The Human Bearer

AN:

I read your comments and acknowledge your concerns. Well, this chapter will make some things clearer. And do you think Rio is going to take whatever Marn says and act like a doormat? He's better than that.

The Human Bearer

23.

That thing, about hating it when it was so silent that you could hear a needle falling on the floor, that exact thing was happening again. Riordan understood that he was too shocked to talk, but why the hell was Xana keeping his mouth shut? His eyes moved from His Royal Chancellor to his master. Xana's beautiful face was frozen, and only the dilated pupils in his green eyes told anything about the storm brewing underneath that cool façade.

"I will not hand over my bearer," Xana eventually said, his voice as icy as his stare.

"This is a direct order. I will not tolerate any insubordination," Marn replied calmly. "We are at war, Counselor. Do you need me to remind you that?"

"We're at war? With who?" Riordan asked. "Do you mean... are there still Xenos--"

"Riordan, this is a conversation for another time," Marn said, without looking at him.

That damn politician. He could speak as if Riordan's opinion on serious stuff like war mattered, but he was forcing him in bed with another Xeno as if it didn't mean that his freedom was non-existent.

Xana pursed his lips until they turned white. Riordan was vaguely aware of the humming of telepathic conversation going to and fro between the two Xenos in front of him, but try as he might, he couldn't tap in. A guy like Marn probably had ways to keep others out of his private affairs. In the end, Xana had to bow his head in defeat, but, before that, there was a glimpse of pain so raw and powerful that Riordan fought the need to take his master in his arms and assure him that things would turn out well. But what did he know, anyway? His position, his lack of any power and knowledge, became all the more clear.

It didn't matter. Marn was wrong to underestimate him.

"What if I say no?" he said out loud, as the humming died down, a sign that the conversation between the two powerful Xenos in front of him was dying down.

Both of them turned to stare at him. He crossed his arms over his chest and stared back, settling for Marn since that was the alien asshole he needed to convince. "Yeah, you heard me. There's no lost love between me and the high commander, and I can assure you that he despises me. The feeling is returned, in case you were wondering."

Marn smiled as if he knew things Riordan couldn't even comprehend. "I beg to differ, Riordan. The high commander is taken with you."

"Did he get the memo?" At Marn's slight frown, he hurried to explain. Geez, Kyle was better at understanding jokes, and he was a bot. "With all due respect, Your Majesty -- is this what I should call you? -- he hates my guts. I've been a thorn in his side from the start and messed things up."

"And you also helped in overturning the fate of Tu'lek and saving the high commander's life."

"Riordan did what?" Xana asked, as if he was hearing about all that for the first time.

A quick glance at his master convinced Riordan that there was no play at work there. Kanto must have kept it all a secret, or, at least, the important bits. "It was nothing, really," he said wryly. "The equivalent of me moving a pebble--"

"He was with the young ones when they intervened to save Kanto and the entire ship," Marn interrupted him. "The situation was quite dire, and the high commander was in danger of losing his life, when your bearer, Xana, grabbed a broken piece of panel and injured severely Kanto's attacker. Is that accurate enough?" That last question was aimed at him.

There was no point to lie and beat around the bush. So he just nodded, aware of the heat in Xana's deep green eyes. Fuck, the situation was getting even more complicated. "That changes nothing. I still don't want him to put his fugly egg inside me."

"As was the case when Xana brought you into his household. You weren't keen on carrying his egg, either, in the beginning. It appears to me that things have changed a great deal." Marn was smiling, convinced of the power of his arguments.

Riordan was getting pissed. Damn politician. He couldn't say or think that enough. "Look," he tried again, "me and Xana, we're like really compatible, and if you just need more Xenolites, I can assure you that my snakeboy here is ready to fill me up over and over." The fuck was he doing? Only days ago, he would have fought tooth and nail to stop Xana from using him as a carrying pouch and nothing else. And now, he was volunteering for it. Damn Xenos. Damn their stupid war.

Marn seemed all the more amused. "That is great news, Riordan. I commend you for your dedication. However, while Xana's progenies will surely exhibit the courage and outstanding skill of their parent, we cannot count out the others. The high commander has plenty to offer to our gene pool, I think you'd call it."

