Nucleus 1: The Dust of Moon [Mature Sci-fi Romance]

69:57, Day 578, Year 58133

Ananda Kunda (आनन्द कुण्ड), the Pool of Bliss, The Twilight Expanse, Shashan

The mauve and indigo hues of the flora stretched out far and wide, merging with the deep violet of Shashan's evening sky, while Chandrak the gas giant loomed ominously in the distance.

Xin sat naked at the edge of a steaming hot spring. The stone beneath him was covered in an oddly comfortable moss-like creep, like a gel cushion. His shed clothes and eyeglasses were set down, close enough to grab, yet far enough to not get in the way.

With an alien breeze over his bare and slender torso, he stared to the side.

Beside him sat Kathrin, the enigmatic and alluring alien woman with her serpentine lower body, her ivory-white scales glistening in Chandrak's light, her alabaster skin glowing with an unearthly radiance, her lower half in its serpentine form, signature of an Elder Sūkṛmuc.

"So, I've undressed as you asked. What's this about?" Xin said, his eyes darting back and forth between the sky and the bewitching curves of the woman before him, his olive face flushing crimson as he peeked at Kathrin's paps.

"Mate with me to become a Sūkṛmuc." The orange reptilian eyes atop her bosom seemed to see into Xin's very being, alluring and unsettling in equal measure. "With the Nucleus Virus, you'll become psionic. A chance to be Lorna's equal."

"As tempting as that sounds…" Xin felt vulnerable as he looked up at her face. "My heart belongs to Lorna. So does my body."

"The Tasting showed that she'd been intimate with dozens of men and women. All their Aether, mixed together, etched within her," Kathrin shared. She seemed ageless, with dark, bottomless eyes that lacked visible whites, like living swirls of emptiness, complementing the long midnight black hair that cascaded down to her waist. "Why devote yourself to such a broken soul?"

"That's my decision to make." Supressing doubt, Xin continued. "There's something on me that you want. Something that can be bargained with?"

"Your sperm to fertilize my next batch of eggs." her full lips, colored deep, almost bruised purple, curled into a smile. "Yuo, an Earthling able to devise clever yet simple solutions for my Hatching Chamber, during his first day on Shashan. Desirable genetic traits."

"That can be extracted without copulation." Xin no longer hesitated with each word spoken. "And in return, I'd like to become psionic without turning into a Radi-Mon. Vyom said it is possible."

There was an eerie stillness to Kathrin's expression, as she went deep in thought.

"I see." She purred, slithering sensually closer to him, her supple body undulating. "And yet you still peek at my breasts as if they held the universe's most profound mysteries."

He swallowed, his heart pounding in his chest like the wings of a bird.

"Undeniably, Kathrin, you're beautiful. Different from Lorna, from Ume. Beautiful in your own way," he took a deep breath before admitting, "But this isn't about your beauty. It's about what we want from each other."

Kathrin's serpentine laughter was low and sensual, alien yet enthralling. Though Xin knew he must not let the primal urge in him cloud his judgement.

"Is it love that draws you towards women?" she hissed. "Or is it lust?"

Xin blushed deeper, but his gaze held. "I didn't know anything about Lorna when we first met at the Amber Moon Spire, yet I already told myself I love her then."

"Of course you did." Kathrin leaned in close, her scent intoxicating, her forked tongue flicking out to trace along his jawline.

"So, do we have a deal?" Xin resisted the urge to peek at the Elder Sūkṛmuc's ample bosom this time, meeting her gaze firmly.

"Once your seeds are extracted…" Kathrin's serpentine coils gently slithered around Xin's waist as her delicate fingers traced the contours of his face, her alto voice a soothing balm. Then, her other hand ventured lower, to Xin's crotch, wrapping around his erected manhood. "I will grant you my Aether."

"Do it then." Xin said.

"Lie down. And do as I command." Her tone took on an edge of dominance.

As he was pressed onto the stone, his back resting against it, Xin gazed up at the night sky, staring at Chandrak, the blue gas giant that shimmered above, seemingly judging him from the vast cosmos.

"Be still." Kathrin's movements were fluid as she slithered around Xin, upside down, her serpentine lower half constricting his chest assertively. Now on top of him, her tail wrapped around his shoulders tightly, her hands massaging his scrotum before taking his engorged member into her mouth.

The pond's steam rose around them, a misty veil blurring his vision. Xin's hands roamed over Kathrin smooth tail, hips and waist, curious fingers tracing the wet, glistening soft scales that shimmered under Chandrak's light. The stimulation was real. He found himself wanting to explore her body further —

No, he reminded himself. This was business. He would not let his heart go astray. Let Kathrin have his seeds. Lorna would have his heart, always.

