FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Coil Within (A Special Day)

I stirred in my nest, stretching my wings and legs in every direction as I woke from my slumber; I was laying on my back and staring at the rounded wood ceiling of my den through blurry eyes. My feathers were matted and haphazard, my fur in ragged clumps, tail twisted and cramped under me and a single bead of drool trickling down over my cheek. I was a bit of a mess, having just escaped a bit of an ethereal nightmare where I'd lost my strength and was at the mercy of an angry mob that didn't care for my rule. Dreams were certainly peculiar sometimes.

My den was lit up by the early morning light, a deep orange that illuminated my possessions with a warm glow. The sunbeam stabbed into my room and through the large windows that made up almost the entire east-bound wall of my den, the same window that gave me a beautiful view of the vibrant aqua colored Lake Saff'Rald; the water a lovely contrast to the warm orange, red, and yellow of the dawn-light. Leera was nowhere to be found, which was temporarily startling because she'd coiled up around me the night before when we had went to sleep but had clearly left me while I was dreaming.

There was no need to panic, though. Leera was a bit flighty at times, and she often preferred solitude even in lieu of my company. Mated or not, we both respected the needs of the other, and both of us liked to be alone quite often. For that reason, we carved a special room for her beneath our den, warmed by geothermal energy and completely dark to keep her happy. As a naga, warm, tight spaces were what made her the most comfortable and I felt it to be my responsibility to cater to those needs. She would do anything for me, but even if she didn't I would still be happy to make an effort for her.

To me, that's love.

After coming to terms with her departure during my slumber, I rolled off my back to lay on my belly, tail curled around my body as my paws draped over the side of my nest. The bed I slept on was a large rounded super-soft cushion with a raised rim and a headboard wrapped around a quarter of it; on the mattress, series of blankets bunched up between me and the headboard.

I extended my wing forward so I could preen through the long flight feathers, aligning them one by one until both wings were straightened. I continued my way up my form to preen at my chest plumage, then shook my head to fix my ears and had my feathers standing on end in a fluffy poof before flattening them to my body. After that, I lightly licked at my flank to comb and straighten the messy fur there, giving my body a light sheen. I was clean and ready to start the day.

I hopped up off my bed and lightly tiptoed across my room, keen on not making too much noise that might startle and awaken Leera. My wings were slightly outstretched, bobbing opposite my gentle hops to minimize the impact of my talons and paws on the carpeted wood floor as I went to my kitchen. My home didn't have doors, only frames, so I didn't need to worry about creaky hinges on my way out.

"Time for tea!" I chirped to myself as I grabbed a container of herbs and snapped my claws to ignite the ademane gem nestled in the oven. Once I filled the pot with water, I placed it on the elevated metal above the burning gem. I hopped from one end of my kitchen to the other, gathering a spoon, a container of pure sugar, a flask of honey, and some chilled milk from the fridge. Having a fridge was very useful to me, it was a sweet invention of mine that was cooled by an ademane gem that was steadily cycling cold air into the sealed container, keeping fruits and vegetables longer than in a typical pantry.

I loved how versatile ademane could be, and I produced some of the best in all of Dalon. Every agen (person), regardless of species had a system of ademane in them, flowing alongside their blood and concentrated in glands at various locations such as the wrist or neck. This fluid was used to control magic in the form of the elements, physical magic, self curing, and various other spells one could conjure.

When extracted in its pure form, ademane could be used in potions or crystals, which in turn would be given any enchantment I could infuse it with. Potions range from from transformation to a simple healing brew, while the fluid could be purified and crystallized to make gems that would accent a person's innate skills or even bless those without functional ademane systems the ability to use the energy stored in the crystal to cast spells.

In my home, the ademane crystals could heat, cool, or charge anything I wanted, and we had discovered a way to use glass and iron filaments to create light which had proven to be very useful but not very easy for the average person to use. They would have to stick to candles, torches, and lanterns for now.

Still, I wanted tea and I had the most eclectic mix of herbs for that very drink. I had spent many years gathering leaves, herbs, and spices from various sources across the globe, and on this morning I was going to have peppermint and vanilla tea, one of my favorites. I grabbed some herbs from one tin, some spices from another, and tossed the blend in a tiny reusable bag. The water was already boiling, so I filled the cup, tossed some sugar in, and stirred until it was a gentle amber color. With the bag still in, I squeezed some milk in and stirred some more. My first sip filled me with warmth, the sweetness and flavors making my feathers stand on end.

Delicious.

Before I left the kitchen, I waved my hand over the heating gem to nullify it's effects.

The morning was still young, so I returned to my room and laid in my nest, remaining careful to not make noise as I put the mug on the headboard. I grabbed a book from a nearby shelf and read a chapter while sipping at the tea and glancing out over the valley that we had titled the Cradle of Dalon, considered the birthplace of the gods. Myself and eleven others had retired to here many years ago, and had taken residence in the valley far away from the prying eyes of the public.

Leera and I were in a lodge carved in the side of the tallest mountain in all of Dalon, while the other ten deities were strewn across the valley that wrapped around the foothills of that same peak. Talba and Vaulix lived in a castle, Ilorek and Valencia lived in a treehouse in the branches of a tall cellitoke tree, Yelena and Sanfrit resided in a cave in the west woods near the dozen falls, Olfrin and Luero swam the waterways, and both Keran and Satsierra regularly moved to wherever they wanted, usually in cabins they erected near the lakes and rivers.

Once I finished a chapter, I took the last gulp of my tea and closed my book, deciding it was time to wake Leera up. Despite planning to rouse her from her slumber, I was still deliberately quiet while I trotted across the room, making my way to the shallow incline that wrapped around the den room and led to my mate. When I got to the bottom, I squinted my eyes to get a better look in the dark, and all I could see was the lightly shifting mass of coils that was folded up tight against the opposite wall.

"Hey there sleepyscales, time to get up." I called out, still squinting. My eyes were pefect during the day, but weren't the best at night.

Her massive head slowly raised up from the nearest loop of her snake body, tongue flicking slowly. She didn't respond to me, which did make me a little nervous.

