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Ripples From My Mane by gwydion78

Anonymous Commission

Chapter 4

"Win'tanna Grentis, Vash'ten of the House of Akai, Godson of Emperor Fres'tanna, Eighty-seventh Scion of the Bond, Heir to the Tigron Empire." The male bowed his head respectfully. "Noble One."

"Was any of that your name?" Urion did his best to sound unimpressed, primarily because most of the terms were strange. There was a House of Akai? An Emperor? And the Tigron Empire... "What of the Ursonians?"

The male seemed confused a moment. "To begin, you may call me Win'tanna. The Ursonians, I assume you mean the bears? They joined the Empire in the wake of the War of the Bond after Emperor Printus was crowned."

The lion sighed in disappointment. "*Emperor* Printus."

"Yes, Noble One. He named himself such after the insurrection. I would think you would be aware of this. The heretics sought to twist your word and launch their attack on the Ursonians, but Printus warned them ahead of time and executed the false prophet himself. The Bond was forged soon afterward..." Win'tanna smirked with pride. "Though luckily the ruling line did not emerge from *that* union. Instead when Printus died the throne passed to his godson, not his bloodson. Only godsons have ruled the Empire since."

The concept sounded familiar for some reason. "Godson?"

"Descendents of your union with Emperor Printus, Noble One." The male shuddered as he beheld Urion. "The statuary of you in the Grand Temple does not do you justice." He approached the god, demurely adjusting his groin. "I first knew the Path of Akai when I beheld a mural of your hunt of Bambus. So fierce, powerful, and to know that your divine loins loosed the seed that would someday result in me, that a bit of your blood runs in my veins..." The feline's chest heaved, arousal coming off him in waves. Urion felt fingers hefting his balls, caressing them with great reverence. "That I hold what is responsible for my bloodline in my hands..."

Urion pushed him back, gently. "Printus's... godson... as you put it, is he..."

The feline tilted his head. "Noble One, I am the *eighty-seventh* Scion of the Bond. Eighty-seventh. Emperor Akai the Second has been dead for centuries. As if Akai the Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth... The Twelfth is alive, but he is of the Bloodson Line, not worth your time." Seeing the god's confusion, the tiger huffed softly. "The Bloodsons are descended from... ugh... the union of Emperor Printus and Legate Trenas. They have standing with the Temple and little else, but we are required by law to... suffer their presence."

"I'm surprised to hear a descendent of Printus speak that way."

"Of Printus and *Urion*. I am the product of a union between a mortal and a *god*. The Bloodsons are simply... fertile. Able to bear sons from a male. Bloodfathers and Heartfathers, they call them." The tiger rolled his eyes. "We suffer them out of respect for tradition."

The lion looked away for a moment. *This* was his descendent? This is what fathering a son brought him? A haughty, well, prick? He couldn't remember where he'd picked up that insult, but it definitely seemed to fit him. There were some vague leonine traits to Win'tanna, largely his mane, additional muscular bulk, and there was always the insistent scent that came off him, one of dominance and command, even standing in front of a god. Had he made a mistake?

"I would suppose there is some reason that you came here outside of a social visit to your ancestor?" He sat down on one of the weathered logs. "Clearly there is something you want, but I will tell you now that if you're asking my blessing to eradicate the Bloodsons I will do no thing."

"Of course not, Noble One, we are not like the barbarians of ancient times. War is simply..." He made an unfamiliar gesture with his hand. "Messy. Instead, I am here to make a simple request." The tiger then undid his belt, his magnificent finery dropping to the worn earth beneath him, revealing a well-sculpted body accented only by simple silvery armbands for jewelry. He was fiercely erect, though he turned slowly, flicking his tail upward, presenting to the god. "Honor your commitment to the Godsons, and grant me a son to renew the line."

Urion arched a brow, and chuffed at the proposition. "I doubt that mounting you would solve your problem, Win'tanna. If my blood is being bred out, then that is simply the way it will play out." Also, he was relieved, honestly, if it meant no more like him. It was bad enough that he'd had a son and never even saw him, much less gotten to know him, having lost so many years to his communion with the stars, his long reveries of memory.

