King Cheetah - Night of Terror
#1 of King Cheetah
"We've made a deal that should benefit all of us," said Ruyo with only a slight pause to betray his concern. He scanned the group of cheetahs, seated or lying in the grass in a haphazard semi-circle around him, but he could not tell which of his friends and family, if any, had caught his hesitance.
But some shared his concern. His second in command, Jurani spoke in even tones, flicking his tail nervously, "How can we be sure they will comply? Their coalition is...much stronger than ours, and they have no females."
Ruyo would have wished these words come in private, but all assembled deserved the answer. Before he could speak, he was interrupted by one of the male youths of the group. His name was Kagoye, who tended to speak his mind, and do so with considerably less caution than Ruyo would have liked. "Do you not think they agreed to too great a bargain? Their males outnumber us three to one, King Ruyo, there must be a hundred of them! Why would they agree to leave us alone when they could do whatever they wish to us?"
Hisses and whispers of fear spread throughout the assembly. Ruyo stood firmly on all four legs with his tail curved upward, showing in dramatic fashion his noble descent - the spots on his back blended together, forming three dark parallel lines that followed the arch of his spine from the black hair of his ruff to his rump, while the spots on his tail fused into large, non-circular blobs. The coat of royalty, of the King Cheetah. Asserting his authority to rebuke the youth, he said, "Perhaps they and their leader are reasonable people who do not want trouble, young Kagoye. Do not be alarmed, the details of the agreement are quite concise. We are to remain in this valley and not intrude upon their hunting grounds, and in exchange, they will not enter our valley. We can live in harmony, my people."
A wise female spoke up, touching on a subject the King knew would come up, but wished wouldn't. "And females? They will leave us alone as well, despite not having any of their own?" the female, Savira, asked in disbelief. She was one of the few who bore the markings of royalty outside of the royal family. Of the roughly thirty cheetahs that made up Ruyo's kingdom, ten bore the triple lines of royalty on their back. Ruyo himself, his wife, his two daughters, and his own father, and his brother Nanir were six of them. He wished his brother were here. Nanir was good at calming people down, but he had been ranging farther and farther from the kingdom, seeking independence.
Ruyo continued where he left off, answering the question on everyone's mind. "They don't want trouble any more than we do. It is clear that they outnumber us, but the fighting would be fierce and harmful to both parties. Furthermore, they recognize that there are females outside of the valley and outside of their new hunting grounds. They have promised to leave ours alone, provided our females do not venture onto their land. What this agreement means to us is that we cannot travel outside of the valley. Their nomad coalition has claimed the adjacent hunting grounds, and we must respect that. But we can maintain our way of life without interruption, thanks to the generosity of their leader, Mertio."
He could read the doubts on their faces. Most of them were still worried, as was Ruyo. Mertio was too quick to come to such a generous agreement. But what was Ruyo to do? The larger coalition could easily overpower Ruyo and his allies. The best he could do was to be on his guard, and give in to any further demands Mertio might make. Meanwhile, he would try to reassure his people that everything would be fine. If things got much worse, they may be forced to leave the valley forever.
He answered a few more questions before wrapping the meeting up. He sighed as he watched the assembly leave, heading to their warm dens and their many cubs. Ruyo's kingdom was growing, thriving. But with Mertio's coalition of young males on the border, there was little room for the kingdom to grow. Perhaps that was Mertio's plan - it wouldn't be long before there were too many females crowded into the valley, and many would leave voluntarily to the hunting grounds. But Ruyo suspected it was more than that. He did not trust Mertio, and he told his wife Liana as much when he arrived home.
She tried to reassure him about as successfully as he had reassured his people. "He made a reasonable offer - perhaps that simply means he is a reasonable person. And even if he is not, that does not mean his boys are not. Perhaps he wants to join our kingdom outright, Ruyo."