"Come on, it's still early, we have guests coming and I'd like your help cleaning the lodge and prepping the food." I stepped in closer and raised one of my front talons, snapping my fingers to ignite a small flame that lit up the room. Within a fraction of a second, all I saw was the glistening fleshy maw darting across the room towards me as she struck, lines of sharp teeth extended and lips peeled back. She grabbed my dark ebony flesh with her jaws and tugged at me, throwing me off balance before letting me go and peeling her rows of teeth off my torn flesh. The flame was extinguished and I could already feel the blood flowing over my talon, heart fluttering as adrenaline and ademane started to course through my body.

Instantly, I jumped back and shook my front talon off, wincing in pain while she returned to a striking pose. "Well alright, I'll leave you be." Before she got a chance to bite again, I darted up the stairs and pulled my tail up with me. This time, I stomped my way across the room to show frustration before returning to the kitchen, a trail of bloody talon prints in my rug.

I wasn't truly angry with her, since I knew that she had her moments where she lost control of herself, but it didn't stop the pain from throbbing in my front leg.

When I made it back to the kitchen, I turned the sink on and slid my hand under the running water. I watched with a hint of disdain as a swirl of dark red blood spiraled down the drain, coming from a series of punctures and slices along my arm; bites from her were always so bloody. "Damn it Leera, next time I'll blast you right in your snout." I grumped to myself as I shook my talon off and balled my claw up in a fist, focusing my own energies into that part of my body. As I watched, the puncture spots sealed and the gashes closed up, returning my form to its natural state. Healing magic was certainly useful, especially when mated to an occasionally aggressive and always hungry naga.

After that, I left her be as I spent a few hours cleaning the mess in my home. I scrubbed the blood out of the rug, cleaned my dishes, and started using physical magic to remotely sweep and dust the entire lodge. The dinner party was to be held in the main hall, a large open room with a huge banquet table, some couches, and an entire wall made up of massive windows overlooking the valley through the thick wooden beams of the frame. The ceiling was tall and arched, lined with thick wooden trusses and tiny ledges around the end that housed some various items of mine I couldn't bear to part with.

I had a lab and library buried deeper in the mountainside, with a guest room opposite the kitchen and restrooms, so it was a very simple setup. Large, open, simple. Very much like me.

Now I needed to decide what was for the dinner party. "So, what does everyone like? Talba likes meat and grains, Vaulix is a fruit and veggies kind of guy, Valencia will eat anything, and Ilorek is pretty malleable too." I was talking to myself, trying to sort out my plans in my mind. "And Leera doesn't eat much of anything aside from me."

The options were plentiful, but I was going to go for something a bit simpler this time. I cycled through the options in my mind, remembering past dinners I had made. Last time I hosted, I rolled some home made pasta with various meats and veggies in the sauce. This year Ilorek had hosted the Harvest Festival, so I didn't have to worry about that. No, I was just going to do wine for the ones who drank it, and a dozen or so mini-platters of bite sized foods. Deviled eggs, slices of cheese and charcuterie meats, deli slices, loaded baked potatoes, claw-pressed nachos, and a few other snacks that I'd been thinking up.

Everyone loved finger foods, even the well educated and noble among us.

It was still a lot of work, but very little cooking time. I knew my guests well, and I had known them for many years so I wasn't under any sort of pretense that they would hate me for doing something simple but fun. Talon foods! Only Leera might find it distasteful, but since she never ate anything other than whole meals once every month or so, I didn't much worry about her interests. Such a revelation made me a little self-conscious since I did love her and did care for her needs, but since her needs were not relevant during a dinner party, I wasn't expecting her to have a problem with my decision.

I grabbed a sharp knife as well as some of the cheeses, meats, and other items, and got to work. However, soon thereafter I heard a light scuffling sound coming from my room, so I paused to go look and see what it was.

As expected, it was Leera. She had slithered her way out from under my den to give me the pouty eyes, tongue flicking to test my mood by tasting my pheromones.

A small part of me wanted to be mad at her for biting me, especially with how much blood I leaked and the mess I had to clean up, but I could tell she was sorry by her eyes and her position that was low to the floor, indicating a form of submissiveness. Normally she'd be up about my head height with the rest of her body on the ground, but she was practically dragging her chin on the carpet, with part of her body still wrapped around under the floor for grip and support.

"Have you got something to say to me?" I asked, a bit harsher than I'd intended.

She nodded slowly, flicking her tongue as she gradually lifted her head to mine, body gently easing forward for leverage. "Yes. I am very sorry, hun. I don't know what came over me earlier. I guess you woke me up, and I hadn't regained my wits yet." Again, she lowered her head in shame until I cradled her chin and brought her up to look her in her emerald green eyes.

"Don't be sorry, Leera. It happens, it's part of you, and I wouldn't be with you if I couldn't handle it." I nuzzled my beak to her cheek and rubbed gently, a shiver going down my spine as I felt her tongue slip out and tickle my neck feathers. "But, if you really want to show how much you care, you'll help me with the prep for this dinner party. I'll need your hands."

Leera's form was usually that of a twenty meter long feral snake with working eyelids, but she had the ability to make alterations to her body that fit the situation. One of the first transformation options I taught her was how to grow a pair of arms to give her the look of some other naga of the world. Before she met me, she just used her tail and mouth to manipulate objects.

In response to my request, she raised her head up high and closed her eyes, a shifting mass of muscle and bone pressing out from her sides a meter down her length. From that mass, her scales parted and revealed two limbs that shifted and melted and rearranged themselves to form fingers and scales and all the other features needed to grab things. After only a minute or so, she had fully functional hands and arms, with basic pectorals and shoulder blades to anchor them to her spine. "There, now what have you got for me?"

I led her back to the kitchen, where I put a knife in her hands and had her slice through the sausages that were hanging in the walk-in pantry. She did that while I cubed the cheese and baked the potatoes. Another few hours passed where the two of us prepared the meal, with her occasionally reaching her tail across the kitchen to tease me between the legs.

Naturally, I didn't stop her, even when I felt the soft scales of her tail tip prodding under my tail, prying at my vulva. I tried to act nonchalant against her affectionate touching, but I couldn't help it when my tail lifted up and my legs parted. "Now, don't start something you're not going to finish." I chirped, glancing down the counter towards her. I tossed a single bit of cheese into my beak and chewed as facetiously sexy as I could.

She kept her tail tip plucking at my flesh as she put her knife down, doubling her body over to meet me at my station. Her tail flicked gently while she rubbed her snout up against my chest nuzzling into me and wrapping her neck around mine in a serpentine hug.