The tiger grumbled. "The law demands that only one of the ruling line may be Emperor, and the ruling line is dying out. Your blood has grow so thin that we cannot mate outside the line anymore. An infusion of your blood would change that, Noble One, return the Godsons to the days of Akai the Second."

"Don't attempt to sway me by mentioning a son I never had the chance to know, and know nothing of. He might've been a vile tyrant for all I know. Leave, Win'tanna, after you've put your clothing back on."

"But, Noble One! You must at the very least consider my plight. My line is dying out!" Win'tanna stood, facing the lion, his eyes holding true desperation. "You must help us, I beg you."

"You line may be dying out, nut you are not *dying*. And the barbarians you speak of so disdainfully were still my followers, and did not require divine heritage to rule." He sighed. "Though they did conspire to commit genocide. I must think on this matter. Return with the next moon, I shall give you a decision then."

The tiger then bowed repeatedly as he gathered his clothes, reminding Urion somewhat of the lorekeepers who'd come to visit him. Strange that he'd never gotten any of them pregnant, but then that was when he had Akai there with him. Another companion wasn't needed. Had that been why he'd impregnated Printus, a desire to not be alone? He wasn't really, he had his memories of Akai and could hear him singing their silly songs to him whenever the moon was dark.

Still, he was proud of himself, considering it had been who knows how long since he last mounted someone and he'd been able to resist a rather enticing rear. The knowledge that Win'tanna was descended from his loins was a little off-putting, but if it had truly been *that many* generations, he doubted there was any danger.

Staying in the moment was growing more difficult, as his time in the grove was bleeding together, and leaving it felt like, well, leaving Akai there alone. Besides, this was his home, he was happy there, and he didn't need to eat or drink. One of the few pleasures he missed was hunting Bambus, but it was obvious that he'd outlived the elk. At least his hunting rival had made it into legend along with him.

The moon was in a waning crescent when another presence crossed the border of his grove, and he was slightly perturbed, as on nights like this one he could almost hear Akai, but he was proud that he wasn't in the mood to roar at someone and potentially ignite another holy war. The male that entered the grove was slightly taller than Win'tanna had been, and definitely didn't smell of a tiger, nor of him, so it was clearly someone else.

He was dressed in simple trousers and a vest, woven cloth of some quality, old, but well-made and obviously well-loved, and his build had the bulk of an Ursonian, though his face was closer to that of the Lupran clan. To look at him, though, there were touches of the other races here and there, his ears a little closer to Equan, his tail having the white tip of a Vulpin. He knelt before the offering log, placing a freshly trapped bitrr'at upon it, and chanting the rather flattering prayers associated with the ritual he hadn't seen in ages.

When Urion emerged, the male kept his eyes averted until he took the bitrr'at, and ate it, having missed the bitter taste, reminding him of simpler days. "Are you a harbinger of more visitors, or is there a reason you came to visit me?"

"There is a reason, Noble One, but I would not assume to make a request of you."

"What is your name?"

"My Heartfather named me Akai, I am the eleventh scion of the Bond to hold the honor of that name, Noble One." He kept looking down. "Would I be correct that you know I am a Bloodson?"

"You're Akai the Twelfth?" He couldn't bring himself to simply call him Akai. "Are you here for the same reason that Win'tanna is?"

"No." He finally made eye contact. "*No*. I am not. I would beg you to reject his request, Noble One." He trembled as he looked on the god. "Please, we are so close."

"Close to what? Tell me what has happened. Win'tanna, I suspect, was going light on the details. Tell me of Akai the Second, what sort of ruler was he?" Even if the male was lying they would at least contain a kernel of truth, and he could compare the statements to what Win'tanna had told him and see what was generally agreed on.

"The Scion Emperor, yes-"

"The First Scion of the Bond, Win'tanna called him."

Akai the Twelfth huffed at that. "Of *course* he would. That is a myth that has been spread for centuries. The Bond was not between you and your followers, Noble One, it was the Bond forged between the Ursonians and the Tigron Empire, the Bond that blazed the noble path from the tyranny of war, that showed us that battling each other was not what you wanted for us. Akai the Second was a just ruler, even during the time of turmoil. Many were not supportive of welcoming the Ursonians into the Empire, nor altering the philosophy of the Grand Temple. There was much violence, according to the records, that was quelled by Legate Talu. He risked his life despite his young age to stop disputes. He was a Bloodson, the first of us."

