches away.

Large rips shattered the hull and tore people apart as the shuttle spun and bounced off larger branches and tree trunks. When the world settled and the foam dissolved into powder I struggled out of my seat. I had been seated over a wing strut and the wing had been ripped off and the strut bent up and almost over me.

I started moving through the shuttle checking people, most of the time it just took a look. On the floor near the front were two girls crying. One had short red hair and the other had short reddish blonde hair. They both wore bright green blouses with long light green embroidered skirts. I pulled them up and turned them as I checked them.

I pulled them after me to a maintenance hatch down into the cargo hold below the passenger deck. I looked down carefully before turning to move to a stewards area. I grabbed the large trauma bag out of its locker and a half dozen liter bags of water. I turned one of the girls after dropping the bag down and held her hands before helping her over the edge of the hatch.

I knelt and slowly lowered her and let go, I did the same thing to her sister before holding the edge and dropping down beside them. There was a single rip down the left side of the cargo area about a meter wide and ten long. There was enough light in the hold to see and I began searching for my belongings.

Besides the bow I had made there was my pack and I would need it if we were to survive. I pulled the girls with me as they finally stopped crying. I glanced at the reddish blonde, "what is your name?"

She bit her lip, "Jade Kristine SinClare."

I nodded, "well Jade, start looking for emergency rations against the front bulkhead."

She nodded and turned as I looked at her sister, "your name?"

She straightened, "Alexandra Patricia SinClare."

I nodded to the back, "you start looking against the rear bulkhead."

She nodded and began climbing over the crates and bags. It was another few minutes before I found my things and opened the crate. I pulled out my pack and emptied it before I started repacking it and adjusting the tiny anti gravs on the bottom. I lifted the coiled belt with the fourteen millimeter grav pulse pistol and put it on.

I settled the pistol on my right thigh and the long tristeel bush knife on my left. I slipped the other small knives into place before adding the six spare magazines for the pistol. I secured the bow and quiver to the side of the pack and coiled the long fiber rope I was taking home and added it to the top before straightening.

I knew the crash would have scared any predators away for a little while but some of the forest sounds had returned, now they had gone silent. I silently moved towards the rip in the side of the hold as I pulled my pistol. I stopped a few feet away and waited as I listened, the camo tiger struck suddenly with force.

The whole shuttle seemed to shudder as its head and right shoulder and paw lashed out through the rip. I fired as I dropped to my knee and the huge slug from my pistol cracked as it exploded out the back of the tiger's head. Camo tigers were only found in the lower branches and on the ground.

Their bodies were a light green with dark green stripes and they were as large as old earth draft horses. I looked at the girls as the tiger convulsed and moved to the smaller cargo hatch down the side of the shuttle. I cracked it and pushed and slid it back into the hull before looking out and around.

I went to bring my pack and gestured to the girls. They had several large plastic bags of water and a few rations that I added to my pack, "stay here."

I was careful as I climbed out and dropped down onto a lower limb. I moved back and climbed broken limbs until I was beside the body of the tiger. I pulled and managed to get the head and paw out before quickly skinning it. The pelt would be useful after I cleaned and treated it. I was out of practice but it did not take long to finish.

I folded and rolled up the heavy pelt before making my way down and back to below the hatch, "hand down my pack."

I tied the pelt to the top, thankful that I had military grade anti gravs in the pack. I helped the girls down onto the huge branch I stood on. I used loose smaller vines as cords and put seats and a climbing harness around the girls. I led off towards the distant tree trunk to one side and when we reached it I glanced around before climbing.

I stopped on the next huge branch and braced myself before pulling the girls up one at a time. I removed the bow and quiver from the pack and secured the quiver to my left hip before bending the bow and attaching the string. I moved a little more around the tree and led off out onto another branch.

It was late morning so I knew most predators would be resting but the only animals that lived in the lower branches were predators. I stopped when I reached a vine with a branch from another tree above us. I slung the bow and looked around before climbing. I had to get us into the upper branches.

The trees here on Addison grew to several hundred meters so we had a ways to go. I pulled the girls up before starting towards the tree trunk. It was past noon before Alex cleared her throat, "I need to pee and we need to rest."

I looked at her and then around us, we were almost to the upper branches, "at the next tree trunk."

The branches here were three meters across so we still had room to walk freely. I slowed before we reached the tree trunk and slowly began looking around. I turned to pull Alex to me, she was the closest and had told me she was a year older than her sister at fifteen, "take your panties off and lift the skirt before you squat so you will not get it wet."