Just as I was about ready to do something lewd to her, I heard the sound of claws scraping on wood past the main hall. I clicked my beak at Leera, gave her a nuzzle of a kiss, then darted away from her to see what it was at my door despite my nether regions growing tender and moist due to her touch. Before making it to the main hall, I knew it was either Ilorek and Valencia or Talba and Vaulix.

Valencia gripped at the landing banister at the edge of my deck,with Ilorek following soon after. Valencia was a bat-like race, with a canine body and tail, but thin wing membrane connecting her three long digits with a finger and thumb for holding things. Her mate Ilorek was naturally without wings, but like Leera he could grow appendages if the need called for it and he had shared Valencia's form, with feathered wings where his arms were. He was a deep red, gold, and black hippogryph with fluffy fetlocks on his ankles and wrists.

After landing, Ilorek stood straight up and cracked his back, arms shifting and absorbing the extra feathers to leave him in a natural form, a simple biped.; Valencia did the same with her wings so that she had normal arms. Her voice was high pitched yet cute as she dove in for a hug. "Ceylon! It's been too long!"

I laughed a bit. "We just saw each other less than a week ago."

"Yeah, and it's still been too long!" She responded with a wide grin.

I leaned in and pressed my beak to her muzzle, giving her a bit of a hug before addressing the more collected and calm Ilorek. "And how are you?"

He bowed at me with tail up, a gentlequine's pose. "All is well. Things have been great with Val, especially lately. Was thinking of heading back to sea level, maybe start another life with her after the winter season." He was of course referring to our faux mortal lives, where we would descend from the Cradle to join the masses. There, we would use our transformation magic to regress age to childhood or adolescence, and we would create a new life for us as a commoner without the locals realizing that we were actually immortal. It was a cycle of life that we repeated for many generations, and it had worked well, but we still always came back to the Cradle before being reborn.

"Sounds like fun. I'd like to start a new life as well, but I'm worried Leera might want to stay up here until all the cold is gone. We have the heat in her personal den, and that never gets cold no matter how chilly the mountain air gets." I said, making conversation. "But I have to admit you're a little early. She and I are still working on the preparation. There's some dip and nachos in the oven, as well as some loaded baked potatoes. Still chopping the deli plates."

"Oh? Doing talon foods I see! Sounds like a fun meal!" He extended a hand for me to shake it. "I'll help. Valencia, get me a knife, will you?"

Valencia grabbed him a knife, and he helped us out with the remaining food. He and I talked about our plans for our next lives while Val and Leera chatted about their respective options. Before Talba and Vaulix arrived, I had prepared a full banquet in the main hall, with platters of meat, platters of cheese, bowls of dips, gem-warmed ceramic cooking pots full of soup, and a dozen bottles of wine, ale, and iced water. The hall was ready, and so were we.

But neither Talba nor Vaulix had arrived. That didn't surprise me, since they were always fashionably late, but most of the sausages, meats, and cheeses would dry out within an hour or two so I needed to cover them or throw them out.

"Val, is there a chance I could get you to fly down to the castle to see how much longer they will take?"

She poked her head out from beyond the door frame within the kitchen. "Uh, no? I'm not wasting more energy to grow my wings out again. Just eat without them?" She tossed a soft-cheese-covered cracker in her mouth and grinned at me as she chewed. Leera's tail slipped up and hooked around her neck, pulling her out of my vision.

I couldn't help but laugh. Typical antics, but it was fair of Valencia to decline. That was a long trip, dozens of kilometers from here, then dozens back just to remind someone that they were late. Instead of badgering further, I walked out to the deck and propped my front legs up on the landing banister to focus on the valley. Ilorek followed and stood next to me. Between he and I, our vision was utterly perfect and we could actually see the rebuilt Castle Arrenthen in the distance, nestled in between two mountains, even dozens of kilometers away in a valley. Talba and Vaulix managed to rebuild the castle from their original existence in the Cradle of Dalon after abandoning their first lives, that way they could forever relive that part of them when on vacation from the world.

"I may be mistaken, but I think that's them." Ilorek said in his deep voice, pointing down at a lower peak of the mountain my home was in. "Must have taken a rest on the way. I know the princess doesn't like to fly." Talba had been a queen of Arrenthen in that first life of hers - hence the attachment to her old castle - so we affectionately referred to her as princess even when her status in the terrestrial world meant nothing in the Cradle of Dalon. She was also born with the same physical build of Ilorek, so she had to transform to magically grow a pair of wings in order to fly, and that didn't bode well for her when she preferred to remain with her talons on the ground.

"I think you're right." I ruffled my feathers and went out onto my perch, a deck peninsula with no banister or handrails that was the same level as the rest of the deck, but out far from the house so that it was a dozen meters or so up from the slope of the mountain. "So I guess we wait here."

Ilorek came and sat next to me, feet dangling over the side of the deck. The two of us remained there for another half hour while we waited for my last guests. Valencia and Leera remained in the hall, putting the finishing touches on the presentation of each platter.

The first to land was Talba. She flapped her wings and clumsily perch on the wood of the banister. Almost instantly she hopped off it and rolled her neck, teal mist enveloping her like a fog as her wings melted and shifted into her normal arms. Within seconds, she was her natural form, and she tossed her mane back in disdain. "Why can't you live down in the valley with the rest of us, darling?" She walked right into the den and sat down at her chair as Vaulix followed suit.

Her mate, the prince, had wings in addition to arms, so he didn't need any fancy or tiring transformation magic to relax. He just folded his wings up on his back and cracked his fingers. "Now, now, dear, you could have just flew without wings, but you chose to transform. It's nobody's fault but your own." He didn't go inside, but instead came out to the perch with the rest of us. "So what's on the menu? I admit, I am also quite exhausted and could certainly use some munchies."

I got to my feet and shook off, feathers floofing out and standing on end. "Well, I didn't go for anything too fancy, just some charcuterie and appetizers." As I walked back to the main hall of my home, the others all followed and we all made our way to our own custom chairs. Every single guest had a self-built place to sit for our meals, such as the thrones Talba and Vaulix had, the well-cushioned bark line seat Ilorek had, or the tall perch-like chair Valencia had. After all had sat down, I bowed to my guests. "Well, you know I'm not the kind to stand on tradition or professionalism, so eat up!"

