The voice of a Phoenix
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Inspired by the music of Mortiis
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I must also give credit for a line I use at the end of the piece, about remorse. That is taken from Monolith by Mortiis
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I dedicate this to Drake - I love you
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The land passed quietly below. No one would disturb the lone avian flying overhead. She passed the farms, towns, and a chapel with a priest walking through its graveyard. Nothing seemed to notice her as she passed.
She paused for a moment at a quiet stream; it was the last for a while she knew... there was the desert ahead, then a forest. She drank slowly, taking her time as she looked around. She turned her head hastily, feeling something watching her... but no, it couldn't be. It might be a local seeing a faint glimmer of her reflection in the stream. Her magick wouldn't let any harm come to her.
She took off again, coming to the edge of the seas of sand. She flew on, not stopping to debate her cores. Soon her form was lost to the desert's horizon.
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He had been watching her flight for some time. Following, not close enough for her to sense him, but following all the same. He was tired after such a long chase, and had been careless at the stream. He could not make that mistake again; he couldn't let his guard down. If he made another slip, she might get away from him, and he had come too far to loose her now.
The soft footpads barley made a mark in the ever-shifting tide of the sand. The creature stuck to the shadows, all the time trailing its prey. The desert night was cold around him as he followed the light of her fiery form as if it were a star.
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She couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched. Something was stalking her, she knew it. It was probably nothing, but she just had this feeling that something was out there. Not many creatures would mess with a phoenix, not in the open like this.
Her silhouette flaired against the starlit sky. She flew on, knowing soon she would need a haven to rest in. One her hunter could not find, one where she would be safe.
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The ground seemed to fly as he ran harder. When the sun rose, if he hadn't caught up to her, he might loose her for good. He would run as long as he could, it was the fastest form of travel, or at least that's what he found most comfortable. He could fly, but it would be easier for her to spot him. He was not ready to giver her the upper hand, not just yet.
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As day broke she came to the edge of the desert. Now she could find shelter away from preying eyes, or at least she hoped. The forest was thick enough that anything running on land would have a hard time tracking her, and anything in the air would have no visibility under the green canopy. She could relax a little, but first she needed shelter. She had been flying for two days now with no rest.
She saw a small cavern, wit ha clearing and a stream. It looked safe enough, so she made up her mind to use it for her refuge, as long as it was unoccupied. There was not much else in the way of shelter, unless she wanted to sleep in a tree. She just hoped the cavern was safe.
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He swore out loud when he saw the greenery emerging from the last of the sands. A forest would offer shelter to any creature, big or small. He would have to risk flight at this point. Hoping that his eyesight was good enough to penetrate into the forest where she could have hidden herself. The trees were too dense for her to fly through them, so if he spotted her glimmering feathers he could land and track her on foot.
As he took to the sky he scanned the area. She was not flying. Damn, that meant that she had hidden herself. If only he had traveled a little faster in the desert, he would have her by now. He saw the clearing with the cavern. There was a chance she might have taken refuge there, but it was slim. He would continue checking the area, and if he hadn't found her he would double back and check the cavern more closely.
He could wait her out. It wasn't every century he found such an energetic target.
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She slept peacefully in the cave, unaware that her hunter had found her hiding place. She really feared nothing in the forest. Nothing was stupid enough to risk attacking a phoenix, especially a female in heat.
As she woke, she noticed that it was getting dark. Good, the sun was going down, that was her chance to make a break for it. As she looked out of the opening to the cave, she saw a shadow pass. Unable to contain her curiosity she moved to the entrance, trying to find what was out there. She fanned out her feathers, making herself seem larger, hoping to scare off anything that was not friendly.
She chirped a little, seeing another bird landing at the edge of the clearing. It was large, maybe a little larger than she was. Was it another Phoenix? She chirped a greeting, moving closer tying to get him to come into the light.
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The light was fading as he circled back to the clearing. He realized that this was the place where she was hiding a while back, but he let her rest. She would need her strength. He flew over the clearing, landing on the opposite side in the shadow of the trees. He returned her greeting moving a little closer as well.
He had never seen a male of his kind in her travels, but most avian were the same. The males were larger, more colorful, and stronger. He remembered one interesting bird, the peacock... it was one of the most handsome birds he had seem. He shifted his form to resemble this female, but with the attributes of the peacock colored and ruby and gold instead of emerald and sapphire.
