Tracker
A student hires a local tracker to find an animal with a most unusual defence....
A student hires a local tracker to find an animal with a most unusual defence. (5200 words)
2010 Gren Drake
The expedition yacht was pulled up on the beach. Several of the scientists that had been aboard were standing nearby bemoaning the large hole now gracing its side. After the navigator had royally screwed up the only reason they weren't sitting at the bottom of the ocean was that the rock they had hit had been very close to the beach. Even without the rock the yacht would have run aground.
Sally was sitting on another rock, this one solidly ashore, watching from a distance. She was in no hurry to return; as a graduate student she had no classes to teach. Nobody was waiting for her return or worrying about her. There were only classes to attend. Being shipwrecked made a good excuse for not attending, especially since most of her professors were here as well.
She'd have been more worried, but the yacht's radio worked just fine. A rescue ship was already on the way, but it would take most of the day to arrive. With no injuries and no danger they were not rushing.
A number of the drius native to the island were also present. A few of the scientists were trying to explain the ship to them with little success; from what little she'd caught, it seemed to be as much a language barrier as a technological one. The actual crew were ignoring the natives.
She had seen drius before at her university. The government had a number of programs intended to bring education to less advanced countries. Those always endeavoured to adapt, however. This was the first time she had seen 'native' drius. And since the most advanced piece of technology she'd seen in their hands was a spear it gave her a new respect for the drius in her university classes. It was no wonder they were the most eager students.
Although she had nothing waiting for her at home she didn't have anything here either. She sighed then reached down for the backpack that was sitting at the base of her rock. She pulled out a sketchbook--since she wasn't doing anything else, she might as well get some practice in.
Her field of study was zoology. Her university considered that a separate discipline from the study of non-humans sophants, not all universities did. Familiarity with other sophants anatomy would be beneficial and a lot of anatomy was on display.
Most of the drius wore very little; a few, mostly men, wore brightly coloured capes fastened with ropes just above their waist. Also popular were loincloths wrapped tightly around their groin. This was clearly not required however; a scattering of both men and women forwent this. At least she had stopped blushing every time she had gotten a clear view of someone's genitals.
Setting pencil to paper she choose one individual: a man standing on the beach and looking out over the ocean while leaning on a long spear. She began swiftly blocking in his form.
He was slightly taller then the human scientists around him. His hide, mostly furless in the late spring weather, was a deep brown colour. The wind was blowing into a dirty grey cape, filling it out and causing the lower portions to flap in the wind. It was, like most of the others, tied with a rope just above his waist. His tail, a long tapering appendage, was a light beige and contrasted with his hide. This light colour continued over his crotch--she realized with a flush that she had chosen one of those who forwent the loincloth--to form a rounded triangle ending at his naval.
His short, blunt muzzle was partially covered by bright orange fur; a narrow yellow mane started between his agile ears and ran past the collar of his cape where it disappeared. Spaced throughout this mane where thick, vibrant blue 'spines' that flexed in the wind. One was bent over double under the edge of the cape.
Judging by those who didn't have a cape she knew his mane and spines would continue over his back, ending about a quarter the way along his tail. His back would be covered in the same orange fur that formed a partial mask over his face and that covered the back of his neck. It was visible where it stopped on his thighs and the base of his tail.
His legs were digitigrade--Sally marvelled at how well he could balance on them--and his toes were tipped with short, blunt-looking claws. His hands, both wrapped around his spear, appeared to lack these, but they were simply cut down heavily.
With his orange and yellow fur and his blue spines, he was very easy to see, and surprisingly appealing. It was, she knew, a coloration common to all drius men. The women were not nearly as visible or appealing; their fur was the same colour as their hide and they lacked both mane and spines.
She was shaken out of her sketch when he shook his head and walked away from the ocean. He seemed to notice her and started walking towards her, either not realizing the view he gave her and the way it made her flush or not caring.
"Hello?" he asked as he got near. He had a thick accent, but she was surprised he spoke her language at all.
"Hi."
"I noticed you were watching me." Other than his accent he was actually quite fluent. She supposed he had learned it from traders or someone who had left to study and returned.
"I was practicing my sketching. I hope you don't mind." She showed him the draw she'd done. It was not finished as he had moved.
"I do not." He took it from her and studied it for a moment. "You are skilled."
"Thank you." She accepted the sketchbook back and slipped it into her backpack once more.
"Why are you over here alone rather than with the rest of your people?"
"The professors? I'd feel strange hanging around them too much; I'm just a student. I came along to get some pictures of the ocean life for my classes."
"Sketching?" he asked.