Ruyo whispered softly, so that his daughters might not hear, "That may be true, but under the circumstances it would be us joining him. I doubt our nobility would remain intact..." Indeed, Ruyo worried that Mertio would simply kill him and his family and assume control of the valley and all its females. "And regardless of his best intentions, his followers are youths, young males lacking discipline. I can hardly expect them all to follow the agreement, not when we have so many females."
Ruyo immediately regretting speaking so frankly, and not because of the worry he saw crossing his wife's face. He heard a rustling behind him and knew that his daughters were close. They may have overheard him. "Mela, Nanira? Come here."
The two young females inched forward from the shadows on their bellies, submissively worried. Mela asked, "Are we in danger, father?" Mela was a year younger than her sister, Nanira, who was almost old enough to take a permanent mate. Ruyo and Liana had only two children, each a single birth, though it was not for lack of trying. The cats of his kingdom had always had difficulty with conception, and their society had done away with the ancient practice of polygamy. Ruyo's ancestors had found that monogamy resulted in strong cohesive bonds that held the group together, allowing the group to thrive together where the unorganized cats travelled wide ranges and engaged in their instinctual habits: when a female came into heat, any males in the area would chase her down for lengths of time surpassing hours, and then each would take their turn with the exhausted cat.
Perhaps that practice was more likely to result in offspring, but love and friendship could rarely survive such an emotional situation. Jealousy would lead to anger and strife, and society would break down. Ruyo knew that his kingdom's culture would be lost on Mertio and his band of youths, who were probably still used to chasing down mates without regard to consent. They may number in the hundreds, but without strong leadership and ready food, they would dissolve in a flurry of fights and arguments...perhaps even full-blown conflict. It was through monogamy that Ruyo's kingdom had reached such large numbers, yet sustained itself.
With monogamy came nobility, and the royal family was formed, resulting in a consistent line of King Cheetahs. He and his wife were half-siblings, sharing the same royal father, but different mothers. Ruyo's own mother had died when he was young, allowing his father to remarry. Only those with the royal pattern could marry into the royal family, and if necessary - if no suitable mate were available for a royal child - monogamy could be set aside. In the past, fathers had mated daughters, brothers had mated sisters. In harder times long ago, the King had had to interfere with the monogamy of his subjects, taking multiple normal-coated girls as his brides. This would eventually result in cubs bearing the mark of royalty, and then monogamy could resume.
That was not the problem today, as there were three young males bearing the three lines of nobility available to marry Ruyo's daughters. No, Ruyo's only fear was that there might not be a kingdom, if Mertio were not on the up and up. But he hadn't intended to frighten his daughters. "No, Mela. You are safe as long as I'm alive. But I want you to promise that you will not stray far from our home. Do not go near the border to the hunting grounds, and certainly do not enter them. You too, Nanira."
The two girls nodded quickly. He was proud of them, and he could tell they were reassured. It was clear to Ruyo how much they trusted him. He could not have asked for more wonderful children, or to have been blessed with a more loving wife. But this night, he slept fitfully, fearing that his kingdom was nearing its end, unaware that his daughter, Nanira, had taken off in the night.
Mertio smiled. The "kingdom" had taken his generous offer, and should be sleeping for the night, reassured that their way of life was safe. He spat. What an unnatural arrangement! But it would work out in his favor - just as he was losing control over his unruly boys, he had found a haven of fresh, defenseless females. Usually there were only two or three females every hundred acres, whose territory did not overlap. Each could take five to ten males, once the chase was over. With almost one hundred males at his disposal, when a female came into heat, all but ten were frustrated, and unhappy. Mertio had been about to sneak off, leaving his position of power before his band of "brothers" turned on each other, dissolving in violent territory wars. And then he had found this ill-fated kingdom. They appeared to have roughly fifteen females, enough to accommodate his men and more, packed into a valley only about fifty acres wide. The density was phenomenal, and ripe for the taking. The fifteen males had no chance against his hundred, and resting peacefully, they would never see him coming.