She looked at me but I kept looking around, "there is no bathroom or fresher here."

It was a minute before she was ready and squatted. After she had gone and stood up it was Jade's turn. When they were done I led them around to the next branch, "rest here."

I moved to one side around the tree and took my pack off. I glanced up the tree as I removed the pelt and began unrolling it on the branch. I draped it and spread it out before making a high pitched whistle. It was a minute before several large beatle ants appeared. As soon as they crawled onto the pelt they were making more high pitched sounds.

I moved away and back to the girls as they rested and handed them water, "drink."

It was almost an hour before I saw the beatle ants had cleaned as much as I wanted them to. I had the girls stand and walked around and grabbing one edge of the pelt. I started shaking it and slipped it off to one side to beat it against the branch. I moved around the trunk with it and checked to make sure all the beatle ants were off before rolling it up again.

I pulled the girls after me as I started walking out onto the branch I had put them on. I glanced back and smiled at a curious Alex, "beatle ants live in the tops of trees. They are flesh scavengers so they eat dead or decaying flesh."

It was a couple of hours before I reached the height I wanted. I had been collecting tanning moss as we walked and made a large leaf pouch to put it in. I glanced around after climbing onto a new tree and smiling at the tired girls, "not long before we stop for the night."

When we reached the trunk I had the girls wait as I slowly moved around. I went back to bring them around a minute later. I had them sit a little distance from the trunk and nodded to the hole a meter above the branch, "this is a cave tree. Pockets like this form above sets of upper branches sometimes. The trunk here is about twelve or fourteen meter across. Most caves only go in about three or four meters, to far and the trunk breaks."

I moved to it and looked in before using an ever light. The floor burst into flames and the fire spread quickly as I moved back, "the inside gets eaten by insect and they excrete a substance that is flammable."

I grinned at the girls, "it smells good to us but anything inside will leave quickly because it is poisonous to them."

Bugs swarmed out and down the tree to escape and after awhile I looked in. I started wiping the floor and sides with thick sponge like leaves until it was clean. I tossed the leaves away and set the pack inside, "climb in."

I pulled out the tiger pelt as they climbed in and then the tanning moss. I unrolled the pelt and checked it carefully before smiling at the girls and showing them how to use the moss on the pelt. I left them to it and went to cut sturdy smaller branches and made a lattice to fit over the cave opening like a grate.

I used a few thicker ones to secure it on the inside. I climbed up carefully and used the bow to kill a Flying Lemur, it was like old earth flying squirrels but much larger and a type of common pack animal that weigh around five or six kilos. I pulled it back to me after it fell with the thick thread cord tied to the arrow.

I cleaned and skinned it as I watched the cave below me. I set out the soft pelt and repeated what I had done with the tiger pelt. It did not take long before I was pulling the pelt away and dropping some of the Lemur remains for the beatle ants. I moved away and climbed down onto the branch in front of the cave.

This time I pulled several leaves I had collected while walking. I wrapped them around the small chucks of meat I had cut up. After a few layers of fire and spice leaves I grinned at the girls. I set the meat down together and used the ever light again. The leaves flared and burned slowly but very hot.

While it was burning I opened the cave and had the girls come out and pee. I used a different type of leaf as plates after closing the cave grate and added fresh spice leaves to the meat. I checked the tiger pelt and grinned at the girls as they ate the lemur hungrily. As it began to darken I spread the tiger pelt and had the girls strip and lay down.

I tanned the lemur skin as I watched and listened to familiar cries and screams. I stripped and lay back between the girls and the grate and closed my eyes. I woke to the crash of a normal morning shower and the shaking body of Jade. She clung to me and Alex looked over her shoulder, "storms frighten her, if it lasts to long she screams."

I glanced outside, "screaming would not be good."

Alex giggled and pushed on Jade, "fuck him."

I looked at her, "what?"

Jade was shivering and slowly straddled me. I kept looking at Alex and she snuggled against me, "it is okay she thinks you are sexy and hot."

I shook my head and reached between Jade's legs to push her hands away. I pulled her against me before shifting around until she was under me. I looked into her frightened eyes as the lattice of lightning crashed above the forest. I pushed and slowly forced my cock into her extremely tight pussy.

She hugged me and moaned as she shuddered. I smiled and kissed her as I began to fuck her slowly. I kept kissing her as slowly my cock went deeper until I was all the way inside her. She shuddered and clutched me as I continued to fuck her. Her tight pussy became slipperier and kept grasping my cock.