"No, photos." She pulled out her camera, holding it up for him to see, dropping the strap around her neck without thinking. She made no indication of handing it to him and he seemed to understand, or at least he made no effort to take it.
"Ah."
Reaching into her pack once more she pulled out a couple of photos she had with her and showed them to him.
"Like these."
He examined them, handling them so carefully she wondered just how delicate he thought they were. "With that?" he asked, pointing at the camera as he handed them back.
"Yes." She quickly snapped a picture of his upper body. "Then the lab at the university will print the pictures."
He nodded. "Interesting."
"I'm Sally by the way." She held out her hand. He stared at it for a moment, seeming to take a moment to realize why she was offering it.
"Raz." He clasped her hand firmly for a moment. The skin of his hand was tough, no surprise considering his lifestyle.
His head turned sharply and he shouted something. Suddenly she was pulled off the rock, landing forcefully in the sand. He crouched next to her, the rock between them and the forest that covered most of the island.
"What was that for?" Sally demanded.
"Aksrith. It is best not to be seen by one." He gestured towards the forest.
"Aksrith?" The name sounded familiar. She started to stand to get a look at whatever it was, but he pulled her back down.
He nodded. "Yes. Very dangerous."
"Its a predator of some kind?"
"No, it eats roots and berries, but it has a special kind of defence. A mental one." He pointed at his head.
Aksrith. Roots. Berries. Sally tried to remember where she had heard the name before.
"Ah!" The memory came back to her suddenly. They had occasionally been found on the coast of Ger Relt, but were always mostly dead. Only grainy monochrome photos existed in the index. If she could get some shots of that it would be better than the sea life!
"I want to see it, to take pictures of it." She held up the camera.
He shook his head. "No. Too dangerous."
"Yes, I must. How bad can it be?" The aksrith that had been found had no claws, no sharp teeth and were all of a foot to the shoulder. They had not been aggressive either, but that could have been because they'd always been mostly dead. Drowned, she recalled. Perhaps this is where they came from?
"No," he said, trying to pull her back behind the rock as she stood and started running for the forest. The aksrith had mostly disappeared, but she could see where it had left tracks in the ground.
The drius was running after her and shouting something, but she was too excited to stop or pay attention to what he was saying. Soon she was in the forest trying to follow tracks that where getting harder and harder to find. It couldn't be that much further; there hadn't been time for it to get very far before she started after it.
Raz quickly caught up with her, still gesturing to go back. Looking at him, she was surprised to see he didn't appear at all winded.
"Pictures of the aksrith would be quite valuable. I need to get them."
He still shook his head, but he relented. "It is stupid, but I will take you to see animal. Take pictures quickly, quietly. Then we return."
"Okay." She decided she would have to question her newfound guide about the creature; what sort of defence did it have that worried him so much? He seemed to know a lot about the creature and she wondered how much was superstition.
Although she soon lost the tracks her guide was able to follow them quite easily. It was ironic. If he hadn't run after her to stop her she would have been forced to turn back. As it was, she could continue.
It took only a few minutes for them to reach the creature. It was pawing at the ground near the base of a bush. A glance revealed bright, massive irises that took up almost its entire eye; its pupils were only tiny dots in the centre. Her guide ducked immediately behind a tree, putting it between him and the animal.
She knelt silently, lifting the camera and taking dozens of photos as it searched the ground. Every single one would be superior to the only existing ones.
Leaning forward to get closer pictures, she lost her balance and her knee fell into the ground cover. Several twigs crunched beneath it. The sound seemed to echo through the forest like a gunshot.
The aksrith turned and its eyes met hers, seeming to lock on. She felt herself relax. For a moment there was a strange sensation as though something where moving inside her head. Then a flurry of white blotches were scattered over her vision. These lasted only a moment and as they disappeared she was able to see the aksrith disappear into the trees.
"What the?" Sally looked over at her guide, hoping for some kind of explanation of what had just happened. Not only was he standing behind a tree, he seemed to be staring up into the forest canopy. His spear was leaning against the side of the tree.
The thought flickered through her mind that he was rather handsome, especially for a nonhuman. It confused her, the thought, for its unexpectedness.
"Ah?" The drius' gaze shifted to her. "You looked?"
She nodded. "It would have been difficult to see it otherwise." For a moment she had the bizarre urge to caress her guide with a deep kiss.
"You don't know?"
"Know what?" She frowned; not only did it seem that her guide had neglected to tell her something of importance, his eyes had become quite mesmerizing. She tore herself from their green-in-blue colour. This sudden, growing fascination with her guide disturbed her.