Mertio barked to his top men, nine cheetahs selected for their strength, cunning, or better yet, loyalty. A new face was among them, and time would bear whether this one lived or died, a kingdom youth by the name of Kagoye. Mertio had been unsure if tonight were the night, but with Kagoye's information, he could act immediately. "Tonight is the night! Our mission is simple; these cheetahs speak of society, and break the laws of nature. They seek the valley for themselves, and their fifteen men - fifteen! - want to keep as many females to themselves. They will not share with us. We would have shared. Together we would have numbered ten to one female, more than good enough for all involved. But they are greedy, stubborn, and loyal. Their "king," Ruyo, rules by virtue of his fancy pelt and nothing more, but his followers believe in that pelt. By the end of the night, I will be wearing his pelt!"
His men cheered, eager for bloodshed, seeing the beautiful future Mertio had carved out for his soldiers. Their eyes flickered in the dim light, growling with anticipation. "We will rush them. Lead your men throughout their valley. Challenge any males you see, and if they resist, kill them. If they flee, let them go - our mission will have been accomplished. We will demoralize them. Cow them so that neither they nor their females will ever resist us again!"
Another cheer resounded, cheers for him. Mertio grinned, clearly pleased, despite the black tear streak across his cheek. He was larger than most cheetahs, which had served him well, but it was his ruthless cunning that had taken him to such heights of stature. His spotted pelt matched all his men, but he needed no bizarre appearance for the right to rule. Hard work and sharp mind held his place, kept his soldiers in line, and allowed his coalition to thrive well beyond normally sustainable levels. And the kingdom of the valley could allow him to sustain his people indefinitely. He would free the captive females from their selfish male oppressors and do right by his men at the same time.
Speaking more quietly, with a sense of urgency, he continued with his plan, his eager subordinates drinking in his words as if a drought had recently befallen them. "Leave the cubs be. They will join us in time. Kill the men or let them flee, and rape the females! Let there be no exception. They will see that resistance results only in rape or reaping. I want their cries to echo through their precious "kingdom," staining their ears and their minds forever. We will approach from all sides. You are to leave the royal pelts to me. Haori, your men will join me. The rest of you, prepare for the charge."
The men began to turn tail to gather their men for the attack. It would be a glorious night for his coalition. He saw Kagoye hesitating, unsure, and barked sharply, "Kagoye, you are with me. We will prove your loyalty tonight."
He, Haori, and Kagoye departed swiftly to find Haori's contingency, where he explained the most important part of the plan. "Men, while the others defeat the evil males and make their women scream, our mission is more specific. We are to find the royal family. I am told the king and his brother are the only royal males, and that the latter may not be in the valley. No matter. We will find and dishonor Ruyo in front of as many of his followers as possible, and make an example of his wife and daughters. Then we will kill him. All will know that their kingdom is over, and they shall bow to us..."
To me, Mertio thought, grinning as the cheetahs barked cheerfully in reply. He watched the spotted Kagoye carefully, sensing hesitance on his part. Perhaps he had not known exactly how swift and righteous Mertio's punishment would be before he had turned coats. Yet Kagoye held his head high, and Mertio needed him to identify the royal family. He understood that there were a few others that bore the fancy pelt, and he could not afford to make a mistake here. Kagoye would be rewarded well for his efforts, provided he proved loyalty in the valley tonight.
With a loud series of barks and growls, Mertio and the others called the attack into being. Each group of ten or twelve soldiers was now advancing from most directions into the valley, growling menacingly. They would lose the element of surprise, but that was inconsequential next to the fear they would inspire. And the plaintive screams of the women would prove the most effective, Mertio suspected. Haori's men followed as Mertio led their charge, attempting to find the nobles quickly. The sound of many cheetahs running through the soft underbrush resounded throughout the lush valley, as the night of terror began.
Kagoye followed the white tip of Mertio's tail as they began heading to King Ruyo's den. He tried to force the myriad of thoughts from his mind, because there was nothing now to be done. He hadn't known what would happen when he decided to leave the kingdom and join the coalition. He couldn't help but wonder if he would do anything different now.