She moaned and I started kissing her to keep her quiet. It was a few minutes before she began to spasm and thrash around. I buried my cock to hump and grind as I pressed into her. Alex rubbed her bare body against me as I went back to fucking her sister and kissing her. It was a few minutes before I thrust into Jade and pressed deeper as I grunted and began gushing cum.

She wailed into my mouth as I kissed her and pumped sperm deep into her belly. When I stopped Jade looked into my eyes pleadingly, "again?"

Alex giggled and I laughed softly before kissing her and starting all over again. I fucked her twice more and she was slimy with cum when I kissed her and pulled out. She was a lot calmer even if it was still raining. Alex pulled on me, "do me now?"

I looked at her as Jade laughed and turned to hug me, "she is always horny."

I smiled and glanced outside before moving Jade around us and against the back wall. I moved between Alex's legs and kissed her before pushing into her. She groaned as her hips lifted and I sank into her deeper before beginning to fuck her. I fucked her slowly like I had with her sister. It was not long before I was thrusting into her with deep strokes.

She kissed me and moaned as she shook and her pussy squeezed. Her hips met mine as she began to spasm and her pussy tightened. She wailed and clutched me when I fucked her harder. Her body was convulsing as I finally buried my cock to spurt strong gushes of cum. She stiffened and jerked as I kept spurting and pumping cum into her.

When I stopped cumming she sighed and relaxed. I grinned and began to fuck her again as Jade giggled. We only did it once more before I stopped and just lay beside her and held her. I finally moved away, "leave your panties off and get dressed."

I dressed and put everything back in my pack. I had the girl move so I could fold and then roll up the tiger pelt before I moved the grate at the opening. I moved out slowly with my pistol ready and did a careful check. I finally turned and grabbed my bow before helping the girls out and watched as they peed and then went myself.

As we walked and climbed up or down I started teaching the girls what leaves, moss and vines to look for. An hour after we started I stopped by a thick looking vine, "this is a water vine. It has a small tube inside with clean, pure water."

I looked around before pulling out one of the empty water bags. From under a side flap on my pack I pulled out what looked like an old earth medical needle. I pulled the vine to the center of the branch we were on and gestured to Alex and Jade. I knelt and set the plastic bag down and worked the needle into the vine.

A second later water was pouring out of the vine and into the bag. I had Alex hold the needle and stood to keep watch. As each bag filled I gave them another until all the water bags were full. I grinned as I pulled the needle out and rubbed my thumb back and forth over the hole to seal it.

The girls had drank their fill and washed their pussy before we finished and I started them walking again. As we walked I cut a few large fibrous leaves into narrow strips and started weaving. When I was finished I helped Alex put the light pack on and added the leaves we collected to the pack.

I grinned when I saw the apple berries, I was making another pack for Jade and stopped to check around us. I filled Alex's pack with the large reddish green berries and let the girls eat a few as we walked. It was almost noon when the forest awoke with screams. I looked around before turning to pull the girls around and in front of me, "run!"

I trotted after them and kept looking back. It was not long before animals were running after, above and below us. I moved up to help the girls around a tree trunk and pushed them against the trunk as I pushed my bow into Jade's hands, "do not move or speak."

I pulled my pistol and looked back as the animals vanished and the forest around us went silent. I almost cursed when I saw the Branch Lion. I looked around to try and spot its mate, they were way out of their territory since like the tiger they hunted the lower branches. They were a solid dark brown and a little smaller than the tiger but almost always hunted in pairs.

The lion leaped to the side branch before stalking towards us. That was when I saw the second lion moving down the branch we were on from the other end. I aimed at the first and waited as it moved closer before firing. The large slug exploded through the left eye and out the back of its head. I was moving as soon as I fired.

I went to the downed lion and grabbed a vine to make a loop and slipped another through it. I slipped the loop around the lion's front paw as it convulsed and spun to fire into the chest of the other charging lion. It dropped to the branch and I moved forward slowly. I used another vine and flipped it out to catch one of the paws to keep it on the branch.

I waited until it stilled and glanced around, "we have a little time, just keep your eyes open."

I started skinning the two lions and looked around before cutting off the shoulder of one. The girls watched as I spread out the pelts and called the beatle ants. The girls moved back and forth as if they had to pee and I smiled, "not now, our urine is extremely poisonous to the beatle ants."

