Page 5 of Dark Awakening: New World

Something about what she said resonated with him, more like a distant memory than something he believed in. "They sound like warmongering people."

"That's how they used to be." She sighed. "Tribal wars were a way of life for them, and duels to the death were commonplace. Nature compensated for the high male death toll by giving them a gender distribution of four males born for every female, but then a progressive queen disturbed the balance by stopping the tribal wars and outlawing deadly duels. A new system had to be devised with males outnumbering females four to one. They are not monogamous, and their family units include several males to one female who heads the household. Things got even more out of whack when they landed on Earth and had to survive, but I digress. I just hope that the Kra-ell who joined our community will adopt our values, at least to some extent, and learn that compassion and kindness are not weaknesses but strengths."

Once again, something about what she'd said resonated with him, but as before, he didn't know whether it was because he agreed with her or for some other reason. Compassion and kindness were excellent qualities, but they should be applied cautiously and only to those who had earned and deserved them. Otherwise, they could be manipulated by the unscrupulous to trap and destroy the well-meaning people.

How did he know that?

Was it innate knowledge or something he had learned?

"You look troubled," Bridget said. "Did something about what I said jog your memory?"

He shook his head. "It's a feeling. A warning sensation that goodness could be one's downfall."

"That's a very good instinct, Ell-rom." She pushed to her feet. "Whoever provided your education did a good job. Compassion and charity need to be backed up by strength, or they will be exploited." She patted his shoulder.

Was she planning to leave already? He wasn't done with his questions.

"Can you stay a little longer? I have another question."

"I'm not leaving yet," she said. "There are a few more tests that I would like to run on you."

3

ELL-ROM

Asking the medic about his fangs was going to be so embarrassing, but Jasmine had left him no choice.

"Um, it's about my fangs," Ell-rom said. "Jasmine said that you can explain what they are for."

Bridget's lips twitched, but she stifled the smile and retained her professional demeanor. "Ah, yes. I can certainly help with that. What do you know about your physiology?"

"I know I'm half Kra-ell and half god, and I know the Kra-ell drink blood, but I don't. The idea of consuming blood repulses me. I don't know whether my fangs are just a remnant of my Kra-ell genetics that is not needed or do they serve some other function." He cleared his throat. "I've noticed that they elongate in response to certain stimuli."

"In that respect, you take after the part of you that is half god. Your fangs aren't for feeding; they're for... well, let's call it sharing."

"Sharing?" Ell-rom echoed.

Bridget nodded. "Both Kra-ell and gods have glands that produce venom. The Kra-ell use it mainly to immobilize their prey and to heal its wounds once they are done drinking its blood. The venom actually makes it a pleasurable experience for the prey. This ability is much stronger in gods, naturally or genetically enhanced, but only the male gods have fangs. The females do not."

That didn't seem fair, but the Mother of All Life knew what she was doing, so there was probably a good reason for that.

"In what way is the gods' venom different?" he asked.

"To start with, their venom is much more potent than the Kra-ell's," Bridget said. "In a fight, it can incapacitate an opponent or even stop his heart, which is one of the few ways to kill a god or an immortal. Aggression triggers the production of this dangerous type of venom. The production of the other type, which is used to pleasure sexual partners, is triggered by arousal. Your fangs will elongate in response to either trigger, but the composition of the venom will depend on the situation."

That explained why his fangs had elongated when he kissed Jasmine.

"Is it dangerous?" he asked, suddenly worried. "Could I hurt Jasmine?"

Bridget shook her head. "Not with the venom. Your body knows what type to produce for her benefit, which is not limited to enhancing her pleasure. She will feel stronger, healthier, and more energetic. If she has an ailment bothering her, your venom will help cure it or at least alleviate its symptoms. So, you shouldn't worry. But as you get physically stronger, you will need to be mindful of your superior strength and of her human fragility. Also, her sexual stamina cannot match yours. While you will be able to perform consecutively without rest, she will tire long before you are satisfied, but you will need to follow her lead in this."

Bridget had delivered the explanation in her usual dry and factual tone, but the effect of her words on Ell-rom was instinctive and visceral. All that talk about climaxing and satisfaction was making him respond most embarrassingly, and he crossed his legs under the blanket to hide the evidence.

"Does that answer your question?" the medic asked.

All he could do was nod.

"Very good." Bridget moved to stand close to where he did not want her to be. "Let's check your mobility. Can you sit up for me?"