by Tigertalez
Juno simply nodded her head, then replied. “To be fair, our people would probably have rioted no matter what. Some people don’t need much of an excuse. It’s on them for their actions, not Tasid.”
Jurresh gave her a tender and proud look, which caused her relax.
“They’re just standing around. What are they waiting for?” Benny asked, interrupting the moment.
Juno looked out into the field to see what she was talking about. There were a few girls still walking about, one being Kaycee, but most of them were standing in front of a male, facing him.
Errim was the one who answered her. “They have to wait until all of the females have made their choice, in case more than one female is interested in the same male.”
“Oh look, Kaycee finally chose one,” Benny said excitedly.
“Oh, that’s Norlo, my head cook,” Tasid said.
Jeri guffawed. “Ha! Looks like I’m not the only one touched by Providence.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” Jurresh asked.
“Oh, see,” Juno began, “Jeri there worked as a security guard. She can kick butt. And who catches her? The head security officer and weapons specialist.”
Benny gasped. “Really? You didn’t tell me that. That’s so funny,” she laughed.
Juno glanced at Benny and giggled. “I know, right?” She turned back to Jurresh. “Kaycee there, she was a barista and a waitress. Baristas serve beverages like coffee and tea, and a waitress works in a restaurant, serving food to people. She will understand his job better than most anyone.”
“And,” Jeri added, “she’ll be able to help him better understand what we humans would like to eat. Well, the ones from around here, anyway.”
Jurresh nodded in approval. “Ah, I see. This will indeed be beneficial to him, to better provide for the Earth females on your ship, Tasid.”
When the final girl chose a mate, the officials for the ceremony announced the event completed. The men chosen shouted victoriously and picked their mates up, some swinging them around.
Juno cheered for Kaycee, along with Jeri and Benny, but she felt sad for the crestfallen males who were departing from the field.
Kaycee’s new mate happily carried her over to them. To the shock of her new mate, the three girls swarmed Kaycee and joined in a four-way bear-hug. Juno laughed when a large body with four arms joined in. Adonna’s arms reached all the way around the girls.
She heard Tasid talking further behind her. “Welcome to the family, Norlo. These females are sisters.”
The girls let go and backed up a bit, letting Adonna in for some one-on-one, while Benny introduced them, and the males talked amongst themselves. Juno smiled at the sight, so proud of her family. She was so wrapped up in her thoughts, she wasn’t paying attention to what the girls were saying until Benny turned excitedly to Errim.
“Can we go?” Benny asked, the expression on her face clearly pleading with him.
“Go? Go where?” Juno asked.
Kaycee was leaning against her new mate’s side. She turned her head and answered her. “Benny wants to go watch Maggie’s mating, since you guys were able to watch mine.” She turned her face up at her mate. “I’d like to go, too, please?”
“I don’t mind, sweet-cake,” the Nanstrahi male answered her benevolently.
Juno looked up at Tasid. “Can we?”
She immediately felt disappointment when she saw the look on his face.
“I’m sorry, my mate, but I promised one of my officers that I would attend his ceremony,” he answered.
Juno’s shoulders slumped. She appreciated Tasid letting her come to Kaycee’s mating, and figured she owed him the same favor. She immediately dismissed the thought of letting him go, while she went with the others. If she didn’t show up, it might lead his officers to believe she didn’t support Tasid or his officers.
Juno forced a smile on her face and tried to sound upbeat. “Okay, we’ll go see your officer’s ceremony.”
“Hold on, Juno,” Jurresh told her. He was already tapping away on his small floating holo-screen. After only a minute, he closed it out, looked up, and smiled at her.
“When Benny asked about Maggie, I started to look her up. If Tasid is referring to his head physician, Yebiri—” He paused.
“I am,” Tasid answered.
“Then they should be at the same ceremony,” Jurresh finished with another smile.
Juno joined the girls as they cheered.
On the transport, en route to the ceremony, Tasid leaned over and spoke quietly to her.
“I expected you to argue with me and insist on going to see your friend. I am curious, why didn’t you?”
“First, because a marriage, or mating, whatever you call it, is a union of two people. To make it work, you have to compromise. You have to give no less than you take. Second, not going would tell your officer that his life isn’t important to me. Just like how it’s important to me that you like the people I care about, it is also important that I care about the people who are important to you.”
The look that crossed Tasid’s face made her belly flutter. It was a mix of a pleasant surprise and heated adoration. She also thought she saw a flicker of gratitude.
“How did I become so fortunate as to have been blessed with you?” Tasid ran the back of his fingers gently down her face. She felt treasured.
“Ehem,” Jeri said loudly. “Find a room, you two.”
“Yeah,” Kaycee joined in, “if I can’t mount my mate in front of y’all, then you shouldn’t be allowed to either.”
The girls laughed. Juno stuck her tongue out at them, which made them laugh even more. Then Juno joined in, when she saw the look on Kaycee’s new mate’s face.
Bet he wishes for a private room right about now.