"Okay, sure, he's a great guy," Riordan began and stopped when he felt Xana's eyes shooting darts at him. He thought he could feel the room temperature dropping as he spoke. Whatever. He had to do what he had to do. "But it doesn't have to be me. There are other bearers on this ship."

"And they're already committed to multiple partners. It is impossible to ask more of them."

Damn, damn, damn. Riordan sank his fingernails into his palms. Yeah, it wasn't like he could do that, no matter how brainless he thought most of them were. "I believe Kanto doesn't want any brats of his own," he said quickly.

"That is not up to him," Marn said and stared him down with the same annoying smirk on his face. "For the sake of our species, he must multiply."

"What if I find a bearer who could carry his egg?" He was throwing his last card on the table. He wasn't speaking to those brainless dolls. He didn't care about them much. And now he'd have to find one that was willing to accept another egg besides who knew how many. An impossible task, but one he'd take in a heartbeat, provided that His Royal Chancellor just said yes.

Marn observed him carefully. "Bearers don't choose their masters, but I'll make an exception in this case since you're so keen. You have until you deliver Xana's Xenolite. And, in the meantime, you will have to visit the high commander regularly so that you two can get acquainted properly."

"Do you mean, I have to fuck him?" Riordan asked directly. "Because I won't do that. Not with Xana's kid inside me."

"I said acquainted, Riordan." Marn patted his head in a paternal gesture. The fucker had probably observed Earthian customs and whatnot. It seemed very un-Xeno like. "I shall take my leave now. Counselor," he added and bowed his head slightly, seemingly a concession for putting his subordinate in such a tight spot.

They both watched Marn slither away. Then, Riordan turned to Xana, ready to rip him a new one for getting them into that mess. But the look of naked pain in the green eyes made him rethink that. "You're such a hothead," he said and didn't fight as Xana engulfed him in a tight embrace. "What did Marn tell you when I couldn't hear you?"

"He reminded me of the lenience he showed me and of the duty I have towards Xeno," Xana replied while caressing his head. "Riordan, I cannot share you. I've never been this torn in my life." The realization in Xana's voice spelled it loud and clear. This sort of emotion wasn't familiar for the snakeman. He didn't know what to do with it. Marn must have appealed to the cold rational nature that all of them shared, and Xana understood it all. Only that his mind had to say something, while his emotions another. And these guys didn't do emotions, although His Royal Chancellor seemed quite able to manipulate them to serve his interests well enough.

"I will find a solution." What a strange thing to be the one to offer comfort, given the circumstances. Xana was supposed to be his protector, and he was, but there were things above them, higher things that took precedent, no matter what they thought or felt. "There must be at least one bearer, if not more, enamored with Kanto."

Xana pushed him away and stared into his eyes. "Are you among them?"

Riordan bristled at the accusation. "Why don't you read my mind to see if that's true? We're in this mess because of you."

Xana's face turned into stone. "They had no right to touch you."

"Well, they did. And you know what? They did it although they're all in love with Lewis. So, it was hard for them, too," he lied.

"In love?" Xana said with contempt. "There's no such thing as love for the Xeno species."

"Right," Riordan said dryly. "And this show of yours was because you got bored or something. Not because you can't stand the thought of sharing my ass."

"That is ownership. That is about what's mine," Xana said heatedly. "And I don't have to explain myself to you." He set his chin high with defiance.

During moments like this, Riordan could see the age and race difference between them. Xana could be smart, a good politician, brave, stubborn, and many other things, but he was simply inexperienced in certain matters and it showed a great deal. Even now, he couldn't comprehend that it was love he felt.

"You know, you almost make me want to give in to Marn's demands, only to see you squirm." A look from Xana was enough to know that he couldn't play that hand, no matter how tempting at the moment. "I'm not serious about it, stop worrying. Although, I must tell you again that it was a really dick move on your part to punish Lewis's boys."

"They're not his boys," Xana retorted.

"Baby daddies, lovers, name them what you want. Those dudes are really crazy about the guy."

Xana was about to say something, when his face changed. The humming was there again. So, they were now communicating more frequently in that manner, and Riordan could hear it, sort of. "What is it?" he asked.

