Look out for each other
Across the vast al Nu'un Savannah travel the wild Sunkin zoan, families of pachyderm and leonine beastfolk whom act and live similarly to the animals of our world, the primary and obvious difference that they resemble tailed humans covered in fur or hide. Few and far between sit immense plantations to harvest the arid-climate crops, often are worked by the Sunkin that were unable to survive on their own in the wild.
One particular family, known as the Solmane, had just birthed a litter of 7 amongst the 3 mothers, among which only 5 survived to nurse their first milk. Tun, the proud-mane sire, looked upon the healthy 5 cubs to whom he'd breathed life into the day before and smiled warmly as they suckled their meal; though his heart was heavy for having to bury 2 of his own, he was lifted with joy to the newborn quintet. Later that day, when his mates went off to hunt, he watched over the cubs and told stories about zoan lore and heroes, about Brother Sun and his just power, and kept them safe. 2 of his brood â€" he noticed â€" were sons, and felt weights tied to his heart at what he would do; despite the keen hunting skill of his mates, it would come to pass that the young could not survive on milk alone and soon need to feast on their kills. Amongst the leonine Sunkin, where females tend to outnumber males 2:1, exchanging daughters amongst families kept the bloodlines resilient to diseases and awoke unique strengths; sons often lead to power struggles. When Tun's mates returned with their prey he approached them.
"Yil, Mea, Vo, as I've told you before when we first met what would happened should I sire a son, and as you also know, we have 2 in our litter," he began solemnly, crossing his arms over his broad chest. Vo's lip trembled and turned to hide her face into Yil's comforting embrace as Mea interrupted, "Tun, this isn't necessary, we always have plenty to eat and by the time they'd be eating as much as us, they'll be helping hunt, as well!"
"Mea, I'm not worried about our food supply," he retorted, and then continued, "When our sons begin growing their manes, they'll be old enough to work as dirters," the term used for plantation zoans, often derogatory, "I'll escort them myself to make sure they arrive safely and tell them exactly what to say to the owners."
"No!" Vo shrieked suddenly, tears matting the fur of her cheek as he glared begging at her mate, "It's because your brother killed your father and rap-!" she began, then clapped her paws across her mouth a sentence too late. Mea and Yil stared terror struck at their pride-sister, faces almost as pale as Vo's, her eyes wider than moons as Tun loomed and seemed to engulf the sky, his eyes like bloodied blades. "I..." attempted the quiet female, paws just far away from her muzzle enough to squeak through her fingers, "Tun, I'm sorry, I...I didn't mean..." pled Vo, wincing at the crack of his knuckles. The other females readied to protect their pride-sister, even if it meant being beaten to a pulp or torn to shreds, but as their mate finger-flexed and exhaled, he squatted and clapped his hefty paw on her head (though it hurt a bit, it obviously wasn't malicious, for his expression softened noticeably). "Enjoy the time you have with them before they leave, Vo." The male's massive arms wrapped about the feminine leonine and embraced her.
L8R
"Ryd, Rod, the time has come that you both leave the pride," began Tun, kneeling before his sons, looking right into their eyes as he held their shoulders, "You'll be going to live and work at a plantation until you're old enough to take care of yourselves. Do you remember what I told you?"
"Do what we're told when we're told to do it..." began Rod, the older, for he saw the world first.
"...And keep our heads on our shoulders," continued Ryd, the younger, for he followed the first.
"And...?" Tun pressed, to which both boys replied in unison: "Look out for each other."
"That's my boys," he said with a broad smile, tears appearing at the corners of his eyes. He pulled them both to his broad chest and embraced each for a moment, wishing he had a few more years to teach them of their proud heritage; but in the short time they had, he could only teach them the basics of hunting, some common etiquette for dealing with others of their own kind and others not, and mating. Ryd & Rod bid their good-byes to sisters and mothers before following their father into the al Nu'un.
L8R
"Ryd! Rod!" bellowed the task master Pokt, owner and namesake of the Bloodclaw Plantation, standing at strict expectation as 2 leonine beastfolk appeared before him within seconds of his summoning. They were nigh identical, from their golden muscled builds to the way their manes were cut to moderate-length patches of crimson atop their heads and cradling their chins; except Ryd had a nasty scar across his back where the fur didn't grow properly. "I'll be having a business associate arriving here in an hour, make sure you don't have work by the time his cargo needs unloading. Now get going," he barked in dismissal. Pokt was never a kind-hearted individual, as is customary of Sunkin orcs, but particularly with this Savannah-raised Bloodclaw, having built his plantation from nothing and trampled his way to one of the top 3 in the al Nu'un.