Mertio's plan to demoralize Kagoye's former friends was well beyond what Kagoye had bargained for, and he was filled with sorrow. But could he regret? The information he had provided may have allowed the coalition to attack earlier, but from what he had seen, the attack was inevitable. It was better to be on the winning side. Otherwise it would be he who would have to choose between running with his tail between his legs, or standing up to the coalition and facing death.
As he bounded through the valley, sparse trees in all directions, he gave a bittersweet smile. He loved the beautiful valley, and when he had joined Mertio, he had expected he might never see it again. If all went according to plan, the coalition would soon occupy the valley instead. Kagoye would be home. He knew though, that his old friends would reject him. He knew that tomorrow would find his mother raped, and his father, his brother, killed. No, not Ferir. His brother was not so brave - he would flee. But Kagoye knew his father would rather die than let such a fate befall his mother. He wished there were another way, a way to prevent the harm to his family. When he had mentioned sparing them to Mertio, the large cheetah had questioned his loyalty, and refused. He tried to block it from his mind, knowing that he had done what he could. It wasn't his fault.
He held out hope his parents would be proud. Instead of a sniveling whelp or a corpse, Kagoye would be a leader. He would have power under Mertio, and mates. Not just one, either. The coalition spoke of sharing the females, of making sure everyone had a chance. Kagoye had found himself in a hard spot in the kingdom, born at the wrong time. No females were born his year or the previous year. That meant all the females were either already married, or too young. When Kagoye had reached maturity, the only suitable cat was a princess - Nanira. His standard spots precluded him from marrying her. So he was stuck without a mate, forced to wait years for the female cubs to age.
But with Mertio, the rules would change. He would not need to marry - all the females would be fair game. He would mate for the first time. He would sire cubs. It was why he joined the coalition in the first place - not to destroy the kingdom. Not even Nanira would be off-limits!
Nanira, he thought. When they were growing cubs he had had an infatuation with her. He was too young to understand that such a pairing was impossible, or that she was royalty and therefore special. All he understood was that she was beautiful. Her unique fur pattern, the three dark stripes running down her sleek back, her expressive black ears, and her seemingly infinitely long tail had called to him. They had been friends, and close, playing in the fields, trying to catch mice. Her voice still sent a chill down his spine, and though they were the same age, he could not marry her. His tears had traced the streaks under his eyes when he first learned that she was a princess and he was just...ordinary.
It became harder and harder to spend time with her, as puberty set in, but he knew that nothing could come of his desires. He had loved her deeply, and the pain was too much. They drifted apart, speaking only in passing. She began spending time with her future mate, a young male named Sevri. Everything about Sevri was inferior to Kagoye, but his pelt bore the mark of royalty. That was all it took. Kagoye watched as Sevri and Nanira became close friends, looking forward to their upcoming marriage. Kagoye had no such marriage to anticipate, and his tone with Nanira began to harden. His bitterness came through with ever word, every flick of his tail when he spoke to her.
She had confronted him about it, not understanding, but he couldn't tell her the truth. She didn't know how he felt for her - she couldn't know. He instead flattened his ears and lied viciously about how she had changed. He told her that she was petty and stupid and boring, and that he was tired of pretending to like her. She laid her ears back and fled, crushed. Kagoye swallowed hard. It was a painful memory he had kept below the surface for too long. Even now the princess was compassionate and intelligent and the only thing in the world that interested him.
And so he dropped everything when the chance arose, to flee the valley and join Mertio's band of brothers. He did not know and could not have known that that very night would find him raiding his home, his new friends destroying and raping everyone who stood in their way. He couldn't stop them, but he had joined them. They had welcomed him. They were the promise he had always desired, the promise of finding a mate. And so, though every fiber of his mind rebelled against his decision, he would do whatever he could to depose the old laws that had ruined his life, even if it meant killing the King. Let them usher a new era, where the horrors of his past need not fall on another. Tonight was regrettable, but a means to a glorious end.