We took a moment, distributing all sorts of food to each other and filling our plates and bowls. Those who drank wine or ale were quick to fill their glasses and mugs, but I kept to iced water and so did Leera.

"So, what were you planning on doing when you left the Cradle?" I asked Ilorek. "Got a career path in mind?"

He took a big bite of a bun with cheese and meat on it. When he was done chewing and politely covering his beak with his forearm, he swallowed and said, "I don't actually know. I was thinking of a few different ways I could go with it. Part of me wanted to head into the farmlands, do some simple but honest work. But I also was considering going the noble route and being a subject of Talba's Arrenthen, if she so chose to return to that part of the world. I know she likes to keep repeating that path."

Talba dabbed her beak with a napkin. "Honestly, I wasn't this time. Last time I ended up fighting a bloody war over some stupid crystals. I would really rather not do that on my next life. I was thinking maybe Vaulix and I could run a ship on the open seas! We could be bloody terrifying pirates fighting against the scourge of the land!" She paused and looked over to Vaulix who was slowly shaking his head. "Or maybe not. Apparently my darling mate doesn't like the idea of us being pirates. I still want to sail the high seas, though. The ocean is one region I've not conquered yet."

As Vaulix sipped some wine, he muttered into his glass. "Haven't mastered the air, either." He got a glare from Talba, and a light laugh from myself.

"So what about you, Val? Will you be joining Ilorek in his endeavours or are you happy going on your own path?" I asked, then tossed a cheese covered cracker into my beak.

She shrugged in response. "Hadn't decided yet. It's real hard to stay away from him so I imagine we'll end up together again, but I was thinking of heading to Yelfrit or Endra. Return to my people there. You never know, I might find someone that tickles me the right way." She leaned over to nuzzle into Ilorek's shoulder. "But I doubt I'll ever find someone who pleases me as my 'Rek does."

He clicked his beak at her and winked seductively. "Oh, I'm sure you could but you'd need to find a full sized dragon saurossin to fill that cavernous hole of yours after I'm done with you."

"Oh, come on! I won't be all loose and sloppy like that. Not at first. Remember, I'll be young again, and virginal, like a pup!" She said, smacking him on the back of the head. "Though, you never know what people I'll meet; maybe someone will want to take that virginity from me, forcefully, a young little bitch ready to be bred. And maybe I'll like it! Does that make you jealous?"

"That took a dark twissst." Leera hissed, sidling up next to me. Her massive body was coiled up on her chair, sharing the head spot at the table with me, her chin laying down where her plate would normally have been. "Not sure if that's the kind of thing we need to be chatting about over dinner."

Vaulix raised his glass of wine. "The lady Ssevarine is, as she always is, correct. No talk of raping whelps, please. Perv on us adults, we're more experienced and likely considerably better at reciprocation!" He gulped down all the wine, then poured himself and Talba some more.

A hushed silence fell over the dining hall as we all tried to put that odd sequence of thought behind us. In an attempt to alleviate the tension, I tried bringing us around to an old topic. "Actually, I've wanted to do something on the open sea for a while now. I really like Talba's idea about playing pirates. The world is facing increased traffic on the oceans - especially the Ijimulian - so I could totally see our presence being significant there."

"Are you sure that's the best use of our talents?" Ilorek asked as he filled himself a bowl of soup. "Usually our influence is only needed when there's a potentially catastrophic event on the horizon. I know the waterways have become a bit congested around the rim of the Ijimulian, but I don't really think we need to be using our talents there."

I shrugged. "You're not wrong, but who says we always need to be doing it for the greater good? The world has been enjoying a few decades of relative peace, so why can't we have some fun? Think about it, we could each have our own ship, and we could fight against each other. We're untouchable so a musket wound wouldn't be so bad, and we can wage wars! Keep it out over the ocean where our battles don't spill onto the land." I paused to think about it a bit more, the idea bubbling up in the back of my mind as I went. "Pairs of two. Six ships total. Leera and I can helm a ship, you two can do one of your own, and so can you two!" I said, making a motion towards Ilorek and Valencia on one side of the table, then Talba and Vaulix on the other side.

Talba took a drink and stood up. "I shall call my ship the Gem of the Ijimulian! We will be the....head of the royal navy! Yeah! Apparently I can't be a pirate, but I can be a queen!"

"I thought you said you didn't want to be queen in your next life." Ilorek said with a deep, dry tone, sipping some ale.

"Not a terrestrial queen! I can be a pirate queen!" She grabbed some ale of her own and drank it directly from the tap, gagging a bit before swallowing it. She wasn't the ale type, so she failed in her attempt to look like a pirate lord. After another piercing glance from Vaulix, she blushed and sat the barrel of ale back down. "Right, not pirate. I'd be a good girl, like always, darling."

I stood up in support of her. "Okay, so it's settled. Talba, you and Vaulix can have a ship all your own. Mine will be called The Spirit of Dalonia! I wanna be a pirate, though. You can't stop me, unless you want your ship to take mine down." I winked and smiled, beak agape in a grin.

"Are you challenging me to a duel, m'lady? Because I accept!" She guffawed and put her foot up on the chair in a captain's pose while magically conjuring up some wind to make her mane flow, naked body glistening in the light to show a regal form. "The Gem of the Ijimulian versus the Spirit of Dalonia. You're on, if you can handle having a whole canon shoved up your backside!"

In response, my feathers swelled and puffed out. "Honestly, I probably could fit a cannon up there with aid from some magic, but, uh..." I bashfully clicked my beak, then stood in defiance and nudged Leera. "She and I will be sure to take you down, one blast at a time! I don't care how much effort it takes! Ilorek, Valencia, are you with me?"

Ilorek calmly drank some more, casually ignoring my request in an attempt to look composed when Valencia hopped up out of her seat and stood on his shoulders, pumping a fist up.

"Yar! Ye can be sure we'll sail at your side! Take out this blimey varmint scallywag!" She hissed a bit, then giggled heartily as she flopped down to sit onto Ilorek's shoulders, wrapping her arms up under his chin. "And you better join me."

"Dear, I really wanted to do something a bit lower-key next time." Ilorek protested, pushing his mug away. "I don't have to do battles on the ocean, and it's really not a good idea. There are things out in the depths that even we shouldn't mess with." He wasn't the coward or buzzkill type, but it was clear he wasn't in the mood to discuss it.

