Cargo
Some nine months ago I made a journal asking what I should write next. Well here's the result! It didn't take me that long to write, I kind of forgot about it, halfway into writing.
"I know this mission is really boring, but it's actually the most important one I've ever been assigned!", exclaimed the leopard as he kicked the lying drake's paw. The bipdedal cat stood by his lazy mount, waiting for a reaction, but the large creature was an expert at tuning out his rider.
The cat had enough of the insubordination; the dragon had ignored him through the morning. He was all ready to leave, but the slumbering beast wasn't even saddled yet. Out of ideas, the feline decided the seat would be going on the hard way. He grabbed the heavy assembly off the ground, and tossed it at the drake's exposed flank.
The metal frame underneath the leather made the saddle a lot more rigid than it looked, and the gear comically bounced off the dragon's body. What wasn't humorous at all was the beast's reaction. Leaping up to four legs, the drake turned to face the insolent cat, baring his sharp fangs inches away from the other's face. The display of ferocity didn't faze the leopard, who snarled back to show off his own oversized canines.
A team of apex solitary predators has its fair share of conflicts. The hissing pair's dispute always ended with a period of mutual contempt, but the lack of a lasting grudge allowed them to remain a functioning couple.
The dragon was eventually saddled and loaded, and the two continued their journey.
This was the third day of straight walking. Parched grasses and shrubs crunched under the drake's heavy steps, as the pair made their way through a forest of leafless trees. There was no cover from the intense Sun of the dry season. Both rider and mount panted continuously, in a half-successful attempt to cool themselves. The route had been carefully chosen to maximize access to water, which provided a temporary relief from the heat.
The journey was a monotone walk through the death that brought the drought. There was no life away from the watering holes, at least none that could be seen: way up in the trees a four-legged leopard nervously watched the pair pass by, angry that the other feline would trespass his territory, but not foolish enough to also confront the dragon.
Their day's trip ended at sundown, at the foot of a large tree. The dragon flopped down at its base as soon as the saddle was unpacked and removed. Everything was carelessly tossed on the ground: the sack of food and water, the wrapped-up armour and weapons, and a bag of clothes. Except for the precious cargo. The leopard carefully grabbed onto the small bundle with his jaws, as he scaled the tree to stash it on a large low branch. Just like a four-legger would cache his latest catch.
Back on the ground, the cat took off the only item of clothing he had been wearing: a pair of shorts. It was as a much about trying to cool down as it was about freeing himself from the unnecessary piece of garment. If it wasn't for the prudish humans, the hybrids would all be living naked. Clothing offered no benefit over a natural coat of fur. The dragon stared at the nude leopard inquisitively. Despite their longterm relationship, he had never seen the feline fully naked.
"What? Why are you looking at me like it's wrong to be naked? You're always naked!" said the leopard, noticing the beast's intrigued look. "Or are you just too stupid to realize that pants can come off?" he then remarked jokingly. Of course he knew the dragon was much smarter than any wild animal.
"Oh! I know! You've never seen hanging junk. All your stuff is tucked in that slit of yours."
The leopard approached the dragon, who craned his neck closer to the big cat's crotch. After a couple seconds of cautious sniffing, the feline batted the drake's muzzle away. "Alright, get over it" he annoyingly called out. "Any closer and you'll get the claws." It wasn't much of a warning, the beast's thick hide of scales would barely be scratched by even the most vigorous of swipes.
The dragon was fed a cake of dried fish, meat and grain. It was the kingdom's stables secret recipe, which was designed to be calorie dense and long lasting. It solved the problem of feeding a large carnivorous beast during long travels, and was the key to the dragon rider troop's success. The leopard had similar food, but with more meat (to his taste).
The Sun was falling fast, but with both species having excellent low-light vision, it did not matter much. Humans would have long started a fire, but the two needed neither its warmth nor light. The rider leaned back on his mount's flank, near the shoulder. The drake was already asleep, and after a few moments of semi-instinctual tongue-bathing, the leopard also dozed off.
It was still late night when the reptile woke up slowly. An odd smell had caught his attention deep in his sleep. The odour was strong and close by, but with the leopard still lying against his body, the dragon was hesitant to move and investigate. The scent wasn't very threatening either, quite the opposite, it was strangely arousing. Unable to resist the temptation, he lifted his head to search for the source. Slowly it brought him closer to his companion, until his snout poked a short length jutting from the feline's crotch. The pointed member glinted lightly under the faint Moon.
