The Practice Pt. 21: Hannah 15

*Author's note: This is the final part of the series! I strongly recommend that you begin with part 1 -- a complete index can be found in the comments below.

Since you've come with us this far, I'll be happy to answer any questions you have in the comments. I'm eager for your feedback.*

*****

Hannah watched in awe and stumbled to the ground as pinpricks of light detonated above the island from several different directions. The points flashed and expanded into blinding brilliance, followed soon after by a dull rumble that permeated the island and lasted for several seconds. The usual cacophony of the forest subsided until the light began to fade, and Hannah picked herself up off the ground.

"They're nuking us," Heron said. Her husband. One shock at a time. His semen still dripped from between her legs, and when she focused she could feel their child growing inside her womb.

Hannah wasn't scared. "As long as the perimeter is up, I think we're invulnerable," she said.

Heron's eyes scanned up and down her body, fixing on her tummy -- on their child? "Then let's keep it up. Who cares if some part of Shaper is in here? Better than being vaporized."

Hannah played along. "Duh, Cool Guy. Let's head to the plateau and find the others."

The noises of the forest resumed as they walked along the deserted paths. Hannah made a quick detour to Bag End to grab the resonance inducer and wasn't surprised to find it empty of students. Everyone had been called up to the plateau. They walked in silence, Hannah naked and Heron in his leather duster, both dirty and tired. He didn't love her, but he respected her and lusted for her -- maybe those were enough.

The trek was agonizing up the winding stone steps up to the top of the plateau, but when they finally broke through the forest canopy a cool ocean breeze refreshed Hannah's body and spirit. From the summit the ocean was visible in every direction, littered with naval vessels of every size and description in a ring several miles across. They'd been there for weeks, and Hannah didn't give them a second look.

What was more interesting was the massive assembly of people atop the plateau, more than Hannah had ever seen together on the Island. There were nearly 200 students, half of whom Hannah had collected herself, dozens of handmaidens, a hundred graduates, a few hundred men -- husbands and soon-to-be -- and hundreds of children. In total, almost a thousand people crowded the plateau, all staring at the sky and ocean, waiting.

Hannah tried to keep a low profile as she moved through the crowd towards the low office buildings beyond the grass field, but it was no use. Everyone knew her, and everyone thought she'd know what was going on. She did her best to ignore them all until Nicole, Elizabeth, and Stephanie popped up in front of her and bodily blocked her way.

Nicole put her hands out and grabbed Hannah's shoulders. "What is going on? Where's Emily? Where's Ashley?"

Hannah hesitated and collected her thoughts, looking around at the expectant crowd. "Emily is dead."

Nicole's grasp immediately turned into a fierce hug, and Hannah struggled not to break into tears again. She hugged Nicole back and took comfort from her proximity, feeling their skin together from cheek to toe. "I'm sorry, Hannah. I'm so sorry."

Hannah sniffed and pulled back a little, holding Nicole around the waist. "Ashley used an amulet to save her, and she was handmaiden for our wedding. Me and Heron."

"That's... ok... wow," Nicole said, searching for words and looking between the two of them.

Hannah knew Nicole was nervous about her own wedding and tried to reassure her. "It's good. In a way, it's like Emily is still with me. It's hard to explain. I didn't get what I wanted, but maybe this is the best that was possible." Except for the Shaper fragment. "I need you to handle everything up here, ok? I'm going to find Shelly and Ashley."

Nicole nodded. "I think I can manage."

As she spoke the Island began to shake violently under their feet. The crowd of people looked around in confusion and a few people began screaming. Hannah reached out and grabbed Stephanie's arm, Nicole and Elizabeth clutched each other, and several others fell to the ground. A huge plume of spray erupted from the ocean in a ring around the Island, quickly obscuring the view of the surrounding fleets. The shaking subsided after several seconds, but the violent churn in the ocean only intensified.

"What's going on?" Elizabeth asked, variously echoed by everyone on the plateau.

In a quiet voice that only her friends could hear Hannah said, "We're going up. Tol Eressëa."

After she said it they all felt it: the shaking had stopped, but now the ground pressed up gently against their feet, like the floor of an elevator. Within seconds their movement was perceptible relative to the surrounding ocean, which was flooding into a vast, empty chasm that had been left behind when the Island and its surrounding waters were dislodged from the Earth.