He resisted the urge to press his lips against the Elder Sūkṛmuc's alabaster skin, to taste the unique flavor emanating from her — notes of fresh grass tinged with the exotic undertone of ambergris.

On the other end, the sensation of her lips and tongue enveloping his shaft grew velvet — warmer, wetter, and more insistent.

Holding back his gasps of pleasure, Xin kept his eyes open as Kathrin indulged in his flesh.

The hot spring's water rippled as their wet bodies pressed together with squishy sounds. Her tail coiled tighter around him, drawing him in closer and binding them together in a tangle of limbs.

"Give me some time, Lorna…" Xin uttered the name like a mantra, his words weaker than he intended. "I'll become stronger…for you…"

Kathrin continued to suckle on Xin's manhood, making contented hums as she took him deeper.

As the pleasure built within him, spiraling higher and higher, Xin felt Kathrin's body responding in kind. Her coils tightened reflexively, squeezing him rhythmically, matching the increasing urgency of what was between them now — something that resembled coupling, but was not.

Finally, as his climax approached, Xin surrendered to the release, spilling his essence into Kathrin's suckling care. He cried out, whether in pain or ecstasy, he could not know.

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Kathrin's movements were languid as she released his penis from the warmth of her mouth. Her serpentine coils unfurled, loosening and retreating to allow Xin to sit up.

He rose, his breath hitched as he witnessed the aftermath.

With an almost reverent delicacy, she lowered her head, now allowing his cum to drip from her parting lips into the waiting sac nestled in her palm.

"Wow…" Xin watched, mesmerized by the erotic yet clinical display. The sac's organic walls pulsed with a violet glow, gently massaging the virile fluid within, preserving it.

This intimate exchange, though born of necessity, still felt sensual. It was still an union of two beings, despite literal sex never taking place.

As the sac filled, Kathrin sealed it shut, the soft walls pulsing one last time to indicate the completion of the process. She held the small container up, showing it to Xin.

"Your semen — and the Aether within — shall foster intelligent Rakshasas." Her eyes, pupil-less voids, seemed to peer into his soul. "I'll nurture them with care."

"Yeah…I suppose you will." He murmured, his voice hushed with wonder. "It''s done, then?"

Kathrin's hand, still damp from the ordeal, reached out to cup his cheek. "Your contribution is invaluable, Xin." Her thumb gently stroked his cheek as her other hand carefully placed the sac aside, letting it rest on a layer of moss.

"You're welcome…" Xin stared at the sac as a single drop of his white fluid slid down the sac's outer wall to dampen the moss beneath. "You're welcome." he repeated.

"Now, time to bestow upon you what you desire, hmm?" She leaned in closer, her long midnight-black hair enveloping him like a curtain.

"Psionic power without becoming Radi-Mon, right?" He asked, careful to confirm.

"The Rakshasa virus in a…less invasive form. You'll remain human on the outside." She offered.

"Like Lorna?" He sat straighter now.

"Like Lorna, yes." Her forked tongue flicked out, brushing his forehead and sending shivers down his spine. She whispered softly, her breath warm, her exposed chest now so near he could almost bury his face in it. "Drink."

Atop her breasts, the reptilian eyes shifted, melding into Kathrin's skin, giving way to a pair of taut obsidian-hued nipples.

"…from…here?" Xin asked hesitantly, pointing a finger at the Sūkṛmuc's twin peaks.

Growling, Kathrin raised her head with irritation, then looked down again. "Yes! Did you not have a mother? Drink from my breasts."

Xin hesitated, his eyes flickering between Kathrin's face and her ample bosom. Her mounds seemed to beckon him. Slowly, he leaned forward, his lips parting as he neared her breast.

Down below, he found his hands exploring her delicate waist. Kathrin's skin seemed to yield beneath his touch, the velvety texture devoid of any rigidity. It was almost certain to him that her ancient, centuries-old body had no bones.

Kathrin's hand cradled the back of his head, guiding him gently. "Drink deeply, little Xin. Let Rakshasa's essence fill you."

Relaxing himself, Xin's lips latched onto her nipple, his eyes fluttered shut as he began to suckle, the mixture of myrrh and tang of hot spring waters filling his senses.

After several eager moments, milk flowed freely from her paps, warm and sweet, like blueberry mixed in with vanilla yogurt. As Xin continued, a comforting warmth spread through his body, starting at his core and extending to his fingertips and toes.

Kathrin's eyes drifted shut, a soft sigh escaping her lips as Xin drew from her. Her fingers threaded through his hair, holding him close as he fed. "Yes…" she breathed, "take what you need. Let it nourish you, body and soul. Awaken what lies dormant within…"

Muffled, Xin continued his suckling and swallowing. As the milk filled his stomach, he felt a sensation stirring within him.