A dragon's tongue licking his peaking member was a rude awakening to the leopard. The big cat hissed and swiped the intruder away; the claws catching under the scales making a scrapping sound. The drake recoiled, and the feline took the opportunity to leap over him and climb into the tree. He found a branch to rest on the other side of the trunk, but he could not get away from the line of sight of his mount. The best he could do was turn his back and try to ignore the rude animal.
Despite the panther's desire to fall asleep, the event had stirred up to the surface a lot of pent-up frustration. The last few days had not allowed any privacy, but this new situation had given him an opportunity. Slowly the leopard's hand crept between his thighs, and his fingers stroked the hard-as-ever member. This mere petting wasn't going to afford him any release, but it was giving him a bit of relief, while waiting for the dragon to fall back asleep.
A cautious peek behind him showed the drake shut-eyed and breathing slowly, and the feline made his move. The flexible big cat curled forward, pushing his muzzle towards his crotch. The "grooming" was generous yet cautious. By necessity, felines must be careful with the barbs covering the middle of their tongue. The rider was practiced fortunately, and made good use of the smooth underside of his talented appendage. The leopard had no hesitation slipping his erection between smooth lips and sharp teeth, to quietly suck himself to sweet release. He was clean like any good cat, not spilling a single drop. Any other sticky signs of the naughty activity were efficiently licked away, and the spotted panther slumbered away satisfied.
Yet the leopard had been a bit quick in his judgment, as the dragon below had only been faking sleep. The drake might not have seen much from behind the tree, but he was correctly guessing what happened. Oh indeed, he was "much smarter than any wild animal".
A sudden shake of the tree woke up the big cat. Startled, he quickly checked his surroundings to identify the source of the disturbance. Below, his mount was slamming his thick tail against the trunk to rock him awake. The dragon was looking up towards some primate-looking figure fleeing through the forest ahead. The not-quite-human had made off with the precious cargo.
In a rush of adrenaline the leopard took chase, leaping with agility across the branches. Not to be left behind, the drake followed on the ground, struggling to keep track of the pair above while pathfinding around the trees.
Despite the feline's natural talent at navigating the tree tops, the monkey stayed a step ahead. The prolonging chase was taking its toll on the ambush predator, who was rapidly overheating despite the coolness of the morning air. Desperate panting couldn't compensate; the cat quickly changed strategy.
Making his way lower to the ground, the panther took the first opportunity to pounce on his mount, who had luckily managed to keep pace. The beast was unfazed by the claws hooked into his hide for a steady hold, instead he took clue from the rider shifting his weight left and right to follow the thief without having to take his eyes off the ground.
The simian had no chance to out-speed the combo, and was sure to tire before the dragon. But his job was done, and all he had to do to get the pair off his tail was to drop the package. The leopard sprung off the drake to catch the delicate parcel, landing in a tumble, but with the bundle held safely against his chest.
Despite the leopard's disappointment from missing any chance to crush the stupid monkey's neck between his jaws, the worst had been avoided. The mission would go on, and nobody would have to know about this embarrassing failure at protecting the cargo.
Well, after the couple first found their way back to the camp, where they had abandoned everything in a rush.
It took them more than an hour of painstaking tracking to find their way back. Scents lingering from last night obviously marked the area, but many things were missing: the expertly crafter armour and weapons, the embellished clothing, and all the money. The rider had been looted of everything valuable. Only the heavy saddle, food, and his pair of shorts remained. The monkey had not acted alone. Despite not making a getaway with the guarded package, the accomplices had snatched plenty of valuables.
"Looks like we won't be getting away with this", commented the leopard. "Let's get moving, we have to make for the lost time. We can figure out something once we get the stuff delivered."
It was past dusk when the rider finally chose to settle down for the night. His exhausted mount flopped down as soon as the saddle was taken off. The leopard sat down next to the beast, and leaned against his flank. Despite not having eaten that day, fatigue had taken over.
This time the cat kept the package close; one hand hugging it by his side as the pair slept through the night.
Both cat and drake woke up early from hunger. The pair was still behind schedule. They couldn't afford anytime to enjoy the morning meal, but it was still satiating.
Then off they went, through the gradually thinning forest. By the time they stopped for an afternoon rest, they had arrived to a brush. The smaller trees had permanent leaves, offering more shade than the bare forest they had been travelling the past days. It wasn't much, but the dragon was content enough to roll belly-up once the saddle was off, something his rider had rarely seen him do.
Pale scales from the beast's underside caught the panther's attention, who knelt by to stroke the softer hide. With his head laying upside down in the dust, it didn't look like the dragon was paying much attention, but the calm and regular breathing was a sign to his rider that he enjoyed the contact. The big cat noticed, but was a bit distracted by the dragon's splayed limbs.