****
Tasid’s dick was so hard, it hurt. In fact, to his recollection, it had never been so hard. His new little mate was beautiful, both on the outside and on the inside. Unfortunately, he couldn’t just pin her to the nearest surface and give her a sample of the pleasures to come. If it wasn’t for his promise to attend Yebiri’s ceremony, he would already…
Tasid groaned. Those thoughts aren’t helping.
“So where is this other event taking place?” Juno asked.
Tasid smiled at her. He didn’t mind telling her anything she wanted to know.
“We divided the globe into large sectors. All of the events for this sector are being held in the same vicinity. The Larent may have to live on land, but their culture is also heavily based around water. We decided to do this event on the coast. The ceremony will use both the land and the water.”
“In water?” Benny asked nervously. “Our friend told us that she can’t swim.”
“And sharks. There are sharks and jellyfish that are dangerous in those waters,” Kaycee added, sounding concerned.
Jurresh waved a hand, as if to dismiss their worries. “They’ll be fine. They are aware that some of the human females can’t swim. They slightly modified the event for human ceremonies only, to allow certain assurances. If any Larent wanted a Larent female, their old traditions would stand. And as for your concerns about the local sea life, they researched all of them, and found that there isn’t anything in your waters that can even match what the Larent deal with every day, back on their home planet. They are easily capable of protecting the females.”
The females remained quiet, except to answer the constant questions his mother kept bombarding them with. They didn’t look displeased with answering her, so he let it go.
Once on the ground, they were taken to a platform that was erected high enough for high ranked officials to watch the event. All of the other spectators had to suffice with watching a vid feed from the ground.
When they reached the top of the platform, his mate gasped. “It’s a maze!” She looked delighted.
“Yes,” he told her. “The females are hidden in various parts of the maze. Traps and other challenges and obstacl
es are set throughout. You see the group of males over there, by the entrance?” He pointed down to the direction. When she nodded, he continued.
“Those are the males competing. They will fight through the maze, even sometimes fighting each other, because the first male to find a female, has the right to choose if he wants to keep her, or leave her to look for another female. But, as it is with Zori, there are many more males than there are females, so if the male gives up the female, he is at risk of ending up without. Should the male decide to keep the female as his mate, he must defend her from other suitors until the event is declared over. That is where the female may have some say. She can join in the fight to help the opponent she favors.”
“Which one is your friend?” Juno asked.
“Yebiri is the one in the front, farthest left.” Again, he pointed.
“Do you see your friend?” he asked, while looking around.
“I do,” Jeri answered. She pointed to the farthest corner of the maze, which was deep into the water.
His mate and her sisters had to look on the floating screen in front of them, since she was too far out for them to see, but Tasid’s excellent sight allowed him to clearly see several females were placed on a tiny water craft, surrounded by a cage that was held halfway out of the water by floats. He spotted the one female in question
“Ah, she is held as one of the most valued. She will be blessed with a very smart and strong mate,” Jurresh said, sounding impressed.
“What does that mean?” Benny asked.
This time Tasid’s mother answered. “Any male who wants her will have to go through more challenges, traps, and obstacles, than he would have with other females, who are closer.”
Tasid took over. “Since the males have to endure more, as the further back they go, they reward their cunning and endurance by placing the females deemed best of the lot in the back.”
Jurresh grunted. “Only the strongest and smartest make it that far. Believe me, those traps and other challenges they have to pass through get harder and harder, the further back they go. I probably could handle the endurance part, but some of those challenges are for wit, and a higher intelligence that sometimes rival some of our best minds, and they are doing it all under supreme pressure. Remember, they have to reach the female first, or win her from one who is already there, and then defend her until all the females are claimed. Only then will the officials call the ceremony over, and the males standing without, will have to go another year before they are allowed to try again, to allow them to build up their strength and knowledge.”
Tasid saw Juno frown. She looked up at him and asked, “How do they decide a female’s worth?”
Tasid rubbed her back, unable to get enough of her touch. “The Larent officials interview each female scheduled to participate in a mating ceremony, to figure where best to place her. They take in several different things into consideration, like how smart she is and how pretty she is, as well as many other things. They are very careful where they put each female.”
The girls went silent and stared out at the maze. Tasid could make out some of the traps and obstacles and tried to point them out. They were interrupted by the sound of a horn, which started the ceremony.
Down below, the Larent males shouted. Tasid looked down to watch his head physician pushing past other males, sprinting along the shore, and into the maze. It will be interesting to see him as more of a warrior than a healer.
Right away, two males set off traps that caused serious enough injuries, they were forced to forfeit. Medics rushed in and lifted them out on hovering gurneys.
Juno and Benny gasped and jolted as they watched the event. The traps would startle them, and the fights made them wince and cringe. But Tasid noticed Jeri and Kaycee were excited and even yelled with enthusiasm. His parents watched quietly, very intent on the event.
Tasid looked back out into the maze and searched for Yebiri. He spotted him just as he was safely navigating one of the obstacles. The water grew deeper, and soon several of the participants were fully submerged under water. The floating screens in front of them let them watch the goings-on from below the surface, in many angles. Yebiri moved fluidly and thoughtfully.