It was like a door opening in his mind, a gateway to a realm he'd never known existed. Colors seemed brighter, sounds sharper. He could feel the energy of the world around him, the ebb and flow of the Aether that permeated all things in the universe.

Kathrin's gel-like body tensed as the ordeal continued. "Embrace it, little Xin." she whispered, her voice tinged with excitement. "Let it become a part of you."

Xin's eyes snapped open, his pupils glowing with green energy before dimming. He could see the tendrils that connected all living things, the web of life that spanned the universe. And at the center of it all, he could see himself: a bright, pulsing beacon of potential.

He pulled back from Kathrin's breast, his lips glistening with her milk. "I…can feel it," he breathed, his voice filled with wonder. "The Aether, the connection to everything."

Kathrin smiled, a look of pride and satisfaction on her face. "You are psionic now, young one. The power of Void has chosen you."

Xin nodded, his mind already racing with the possibilities. He could sense the Void energy within him, a well of power waiting to be tapped.

"Thank you." he managed to say.

Kathrin's hand cupped his cheek, her thumb brushing away a stray drop of milk from his lips. "But remember, with power comes responsibility. Use your gifts wisely, and always in service of the greater good."

Xin leaned into her touch, his eyes meeting hers. In that moment, he felt a connection to Kathrin that went beyond the physical, a bond forged through the sharing of their —

No, he willed himself as a post-coitus clarity dawned. This was a transaction. An exchange. A trade. He did it to become stronger. To protect Lorna.

His voice was steadier now. "You're a Radi-Mon healer, right? The Nucleus Virus, can it be cured?"

"You wish to remove a Primarch's blessing. Skarn's, I imagine?" she hushed him with her hand gently moving to his chest.

"If there's a chance Lorna can be cured, I want to know." his panting slowed in relief as they sat up on the tender creep-colored ground, their lower half soaking into the hot spring. Xin's lithe frame trembled slightly as he asked again. "Do you have ways to remove the virus?"

"Regrettably, the Fenris strain is entirely different from we Rakshasa's," she replied as her pale fingers scooped up the steaming water from the hot spring and brought it to her chest. "You must obtain its cure from where it first came."

"From where it first came…" Xin's body relaxed as he watched Kathrin's marble-like digits rub away his saliva atop her breast.

Kathrin's tentacles unfurled. One curled around to caress his cheek while another produced a glass vial the size similar to Lorna's Psytum Sword hilt. Its violet luster was pure and subtle as she placed the potion in his hand. "This custom-made Indra-Sprite is reserved for those who've taken my gift. Drink it in good health."

"In good health?" Xin inquired as her hand rested on his.

"It will activate your first power, teaching you my people's tongue." she offered as her hand withdrew. "Devavāṇī."

He nodded, feeling the weight of the vial, placing it into the pouch on his botanical skirt's vine-made belt. "I'll drink it before sleep."

"See that you do." She said softly.

"And if I may…" Xin seized the opportunity. "The Moondust Crystal shard. When can we —"

A loud, deep sound rumbled from behind Xin and Kathrin. As they both turned to look, they saw a formidable creature with black and purple fur, mantis-like claws, and sharp teeth in its mouth. Its single glowing eye fixed on Kathrin as it approached, but despite its terrifying appearance, it did not pose a threat. It was the same creature that had spoken to Vyomendri earlier when they had shared a meal.

"Mother Kathrin. A summon from Lady Lorna," the beast spoke.

"What does she require?" Kathrin asked as she turned her attention fully to the creature.

"Trishul is unsure. But she wishes to return to Sol and continue her search for the Moondust Crystal." The Radi-Mon replied in its deep, guttural voice.

"Would she mind waiting one more day? Primarch Moro needs time to prepare." Kathrin frowned.

"Unlikely. Lady Lorna grows impatient. May become agitated if left without an answer." The Trishul's head turned towards Xin. "Recommend bringing Sir Xin to soothe her mood."

"That would be best," Kathrin stroked her chin in thought.

"Also, an invitation for Sir Xin. Sir E-mma-nuel and Lady Tanha plan to watch Chandrak before sleeping. Sir Xin care to join them?" The beast's eye scrutinized Xin as it spoke in fragmented sentences.

"That sounds like a plan. Maybe we can have Lorna join us too?" Xin suggested, looking at Kathrin. The presence of the Radi-Mon woman no longer intimidated him; instead, it brought him comfort and a sense of security.

"We'll meet with Lorna shortly. Xin will need to don his attire." Kathrin motioned towards the Trishul with a dismissive wave of her hand.