Kagoye and the others bounded past the other squads, who had already begun their dark work. He kept his eyes forward as they passed a group of five such soldiers surrounding a female, but he could not ignore the sounds so easily. The girl was screaming, and he could hear more, similar barks, growls, and shrieks echoing throughout the trees. He concentrated the bulk of his attention on Mertio's tail tip.
"Kagoye!" Mertio barked, drawing him out of his daze. He looked around, and recognized his surroundings immediately. Mertio continued, impatient, "Which way is it?"
Kagoye responded quickly, "A few more miles in this direction. But I know a place, very close, where one of the princesses may be. I will take you there."
Mertio paused, his tail flicking. "You will take us there," he commanded, unwilling to meekly follow Kagoye's advice. "But quickly. If she is not there..." he added, with a low growl.
Quickly, Kagoye backtracked. He did not expect her to be at the den in question - in fact, he hoped she would not be there. He said, "She may not - it is the home of her soon-to-be mate. He bears the royal pattern."
Mertio spat and declared, "Then hurry. Finding him may prove useful, and if she is there, all the better."
Kagoye turned to lead the troupe toward Sevri's den, hiding his smile from the others. The two cheetahs were not yet married, so it was unlikely that Nanira would be there at night. But Sevri would be. It would please Kagoye greatly to see his "royal" rival fleeing for his life. It would prove to Kagoye that the pattern of the King Cheetah did not make anyone his superior. Soon it would be Kagoye's coat that was in power.
In a few seconds, he and the others stood before his rival's earthen den, and he smiled as he heard the low growl accompanied by light reflecting off the eyes of his foe, just within the small enclosure.
Mertio pushed Kagoye aside, barking an order at Sevri, "Leave the den, coward, or we will pull you out with our teeth around your neck!"
Kagoye watched as Sevri slowly crept from his home, but his heart skipped a beat when he saw another pair of eyes, and two cheetahs bearing the royal stripes emerged. Nanira was there!
Sevri and Nanira were poised in a crouch, ears laid back with teeth bared. They assuredly did not know exactly what was going on, but they would know the eleven cheetahs surrounding them were up to no good. They could hear the cries resounding through the night air. Kagoye was frozen in place. Nanira wasn't supposed to be here! Mertio nudged him out of his trance roughly, his voice demanding, "The princess?"
Kagoye was lost in a flood of thoughts, but replied obediently to his new leader. "Yes," was all he said, but seemingly as one, his rival and his former love finally noticed him from among the crowd of spotted soldiers. Sevri narrowed his eyes and growled, quickly understanding Kagoye's part in all this. But it was Nanira's look that struck Kagoye like a sudden paw to the face. Sevri's narrowed eyes were nothing compared to her wide-eyed look of shock and betrayal.
The soldiers quickly surrounded the young cheetahs, and Mertio stepped forward to address them. "Run, boy. We care nothing for you." Apparently with the princess in Mertio's grasp, Sevri was irrelevant.
Sevri kept growling, lunging forward to swipe at the larger cheetah, who easily stepped out of the range. The youth's senseless attack caused the soldiers to tense, ready to strike the young male which could only end in his untimely death. Kagoye was astonished at Sevri's bravery - he had not expected Sevri to fight, though part of him wondered if he had been hoping for it. A chance to see his hated rival torn to pieces would have sounded good a few hours before, but standing here, facing that reality, Kagoye was less sure. He barked quickly in warning, "Turn tail and run, fool - we will kill you and not think twice!"
His words caused Sevri to hesitate, not continuing his assault, but it was not Kagoye's words that spared his life. Nanira got up from her nervous crouch, sitting up, her fear only betrayed by her flattened ears and told her betrothed, "Run, Sevri..."