Xana set his lips in a grim line. "You will have to visit the high commander's quarters at the soonest. I will escort you there and talk to Kanto directly."

Something of how tensed Xana's body was told him that it wasn't that great an idea. He was in no mood of washing Xeno blood off the walls. It wasn't in his job description and his abilities as a maid were simply too bad. "Maybe I should go alone and convince him to find another bearer. With my help, of course, so that Marn doesn't think that I'm shirking my responsibilities."

"I do not trust Kanto alone with you."

That remark caught Riordan by surprise. "Seriously? What does that mean? I told you. The guy finds me ugly and a pain in the ass. There's no danger, I'm telling you."

Xana made him yelp by catching him in his arms and kissing his face. "You have no idea how appealing you are, Riordan. You've kept on enticing me even though you should have known better. You have the same effect on Kanto, and I can tell. Do not ignore the exquisite sight of your filled belly. He might be the high commander, but the imperative of his Xeno origin is not a thing to trifle with. He will want you if he doesn't already."

"You guys," Riordan murmured under his breath, as Xana's kisses were getting more and more heated. He pushed him away with some difficulty. "You really don't want me to go to him as a horny mess now, do you? Also, I'm mad at you for what you did to those boys. I mean, they might be only a year or two younger than you, but they're boys compared to you. You should have known better." When Xana tried to reach him again, he batted his hand away. "Bad, bad snake."

Xana stared at him nonplussed for a moment, but then he smiled, for the first time since this mess had started. "You are joking. And I understand. You will forgive me."

Riordan rolled his eyes and groaned. "Like I have a choice. Still, we must send at least an apology basket or something to those guys." If joking was what took to make Xana more human, it had to do. He doubted that endearing Xana to Lakni and his crew again would be an easy task. These Xenos acted based on that bond they shared. Their home world had already broken because of their stance on human bearers. And now, more fissures were added, even within their camp, because of hotheads like Xana, and such rushed actions. "You will have to let them know that you are sorry, Xana."

"I will not do such a thing. I am not sorry," Xana said petulantly.

Riordan shook his head. Had it really been a time when he was really scared of this snakeboy of his? He could see through that cracked façade now more and more, and while not all was pretty to look at, it surely was interesting and worth cultivating.

At the moment, however, a bigger challenge rose in front of him. And Kanto was no spring chicken, so trying to treat him as an equal wouldn't work. Riordan hated his job, although he had been the one to ask for it. He'd have to play the diplomat with the high commander.

And he knew exactly squat about that.

***

It had taken him all sorts of promises and a lot of convincing in the end to get Xana to agree to him walking alone to the high commander's quarters. For the umpteenth time in his life, Riordan was thankful for his dark complexion because it hid well how much his cheeks were burning under the stares of various onlookers. By that, he meant mostly bearers, who were allowed to roam freely as a sign of returning to normalcy. He muted that thought as soon as he noticed a certain strange scene. A young bearer -- he couldn't be older than 19 -- was surrounded by three Xenos, and one of them was busy lifting his robe and feeling his ass. Riordan moved closer to observe, while still keeping the distance. The last thing he needed was to get into another mess before having the chance to correct the one he was already in.

"He has good hips," the Xeno fondling the bearer commented.

"We should take him right away," another suggested in a heated voice.

"Patience," the third said, apparently the only one thinking with the head on his shoulders among them. "But we will let His Royal Chancellor know of our choice."

The bearer's eyes were open wide and his lips were parted. He was a pretty thing, a doll, like so many of them, and Riordan could tell he was horny as fuck. He didn't have an egg by how slender he appeared to be, but in the early stages, it wasn't so visible, so who knew?

"We need to work on making him compatible with us, anyway. My choice is made," the first Xeno said.

He turned the bearer and exposed his ass. His cock entered him swiftly, making the bearer sigh his pleasure.

"That's a good point," the second Xeno commented and, grabbing the bearer by his blond hair, manipulated him so that he could feed him with his cock.

Riordan looked at the third, to see if the only rational one would advise against gangbangs in the hallways. But no, he seemed taken by the same frenzy as his comrades and he was using his elongated shaft to brush it against the bearer's chest.