Rod & Ryd were the only leonine Sunkin amongst the workers there â€" every other zoan being either pachyderm or the equine and cervine Earthkin from the Savannah â€" and often Pokt's showcase workers whenever one of his associates came by to trade. They were not, however, the only prime leonine to ever work at Bloodclaw's; in fact, it was another male that helped them adapt to the plantation and hunt for their own food, acting as a second father for the cubs when they first arrived. However, Bur, as the older leonine was known, was beaten to death when he was caught sleeping with Pokt's daughter (whom was sent to a distant all-girl's school as soon as possible). The brothers went through the rest of their tasks at 110% so they would meet their master's high expectations; when the hour came, they darted from the just harvested field to meet with the cart rolling onto Pokt's estate. Standing at disciplined attention, Rod & Ryd kept their breathing to a bare minimum, sweat dripping slowly through their pelt as they awaited their next instruction.
A gnarled ogre came to a stop with a pull on the reigns of his cart-behemoths, stepping down from his rider's seat, he approached Pokt. Sharply nailed hands from each reached for the other and grasped around the forearm, soon broad shoulders struck together as they embraced like old war-buddies. The green-skinned master turned from his rock-skinned guest to thrust his thumb at the cart, "Get it into the barn," he barked once more at the lions, then guiding the ogre to the house, "let's go to my office and discuss the exchange." Ryd & Rod looked to their master and then back to each other, smirking knowingly; even though the tough-skins were adamant businessmen, they were also heavy drinkers, and whenever they downed their ale together, it was hilarious to watch their inebriation (and with their stalking skill, were the only workers able to watch).
Night fell upon and enveloped the plantation in cool savannah air; the leonine brothers had rested to a state of serenity for optimal stealth. Padded paws kicked from the ground and sharp claws clung to the rough walls of the home, trained by years of playing and chasing one another across the estate as cubs, honed during their nighttime shenanigans. At the wall of the house facing the savannah, they came upon Pokt's study, the golden lamplight shining from the wide balcony door to present the master and his guest, sharing a keg of ale, going through transactions and the best prices for the other's product. Rod & Ryd had watched this as often as they could, taking the utmost care to cling to the underside of balcony while their heads lifted just high enough to see through the railing and into the study.
Shouting broke out between the businessmen, to which the brothers smirked at each other; the alcohol was beginning to affect them, now getting near the middle of the second keg, and it would start off with foul name-calling and idle threats, and eventually shift over to unintelligible statements about how the other is the better man. Final degradation of any dignity came when they sang at the top of their lungs old bar songs and regaled on times long passed; and if they decided to finish their current keg of ale, they'd dance about foolishly in little to no clothing. The brothers had to bite their lips and cling to the balcony for dear life else they burst out laughing and fall to the 2 stories to the ground, or worse, get caught by Pokt (he was either the jolliest or the meanest drunk in the world, depending on the company). Eventually, the orc would stagger a bit and catch himself on his desk, laughing as he looked to his guest with flushed cheeks, and say something inaudible, to which the ogre would nod fervently. It was at this time that Rod & Ryd would climb down with stifled chuckles and return to their own shanty and sleep for the next day; however, something different happened that neither expected.
As Pokt closed the door leading onto the balcony with the usual slam and click of lock (assassins are expected to be anywhere at anytime) the brothers were halted by the subtle, otherwise unnoticed drop of a single shingle in the door. Rod & Ryd looked to each other, whiskers perked in rapt curiosity, this being the first time such a unique opportunity presented itself to know what happened after the door was closed. They crept back to the balcony with greater care than ever before, and looked upon the slot created from the fallen shingle: if they crouched, they could easily look into the secret study.
‘We shouldn't, the lamp is too bright, our fur and eyes would show like flares,' whispered Ryd barely to his older brother, whom nodded in agreement before the golden luminance dimmed to a subtle bask. Looking to each other once more, they took the most caution they ever had in their lives to that point and crept over the railing, ensuring their claws never once clicked on the stone and wood balcony. Crouched a few inches from the door, they stared with their hunter's eyes through the convenient slot upon the minimally lit study within, and found themselves frozen in utter disbelief.
There they crouched, unable to move as they witnessed the act before them; after an hour or so, Ryd & Rod scooted slowly away from the open slot to the railing, jumping over it and to the ground instead of climbing. Paws and feet braced their collision with the earth after a last-minute flip; a second's recovery before they dashed off to their secluded shanty. The brothers bolted into the door of their little hut and latched it, and then closed the window coverings. Rod panted and wiped a paw through his short mane as Ryd sunk into a chair, staring intently at the floor.
"What was that?" Ryd asked rhetorically, looking up to his brother regardless, knowing that neither had the answer.