He turned to her, startled, having been ready to fight to the death to defend her, even though he stood no chance against the larger numbers of larger cheetahs. "Nanira?" he asked, incredulous.
"Damn it, run!" she reiterated.
Sevri hesitated only for a moment, his hackles raised and his tail between his legs, as if his entire being disagreed with her, but thankfully, he listened. He turned tail, wasting only the time to look at Kagoye and spit, "Traitor!" Then he charged through the line of soldiers, who did not bar his way.
Suddenly alone, Nanira's bravery dwindled, and she knelt, trembling. Mertio stepped forward, looking down at the young woman, the two of them standing alone together in the center of the circle. Kagoye didn't know what to think, or how to feel. The large male addressed Nanira with a rough but calm tone, "You are a princess no longer, girl. Your pretty pelt permits you no privilege. You hear it, in the air? The sounds of justice, of females shared fairly amongst us all. It is your turn."
Nanira's eyes widened, ears laid back and muscled tensed as if to run, but there was no escape. Kagoye could not bring himself to look at her, conflicted about what was about to happen to his former love. If he avoided her eyes, he might be able to make it through this. He slumped, his ears down as he heard her plead, "L-let me go!"
Mertio replied with a surprisingly gentle tone, saying, "Not yet, my dear. You must learn your place. Kagoye!" Startled, Kagoye looked up at the large male, barely managing to avoid Nanira's gaze. Mertio continued, "You first. Throw away the shackles of the old regime and indulge your right over this female. Teach her her place."
Kagoye blinked, frozen in place. Mertio was asking him to take Nanira's honor - no, it was a challenge to prove his loyalty. How could this have happened? He had wanted to mate, but with someone - anyone - other than Nanira. Not like this. He did not even have the courage to look at her. If he failed to do as Mertio commanded, he suspected Mertio would kill him on the spot. He steeled his will, and looked up.
Two of Mertio's men leapt forward at the surprised Nanira, one of them grabbing her by the ruff, and the other pushing against her hips, swiveling her away from Kagoye. At first he was confused, but as one of them pushed her to the ground, he guessed that this was how it was done, outside the kingdom. The small female was helpless to resist as the two soldiers positioned her so that she was lying on her stomach, her hind legs pressed tightly underneath her as they held her in place. Kagoye could see her beautiful body which had haunted his dreams laying a few paces in front of him, her haunches raised. Her tail draped casually down, mostly obscuring that precious part of her of which he had seen glimpses through the years, but never, never like this. It was like she was calling to him, and he felt a familiar tingle as he watched her. He was living the fantasy that had beguiled his mind since adolescence. There was a disconnect, though. They had been alone in the dream. She wasn't being held down by strangers in the dream. None-the-less, the similarities were causing in him a deep arousal, held back only by the horrifying reality of the situation. He tried to ignore it, and focus on his fantasy.
She looked back at him, over her shoulder, her eyes wide with fear. Or was it anticipation? He took a step toward her, aware that all eyes were on him. This was what he wanted, wasn't it? He had left the kingdom for a mate, any mate, but in his heart he knew he wanted Nanira. Breathlessly, she panted, "Kagoye, no...don't do this!"
He took another step forward, and her eyes lowered, noticing Kagoye's red manhood poking out from his lightly furred sheath. Her jaw dropped. He knew she had liked him. After all, she had been devastated when he broke their friendship. He wondered if she had dreamed about this as he had. But she was a princess at heart, still held by rigid law - as much as she might want this, she would resist because Kagoye's coat lacked the royal stripes. Her body was screaming for him, he thought, but she wasn't ready to accept the new rules of engagement. She would see, though, the benefits. Under Mertio's laws, they could be together.
He smiled at her, reassuringly, "It's okay, Nanira. Things have changed - you don't need to be with Sevri anymore. Today is the end to that tyranny that kept us apart...Nanira..."
He was puzzled. She laid her ears back and bared her teeth, growling at him as he approached, "Your treason is the only tyranny I see. How could you betray us - betray me?"