"The aksrith has a bit of, ah, how do you call it? Telepathic power. It is capable of effecting anything that meets its eyes."
"And you didn't mention this earlier because?" To her annoyance she didn't feel any anger. Forgiveness was swelling up in her breast despite her expectations to the contrary.
"I thought you knew. Everyone learns early on to avoid the eyes of the aksrith and the creature itself as much as possible." His explanation sounded reasonable to her, but whether this was because it really was or because of the strange compulsions that were budding within her mind she had no way of knowing.
Sally shook her head. "Every now and again one of them shows up on the beach across the way. Usually they are dead, though sometimes only nearly so. They've always been considered rare and nothing is known of their behaviour."
Her guide grinned. "We can give you some to take with you if you'd like. They are more than common here and something of a nuisance, really."
It was a shock to Sally to realize that her arms were under his cloak and wrapped around his chest, her fingers digging into the light fur on his back. She resisted the urge to yank them back out, not wanting her guide to think she lacked self control. This was unnervingly easy.
"What does this telepathy do?"
"At first it relaxes the victim, keeping them from being aggressive or breaking eye contact.
"The second part is to stimulate one of the victim's base emotions--lust, fear and so forth--and associate it with a nearby appropriate object. This doesn't always work quite right--there are times were someone will end up terrified of a particular rock or tree--but its usually quite effective. Brief vision trouble is quite common as well."
Well, Sally thought, that would explain her actions. By now her arms were wrapped completely around him, her hands meeting in the hair of mane between his shoulders.
"I would guess it stimulated your lust towards me."
She nodded, burying her face against his hard, muscled chest and surprising herself by enjoying the feeling of his hide against her. "How long does it last?"
"Usually three hours or so, but as you aren't drius its hard to say."
"Ah." She rubbed herself against him. Her panties had become moist and her face flushed when she realized that merely being near him, just touching him, was arousing her. She found herself wanting to feel him inside of her.
As the strange, artificial lust continued to affect her she was becoming more comfortable with the ideas it was putting in her head. Her university studies had left her little time for romance, not that she'd had much beforehand, or over the summer break.
He had yet to react to her, but when she began rubbing her hands down the sides of his chest he grabbed her arms in a tight grip.
"Are you sure about this? Many come to regret what they do under the influence of the aksrith."
Sally didn't even hesitate. "Its driving me crazy and its getting stronger." She yanked on her arms, trying to free them from his grasp. His grip didn't budge, so instead she pressed her hips against his, feeling his sheath between them as she ground against him.
Something slipped around her upper thigh, pulling it back, away from her guide, holding her so tightly that it felt as though she would loose circulation. A glance downwards revealed that this was his tail, and also that his penis had started to become erect.
He pulled her arms in front of her, shifting his hands so both her wrists were in a single hand. With his free hand he uncoiled the slender cord that was fastened around his waist and used this to tie her wrists together. Then he looped it over a tree branch, tied it, and took several steps away from her.
"I'm not going to take advantage of you while you're under the influence of the aksrith."
While she found herself unable to hate him or even be angry at him she did find herself becoming rather annoyed. "I'm not! I'm not under its influence."
"I admit," he began as a gust of wind blew his cloak open, revealing the thick muscles that covered his body. His penis had disappeared once more in the sheath hanging between his legs. "I am not familiar with human woman, but, in those of my own kind at least, sexual desire does not develop over the course of minutes, even in the height of spring."
"Aha! You admit you know nothing about human women!" Sally pulled at the rope, trying to get loose. The knots he'd tied were very secure, holding her to the tree quite effectively.
"We can discuss this in three hours if you are still so inclined." He gathered his cloak around him and settled onto the ground, periodically glancing at her even while he studied something in his hands. A watch. Her watch she realized, noticing her bare wrist. When had he taken that? How had he gotten it off without her noticing? For that matter, how did he know how to use it? It'd been a gift from her mother and she could barely work the thing!
The next three hours were the longest of her life. Her mind was filled with lust and desire, but not only could see not reach the object of this feelings, she couldn't even reach herself. She could do nothing save watch him watch the clock.
As the sun drug across the sky she was surprised to find that the soul-consuming lust was fading from her mind once more. As it did the realization of just how unnatural, how foreign the lust had been struck her. She had always been rather asexual--what few romantic encounters she'd had not only failed to be orgasmic they had failed to be much else, either. For her to have a sudden craving for someone who wasn't even the same species was beyond strange.
Something of these thoughts must have shown on her face as her guide chose that moment to stand, nodding. He slipped her watch into her pants pocket and untied the rope. She immediately slumped to the ground then pulled herself up so she was sitting with her back to the tree she'd been tied to. He crouched a few feet in front of her.
