Harem Reborn

When I woke up, I was disappointed to find Kyrina was already gone. The bed felt chilled, so I got up. I was really hoping to cuddle with her some and steal some kisses, but that was out of the question now; training lie waiting outside this door; I got my clothes on and headed outside, not wanting to make Dresnal wait.

When I got outside, Kyrina was talking with Iona and Tilly. I was unsure if I should go and interrupt them or just wait back, but Tilly saw me and waved me over. I walked over and joined them on the ground, and Tilly put her hand on my lap, smiling at me. She was so beautiful, even as an Xenophin, noting could mar the natural beauty of her facial structure or her smile.

"I know you have been working about how we are doing, and we want you to know that we understand and we both think it is better this way. There are many more lives we will live together, so we should enjoy each to the fullest, with our without you by our sides."

"Ya, but Tilly, Ill always be here with you guys!"

"Don't be stupid, Dave! You're so thick sometimes! She means about being in a relationship with you and spending an entire lifetime together!"

Jeez, leave it to Iona to shoot it straight, but it was for the best. I wasn't always so good at picking up on these kinds of things. I was about to sit down with them when a voice stopped me from moving.

"No point, let's go."

So much for enjoying the morning, though the time we got to rest was more than we expected. I turned to Dresnal, and he was dressed in hid warps of cloth, but this time he had a pair of suits. Both we different in style and size, respective to us, unlike the UW issue suits, these would not just make room for us. They were some kind of fabric that felt think like canvas but smoother.

Kyrina went into the tent and changed, but I stripped down and unzipped the front of the suit. It didn't take me long to figure out how to get into the suit, and I felt thick on me once I pulled it on. There was a hood with goggles attached to it, so I put it up and tried it out.

I was extremely surprised to find it had a heads-up display with a couple of different things on the lens. On top of that, the lens was so clear, and it was like they weren't even there. I looked over at Dresnal, and he gave me a big smile I could see through the cloth and then chuckled, so I walked over to him.

"Do I look silly?"

"Hehe, you just need to put some weight on you! What have they been feeding you?"

"Microwave dinners."

"A what? That doesn't sound healthy; I will fatten you up, Ha Ha!"

I knew it was coming this time and stepped forward, taking the blow but using my forward motion as a cushion. I was able to keep the air in my lung, but I still stumbled. This got more roaring laughter from Dresnal, and I just focused on my vow, no point in getting worked up.

I was saved by, Kyrina coming out of our hut, pressing down some velcro on her sides. Her suit was different because it was done up with a velcro strip that ran down both sides. My mind churned for a couple seconds, then I realized the purpose, duh. If she needed to shift then, this was a quick way in and out.

"Okay, what the plan for today?" I asked, turning back to Dresnal.

"Running in the desert."

"That sounds good."

But it wasn't.

Dresnal's Idea of a run thought the dessert was doing it away from monsters. Specifically, the ones that were chasing us. He said it was a good motivator because if they caught up, even he would be dead.

By the time lunch came, I was a soggy mess inside my suit, but I was told to keep it on. I was allowed to open it up to air out, though, and Dresnal pulled out some fruit and meat skewers. He had brought us to a tall stone wall that gave shade and stopped most of the wind.

"What is this wall from?" Asked Kyrina.

"These storms only started to happen about sixty years ago. Before that, this planet was a beach like a paradise and the vacation destination for the entire galaxy. Storms happened before that, but when they started lasting three months, the city's started to crumble from the insides.

"How could the sand cause cities to crumble from inside?"

"No one was prepared. It happened so violently that we saw it coming. All cities were cut off, and all the people from outside of the bubbles flooded into the city centers. No food could get shipped, and they only had stock for the estimated city for three days."

"Oh no, so then," Kyrina's eye had gone big, and I felt the same way as I felt the hackles rise on my neck.

"Yeah, so then the cities started to tear themselves apart. They couldn't even drop anything in at that time from space because the entire planet becomes a sand storm. No visual means no way to send aid, you will see, this is like nothing you will have ever experienced."

Oh great, another one of those things; I think I could go without any more new experiences for now. I wanted to say that, but it was pointless, and there was no point in being flippant when Dresnal was sharing with me. That said, I was not looking forward to the race as much as I was before, but I just had to get through this day of training.

"I guess there is nothing to do but try to help by getting stronger!"

"Then eat more food! You're like a rack of bones! Monsters probably wouldn't even eat you!"

"Then that would be to my advantage, right?"

"Yeah, then they will just rip you to shreds and not eat."