Despite her harsh words, she did not attempt to flee. Her hindquarters were still raised for him, though her tail was curved under, between her legs. He did not note that she was still being held down in that position by Mertio's soldiers, unable to truly resist. No, she wanted him, but she knew it was taboo, that it was against the laws. He must show her that the laws have changed, that everything was alright now.
He was a nose-length from her now, sniffing her, the entire length of his glistening, moist member emerging from his sheath. He could smell it on her...the beginnings of her heat. In days her scent would be overpowering. It would be her third heat, when finally she could marry - that must be why she had come to meet Sevri, to share with him news of their upcoming marriage. Kagoye thanked the stars that Mertio's revolution had come just in time. Young females were not to be married, nor mated their first or second estrus. This would be her first time, and his. He shivered in anticipation, ecstatic that it would be he to take her maidenhood.
Her beginning heat only reinforced his notion that her body wanted, no, needed him. Kagoye said, as he put his forelegs around her haunches, beginning to scale her prone body, "It is not betrayal, Nanira. It is salvation. Mertio has chosen to save our corrupt kingdom from unfair laws. How dare the males selfishly hoard so many females to themselves? It is against our nature. Now, everyone will be free to mate who they want, not whom they are required to. Don't you understand?"
He stood over her now, his forelegs brushing up against her ribcage. He could feel her soft, impeccable fur against his belly as he looked down at her. The side of her head was pressed into the grass, allowing her to look at him with her left eye alone. He could feel his penis brushing up against her tail, where it covered her precious entrance. He could feel her trembling, her body calling out for him. She put up a brave front, however, still dedicated to the old ways. She pleaded with him, her eyes beginning to water. "What about my freedom? What about what I want...?"
Kagoye was surprised by her crying, but many a time he had felt the same way - so frustrated with the arbitrary rules keeping him from Nanira that he was brought to tears. Yet he was so close. If she held her tail aside, in a moment he would be within her, making love with her in a way he had never thought possible. "Exactly - from now on you won't be held back by custom from doing what you want." Kagoye growled gently at the two soldiers still holding Nanira's upper body to the ground, and they released her, leaving the two cheetahs alone in the center of the circle of onlookers. He needed to gain her trust. "Now, we can be together," he purred.
Nanira growled, her legs tensing underneath her, now that the two males had released her. "No! This isn't what I want. I like our customs! I don't want to mate with these...monsters, and I don't want to mate with you - traitor!"
Kagoye laid his ears back, stunned by the loud outburst. How could she not see how wonderful the revolution would be for her, for him? How could he make her see? He was snapped out of his thoughts as the young girl suddenly tried to leap away from under him, trying to flee now that she was not restrained. He reacted quickly, pushing her down to the ground beneath him with the full weight of his body and gripping the nape of her neck in his teeth, forcing her head against the soft dirt. She struggled briefly under him, but he was too strong for her. She resisted in the only why she still could, holding her tail firmly between her legs - the only barrier between his eager erection and her virgin entrance.
Kagoye tried to speak, but it was muffled by her fur. "Nania, wye? I lrove oo..." he pleaded, struggling with his arousal, his love for the girl, and her stubborn resistance. She had called him traitor, but he knew that it was her father, King Ruyo, that was in the wrong here. Surely this revolution was in the best interest for everyone, except some of the selfish males in the kingdom. He could not understand why she rejected him. He knew how much she had cared for him, before.
Nanira could speak freely, and as tears streamed down her face, she sobbed, "Kagoye, stop! How could you...?" and with a low growl, the distressed girl cried, "I hate you!"
Kagoye's eyes widened, his heart stricken, yet beating as if he were on a chase. Adrenaline coursed throughout his body, and he would not - could not - accept her words. Perfunctorily, he positioned himself closer to her trembling body, his hind legs straddling hers until he felt his abdomen rubbing against the soft fur of her rump. He held her down firmly with his upper body, still biting her neck. With grim determination, Kagoye pushed everything out of his mind. Her tail proved the smallest of obstacles, as the male used his own tail to sweep hers aside, and with a quick thrust, he plunged his cock deep inside of her.