"Printus and Trenas's son."

He nodded in reply. "Brother to the Emperor. Akai the Second gave him the Grand Temple to outline your wishes to the clergy, for him to be Legate. We have been connected to the Temple in some way ever since, but... We no longer have the standing we once possessed."

Urion sighed. "Because of the Godsons."

"Oh no, Noble One. They may seek to push us out, but we claim the same line as Emperor Printus. They consider out blood to be... diluted. We prefer to believe that we followed the nobler instincts of our hearts, and took mates from those we loved, rather than who would better our standing. My Heartfather, for example, would be considered by most to simply be a lowly tailor, but to my Bloodfather, he is talu'stin cru'danna."

"I'm surprised that males giving birth was... well... accepted." That had thrown him a bit. He was also surprised that that trait had been passed down. He could understand with the descendents of his son. His son... that still felt odd to think, even though he'd also had grandsons and great-grandsons and all the way down to Win'tanna. That he could explain with divine heritage but...

"It is a marker of the line of Printus. There are not many Bloodsons. Most Bloodfathers only have one son out of respect for the Bond, but some have more, some twins have been born, and the line expands. We do not seek power, nor lord it over others, as the Godsons do."

"Which brings us back to your original request. You seek for the Godsons to be taken out of power."

"But not to install the Bloodsons as rulers, Noble One. If there is one thing that the Bloodsons have learned, it is that wisdom can come from anywhere, that being just and inspiring is not limited to those who carry your blood, though I do not intend to offend you." He looked up at the lion again. "Please, I only ask you let the Godsons fade into the past, they are a relic. It is time for the Empire to let its people lead it, not those claiming privilege on sole virtue of blood."

He had to smile at that, though he was a little disappointed that his own descendent wasn't forward thinking, though there were twinges in his mind that his followers were like a pride, and a pride needed a king, he who was strongest, most able to lead. But why not choose who that would be, instead of just assuming the male with the bloodline would be the best one for the job? Clearly, his people were progressing along. There was even a temple, a Grand Temple, to be specific, dedicated sole to him. There was another twinge at that, though, about the temple. Had he been looking for a temple? It was so long ago, back from a time before even Akai, when he felt... weak. That was all he could remember, really. Still, he could understand the motivation that Akai the Twelfth had for wanting the change.

"You want to make a better world for your son, I sense."

"I... have not yet found my talu'stin cru'danna. My Bloodfather told me when I met him, I would know. We are all Akaian, which makes my name that much more embarrassing for me, it is a lot to live up to, to be named after the Wise One himself. I have felt... urges, to carry a son. It apparently starts around my age, the need to have a child."

Urion sniffed the air once, and yes, the male was putting off a scent that practically shouted he was fertile, which likely would aid him in finding a mate, but in the meantime it was causing the gods loins to awaken. The male noticed this and took a step back. "I apologize, Noble One, I never meant to imply that I wanted *you* to..." He blushed furiously. "My body just seems to put off that scent when I'm in the presence of a suitable male."

The lion grinned, taking a step toward him. "So you find me... suitable?" His instincts were kicking in. He didn't just want to mount him, he wanted to *breed* him. "Would a Godson be accepted among your kind, Akai?" His breath caught in his throat, starting to see tiger stripes on the male, his appearance altering to his liking, all a matter of perception, like a starving man visualizing seeing mirages of his favorite foods.

The male backed away another step, seeing the hungry look in the lion's eyes. "Noble One-"

"Urion, Akai. Call me Urion. And turn around, and present to me."

Akai nodded readily, and got down on all fours, the lion's scent overpowering, but as his body pressed against his, the lion didn't immediately thrust himself inward, but rather carefully removed his clothes, laying them aside respectfully as it was clear they had sentimental value to him. He nibbled at his ear, nuzzled him, stroking along his sides and chest with his paws, muttering words in a much, much older dialect with rather archaic words he wasn't familiar.