A mile or more of water lapped at the Island's beaches in every direction, but the ocean was violently filling the void below. Hannah gasped as she watched the distant warships plummet into the abyss like bugs washed down a drain -- tens of thousands of lives crushed in the watery cataclysm.

The crowd was utterly silent as they absorbed impact of the event.

Even Heron was grave. "That was every navy on Earth. Just gone."

"It's only the beginning," Hannah said.

Heron raised his voice, speaking to the crowd more than Hannah. "Of course it is! How do you think this will end? I don't know what Dr. Wilcox is after, but all of humanity is gathered against him. Against us! We need to stop him before he destroys us all!"

His words roiled the crowd, sparking arguments and shouts from every direction. Nicole jumped into the fray, trying to calm everyone, but the chaos was spreading. Heron looked ready to say more until Hannah grabbed his arm.

She yelled to her nearby friends, "I'm going down to the Door. I know how to open it. That's where we'll find Dr. Wilcox and Shelly. I know what I have to do!"

Elizabeth shouted back, "I'm coming with you!"

Hannah shook her head. "You and Nicole stay here and get these people under control! Stephanie, you come with me."

Stephanie nodded and grabbed Hannah's hand to stay close in the crowd. Hannah pushed across the plateau towards the office building, and Heron trailed behind.

"I'm coming!" he said. "We can stop Dr. Wilcox together."

The Island continued climbing into the atmosphere but the air pressure didn't change. The plateau was drawing near to the clouds as the trio reached the building. Hannah pushed the lowest button in the elevator and waited.

"So you guys are married now, huh?" Stephanie asked, comforting herself with smalltalk. "I'm sorry I missed it. It's not really fair, you know, I should have been your maid of honor."

Heron laughed; Hannah stared at her best friend and said, "I'm sorry, Stephie. It wasn't much of a ceremony." Hannah reached down between her legs unconsciously, but Heron's semen was long gone, washed away by the sweat of her exertion. In the elevator mirrors Hannah grimaced at her disheveled appearance, especially compared to Stephanie, who seems to glow. She brushed some hair back from her eyes and blushed.

"It was everything I dreamed of," Heron said with a wink.

Stephanie continued, unaffected by Hannah's discomfort and Heron's amusement. "I haven't met my husband yet, but I can't wait. I wonder how does Dr. Wilcox matches everyone up?"

"Stephie, please," Hannah interrupted, escalating Heron's laughter.

"I'll be happy to answer all your questions later, little sis," Heron said.

Hannah glared. She certainly wasn't jealous over Heron, was she? More like protective over her best friend. Hannah found herself absentmindedly rubbing her hand over her tummy and forced her arm down to her side. None of this mattered, but she had to play along.

Stephanie giggled, but before Hannah could muster a witty remark the elevator dinged and the doors opened. They were deep beneath the plateau in a complex of tunnels that criss-crossed the Island. It took a few seconds for Hannah to get her bearings, and then she led them off in a downward direction. It wasn't long until they reached the Door: a stone edifice inscribed with silvery runes that glistened in the darkness.

"Wow," Stephanie said, reaching out to touch the surface with her fingers. When she did, a low moan escaped her lips. Her skin flushed. "What does it say?"

Hannah felt it too: her pussy engorging, her nipples hardening. She took a deep breath. "Av'osto -- don't be afraid," she read from the door, tracing the Elvish letters with her finger. She had looked up the words months ago, anticipating the need. "Tolo ar nin -- come with me. Tolo govano ven -- come join us."

Stephanie's hand was between her legs, rubbing slowly over her pussy while she stared at the door. Did she realize she was touching herself? Stephanie's breasts were soft and inviting. Her lips and tongue were moist, tender. "Is that a password? Is this like the Dwarven door in Moria?"

Hannah felt the fire rush through her own body and gave in. She slid the inducer into her pussy and it settled comfortably just inside her lips like an old friend. One hand pinched her nipples while the other rubbed between her legs, slipping between her lips, brushing over her hole and the protruding beak of the inducer. "Elvish. Not a password: a riddle." She drew closer to Stephanie and her voice dropped to a whisper. "A play on words. We have to come at the same time."

The girls fell into an embrace and sunk to the floor. From the corner of her eye Hannah saw Heron watching from a distance, scared to approach the door. Hannah and Stephanie rolled and squirmed right up to the engraved surface, interlocking limbs, skin-to-skin-to-stone, and where their flesh met the door was an eruption of arousal.