Talba chuckled as she sat back down, taking aim at him. "Don't be such a wuss, dear. This could be a lot of fun. Spend a few decades away from the land, try something new, get experience, and maybe even die early so we can try something else entirely. If it's not fun, you don't have to stick with it. That's the nature of this game of ours."

Of all the people to pitch in, I was surprised it was Leera who raised her head to speak next. "Actually, the princess has a point. This does sound like a lot of fun. Different for every one of us, and as pirates, merchants, and naval officers - which I presume Talba and Vaulix would be - none of us would need to start as children in order to build our lives and relationships before diving into our new roles. Mysterious seafaring strangers show up, kick all the tail, and we rule the high seas in a brilliant battle against one another. Sounds like a more paws-on version of our eternal game."

I couldn't help but laugh gently at her, since she wasn't the type to be outgoing, but I certainly wasn't going to complain. When I glanced down at her, she looked back over and smirked, tongue flicking. I just wanted to snuggle her right then and there, but she and I preferred to keep our affections quiet and between one another. Our mutual interests were not the stuff that the others wanted to see.

Ilorek did relent, though. "Fine. I'll have some fun with your aquatic quest, but after that I want to return to the farm. My last lives have all been military or city living, and I'm really not all that keen on that sort of thing. Been decades since I got to relax." We all laughed and chanted his name in an attempt to make him feel happy about his decision.

"Well, I was going to have another meal for the rest of our group, and I could present our idea to Keran and Satsierra, if you wanted me to. See if they wanted to pair up, get some crews, and sail with us." I offered.

"Sounds like a wonderful plan to me." Talba agreed. "Though, I fear Keran will be least likely to be on board, but Satsierra will straighten him out good and proper. Don't know what it is about that bird, but Satsierra can get Keran to do anything." She paused, tapping her beak. "You know, I never could tell what kind of relationship those two had. Are they friends? Lovers? Companions? They're not like Vaullie and myself, and especially not like Yelena and Sanfrit, but I don't think they're casual, either."

She raised a good point, and it was something I chose to not pursue or push for, but i couldn't help but gossip as well. "We're all pretty close to one another, so I wouldn't be surprised if they fooled around together, but I don't think they're actually together-together." They lived on the lake to the south, together, yet never showed any affection towards one another in their respective lives or when in the comfort of myself or any of our group of ascended past our mortality. "But I still think they'd pair up to do a ship together."

I could likely use what magic I had to prod into his mind and find the answer, but that would be quite distasteful of me. We all had a standing agreement to not do that to one another. Hundreds upon hundreds of years together meant we basically knew everything there was to know about each other, but those two were pretty secretive in their lives and loves. Maybe I'd get the courage to ask them when I saw them next. No harm in asking.

"Ilorek, what would our ship be called?" Valencia chirped at him, still sitting on his back with her legs over his shoulders. "Something cool, but evokes power. Something like...I dunno, the power of the seas and skies and land all in one! No, that's too long."

"Well, it has to be hard. It has to be strong. It must speak for who we are while also bringing fear into the hearts of our enemies. You two included." He explained, nodding towards Talba and Vaulix. "So how about Ademane's Wrath? We have strong magic skills, so it makes sense, and wrath makes us seem fierce!" He balled a fist up, grinning.

"Too boring. Not enough words. How about Blood Vial of Death?" Valencia offered.

"Don't be silly, darling. Blood is a sign of weakness. Strike of the Beak!"

Leera interjected. "If anyone's ship has got the word 'strike' in it, that'll be mine."

"Agreed. No striking." Valencia concurred. "I vote for The Tendrils of Power!"

"Again, we don't need to be silly, and your tentacle fetish doesn't need to be displayed on our ship's hull." Ilorek struck her down, then leaned over while leaning his beak on his hands, deep in thought. I could see his eyes flicking and darting around, trying their best to figure out what worked best for him. After a minute of silence amidst the gentle chewing of Vaulix, who continued eating this whole time, he finally snapped his fingers. "Got it. Storm of the Rift!"

"What's so good about that one, 'Rek? How does that signify who we are?" Valencia asked.

"Simple! Our home in the mountains here could be seen as a rift in the world, where us immortals were born and where we are reborn every few decades. That, and our magic has allowed us to, in extreme circumstances, control the weather. So, Storm of the Rift works. Plus it sounds pretty intimidating, and we could even use the name mixed with our abilities to strike fear into the hearts of all! Could be known for the storm that follows us, or something equally brash."

Valencia shrugged and hopped off Ilorek's back to return to her seat. "It's pretty good, but I like the word Wrath a lot. But I'd rather have you join me on this adventure than fight over a name, so eat your meal and we'll have to agree to disagree." She leaned in to peck him on the cheek, then returned to finish her meal.

"You want me to be a part of your plans, I get to name our ship. It's only fair."

She rolled her eyes and defiantly shoved a sausage in her mouth, chewing aggressively.

I, however, decided it was best to go to the restroom. I had been drinking a lot of water and eating a lot of food, and it was about time I relieved myself. I loved the discussion about what we'd do to each other in our next lives, but something about it made me uneasy. The casual talk of separate lives was always a little unnerving when I thought about it. I was used to it, but that didn't mean I was always prepared. We'd been in the Cradle for a few seasons now, and I was happy here.

Being effectively immortal and immensely powerful with our magic, we had to find a way to blend into the world while we guided it from the shadows. By using transformation magic to revert back to childhood or even infancy, we could start a new life, a new persona, and live it to the fullest right through to death. From those roles we created for ourselves, we could do virtually anything, as long as we kept the people of Dalon far away from discovering the same secret to immortality we did. If others were able to emulate our spells, it would throw off the balance of power in the world.

We were lucky, since we all agreed to keep our power to ourselves and not abuse it. We faked wars and conflict, but were always on the same side fighting for the same rights and regulation of the lands. The thought that we could just fool around for a literal lifetime's worth of adventures on the open ocean was a little intimidating, yet liberating.

The world of Dalon truly was at peace, and had been for more than a decade. Collectively, the people of all races of the land were making progress, and aside from some minor skirmishes, were free of war. I didn't want to make conflict by reigniting a naval war that we'd quashed in our early years. Then again, sailing was always fun and I could easily and happily use it to have my personal kinds of fun and indulge my kinky side.