"I only know it was the oddest thing I've ever seen," replied Rod.
"Something like that could get Pokt in a whole mess of trouble, methinks," the younger brother stated, leaning back in the chair and tapping his knee, still breathing heavily but calming.
"Yeah, sure, we would be dead if he ever found out we were there," frowned the older brother, turning to face his younger and leaning back against a wall, arms crossed as he tapped a finger against his bicep. The younger dropped all feet to the floor and just stared, his face growing pale, "There'd be no way to recognize our bodies when he's done with them." They stared in silence, mutually reminded of Bur, before Rod spoke up again, "Let's just get to sleep, we've got a lot of work tomorrow, and we're already missing a few hours."
Ryd found himself yawning as if reminded how tired he was, stretching in the process that leonine beastfolk are known for. Standing, he would drop his burlap shorts to reveal a cotton wrap around his waist and loins similar to a thong; claws raked through the fur on his thighs as he dropped to his knees atop the floor spread. "These shorts always chaff me, if only Pokt would let us make some decent clothes from all that cotton..." sighed the younger brother, laying upon his stomach and grasping a pillow beneath his head. Rod dropped his own shorts and set them aside; agreeing with his brother wordlessly by scratching over his thighs, but then noticed the backside of his younger. In all the years they'd been naked together â€" whether in sleeping, bathing, or wrestling â€" he'd never designated that well-shaped backside as attractive at all...and then he noticed the wicked scar, extinguishing the warmth in his loins extinguish instantly.
"Good night, bro," said Rod finally as he crawled atop the floor-lain bed and spooned with his younger brother, whom rolled to his side and snuggled back against his elder. They pressed closely, one's arms about the other's torso, whose arms in turn rested upon the paw bracing his chest and stomach; soft purring emanated from them both, warm smiles on their faces. Rod thought once more of the scar of his brother's back, when he had attempted to stand against Pokt in defense of his brother; the orc raised a spiked club after striking the elder brother to the ground. Ryd threw himself atop the bloodied leonine and took the killing strike against his back, luckily it missed his spine but there was still a grand arch of blood. "Master, I'm sorry..." wheezed Ryd, quickly turning around and keeping his eyes to the ground, pressing his nose to the dirt at the orc's toes, blood trickling through his dark golden fur. Pokt glanced at the prostrated leonine at one foot, and then scowled and presented his other foot to Rod; the elder looked through his uninjured eye to the green taskmaster, and then to the cowed and wounded body of his brother. Trying as he could, Rod crawled forward to mimic his younger, "Master, I'm sorry..." he murmured. Whether it was the brothers' intent expression of regret or the value he had in them staying alive and healthy can be left to interpretation as to why he forgave their indiscretion.
When morning came Ryd awoke first, as he often did, to the brisk morning air that crept into their shanty. He shifted just a bit and found something curious about this morning that separated it from every other: his brother's erection was pressed against his haunches and not just on the thigh, but right between his butt cheeks. A flush filled Ryd's face as he felt the casual firmness under his tail, so unfamiliar with the sensation he wasn't sure how to react; recollections of spying on their master and the lustful entanglement with his guest made him consider that the embrace was something acceptable. He wanted to get up and get ready, so that Rod wouldn't have to wait for his time to clean up, but Ryd couldn't bring himself to move much less leave his brother's arms. The older leonine's nose was pressed right to the younger's neck, Rod's chest rumbling on his back as he continued to sleep. ‘But why...?' thought Ryd as his breath grew hotter, ‘we've always slept like this, I guess never noticed how much I liked it before...' His paw reached back to grasp the powerful hips of his older brother, somehow amazed not only in the intimidating force they surely held, but how he also seemed to grow a rapt curiosity to have the power demonstrated on him.
"Good morning, bro," rumbled Rod, yawning a bit and smacking his lips before he made to move his hips. Ryd grunted despite himself and pressed back against his big brother, whom reacted in a similar fashion by grinding his hips to his little brother's. They stayed like that for another moment, Ryd blushing and looking over his shoulder to Rod behind him, blushing visibly at the obviously harder phallus behind the cotton loincloth. Rod's paw was still on his brother's stomach through the awkward instance of suspended time; the fingers crawled their way through rough abdomen fur until it found wiry pubes, eliciting a soft growl from the younger brother. A loud mewl of shock jumped from Ryd's maw as his big brother's paw grabbed a firmly on his erection, bucking hips against the clutch. A broad muzzle took the advantage of Ryd's distraction to bite at his shoulder playfully, much like they did in mock dominance, and when Rod rocked his erection against his little brother's rump, a lighthearted air engulfed them.