Alex bumped her sister, "especially yours since you are still leaking his cum."

Jade blushed as I smiled and ignored them. As soon as one pelt was done I pulled it away and knocked the beatle ants off, after the second I dropped the shoulder onto the branch and knocked the beatle ants off next to it. Jade took the two pelts and put them on her shoulder, "we need to pee and then I will carry these."

I shook my head and pulled the tiger pelt off my pack and replaced it with the two lion pelts. I shouldered my pack, "that one is lighter."

I turned to lead them away and a little later pulled them up onto a branch from another tree. I looked around and smiled, "okay, we are far enough away."

They actually took turns peeing and then we were moving again. I killed another flying lemur a few hours before sunset and we cut it up and cleaned the pelt. The home tree cave was larger than normal but flash burned just as quickly. While the girls cleaned it out I made the grate and then they spread the tiger pelt and started using the tanning moss on the other three pelts.

I cut the lemur into smaller pieces and wrapped them before setting them on fire. I made pouches instead of plates and started cutting spice leaves and putting it in with cut up berries. When the leaves finished burning I added the meat and the rest I put in a separate pouch. I put the grate in place after we peed and we sat in the growing darkness eating.

After we were done the girls laid out the two lion pelts with the tiger. We undressed and I laid down between them and the entrance. Alex straddled me, "can I fuck you again?"

I cupped her breasts, "no loud noises."

She nodded as Jade gigged and lifted to fit my cock to her tight pussy. She slowly pushed down and my cock sank into her. I rubbed and tugged on her nipples and Alex started to rock and thrust as her pussy squeezed. It was a couple of minutes before she spasmed and became incoherent as she covered her mouth to stifle a scream.

Her warm pussy felt amazing as my cock slipped in and out. It kept grasping and squeezing and I finally pulled her down and rolled before thrusting into her hard as I began to gush cum. Alex spasmed and clutched me as I spurted into her, "aaaahhhh!"

When I stopped cumming I pulled out and laid back, "how was that?"

She turned to snuggle against me as her sister moved to hold her, "good."

I woke at the first hint of the morning storm. I glanced outside at the first grumble and looked over Alex at Jade. I shifted out from under Alex and moved around and over Jade as I pushed her onto her back and spread her legs. I slowly forced my cock into her and she groaned as her hips lifted.

I fucked her nice and slow and enjoyed her tight pussy as it rippled and squeezed the length of my cock. Alex lifted her head as Jade moaned and shivered. I started to kiss her as the grumbles grew louder. Alex sat up and whispered, "she will love waking up this way."

I buried my cock and humped and pressed and a moment later Jade stiffened. I covered her mouth just before she began spasming and screamed. Her eyes opened and she clutched me as her pussy rippled and contracted. When she shuddered and relaxed I began to fuck her again. She smiled and kissed me softly, "morning."

She was not even paying attention as lightning exploded across the sky above the forest. Her hips were meeting mine as I continued to fuck her and a couple of minutes later she stiffened. She spasmed and wailed into my mouth as her pussy clenched around my cock. I kept fucking her as she shuddered and shook and a minute later she was jerking and convulsing again.

When I buried my cock I began to gush and spurt cum through her cervix she exploded and screamed into my mouth. I spewed and spurted and when I was done I held her until she relaxed. I grinned as I pulled out and she frowned. I turned to pull Alex close and helped her straddle her sister.

I positioned her so her pussy was on Jade's before I moved up and pushed into her. She groaned and shuddered and Jade hugged her as she humped up. It was not long before Alex was kissing her sister as she moaned. When she shuddered hard a few minutes later I slowly pulled out and moved before pushing into Jade's cummy pussy.

I started fucking her with long thrusts and she was thrusting up onto my cock and into Alex's pussy. Her pussy was grasping and squeezing my cock as I kept fucking her. A couple of minutes later she was wailing into her sister's mouth as she spasmed. I waited and then pulled out before shifting and pushing into Alex.

Her pussy tightened as I began to fuck her and she shuddered. I went back and forth several times before shoving into Alex to spew and gush cum. When I was done I went back to fucking both of them until a long time later when I began cumming in Jade again. The storm was over so I sat beside the girls to chew cold meat.

We had only been walking an hour before I stopped, "the way ahead is starting to thin out."

They looked at me as I thought. I looked around at everything, "two places are very dangerous in the forest here. The ground or lower branches and the tree tops. The ground and lower branches has larger predators and the tree tops have larger avian predators."