He shook his head and walked away. What was the point to intervene? Those horny Xenos, although they seemed all grownup, acted like teenagers. And he didn't need a little bit of impaling on strangers' cocks that early in the day.

That was what he was telling himself. Otherwise, his heart was beating like crazy, a trapped animal inside his ribcage. And the part about not going to see Kanto while horny was water under the bridge.

***

He found the high commander deep in thought and out of his commanding chair. He had his back turned, apparently musing at something. Since the doors had opened in front of him, Riordan thought he could just walk in. He cleared his throat when he noticed that Kanto didn't pay him any attention. "Hello," he called out. "You wanted to see me."

Kanto turned to face him. He was trying to school his face into that usual mask he wore, but it was one beat too late that he did that. "Yes. His Royal Chancellor required me to ask for this meeting."

"Oh-kay," Riordan said slowly. "So, what do you think about all this? I mean, it's pretty fucked up."

Kanto looked him up and down as if he was seeing him for the first time. However, his look wasn't icy or ready to reproach something as before. No, it was different, and Riordan gulped under the intensity of that stare. Suddenly, he was aware of many various things, such as the smell of his own skin, the perspiration on his forehead, the musky scent of his own crotch. Blood was pounding in his ears, and his heart was beating fast. The only comfort he found was in the rhythm of his Xenolite's heart, steady and present. He wasn't alone. What a strange thought. The Xenolite was counting on him to make the right choices, not the other way around.

"Are you going to say something? Wait, is this... you? What's going on with me? Why do I--"

Suddenly, all the sensations disappeared, letting him breathe freely. That must have been Kanto's doing. Riordan shook his head, as if he could get rid of all that if only he tried hard enough.

"Undress," Kanto said in a cool, measured voice.

"Look," Riordan started, "I'm here to get us all out of this mess--"

"Bearer, undress."

Kanto was acting really strange. Riordan had a mind to rebel, but something of that stern voice told him that he should better obey. He no longer feared Xana the way he'd had at first, but that didn't mean that he could dismiss just any Xeno, even one whose life he had saved, as Marn had put it. He grabbed his robe and began pulling it over his head.

He trembled as Kanto's eyes moved all over his skin. "So dark, so flawed." The words fell off Kanto's tongue as if they were execution orders. "So inadequate."

Riordan wanted to feel as if he could breathe out his relief. If Kanto didn't like him, it sealed the deal. Still, he was frozen in place and his skin prickled as the high commander continued his examination.

"What good could you possibly bring to my progeny?" Kanto sounded as if he was just talking to himself. "You humans," he said with disdain, "have this unpleasant habit, as it seemed."

"What unpleasant habit? Too willing for you?"

Kanto fixed him with a deadly stare. "You're anything but willing, Riordan."

Well, that at least meant that they could start having a conversation. "Which is exactly what you are, too. We should really find a way out of this mess. I've already thought of something. How about finding a pretty bearer for you? One who isn't so flawed and ugly. Also inadequate. Yeah, that, too. Let's find you an adequate bearer, who isn't me."

Kanto moved dangerously close. He was circling Riordan like a predator in the mood to play with his prey. "I dislike humans," he said.

"Good for you," Riordan replied. "Maybe one of those lizard dudes would do it for you?" That would be such a relief.

Kanto ignored him. His tail wrapped slowly around Riordan's right ankle and began climbing upwards, as Kanto stopped behind him. His voice was like velvet, no longer the usual steel that defined the high commander. "All reason stands for pushing you away. But your smell, you awful smell," he hissed into Riordan's ear, "is so overpowering, so arresting that it takes everything I have to resist you."

"If I'd known, I would've taken a shower, especially for you," Riordan said as he fought to ignore the insults. He had been called all sorts of things in his life. Kanto didn't need to let him know more about what he thought of him. He had already told him that his mixed origins were poisoning the well.

"What is it about you?" Kanto mused, his mouth so close to Riordan's neck that it was easy to feel his hot breath.

"There's nothing about me," Riordan hurried to talk. He needed to stop Kanto from looking at him with horny eyes. "Nothing special, I mean. Can't you tell Marn--"

"His Royal Chancellor for you, bearer," Kanto hissed at him. "You're so irreverent, so ripe for punishment. I would make you beg for mercy if you belonged only to me."