After relieving myself in my restroom, I decided it was time to call it a night. The sun was going down and my guests had been here for many hours. We'd chatted about our plans, our experiences, and told stories to each other, and now it was time for Leera and I to be alone. She had put up with guests for a very long time now, and I was happy to use her as an excuse to kick everyone back to their respective homes.

When I emerged from the restroom, all four guests were already getting prepared to leave. Ilorek and Talba both were near the perch, using their magic to grow wings while Vaulix and Valencia were stretching and preparing to hop off ahead of them.

"It's been a wonderful evening." Ilorek thanked me, taking my talon in his palm and kissing the back of it. "If ever you and Miss Ssevarine wish to visit, you know you're always welcome." He was his usual, gentlemanly self.

Valencia hopped over him to slap me on the hand, ever the playful scamp. "Yeah, it was real good. Been a long time since I'd enjoyed charcuterie. I feel so posh and classy." She winked and pecked me on the cheek. "But anyway, see ya later!" With that, she turned and dove off the deck to glide down the side of the mountain, with Ilorek hopping and flying along with her.

"Next time it's your place! Make roast!" I called down, chirping happily as Talba came over to bow to me.

"Darling, you know they can't hear you. Come now, I really almost want to just maybe you know, uh..." She pressed her fist to her chest and burped, piercing the posh tone she tried so hard to maintain. That was one thing I loved about her, she always came across as prim and proper, but she always had an air of kinky seductress underneath all that noble exterior. "Burd, I should not be flying with this much wine in me."

Behind her came Vaulix, cradling her with his wings out. "I will make sure we make it back to the castle in one piece. Next time, just don't drink so much, and this won't be an issue." He was always kind, gentle, and caring, even when dealing with his brash yet noble hen of a wife. "And Ceylon, it has been wonderful as always. I am to understand next week our meal is hosted at Ilorek and Valencia's right?"

I nodded, just as Leera slithered up next to me. She had been putting dishes away and cleaning plates while I escorted our guests out. "But I think it's about time for the two of us to call it a day. It has been fun, but you make sure you-" I stopped mid-sentence, as Talba turned and dove off the perch, wings grown and spread to catch the updraft. "You better go follow her home. As always, love having you."

He turned and left, saluting gently before launching himself into the air and tucking his wings in close to catch up to his mate.

When the two disappeared over the peaks of the lower mountains, I turned to nuzzle Leera, purring gently. "Well that was fun." I glanced back to the table, then out to the valley, then back to the table, then back to the valley again before deciding I had no interest in cleaning on this night. I could deal with that mess later or the next day. The food was put away, some sauces on plates weren't the end of the world.

She slithered next to me as I walked my way around the porch to our back yard, a grass covered plateau with some thick vegetation and trees lining the edge. We had our stargazing peninsula, a ridge over a steep cliff that we often cuddled in while we watched the stars reveal themselves one dot at a time. "So, I was thinking about some things, and I think we need to talk."

My heart sank. Every person - immortal or not - knew what that meant. "And what's on your mind?" I asked, beak clamped shut as I gulped down heavily.

Her body slithered up next to mine, wrapping itself around my as she nuzzled up into my neck feathers. "No need to be worried, it's not bad. Just the opposite." Her body absorbed her arms again, since she no longer had need for them, as she shifted part of her length up under my wing. "I've been thinking a lot about us, about you, about me, and about how we live together. I can't get out of my mind how kind you've been over the years, and-"

I pressed a finger to her lip, closing her maw. "I'm going to stop you there. I know where this is going and you don't need to apologize for this morning. It happens. At least you don't constrict me like you used to."

She pulled away and flicked her tongue at me, eyes narrowing. "No, it's not that. Well, not just that. It's a dozen lifetimes of your kindness towards me. Before we gained this everlasting life, you could have left me alone to rot with my people, you didn't need to drag me through the mud just to ensure I lived with you forever. Even after you were able to teach me your transformative ways, I still have lapses into my old self, and I don't seem to be able to control it. You've been patient with me, you've dealt with me, and I don't remember the last time you were mad at me for my little outbursts."

"Why would I be mad for you being you? I love you for who and what you are, not what you could become. Honestly, I kind of like the uncertainty of knowing if you're in full-on predator mode or not. Makes our relationship a bit more dynamic." I held her close with my wing and purred gently. "Besides, you put up with me, too. I'm one horny gryph and you are happy to let me fool around with others when you're not in the mood. That means a lot to me, too, you know. And you've been doing it since before our ascension. We make a great team; fit in well together!"

"I know, I know, but I still feel like I've been more of a burden to you than anything else. You keep the others from knowing about my feral tics, you shield me and protect me from the world, and despite all that you also submit yourself to my hunger when I need it most. You've given so much to me, and you never needed to. You've sacrificed when you didn't have to, and I feel I owe myself to you, in more ways than one."

Her words made me swell with pride, feathers inflating against her scales. "Aw, you don't have to-"

"But I do. I do have to. I need to submit myself to you like you have done to me so many times. I know how much you like to be in control, and I take that from you when I lose myself to my hunger. I feel I owe you an eternity of my soul, and for that I want to...I want to be inside you for once. Not predator, but prey." She slid her entire body forward, scales tensing and sliding along my feathers so that she could look me directly in the eye. "To you, and only you."

I wasn't the type to respond well to heartfelt confessions, so I averted my eyes and tried to think of a joke to alleviate the tension, but it didn't work. She squeezed harder and used part of her body to gently ease my beak to look at her again, so I smiled and shuddered a bit at the thought. "Well, I'm not sure if that's a good idea, you know? We did just have a banquet and my belly is full. Not sure if I could fit snake in me." I joked, finally thinking one up.

She shook her head, her tail end slipping between my thighs and forcing my legs apart. The very tip of her tail curled and slipped between my nether lips, parting my flesh and putting pressure on the sensitive spot just inside. "I don't mean your belly. I was thinking you could take me inside your womb, give me a rebirth as your kin. Have it signify my submission to you."

I gulped heavily and lightly arched my back, leaning into the girth of her dexterous tail. "B-but I don't want you to submit to me. I don't want dominion over you, I want your love and affection, and you give that to me. You don't need some grand show of submission to prove that you care." My eye twitched as she rubbed part of her scales over my inner flesh, coaxing an equine wink from my nether lips.

