(At least) 20 Questions, Part 2.

I look between my companions as Anna gathers her thoughts. Both of my new friends look glum. All brevity in the previously flirty atmosphere is gone. The air feels heavy, almost stifling. Earth’s history certainly hadn’t been all sunshine and roses, but even after two world wars in just over a century, life carried on. Humans bounced back. The sacrifices and atrocities of the time hadn’t been forgotten, and whilst they had a large hand in shaping what I considered modern society back home, the wars, and the consequences, were largely in the past. But this? This was different.

Anna hadn’t said exactly how long ago this war was, but the implication of what she’d already told me made it sound like it was a long, long time ago. And yet, the negative repercussions of the time apparently still affected them today if the Kitsune's rather ominous last statement was anything to go by.

Done getting her thoughts in order, Anna continues with her tale. “Ferals, no matter what the original form they possessed, showed no interest in breeding, either with each other, or with non-corrupted. Although many people died in the first wave, the numbers were controllable. Even if a town or village were overrun, the losses suffered by the Ferals assured the next town or village an easier time. Their numbers were finite, and their tactics were rudimentary at best, swarm up in a big fuckin bunch and charge in a straight line at the nearest non-corrupted, rinse and repeat. Ferals were dumb, deadly in numbers, but dumb as a bag of hammers.”

“Greater Corrupted are only touched by the corruption rather than fully warped by it. The changes are mostly mental, with only one or two changes physiologically. The mental changes apparently increased the Corrupted’s sex drive drastically, driving them to breed with anything and everything they could, willing or otherwise, and pass on the Corruption one way or the other. You see, the sapient races that call this world home, those immune to the influence of the Seven, are totally immune to corruption as well. You’d think this would be a good thing and in one way you’d be right, but in another you’d be extremely wrong.”

“When Corrupted fucks a non-native race, for example, an Orc, the Orc would quickly become a greater Corrupted themselves. This is both bad and good. Bad because there’s a new Corrupted to deal with, good because it's only the one, and that one is now infertile.” Parts of Annas story click into place, and my eyes widen as I begin to understand where this was going. “You’re saying its bad some people are immune to this Corruption because as long as they don’t get infected, they can get pregnant?” Anna nods solemnly before replying, “Bingo.”

The series of events is growing clearer and clearer for me by the second, the fates of missing men and woman from the early attacks, hidden away and used as breeding studs or seed beds, spawning a whole new generation of Corrupted, again and again and again. The process would be slow, but… Then my eyes widen, thoughts springing back to the girl’s surprise at how long pregnancies lasted on earth.

With a shaky voice, I ask, “How long did Corrupted pregnancies last?” Anna smiles as I work things out, but the expression never reaches her eyes as she replies, “Depends on the species. The longest? About two months. For swarm type creatures? Quickest was apparently half a day, but I’m not sure I believe that. Best guess from a semi-reliable source? A day? A day and a half?” My mouth hangs open, truly shocked at the revelation. A day? Maybe less? That can’t be right. If that’s true, I can certainly see that causing problems after a while. At the very least, at least they don’t… I cut my thought off with a sigh, before asking, “This is the bit where you tell be these corrupted children mature super quick too, right?”

Annas solemn nod is answer enough. I take a moment to really consider the implications. An army slowly growing if left unchecked. A **** that would only grow quicker with every new town or village conquered. Wide eyed, I ask, “This sounds like something straight out of a horror movie! How did you survive?”

“So, the story goes that the high mages of the time, those that could harness the powers of the seven, gathered together and weaved a powerful enchantment, using a small part of the power of Corruption against the Corrupted. The horde grew ever bigger, whilst we were losing people by the day. So, the biggest spell in the world's history was crafted. Apparently, a woman willing allowed herself to be bred by a captured Corrupted so that these mages could study they why’s and how’s of the increased pregnancy speed, and the mages used what they learnt when crafting the spell.”

“The spell they created had four intended stages. First, both men and women would be made incredibly fertile, and if a baby were successfully conceived, the woman would receive a rush of pleasure letting her know all about it both as a positive reinforcement and a method to tell a couple that they successfully conceived. Secondly, the harnessed corruptive energy would drastically decrease pregnancy times. Third, babies would enter a separate pocket realm where time would flow differently, allowing them to mature at incredible speeds in relation to time on Tygal. Their needs would be met, and their education provided by artificially made but entirely beneficent beings. Finally, people’s personal aura would manifest as a shield to protect them from harm, but if the shield was overloaded, they would die, denying the enemy any more breeding stock.”

“Corruption, by its very nature, is corruptive.” Despite the heavy topic, I can’t help but give Anna my best ‘no shit’ look. She sighs, rolls her eyes indulgently, then continues, “What I am trying to say is that shit went sideways. The spell went off, but not quite as intended. First, the good bits.”

“Men and women were much more fertile. Not long after the spell was cast, the population had more than doubled. Second, pregnancy times decreased to a stupid degree. From conception to birth? Takes about three days. Third, and one that both Mia and I can personally attest to, the nursery realm is lovely, I grew up surrounded by friends my age, and learnt all I needed to survive in the world. I spent my first 18 years of life there, whilst 18 days passed on Tygal. Finally, as you’ve already discovered, Aura shields are a thing.”

My mouth hangs open in shock, but Anna barrels onwards. “The downside? Every new generation was, and still is, less and less fertile. If you went to the nearest pub, found a nice polite penis to sit on, and let nature takes its course, the chance you’d get pregnant currently is estimated to be about one in a million, give or take a few hundred thousand. And these aura shields, the ones that are supposed to kill you if they break? They just leave you immobile for a time, whilst also making you really, really horny”

Hoooooly shit, whaaaaaaat? Three days? A pregnancy lasts three days!?! And then your kid is an adult eighteen days after?!? Anna is watching my reaction, a smug little smile on her face. I take a moment to order my thoughts. I have questions, oh so many questions.

Authors note: Only one more wafer thin chapter of exposition, then we'll get to a sex scene, promise :P.

Love and kisses, H.B.