Urion reached down, taking Akai's penis in his paw, stroking it slow and easy until it was at full hardness, and whispered in his ear, "Do you want my son, Akai? I want to give him to you, but only if you want him too."

"You don't need to... Uhnnnnn..." He squirted a dollop of his precum into the lion's stroking paw, feeling the heat of the god's body against his own. "If relief is all you seek, I can gladly provide you with..." He gasped, feeling the god's jaws gently press into his neck, his instincts demanding he submit to the stronger male. "It's too much, Urion, I'm not worthy to carry your..."

Akai nearly went limp as the divine phallus pushed through his virgin ring and began to fill him, the pain of entry washed away by the god's will, replaced with only soft, comfortable pleasure. "You, like your distant relative, are not who decides who is worthy to carry my son. I am, Akai..." He closed his eyes, imagining his Akai, the tiger under him, but this time they would conceive a son, a legacy who would not be spoiled by petty squabbles or politics. He thrust harder and he saw him in his mind, a strong, virtuous leader with bright eyes and a brighter mind. He could almost reach out and touch his face, tell him how proud he was of him, how his existence gave light to his darker nights, how he was living proof of the bond between him and Akai, that Akai was his... his...

The earth shook as a thunderous roar bellowed out of the god, Akai the Twelfth moaning in ecstasy as he came in time with the god, feeling the seed of divinity planted inside him. He was dazed as he was slowly turned onto his back, still impaled on Urion's shaft, his legs gently lifted upwards as the lion began to thrust again. "You forget, Akai, a lion breeds for *days*, to ensure his legacy has found purchase in the soil, no matter how fertile it may be. And I will make sure with you. You do not mind, of course, being under me for that long?"

Akai the Twelfth almost giggled, shaking his head, though it was closer to a wobble. He was mated for hours, his muscles sore, the pounding only stopping to allow him sleep, or to eat what food there was, before the god returned to pumping his semen back inside him. He lost count of the number of times he ejaculated on his stomach, into the earth underneath him, or how many times the god commented on the loveliness of stripes that he didn't have. When it was done his belly was bloated with the sheer amount of semen that had been put inside him, his tailhole dripping with the lion's seed. When the god finally allowed him to leave, he staggered out, his paws constantly touching his belly, fully aware of what would be growing there, emerging from him in a few months.

Urion, in the meantime, leaned against his favorite tree, his mating instincts still primed, his paw idly masturbating his arousal. He couldn't help but imagine the path his son would take, leading his people to govern themselves, to find nobility in virtue and aiding each other. Honestly, he wanted to mate Akai again. And again. And again. To have many, many sons to carry on his legacy, to understand what he wanted for his people. But most of all, he wished he had mated his Akai like this, cared for him as his belly swelled with life, nuzzled him as he gave birth to their son, as they raised him with the teachings they wanted to impart.

"Akai..." He felt good, better than he had in a long time, he'd most of all missed simply mating with Akai, the tiger having felt like no other since, not the lorekeepers, not Printus or the Akai he'd just seeded. This little bout of self-pleasure wasn't as good as sinking into Akai's rump after a long hunt of Bambus, but it still felt amazing, almost like he was thrusting into a firm, greedy ass that squeezed him perfectly, demanded his cum. "Akai!"

He growled lustily as he came, opening his eyes to find... A tiger in his lap, his phallus squirting semen into the god's tawny fur. "Yes, Noble One, fill me! Fill your fertile disciple!"

Urion wanted to stop, push him away, but the pleasure was divine, too overriding of his judgment. His cock jumped and flooded the tiger's innards, the male thrashing and growling at the sensation as life was conceived within him, the godly seed planted inside. He stroked his belly softly, smiling, looking down at it. "I will name him Akai, as that is your wish, Noble One." He bowed his head, the god still looking at him in disbelief while his body continued to pump his essence into the tiger.

Paws felt his pecs, squeezing them, a tongue delicately caressing his nipples with a rough texture, eliciting a blissful rrrrowl from the god despite his want to stop, his divine body betraying him, this descendant of his loins feeling more... worthy... of his seed than the one he had impregnated before. He could feel, literally *feel* Win'tanna's belief in him as the tiger rode his groin through the next climax, the desperation of his need. No matter how abusive his fellow Godsons had been of their power, they had been raised to believe they were worthy of it.