"I know that you don't expect it, that's why I want to give it. If you demanded such a thing from me, you'd never be gifted my soul. That's what I love about you. You want control, but not at the cost of anyone's happiness. You want power, but not if it means others are miserable. I can respect that. And despite your claustrophobia-"

"I'm not claustrophobic." I countered.

"Yes you are, a little. I know you hate it when I read your mind, but I can feel your emotions and there's fear in you every time you descend into my belly. I'm not the strongest of us, but I can tell when you're uncomfortable, even if it's paired with arousal." She winked and flicked her tongue at me, booping me on the beak. "But stop trying to deflect me. I'm offering myself to you, take it. Take me, please." With her last word, she shifted her body backwards to plunge a couple meters of her tail into me, the tip of it penetrating my womb and curling up inside. Her cloaca was rubbing right against my clit as her thick body stretched my lips.

My body shuddered in delight and my eyes fluttered gently. It was quite difficult to not grind down on her scales, rubbing my taut flesh to hers as a bulge from her tail formed in my belly. As I was fantasizing about her form coiled up within me, I came to a realization that our disparity in size might not work. She was far, far larger than I was, there was no way she'd be able to make this work. "Leera, my dear, I'm not sure you'll, uh, fit?"

She leaned in close and pressed her cheek to mine, flicking her tongue against my ear floof. "Don't you worry about that, I know how to squeeze into tight spaces. It's kind of my thing." She winked and nibbled on my upper neck, her body squeezing mine as her tail wormed its way deeper into me.

I could feel my malleable flesh stretching wide to accommodate her girth, one layer of scales slipping through my vulva at a time as her tail tip coiled tight and tugged at my cervix. The pressure and pain deep within were exactly what I liked, reminiscent of a knot tying me deep. She knew how to please me, and her ability to feel my emotions and even read my thoughts allowed her to alter her actions to hit all the right spots at all the right time. It was a shame she often wasn't in the mood for physical passion, because she was able to bring a cry of pleasure to my beak unlike any other. I bit down on her neck, holding her in place as I parted my hind legs. I wanted to urge her to go deeper, to stretch me to my limit, and I knew she'd do precisely that.

She bit me back, shifting her form around so that much of her considerable weight was pressing down heavily on my neck and shoulders, forcing my chest to the ground. Her action left me with front down and back end up, tail curled over the small of my back to expose my swollen, throbbing pussy lips.

Against her weight, I slid one of my front talons up my belly, lightly prodding at the shifting mass of serpent flesh that was squirming and wiggling about inside my womb and pressing out against my abdominal wall. Had I been mortal, or lacking in the skills needed to accommodate her tail, I would have been in pain, but I had naturally stretchy skin to begin with and the spells to expand farther than natural. I slid my hands up between my legs and pushed two fingers into her vent, pleasuring her for a moment before another lurching shift had her tail tip curling in my womb, tugging more of her back end into me so that her cloaca slid through my vulva and past my sensitive spot.

I flopped down on my belly, toes and talons curling against the dirt and grass of my yard while her form continued to undulate and gyrate on top of me. She was holding me down, forcing me to stay put as she shoved more and more of herself into me. It wasn't the behavior of prey, but I was happy to indulge her desire since it was something I craved as well.

The sharp stabs of her teeth on me neck was a pleasant sensation due to the prey it made me feel like. In an odd twist, with our roles reversed yet remaining the same, she had clamped down o me while forcing her tail up my pussy. Never in my life had I enjoyed prey forcing itself into me so much. That very fantasy had me pushing back into her, gyrating my hips back against her form as though she were a massive, prehensile dragon cock that I was sitting on. My attempts to bounce against her were lost, however, as she simply moved with me, tail curling in my uterus and anchoring against my cervix from within.

"Is that all you've got? You seem to be having a lot of difficulty getting any more into me!" I coughed out in between grunts, meek whimpers, and gentle chirps. It was clear I was feigning defiance or control, but the words still made her release my neck so she could stare me in the eye.

"Certainly not, my dear. Don't worry, I'm not giving up. We've only just begun." She winked at me, then opened her maw to smother my beak in a kiss, wrapping her lips around my cere to hold me in place as her tail tugged upwards on my pussy, yanking my hind end straight up into the air off my paws. Her body coiled around me and held me there as she tensed every muscle in her length towards her tail, firming up as she forced a writhing mass of scales and muscle into me. Her entire back end was like a tendril or tentacle, with the dexterity of an octopus pulling itself into a shell.

I could feel the depth and pleasure of her body tensing up inside me, her belly scales especially pressed out against my anterior walls to force a winking squirt out in a fountain shape above me, the viscous mess splattering on my paws.

There was a bit of terror as she let to of my beak, then continued twisting my body around until I flopped on my back with legs spread and wings bracing my landing. I coughed gently and glanced up at the sky, only to have her serpentine head take up most of my vision, tongue flicking very close to my beak tip while she slid her body over mine. As her form blanketed me - Tail still lodged deep in my womb - she twisted and started wrapping around each of my four legs as her tail began thrusting into me.

An audible squelch emanated from under my tail as her tapered body escaped my depths, leaving me gaping only to slam back into me a bit harder and a bit deeper. I clamped my beak down hard and curled my toes against her scales, whining for more as she attacked my cunt. Normally I don't refer to my genitals as a cunt, but when getting wrecked like Leera was doing to me, I couldn't think of a more appropriate term to call it. My cunt was no delicate flower or pretty butterfly, it was a swollen, sloppy, gaping, tender, abused cunt, and that was all there was to that.

I loved it, and though she was supposedly submitting herself to me by tail fucking me into a twitching state of ecstasy, I didn't care about her logic enough to stop her. She was too big to fit in me without significant changes, and she didn't seem to be taking any steps to make herself a more appropriate girth for what she had in mind. Still, I loved it. I loved how sore she was making me, how wide she was stretching me, and that deep pleasure that came from her tail anchoring inside my womb to pull the rest of her inside.

Yet, as I was drooling from both ends - saliva out my beak and copious lubricating fluids out my battered depths - she flipped my body and expectations on their side by slowly pulling herself out of me, every scale popping out of my taut lips one at a time.