He wondered if she had ever seen another of her species? He had never seen mote than one phoenix together in one place. He didn't know weather they took care of their young as a pair, or if the females did the task alone.
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The male flared his feathers, calling to her. She chirped back gently, wondenig if there was a way to get around him. She looked quietly, seeing there was no escape except to retreat into the cave.
She tilted her head watching his movements. It seemed right, maybe this was the one she was looking for. She moved in closer, taking in his scent. He was defantly the thing tracking her, but was he what she was searching for.
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Seeing her fear let go way for curiosity he approached her, moving to her side chirping as his beak ran along her neck. He was glad he chose this form; it seemed to calm the female down.
She chirped in response, her tail feathers fanning as he circled her like a predator. Her scent enticing him to take her as his own, to become one with this beautiful female. He moved in closer, his wings encompassing her in an embrace that was strange to the female.
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What had she expected, she didn't rightly know... She thought that the male just mounted the female and that was it. That's what was explained to her, and what she had observed in other avian as well as other species as well... though she never really had any one to ask.
The strange embrace was very calming though, and it felt good being close to him. She chirped again, her beak nuzzling against his. Her feathers fanned, letting him know it was all right to proceed.
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He smirked at her willingness. She had been a good target. He would take her from behind as she wanted. Once she was relaxed he would make his move, shifting to something more comfortable.
He mounted her; a peal of thunder rang through the darkening sky, his shaft pressing into the young female. She was so warn, so soft... He had never been with a phoenix before, he wondered if they were all like this. He had never been with a female so warm before. Sure he had his share of them, but this was different. None compared to this fiery female, almost burning him with every thrust.
As he felt her relax, his thrusts depend penetrating farther each time. They had become one as a flash of lightning split the sky. Their long necks entwined, beaks rubbing gently as they mated. Alone in this place, nothing else existed.
He was getting close. God, this female was good. He almost wanted to keep her, to make him his permanent pet. But that wasn't his thing. He was a loner, and he didn't want to be tied down to any one female. He let out a sharp hiss as he almost lost control of himself.
He shifted his form, using his arms now to grip her tightly. To pull her closer, his shaft thrusting deeper and harder each time. Pushing father with each quickening thrust.
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She cried out, feeling the males form change but not caring. Not yet... Her body commanded her to not look, to enjoy the pleasure of the male. To let him take her, they were not done yet.
He growled, leaning down to fluff the feathers of her neck with his beak. She chirped in response, rubbing her beak against him in return. She closed her eyes, surrendering to the passion between them Her body numb with the experience.
Her eyes opened with the blinding heat of her orgasm. It ripped through her body, almost pushing him out. He thrust harder, not wanting to finish but knowing it was coming. He changed his form fully to that of a wolf as he usually was in. His strong upper limbs grasping the female holding her tight.
He howled as he came, his hot seed flowing deeply into the female's womb. He bit at her neck, growling, almost trying to comfort her in this form but it caused her to jump away from him in surprise. His length was still dripping, as it was hastily let free form the tight prison. She backed away, turning to flee deep into the cavern.
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That wasn't supposed to happen, her mind cried as she curled up deep in the cave. She made her roost deep in the darkness, the stone like ice against her heated body. She was supposed to mate with one of her own kind, not a wolf pretending to be a bird. What would happen to her now? She folded her wings, laying her head on the stone.
A Phoenix only mated once in their life. They were immortal, until they mated. They found their true love and mated, then the mother and father would sacrifice themselves for their eggs. As the male's sperm fertilized the eggs, the mother's body would become a pyre to warm and protect the eggs until they hatched. The father would lay atop the mother, his life force having left him would curl up to help create the incubator for the young.
But what now? This thing, it wasn't a male phoenix. It wouldn't stay with her now, what was going to happen to her eggs? She cried gently fearing for the lives of her unborn chicks that would never have the chance to survive. Tears streaming down against the stone as she felt the fire within her dwindle and die out. Her eggs had a chance that they may make it, but she could only hope that they would. That her sacrifice had not been for nothing.
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He watched her run. He shook his head, and took a step forward to follow her. Wait what was he doing? What was that he felt? Guilt? Remorse? He could he feel remorse for the things he had done when he had no concise? He shook his head again, typical female response.
As the chimera turned away a single drop of rain fell, hitting the corner of his eye and trickling down his face almost as if it was a tear.