"You like that, bitch?" he guffawed in blatant rambunctiousness and an obvious mockery of the gruff voices of yesternight, quickly flopping atop the younger Sunkin and grinding away at the haunches beneath him.
"Oh yes, you're so big!" Ryd retorted as he flailed on the ground, moaning out falsely as he and his brother re-enacted their master's activities the night before. Soon, they'd burst into raucous laughter, their erections faded when replaced by joyful tomfoolery. Rod removed himself from his brother before helping him to his feet, tears in their eyes from laughter, chests still heaving a bit. The awkwardness they felt just seconds ago never existed, and as their muzzles neared they knocked their foreheads together.
"We should so swipe some cotton and line our shorts with it," Ryd said, pulling on his itchy garments once more, "Just enough to keep the burlap off our fur, ya'know?"
"I agree with ya', bro, we've had to deal with itchy haunches for near on 10 years, and I'm tired of it," he stated assuredly. Heading to the washing bowl, pouring just enough water to splash his face and mane from a pitcher they kept under the table. With a rinse of his mouth and a rag to dry his fur, Rod pulled up his shorts and tied them secure, "Besides, plenty of perfectly good cotton goes to waste every day for one reason or another, so why not put it to proper use?"
"Hey bro," spoke Ryd as they went out the door, "what say, when we're done with everything, we do some more of that grinding, and such?"
Rod looked to his brother with quirked brow, and then a knowing smirk tugged on the corner of his lips, "You mean ‘tailraising'?"
"Yeah, it felt good, so how about we explore it?"
"Sure, no problem, but don't be focusing on it all day, bro, work before pleasure."
"I know, I know," he reasoned, waving a paw dismissively.
One of Pokt's unspoken rules was for workers not to fuck other workers, one of the primary reasons why he kept all females as housekeepers and all males as fieldworkers. Whenever he caught 2 males going at it, he'd beat them within an inch of their lives before feeding them to his hellhounds. By the brothers' perspective, to see their master canoodling with the male ogre last night gave them a sense of mental flexibility towards each other.
After their hours of plowing fields, harvesting crops, and heavy lifting, the leonine brothers were covered in sweat and sore all over. They'd managed to make it back to their shanty and seclude themselves entirely, both lying on the cool of their floor to breathe deep the refreshing night air. On their backs lying head-to-toe, and paws behind their heads while lightly napping, shorts long since removed so only their musky undergarments remained. With a quick snooze Ryd was wide awake once more, torso erected and looking across his brother's still reposed form. Donning a devious grin, he crawled atop the older leonine and grasped his muscled flanks, leaning down and pressing his nose to the finely chiseled chest. Breathing deep, the scent of his brother filled Ryd's nostrils, ‘Yep, that's Rod all right,' he concluded, tail flicking this way and that behind him. The younger's paws kneading over the crafted torso of Rod, reaching out a cautious tongue to slowly lick across the crimson-sprinkled chest, remnants of a kept mane; a blush filled his cheeks as he remembered that morning, but now he was smiling to the potent smell and taste of his brother. The musk that marked his heart and mind was that of his other half, the one he trusted and loved; now, the musk had one more meaning, perhaps of intimacy.
The warmth in Ryd's loins returned with a vengeance from earlier when Rod's purring grew in volume, and soon a paw rested on the shoulders of the younger. Looking up, the other looking down, both brothers saw each other, their eyes and mouths, noses and cheeks, chins and brows; they saw into a living mirror, smiling wide and blushing warm. Ryd scooted further up atop his older brother, the broad chests brushing together with powerful heartbeats but inches apart; they both blushed brighter at the sensation of their bound arousals pressed against one another. Eyes closed when whiskers tickled their cheeks, muzzles nearing until a hair's breadth spanned them; with a single motion their noses touched, lips brushing just a bit, but they did not kiss. Rod's head was to the ground, Ryd atop him, the younger's paws holding his brother's broad shoulders, the elder's holding his brother's back. Their bodies barely moved but they shared a grand pleasure, claws kneading into the other's pelt, purr-growling emanating from the pressed chests.
As each undressed the other, the arousals kept hidden for all their lives became known and familiarized. Time meant little throughout the night as they touched and made all manner of contact, long since made their way over to the bed to grind with wetted and throbbing flesh until grand streams of pent up semen coated their heaving chests. In their first of many afterglows, Rod & Ryd shared a cosmic moment, joining in a single, tender kiss before embracing passionately. Tongues groomed this way and that, picking up each salty-sweet drop of essence that painted their frames. Sleep swept the brothers to an orgasm-induced dream world, the aches of their day forgotten and replaced by sweet euphoria.
"I hope it won't always be this messy..." purred Ryd, nestling his muzzle into his brother's neck.
"I do," purred Rod.