She screamed as his barbed prong spread her vulva for the first time ever, still a few days before her coming estrus would have helped prepare her body for the onslaught. Her lips squeezed around his wet organ, the warmth and tightness overwhelming its current sensitivity. He tried to ignore her pained cries and her trembling body. With his eyes closed he could not see her cry. Instead, he began to pump his hips, thrusting in short bursts. The small, backward facing barbs that lined his shaft triggered waves of pleasure through his body whenever he pulled back, each raking her insides painfully and causing her to bark out again and again. He pounded her mercilessly, concentrating entirely on the enormous pleasure signals racing up his spine and overwhelming his brain.
It seemed to last an eternity, but less than a minute later, his painful penetrations culminated in his strongest thrust, almost knocking the young girl's hind end to the ground as his erection spread her apart, and warm fluid erupted from the tip. He could think of nothing as he climaxed but the waves of ejaculate coursing through his penis from his constricting balls. He did not know he could ever feel as good as he did now. He let go of the scruff of her neck, panting to cool himself off as he filled her insides. When finally he was done, he pulled back, taking several steps away from the helpless female, who wailed loudly as he pulled himself completely out of her, the barbs running roughly against her internal walls and out her vulva.
Kagoye panted, trying to clear his thoughts. He had mated! He had had no idea it would feel that...incredible. He glanced at Nanira, and his eyes widened. She lay there a few feet in front of him, trembling and crying, the tears following the tracks on her face. He had raped her, violated his love against her will, and though he had had no choice, and though he had enjoyed it immensely, he felt regret. He hadn't been able to make her understand. If she had just given in, listened to his words and realized that this was all for the best, it could have been as life-changing as it had been for Kagoye. He wouldn't let it end here - in time she would realize that he had been right all along.
The young girl was too preoccupied, and perhaps felt too hopeless to try to flee now that he was off of her, and Kagoye watched as his new leader, Mertio, approached Nanira from behind. He said, in a calm voice, "Kagoye has learned well my lessons. Soon you and all your friends will embrace this revolution, and follow me. This will be a night to remember."
Without another word, the large cheetah stepped over the prone girl, mounting her. Kagoye watched as Mertio rested the bulk of his weight on the girl's shoulders, smoothly pushing her tail out from between her legs. She shuddered as he claimed her, biting her neck as Kagoye had, to hold her in place. Then Kagoye watched as Mertio pushed his large, glistening, erection gently between her abused lips. His actions flowed together smoothly, methodically, and without debate. This was the way of things, to which Mertio was apparently well familiarized.
The large cheetah began to slowly, gently thrust into the girl, taking his time. He didn't give in to the instinct to hump her as quickly as feasible, as Kagoye had. Kagoye watched as Mertio mated the love of his life, while Nanira lay there, the fur on her face still matted wet with tears. But Mertio's careful penetrations did not cause the girl to scream, tremble, or shudder. She lay there quietly, her ears laid back, as the circle of excited males watched the mating. Kagoye wished he had been as calm and collected as Mertio when he had taken Nanira, and though Mertio struck a chord of jealousy in his mind, idolization proved stronger. He knew he would follow Mertio to the end.
Mertio allowed the remaining cheetahs their turn with the princess, who lay there quietly, barking and yipping when the less experienced cheetahs mounted her. Haori and his men waited eagerly, and those cheetahs who had finally gotten the chance to mate seemed all the more energetic. Kagoye could hear the sounds of other mating circles in the night, the other squads having found suitable females to harass. Their screams sounded distant, almost unreal, and Kagoye wondered briefly if one of the screams was from his mother. His entire body trembled with excitement, and a newfound feeling of brotherhood. Tonight, a new era was beginning!