He could see Win'tanna as a cub, taught day after day that he was special, separate from the other little boys, even from other Akaians, how much hope and need and desire was placed on his young, narrow shoulders to rule, to lead, take his father's place. He saw young Win'tanna in his lessons with his father and uncle, learning that the voice of Urion would guide him, as it guided his ancestors all the way back to Akai the Second, Akai the Uniting, Akai the Savior. He was taught that the voice of Urion would be there whenever he was unsure of what to do, of what was the noble course...

And when Win'tanna became his father's official heir, he learned the awful truth: the Scions of the Bond had not heard the Noble One in generations, their blood grown too thin to hear his advice, his wishes, his guidance through the darker days. The Godsons had kept this secret, out of fear the people would revolt. The Emperor had long been known as being the closest Akaian to the Noble One since Akai himself, and if it were revealed that he had forsaken them...

And so, Win'tanna had found his purpose, to seek out Urion and renew their bond with him, prove that his children were still worthy to lead his people, to hear his guidance once again. Now, that new life was growing inside him, the offspring of a god, the Godsons would lead the Empire to a new golden age of advancement in the arts, technology, the sciences, he had so many ideas...

And the tiger was weeping, his head buried in the lion's shoulder as he felt the lion erupt within him once again, the god's arms embracing him warmly. Win'tanna pulled back long enough to look into the lion's eyes, so like his own, the lion sighing softly as he gently aided the tiger off of his lap. "Thank you, Noble One, thank you..."

"Win'tanna." He took the tiger's paw away from his stomach, which he was stroking adoringly. "Win'tanna."

"Yes, Noble One?" His eyes were filled with infinite gratitude, his own paw squeezing the lion's in thanks.

"I have also given Akai the Twelfth a son."

The tiger's eyes filled with disbelief, then anger. "How... how could you? How could you find *them*-" His mouth was covered by a lion's paw.

"Worthy? I found him worthy. And he is, and as his son will be." He gently patted Win'tanna's belly. "Both of my sons will rule the Empire together, I'll have no more of this feud between you. You are both descended from Printus, and as many ideas as you have for the Empire, I believe you would be surprised at how similar your aims are to Akai's. If the Empire is all you truly care about, Win'tanna, then the two of you can make it into the utopia you have dreamed of. Would you truly deny your people that, dishonor the gift I have granted you, simply because of a petty squabble about bloodlines?"

The tiger looked downward, closed his eyes in thought, his body still carrying the scent of the lion, and likely always would. "If that is your wish, Noble One, I will follow it. The Bloodsons are not wise to the ways of governing..."

"Nor, it seems, are the Godsons wise to the plight of their own people. If you wish to rule, you must know them, know their needs, and seek to elevate them as you yourself have been elevated by virtue of birth. That is what it means to be noble. The Empire was indeed great when the sons of Printus worked together to serve their people. You can make it so again. And so can your sons."

With that, Urion leaned back against his favorite tree, satisfied with his explanation, the mists of time seeming to part just for him to provide his decisions. He was confident he'd done the right thing.

"And you will continue to provide guidance to those of your blood? No matter your faith in us, in the agreement you ask of us, occasionally we will need advice you deem fit to grant. Will you, Noble One?"

He nodded, simply. "Of course."

"Do you swear it? I deeply apologize the wording, but losing your words is why I sought you out personally to begin with. The quiet, it was unbearable for my forebears, as well as myself. We must know that in our time of need, we can call, and you will answer us, Noble One." His sincerity was not in any doubt, and his words struck a chord with Urion. He could identify with the helplessness, the anger, the frustration at no longer hearing the voice of the one that was depended on. That frustration had led him to becoming a god of war, and now that same frustration was causing another rift between his people, a rift he did not wish to become another civil war.

So, Urion nodded. "I swear it. Whenever my people need me, I will be there for them." Granted, he had no clue how to do that. He hadn't left his grove since... Since... He came from... above, he believed. For all he'd done for his people, for the Empire his followers had apparently fostered in his name, he'd never truly seen it. But still, the words were spoken, the promise made. If he was needed, truly needed, he would find a way to reach them.