Hannah pinned her friend to the floor and kissed her deeply, slipping her fingers into Stephanie's pussy and drawing out a deep sigh from her lips. Her other hand traced down Stephanie's body, lingering on her neck, her breasts, her hips, and her thighs. Stephanie yielded to Hannah's touch, nestling against her, wrapping her with her legs. Through the inducer Hannah could feel her own fingers exploring Stephanie's body, their flesh melting together.

Breaking the kiss, Hannah flipped around, straddled Stephanie's face, and dove between her friend's legs. Stephanie grabbed Hannah's thighs and pulled her down just as Hannah buried her nose in Stephanie's pussy. Her juices were hot, and Stephanie's pussy welcomed Hannah's tongue.

Stephanie's hips began to writhe as Hannah ate her out, and Hannah groaned when she felt Stephanie's face press into her own pussy. Stephanie licked up and down Hannah's lips, tracing around the inducer, lapping up her wetness. Hannah ground her hips into Stephanie's face and reached around her leg to slide a finger into her pussy. She couldn't penetrate deeply, but the combination of her tongue on Stephanie's clit and her finger wiggling inside made them both cry out.

"I'm ready Hannah," Stephanie said after a few minutes, her words muffled by Hannah's pussy. "I'm going to come, I hope you're ready, I can't stop...."

Hannah felt her friend's thighs squeeze her head and felt Stephanie's pussy grip her finger. Stephanie's reactions drove Hannah to the edge and her own pussy spasmed on the inducer. Hannah's tummy tightened, and when Stephanie groaned Hannah allowed her body to uncoil like a spring and explode into orgasm, using the inducer to pull Stephanie along with her. Stephanie bucked under her, and the runes on the door flashed silvery light over their intertwined minds and bodies.

When the blood returned to Hannah's head and her vision cleared she pushed herself up out of Stephanie's pussy and licked her lips. Her face was drenched with her friend's come, and she wiped her eyes clear and slid her pussy back and forth over Stephanie's face. Her friend nibbled on Hannah's pussy and Hannah almost dropped back down between her legs until Stephanie tapped her on the thigh and sucked in a deep breath.

Hannah flipped back around and smiled as she began to lick her own juices off Stephanie's face. "That was amazing, Stephie."

Stephanie wrapped her legs around her Hannah's hips and grinned. "I'm glad you're not a boring old married woman yet." She wiggled her body against Hannah and squeezed their breasts together with a sigh.

Hannah looked into her eyes and then kissed her forehead. "Not yet. But Stephanie, there's something I need to tell you: I'm pregnant, from last night. I'm not sure how I know, but I do."

Stephanie's eyes went wide. "Oh, Hannah, that's, what? Great?"

Hannah nodded firmly. "For several reasons, yes. I'm not exactly sure what's going to happen next, but I need you to trust me completely, ok? That's why I told you."

Stephanie pulled Hannah's head down and hugged her around the neck. "We're never seeing our parents again, are we? You're the only family I've got. I love you."

The girls kissed for a few more minutes before standing up and stretching. As Hannah expected, Heron was nowhere to be seen and the Door was closed behind them. A short corridor opened into to a large, dark space, barely illuminated by the glowing runes on the Door. Hannah and Stephanie held hands as they stepped into a cavernous room with no visible features or boundaries within sight of their small pool of light.

The inducer weighed heavily inside Hannah's pussy but the girls' sandals were gone, apparently left behind by the door. Hannah touched her ears and was surprised to find that the diamond earrings her father had given her long ago had stayed. As she felt the small studs, her mind wandered through the years and her memories of her parents. Her fingers interlaced Stephanie's in the darkness.

"Now what?" Stephanie asked.

They crept forward on bare feet, and within a few steps the light from the Door had faded completely away. Hannah looked back and saw nothing but black. For some reason their bodies were still visible, glowing dimly but casting no light.

"We have to find Dr. Wilcox and Shelly," Hannah said. In the distance a cloud of lighted orbs whirled and danced around each other and Hannah pointed. "Maybe there?"

The girls started walking and discovered that the orbs were farther away than they looked. After what seemed like an hour with little progress, they were suddenly surrounded by the cloud of lights, each brighter than the sun. The girls were forced to cover their eyes as they adjusted.

Several of the orbs were stationary, and Hannah gasped when she realized that one of them contained Ashley, standing on her tiptoes with her body arched back and her arms thrust downward and out at an angle that made her balance impossible. Her lips moved silently in the blueish light, and other orbs shot through her as they danced through the air. Each time an orb passed through Ashley her body trembled and Hannah felt her ecstasy through the inducer.