I gestured around us, "you see the other birds? They are average size but stay away from the large branches to be safe. You have seen the few smaller hawks and falcon types, well up above they are a lot larger. I am named for a Firehawk which is colored like fire with a wingspan of three or more meters. There are Rocks which are another type of falcon and as big as the firehawk. Then there is the Dragoneagle and it is huge with a wingspan of four to five meters."

I sighed, "stay close and keep your eyes open."

By the next tree I could see open sky ahead. When I went around the trunk of the last tree between us and the open sky I saw why. We were at one of the many lakes and I stayed by the tree as I looked down and out. I nodded to the girls and whispered, "a lake."

I looked at them, "the water is twice as dangerous here."

I nodded to the east, "we will go around that way."

I turned and took another branch and stopped a few trees away to cut two slim branches from a rainbow tree. I took a few minutes to crudely make points and cut the other end off. I gave the spears to the girls as well as two small knives, "if you need to use them, brace one end on the branch and kneel as you point at whatever is attacking."

They nodded and I started moving again. It was noon when I turned back towards the north. I was pulling Jade up when the Rock screamed and dove. I wrapped the vine around my hand to hold Jade before I drew my pistol. The huge falcon was not going for me or Jade, it dove for Alex.

She crouched and pointed the spear but I followed the falcon until I had a clear shot and fired. It crashed into the branch Alex was on and I was surprised when she went to stab it repeatedly. I holstered my pistol and quickly pulled Jade up and dropped the vine down, "Alex!"

She was plucking a lot of feathers and stuffing them into her pack. She turned and ran to the vine and stepped into the loop and grabbed it. I pulled her up and let Jade and her hug each other. I grinned and caressed her cheek, "okay?"

She took a breath and nodded before kissing me quick. I grinned and turned her to check the feathers before tossing a few short ones away, "the long ones bring the most."

I sighed and looked around, "time to go."

Two hours later we harvested a huge pack of fire and spice leaves. The branch we were on was merged into the branch of a Cave tree. I glanced around and went to the cave and lit the inside on fire. I set my pack down as the girls pulled out the sponge leaves we had collected. I made a grate for the cave and after it was clean locked the girls in.

I moved around to cut and weave a lot of smaller branches and leaves into a wide, thick smoke hut. I set it out on the branch in front of the cave and let the girls help me collect a lot more fire leaves. I had them come with me this time as I went hunting. My first kill was a Wolfape, it was as large as a big old earth dog.

It had brown and grey ... almost white hair with four inch canine teeth and long sharp claws. I cleaned it while the girls watched and Alex and Jade carried it as I moved out onto another branch. This time I killed three flying lemur. I cleaned them by another tree and then set all the pelts out and summoned beatle ants.

When they were done I took the pelts and fed the beatles the innards from the three flying lemurs. The girls were grinning as we climbed back to the cave tree. The sight of something trapped in the grate made them stop. I shoved the bow and the wolfape at Alex before running towards the cave. I was careful and snatched several leaves as I went by.

I slowed and carefully reached out to work the furry, baby bird bat out of the grate. The girls had followed me and I knelt when the baby was free. I fished out the ever light, "use a couple of fire leaves to burn the other leaves I dropped."

The baby was struggling and squirming as I held it and tried not to let it bite me. Its small unformed claws would not hurt me but the small teeth might by accident. Alex got the fire going and smoke started drifting up immediately. I turned to let the smoke drift around the baby's head.

It quieted quickly and I waited for a minute before moving away and gesturing to Alex, "open the grate and get one of the apple berries."

The baby started crying and Alex froze and looked at it, "you are not going to hurt it are you?"

I shook my head before hesitating and pushing it into her arms, "just hold it and try to reassure it."

I moved to the grate and pulled it out before reaching in to bring Alex's pack out. I dug into it and pulled out a large berry. I went to Alex and knelt beside her since she was on her knees. I started cutting tiny slices from the berry and handed the first to her, "feed it."

She slowly coxed it into taking a bite and it chirped before pushing its head against her. I let her keep feeding it by cutting tiny pieces and stood, "now to start our work."

I moved to the meat and my bow and shouldered the bow before wiping the meat and starting to cut strips. Jade knelt beside me and watched before copying me. I wrapping each strip in a spice leaf before hanging it in the smoke hut. Jade started cutting the meat up and I looked around before walking to the end of a side branch.

Chapter 2 »