“Is it true that they can breathe under water, as well as they do air?” Juno asked.
Tasid answered, without taking his eyes off the event. “Yes. None of the males will drown. Their lungs are two organs, divided into four parts, the upper and lower, which are separated by a membrane that filters whichever element they are breathing, into air to fully feed their body. So for instance, when they are breathing water, while the water-lungs feed the breath to the body, the membrane transforms half of it into air, to fill their dry lungs. You will see that they will still breathe out bubbles. It also allows them to breathe for two people. That’s why they are allowed to take human mates. If their mate was in the water, the male could just place his mouth over hers, and as he breathes in the water through his gills, she’d be able to breathe in the air the membrane creates, from his lungs.”
“That explains why they still didn’t transfer her out of that class when Maggie said she couldn’t swim,” Jeri said.
They continued to watch the event. Juno lightly bumped her elbow against Jurresh. “Wow, you weren’t kidding when you said those tests and challenges get harder. I can’t believe any of them could make it past those last two, and so far there are five males who have succeeded.”
“Is that fair for the others to help each other?” Jeri asked, pointing to a small group of three, struggling to pass a particular part of the maze.
“Yes,” Sharrow answered her. “They know they will be fighting each other later, but teamwork sometimes is the only way through some obstacles. It is a good trait to have and therefore encouraged.”
Kaycee nodded. “‘United we stand, divided we fall’, is what we say.”
“Yes. Very wise,” Jurresh said.
“Is that a shark?” Juno asked, slightly panicked.
Jurresh harrumphed. “Silly little things. Their teeth cannot penetrate Larent skin. They already tried. That is why the females are in those cages. The males are plenty safe, but they understand how fragile the females are. Look, Yebiri is releasing his scent. It is their protection from many predators on their planet.” Jurresh began to laugh. “Look at it. It can’t get away from Yebiri fast enough. Looks like it works just as well against the predators here, too.”
They watched for a long time. Tasid could see their shadows moving farther in front of them as the day progressed. Food and drink arrived for them. They ate and drank without taking their eyes off the event. It took about two hours by the time Yebiri reached the farthest section. They watched as he carefully made his way down the passage, looking into some of the rooms. He would get close enough to the surface to spy the females before turning around and heading further down the passage. Tasid could see there was a strong current, and knew Yebiri had to be extremely tired. He was proud that his officer didn’t let that cause him to settle for just anyone.
“Oh!” Jeri and Kaycee cried out in collective disappointment. Tasid saw a male being tossed out of the sea, and out of the maze.
“That means he’s disqualified,” he told them.
“We figured as much. That’s too bad. He got clear to the end. He was so close!” Jeri said.
“Look, look!” Benny pointed enthusiastically. “Your guy is checking Maggie out. He’s surfacing.”
Adonna smiled. “Yes, it looks like he’s talking to her.”
“Oh no, here comes another male.” Juno sounded concerned.
“Wouldn’t that be cool if they fought over Maggie? That would be a huge confidence booster for her,” Jeri said, with an amused expression.
Juno snorted. “Hopefully she won’t try to help. She would only make it worse.”
Tasid watch as the other male instigated a challenge with Yebiri. He looked down to see his mate chew on her lower lip.
“That other guy is big
ger than your guy,” she told him in a worried tone.
“Do not underestimate Yebiri. He is smaller, which gives him an advantage underwater. And he is a physician. If he knows how best to heal you, then he will also know how best to harm you.”
Kaycee tapped her on her shoulder without taking her eyes off the fight. “Being a doctor, I bet he is used to long, hard challenges, under pressure, with little to no sleep.”
Tasid watched in shock as all four females cheered Yebiri on. They knew the male probably couldn’t hear them, but they cheered anyway, for someone they didn’t know. Why?
Juno glanced up at him. The large smile on her face faded when she saw him. “What’s wrong?”
“I am confused why you females would cheer for someone you don’t know,” he answered.
“Simple, because he’s your friend. We don’t know any of the other males, but we have a connection to your friend, through you.” Juno laughed. “Besides, if he mated with Maggie, it would be another story of Providence.” Juno laughed again, and winked at him.
Tasid was curious, he couldn’t help but ask. “Providence, how? Is she a physician, too?”
The girls laughed. Juno leaned closer. “No. It’s because Maggie is a super klutz. If she winds up with your friend as a mate, she’ll always have someone ready to take care of her booboos.”
Tasid shook his head and looked at her, confused. “Booboos?”
“Owies.”
He blinked, still confused.
Juno raised a brow. “Injuries.”
Taisid’s brows shot up. “Oh! Ok, I get it.”
The two turned just in time to see the large male admit defeat and hurry off to try for one of the other females. Fights continued throughout the maze, until the horn finally blared through the air. It was loud enough that it was easily heard from underwater. Doors sealed the rooms with mates, preventing any more challenges over them.
Juno jumped up and down, cheering.
Jeri and Kaycee slapped their hands together in the air before they did a weird body shake.
Benny had her hands up in the air as she hopped up and down, in circles, cheering the loudest.