"Only eight are moving," Stephanie said in wonder, her head turning in every direction. "Four blue and four white." The stationary lights were a rainbow of color.

The four white lights spun together in front of the girls and coalesced into a human-like form that gradually resolved itself into Dr. Wilcox, naked and erect. "I'm glad you're here, Hannah. You know what needs to be done, and you've decided to do it."

"What about Ashley, sir?"

Dr. Wilcox watched the small brunette as the four blue lights surged through her in a burst, sending a jolt of pleasure through the inducer. "She alternates between being willing or being able, but never both."

Hannah grinned darkly. "So you won the bet with Shelly, sir?"

Dr. Wilcox nodded with no expression. "Perhaps I know you girls better than she thinks. In any event, you finding your way here says enough to satisfy us both."

"Why can't you do it yourself, sir?"

"We could, but then we would be no better than Shaper."

The blue lights spun into a halo surrounding them as another figure emerged from the vast darkness: Heron, but not. "All this trouble just to soothe your consciences?" he asked, thick dark mist pouring from his mouth, eyes, and the tip of his erect cock.

Stephanie gasped and slid behind Hannah, who was shocked herself: "Heron? Shaper?"

Shaper laughed, expelling a cloud of mist that spread out over the floor and filled the space with the scent of metal and electricity. "Just a bit of me, but enough to inhabit this shell for a time. I promise I'll give him back. You know I don't really want any of you -- you're nothing to me but vermin. Why burn it all down just to keep me imprisoned?"

Dr. Wilcox was silent, so Hannah spoke. "You enslaved humanity."

Shaper approached Ashley and ran his fingers over her naked body, eliciting a furious eruption from the four blue lights that pushed him back. "I created humanity. This planet was nothing but a ball of lava when I arrived. I made you as a tool to help me escape, and when I'm gone you can have it all, everything I created."

Hannah shook her head. "But it wasn't just you, was it? We aren't yours to give. We emerged from the struggle between you and your jailers, and finally, now, we have a say in our own destiny."

Shaper stood in the midst of the light and pointed his cock towards Hannah. "Destiny. Do you want to rule the world? Do you want to live forever? I can make you Queen! Get on your knees and drink my seed and the world will be yours for eternity." His cock swelled even larger and drew Hannah's eyes. Why shouldn't she be Queen of the world? Semen seeped from his head onto the floor in great dollops that made her mouth water, eager to lick it up, to swallow his meat, to receive his power.

But Stephanie's hand tightened on hers and brought her back. "No, I don't want to be queen of your slaves."

Shaper dashed forward and grabbed Hannah by the shoulders, suddenly towering over her, his burning cock pressed against her body. The smell of ozone was overpowering in the mist that poured from his mouth and eyes as he spoke. "Your parents can live. Your friends, your family, your husband. I can even give Emily back to you." He reached around her and grabbed her ass, spreading her cheeks, reaching for her holes. "Bend over and submit to me, just once, accept my cock and you'll never be alone again."

Tears poured from Hannah's eyes. Where were her parents? Were they even alive? And Heron, what did she feel for him? He had been loyal and brave, and their child needed a father. And Emily... the thought of having her back put a knot in Hannah's tummy, right where Shaper's cock stabbed into her. Right over her womb, her baby... her baby, who was made incorruptible by Emily's sacrifice.

Hannah shoved against Shaper, pushing his massive body away like a ragged cloth. She shouted: "Get away from me, you foul creature. We've suffered enough from you already, and you'll never get my son."

Shaper erupted from every orifice of Heron's body with a wail and dissipated into the cavernous darkness. Heron lay shaking on the floor, limp and naked, weeping. Hannah bent down over him and touched his shoulder, but he batted her hand away.

Turning to Dr. Wilcox she straightened and took a deep, shuddering breath. "You need to show me how, sir. More runes?"

"Like much of what you've seen, the runes were an illusion your mind created to protect your sanity." Dr. Wilcox gestured to a ball of yellow light. "I'll guide you."

Hannah kissed Stephanie again and stepped around Heron. She entered the ball of light slowly at first, and then all at once. Her sight was overwritten by a huge expanse of space overlooking the Island and the curve of the Earth far below. She could still feel her body, aching and exhausted, yet immeasurably aroused by sheer glory of the vision before her.