He embraced the tiger once again, feeling warmth from the male, the pulse of new life that was already growing within him. Urion stroked his face gently, "Please, do not name either of them Akai, it is... a difficult reminder. I am sure he would be honored that so many have taken his name, that he is still revered, but for me, there is only one Akai." He pointed upward, toward the patch of sky that would show Akai's outline once the new moon came.

The tiger bowed his head deeply. "I will ensure he is a son you will be proud of, Noble One. As he will be renewing our bond with you, would you allow me to name him Printus?"

"I would approve, yes. Printus was willing to see reason, and I understand that our son would do the same. I think it's an excellent choice, Win'tanna." He nodded simply to the tiger, who took one more look at his god before leaving the grove.

Satisfied, he leaned back against the tree and closed his eyes, wanting to sleep until the new moon, anxious for the chance to tell Akai about it, hear his songs, imagine what their son would have been like. He didn't sleep, it seemed that he couldn't anymore, but he surrendered himself to the flow of time that would allow him to see what was still to come, knowing that he would emerge when he wanted to. He wondered if Win'tanna and the latest to carry Akai's namesake would be able to work together, if their sons, his sons, would bring the Empire in the golden age that Win'tanna had wanted so desperately.

But most of all, he wanted to see it, to walk amongst his people not for their adulation, but to stand in a crowd and gaze in wonderment at all they had accomplished since he'd first taught them how to hunt, how he'd changed to meet their needs, to always be the one they would call on when they needed reminding of who they were. If it were only possible...

All of his looking through the mists of time would only seem to show him what would come to his grove, which seemed to be the one constant in his existence. And what troubled him was that he'd sworn to be there for him whenever they needed him, but how was he supposed to leave his grove without being overwhelmed by the world outside of it? What was he supposed to do when he heard his children call to him, "Great Urion, your people are in need and call on the vow. By the Bond between you and the Akaian Line, we summon you into this offered vessel."

He didn't know what he would do when he heard that, even if he saw a young male who was nude, smiling, mostly leonine in appearance with some tiger in him, his arms opened wide. It was as he envisioned his son, his child with Akai. He imagined rushing toward him, embracing him tightly, so tightly it felt like the young male's mortal body would be crushed, even absorbed by him, the mortal's essence drawn into his being and subsumed, binding them together and...

Urion opened his eyes, his entire body aching terribly, feeling that he was on something hard and cold, stone perhaps, a ceiling above him that was so high it was darkened further by the ambient light around him. He felt... small, like his body was several sizes too small.

"Did it work?"

Was someone speaking? It didn't feel like the grove, but his body felt so weak he could barely move a muscle.

"I don't know. Vendel? Are you okay?" A different voice. Male, young-sounding. "He's breathing, so... Did we do it right? Vendel? Are you okay? You got struck by *lightning*. *Indoors*."

Weakly, he brought his hand in front of his face, the shape leonine but... it wasn't his hand. "What's happening?" That wasn't his voice. "Who are you? I demand you tell me what you're doing!" That sounded a little more like himself.

He swung his leg over, sitting up to find several males of mixed and blended races, all of them wearing ornately designed robes and little else. They seemed to be in a temple, but it was looking the worse for wear, the air smelling dusty. They all stepped back, a Vulpin male the only one who didn't move, and quickly gave a dirty look to the others.

"Um..." He stepped forward sheepishly. "Vendel? Are you playing a joke on us, or are you really..." He whispered the word. "Urion?"

"I do not know who this Vendel is, but if you do not tell me what is going on this instant, you are *all* going to face the wrath of one of the Sky'wen Cru'danna." He managed a growl, but the sound wasn't as convincing as he wanted, his throat too... young.

The fox muttered a string of words he didn't recognize, but the tone conveyed a profanity-laden expulsion of shock and amazement. "He was telling the truth, he *was* one of the godblooded." He stepped closer and touched him, then gasped. "Vendel... became an avatar of Urion." He looked into the lion's eyes. "Great Urion... You've been summoned into a mortal body."