I shuddered in response, lower beak trembling and swollen clit winking steadily amidst every pop of her scales. After a few uncontrolled twitches of my spine, I clenched my walls down tightly to force the last of her out of me, the gliding sensation of her tail exiting my cervix a pleasant relief from the pressure of her tendril, tied in my womb. When she was fully out of me I rolled onto all fours, heaving heavily with every breath. "You know...love you I might, but I just don't think you're going to fit." I commented in between sighs and stuttering whimpers.

She kept her tail end raised off the dirt, a full three meters of snake body glistening with my fluids as she smiled at me, her piercing emerald eyes trained on me as the moonlight reflected off her tail. Her gaze remained on me even as she slowly opened her equally moist maw and slipped most of her tail down her own gullet for her to suck off my juices as her tongue flicked out to tease her own cloaca.

There was not a single thing about that image that failed to turn me on.

While I was distracted by that, she slowly pulled her tail out of her mouth before darting around me, her form sliding through the air and over the grass like a shadow as she positioned herself behind me. I watched over my shoulder as she curled part of her body around her tree and slowly leaned in close to my rump end.

Naturally, I let my tail raise to expose my tender, swollen pussy lips. I wasn't gaping, but I felt like any cock could just fall into me with ease after the abusive reaming she'd given me. Another shudder rocked my body as I felt her breath tickle the moist flesh there, followed by the light caress of her tongue popping in between my lips to taste my depths. I couldn't help the resulting wink, my pussy lips clenching down and clit peeling out with a gentle spurt of creamy orgasmic mess directly onto her tongue.

Immediately, she pulled back due to just how intense that fluid must have both smelled and tasted. After flicking her tongue a few more times and smiling, she leaned in close and pressed her chin to my rump. "You know, Cey, it seems you forgot just how eager I am to please you right now. Trust me, I have the skills to make this work, and your womb is plenty roomy." She winked and lightly bit my flank before moving her snout up under my tail, pressing her lips to mine and leaning into me as her tail squeezed the tree trunk tightly.

Again, I clenched down and winked before relaxing my pelvic muscles and leaning back into her. Still, she wasn't able to slip in, so I waggled my hips and grabbed at my rump cheek, pulling it away to gape myself open from lips to cervix and beyond. "Go ahead, do your worst." I invited her, tender cherry colored flesh lightly undulating with each of my heartbeats.

She took her hint and nuzzled up into me, twisting her head to the side so that her snout was vertical, just like my hungry lips. That change of angle allowed her to ease herself into me, powerful neck muscles remaining tense as she nuzzled and applied increasing amounts of pressure. The broad scales of her head and lips rubbed up against my flesh, widening my berth right up until she cranked her head back into horizontal position, her skull forcing my hip bones to part with a triangular gape between her chin and my clitoris.

I couldn't help but wink again, the collapsing of my cavernous cunt making a deep whelping squelch against her chin amidst a spurt of fluids down her neck. The extra lube seemed to embolden her, because she leaned into me again, increasing pressure to the point where I had to spread all four of my legs out to brace myself against her eager strength. My vulva stretched taut around her, sliding over her face and bulging jaw muscles a bit at a time, jerking centimeters deeper every time I rocked and she prodded deeper.

Then, all at once, I felt her entire skull slip into me past my hips, her snout pressed tight against my cervix, coaxing a violent screech from me that must have been heard in the valley; I knew I heard the faintest whisper of an echo from the mountains opposite the one my home was on. I wasn't in pain, at least not in the traditional sense; I could feel the pressure of her massive head pressed out against my walls, squeezing my muscles between her and my bones for only a brief moment before she broke the tension by slipping her tongue out to penetrate and tickle my cervical opening.

Even with every one of my talons digging into the dirt, I couldn't help but lower my head and stifle a giggle. She knew what I loved and how to give it to me, and despite my worry building in such a way that left me concerned for her safety as well as my own, she knew how to make me laugh.

However, amidst the levity, she'd tightened her grip on the tree and tensed every one of her muscles to extend herself further towards me. I could feel her snout pushing forward, stretching my cervix wide to accommodate her girth. In one sudden lurch, my womb swallowed her head and she curled her neck tight within me. With her upper body firmly anchored inside me, she started to curl her body up, tying herself in knots as she disappeared between my plump lips, one belly scale at a time.

The flexing of her muscles just inside my vulva helped to anchor her, and in response her tail let go of the tree as more of her slipped into me, every scale sliding through my distended lips. The immense friction of her flesh against mine was alleviated by the copious fluid my walls were producing, lubricating her every bump and belly scale.

Despite her slithering and worming her way into my womb, I noticed that my belly wasn't getting any bigger. Sure, I looked like I was gravid with an egg as big as I was, but Leera's size was much, much, much greater than that. She still felt like her whole body was inside me, as the mass of her form made my abdominal wall sag and stretch, and the pressure of her body pressing out against my birth canal was intense. As her body shifted and writhed in my womb, every tight knot of her form sucking more of her length into me, I came to realize what was happening.

Though she was still as heavy as when she was full sized, she was using her transformation magic to compress herself so she was a fraction of her size. Same mass, one tenth the space filled. Every meter that passed through my starving cunt seemed to shrink once it hit my cervix, leaving my womb full of writhing snake ball in spite of the mass of monstrous snake crawling into me.

As I looked back, I saw that she had completely left the tree behind her, and now all that was left of her outside my lips was the same length of tail that she had used to pleasure me before. I knew I could fit that part of her, so I clenched my pelvic muscles down on her tapering form to squeeze her in tight.

Another intense shifting of her form in my womb sucked the last bit of her through my depths past my lips, leaving only the very tip poking out from my swollen vulva to wrap around the base of my tail. Finally, I let go of the ground with all of my claws and tried to maintain a normal stance - a feat far more difficult than I imagined even with a womb full of snake.

I couldn't trot, so I waddled back to my den with her inside me, broad grin on my beak and a steady source of pleasure and pressure resting heavily in my womb. With a coil of snake resting within me, that day was truly a special one, and I knew Leera was equally content, having submitted herself to my body as I'd done to her so many times.

Of course, this meant that I had to keep her inside until she was ready to be given her rebirth in the form of an egg. She knew what I liked, and I would never dream of letting her down.

Such is love.