"You were right. I don't appreciate having been tied to a tree, but you were right. The aksrith was really the cause?"
He shrugged. "They're common enough creatures. I've had to deal with them before. Its not always lust, though. Sometimes its greed, or fear, or hunger, or something else. Nor is it always focused on another person; I've seen animals, plants, rocks and even oneself."
"And how long before the effect entirely dissipates?"
"Three hours. You shouldn't be feeling any of it any longer."
Sally shook her head. "You sure? The blinding need is gone, but traces of the desire are still there."
He looked disturbed. "The aksrith has been known to waken latent feelings, but I don't really think that is the case this time. Perhaps we've become somewhat resistant to the effect--we've been living with them all along." He paused, then shrugged. "There isn't really any way to tell and I don't suppose it really matters at the moment."
"Why don't you think it was these latent tendencies you mention?" Although she didn't think it was herself, she was really curious why he didn't. It's not like he knew about her past history.
"In the admittedly short time I've known you, you have given off absolutely no sexual signals at all, nor showed any sign of recognizing any."
"I've never been a very, ah, sexual person," she admitted. The words were a bit hesitant, but she felt better for having said them to someone.
"You are now. Your body language has changed. Even your scent is a bit different now."
It was a bit disturbing that her personality had been changed by an accidental encounter with an animal. "How long do you think it will last?" She wasn't entirely happy about the change, especially since it wasn't exactly her idea.
"There is no way to know for sure. It could be moments, or it could be permanent. I suspect the second to be more likely."
They sat in silence for a moment while she digested his words. Then finally she came to a decision that, if it where a mistake, could join all the other mistakes she'd made--she didn't allow any of them to rule her life.
"Well then, should we give it a chance?" Even as she was speaking she reached towards the button of her pants. This was itself a difference from when she had been under the influence of the aksrith; then she had been so driven that she had entirely forgotten she was wearing clothes.
He didn't move. "Are you sure?"
"Yes." She nodded, emphasizing her agreement. Despite that it was actually a lie. She was quite nervous and part of her brain was telling her it was a mistake. She was not going to let that stop her.
He said nothing, simply shrugging his shoulder in a barely perceptible way causing his cloak to fall loosely to the ground leaving him naked before her. Her eyes quickly traveled up and down his body, taking in the well-defined muscle, the traces of fur visible from where she was then finally settling on his sheath, hanging snugly from where connect to his belly with a thin membrane.
It took her rather longer to strip. She had her pants partway down her legs before realizing her feet were still in her boots and had to stop and pull these off. After getting her pants off she slipped her socks and shirt off. All these were dumped in a pile near her. There would be time to sort them out later.
Seeing a curious expression on her guide's face she paused for a moment, but decided that it was probably that he was unfamiliar with clothing like hers. That of his own people was considerably simpler.
She slipped out of her bra and panties and loosely discarded these on top of the existing pile. At long last she stepped in front of her guide and wrapped her arms around his body, rubbing her hands over the fur that covered his back and running her fingers through the fur of his mane. She tucked her head under his snout. This was made rather simpler by the nearly seven inches of height her had on her.
His hands caressed her back, followed by another touch that must have been his tail brushing just above her buttocks. As she pressed against him his sheath pressed against her waist, becoming firmer against her as his penis slowly extended from its home.
Even as she ran one hand down his side, he reached up, gently taking her head in his hands and turning it so he was able to touch his nose to her forehead and to brush his cheek against hers, finally giving her nose a quick lick.
Sally's wandering hand cupped his balls, feeling their weight and rolling them between her fingers even as her other hand reached up and settled on his face. Her fingers splayed across his check, their tips brushing the thin fur that surrounded his eye and her thumb slipped under his lip to rest against his teeth. She pulled his muzzle towards her as she stood on her toes, then pressing her lips to his; her tongue penetrated his mouth and she could taste his saliva and feel his tongue against hers.
One of his arms reached down, slipping between them, his hand brushing her thighs, approaching, but never reaching, that most private of places. His other hand slowly stroked the edge of her ear, his fingertips running through her hair.
Moving her hand from his cheek to the base of his tail, she wrapped her fingers around this as much as she was able, then rubbed her hand against the fold of flesh were his tail met his buttocks. Taking half a step back, she slipped her other hand between them, running it along his furless sheath and caressing his penis. She took in the shape she felt beneath her fingertips: a slightly curved shaft with a bulge near the base.
He wrapped one of his arms around her shoulder, holding her close to him. His other other hand finally moved in, his thumb brushing her clit as first one then two knuckles penetrated into her, gently thrusting, bringing her waves of pleasure.
Sally gently brushed his hand away from her groin, then took his penis and impaled herself with it. Wrapping her arms around his back once more, she held his shoulders and gently pulled downwards. They sank to the ground, him on his back with her on top of him, his penis still filling her. She began to work her legs, pumping herself on his warm shaft.
Raz interlaced his fingers behind his head and repeatedly thrust upwards with his hips to met her. The bulge she'd felt on the base of his penis created the most delightful sensations as it thrusted into her and as the sensations built up it seemed to be growing.
Even as the drius' efforts became more frantic she was feeling herself reach new heights of pleasure. He grabbed her, pulling her entirely onto himself as his back arched, thrusting himself up into her. Orgasmic bliss overtook her, her eyes closing of their own accord as she tossed her head back in a silent cry.
She opened her eyes. Her lover had his hands behind his head once more as he stared up at her. She was panting, she realized, her heart racing. She could still feel him inside of her, stretching her, throbbing as he filled her with his seed.
She smiled, then tried to stand. Before he could react, she was forced to stop. He was be stuck inside of her! Her orgasmic bliss was now entirely absent, replaced with growing panic.
"I'm stuck!"
"Yes?" He said in a dreamy voice.
"I can't get up?"
"And?" He seemed entirely oblivious to how this was a problem.
Reaching down, she traced her fingers around where his member penetrated her. The area was moist with their fluids as her fingers touched the base of his penis. Tracing it upwards, she felt where it entered her, but just inside it was as if it turned into a wall.
"That bulge! Its stuck inside of me."
"So? You didn't know about that?"
"Its not exactly a feature of human men's penises."
"I hadn't realized that. I'm sorry, I had presumed you knew about it."
Sally was surprised to realize that she wasn't actually all that upset. Annoyed, yes, but some of the fault was her own. It did, however, suggest a rather important question:
"How long are we going to be like this?"
"Only twenty or thirty minutes. You may as well get comfortable. Are you angry? I should have said something earlier."
She sighed. "No, I'm not angry. I should have asked. I am annoyed, but, despite this inconvenience, that was the best sex I've had." She settled onto his lap as comfortably as she could.
He grinned. "How sad for your previous lovers, but still good to hear."
They sat in a companionable silence for a few minutes. Occasionally one or the other would make a remark, but there was no further conversation.
After a few minutes a shiver ran down Sally's spine. She was, she realized, sitting naked in a forest in late spring. The air was still cool.
"It's starting to get a bit chilly."
By twisting and squirming Raz was able to get his cloak out from under himself and he handed it to her.
He raised an arm towards her as she wrapped the cloak around herself. "Why don't you lay down?" The fur on the garment was soft against her skin and his scent heavily permeated it.
She leaned forward, taking his arm as she lowered herself onto his chest. As she moved his penis shifted inside of her, but remained firmly lodged in place. Finding his warm flesh comfortable against her own, she soon slipped into sleep.
More surprising than falling asleep was when she woke up curled up on the forest floor. Raz's cloak covered her, but she could feel the ground clutter against her otherwise bare skin. Her lover was crouched nearby, seemingly not doing anything. Then she heard a loud voice speaking in an unfamiliar language; the voice, she realized, was what had woken her up.
Her impromptu lover replied in the same language, speaking much more sedately. As they conversed, the unseen speaker stepped into sight.
The unknown speaker was another drius, this one a female with a greyish cloak hanging loosely from her shoulders and carrying a bow and quiver slung over her shoulder. She crouched down near Raz and as they spoke one or the other would occasionally gesture towards Sally.
It seemed that it was a good time to get dressed. Standing, careful to keep the cloak wrapped around her, she looked around for her clothes. They were piled loosely nearby here she'd left them. Stepping over to them, she furtively dressed herself beneath the concealment of Raz's cloak. She hesitated a moment, her cheeks burning, when she realized the dried evidence of their engagement remained on her groin and thighs and was glad that no one could see her. Once dressed, she turned back to the pair of drius.
Raz choose that moment to stand. "Ah, good," he said. "You are dressed. Riza came to find you; your boat is repaired and awaits your return to leave."
Though Sally had known him for less than a day, she was surprised at how much it saddened her to be leaving, especially since it was unlikely she would be back; she would never have been here at all, but for the boat being damaged.
Realizing that she was still wearing his cloak, she started to remove it, but he waved for her to stop.
"Keep it. A memento."
And so the three walked back to the rough camp set up by the drius where her fellow humans awaited her return.