His eyes swept along the strong form, but slowed through the spread hind legs to the base of the tail. Something was unusually attractive about the large haunches; something forbidden, suggested by their vulnerable-looking beige colour. Yet there wasn't much to see there: only a vertical slit before the tail base, slightly traced by finer scales... Unlike in between the leopard's own legs, who having neglected to put back on any clothing, was now embarrassingly pointing a bit of pink flesh from his sheath.
The panther was well aware of the swelling, and made an attempt at quelling it by returning his sight to the front of the dragon. Only to be met by a stare from the beast's raised head. Yet like his rider the mount also had wandering eyes, and quickly broke his gaze to stare at the other's genitals.
The drake, the less shy of the pair, moved first. He pushed his head into the feline's chest, rolling back onto four legs to pin the cat down in front of him. The leopard couldn't do much against the greater strength of the beast, but he latched his claws around the head in an attempt to pull away. He squirmed as the dragon's tongue found again its place against his erection. The rider didn't try any harder to escape his mount's advances; this time he couldn't deny the pleasure of the slimy appendage wrapping around his growing member.
It didn't take the cat much longer to start thrusting his penis against the probing tongue. It was hotter, wetter, thicker and smoother than his own. The wriggling muscle caressed his entire length. Just a couple minutes became too much. Fresh spunk splattered against the drake's tongue, who lapped all he could of the leopard's release. Jets splattered the front of his muzzle, and others fell back to soak into the feline's belly fur.
The panther trembled under the dragon's mighty tongue, which licked without restraint. It was only once he freed his cramped hands that the beast showed some mercy and pulled away. The cat fell back flat against the ground, panting heavily.
It was a disappointment for the mount to see his rider so quickly spent. The drake had hoped the panther would reciprocate, but it seemed he would have to deal himself with the arousal that was now pushing through his slit. The quadruped struggled to roll into a half-sitting posture, trying to comfortably reach between his hind-legs. By propping against the nearby tree, he could more easily reach his jutting member, and wasted no time giving it a tongue "bath". It was a lighter shade of pink than the feline's, less tapered but bulging from a pair of everting muscles at its base, and of course many times larger. The talented muscle teased the erection from every angle, and explored its exotic form. The drake even reached down past the thick base to shove his tongue into his cloaca; it was a tight fit with the slit already stretched opened.
Sometimes, after the troop of riders had left their mounts behind for a night of drinking and partying, the dragons would have their own fun, mounting each other to relieve sexual tension. Only males made the cut for the elite team, but that didn't stop them: a male's cloaca was much like a female's, only with less room inside. Our drake being amongst the youngest, was rarely on top, but bottom was his favourite spot secretly (although he did a poor job of hiding his eagerness).
The reptilian beast found real pleasure into grinding his tongue against his penis, pushing apart the everting muscles, and sliding it down his cloaca as far as it would go. The spread orifice soon convulsed from spasms deep inside the dragon's body, as thick jets of semen splashed out onto his neck and torso. Finally, after the strong orgasm subsided, he pull his strained tongue from the gapping slit. His softening member slowly retreated inside it, and the drake returned to the cozy belly-up resting position.
Sitting up a couple meters away, the leopard had watched everything, unbeknown to his distracted mount. He stared wide-eyed at the aftermath, with a slight look of revulsion betrayed by his renewed erection. His mount's display of experience emboldened the panther to make a move. He crawled over the tail, to sit at its base, catching the dragon's attention in the process. Just in front of him the reptilian's member was now barely poking out of its slit. He bent down to lick up a bit of semen dripping from the tip. The new scent and taste triggered the flehmen response in the feline, yet it wasn't too different to his own, or the others he had tasted...
All of the elite riders were animal-human hybrids; bi-pedal forms of apex predators. The troop was also entirely male, a tradition dating back a few centuries. Camaraderie was strongly encouraged, and often things went quite further after alcohol was involved. Our rider had on a few occasions spent some time in the back woods with a coyote's knotted dick shoved into his muzzle. He never remembered much from all the drinking, but scent memory was special, and assured him that he really had his face pushed into the canine fellow's crotch.
The cat was just looking for a quick taste, what he really wanted was to test how tight the drake's cloaca was. It surely wouldn't be as tight as that cute ocelot he had mounted so many times before. Oh how he loved the smaller cat's hissing and growling, as he bit down on his nape and slammed into him. But that didn't mean his mount's slit wouldn't be enjoyable. The leopard reached down to angle his member just under the dragon's own, then slid past it and fully into the cloaca in a single smooth thrust. There was no need for a slow ramp-up, it was loose and lubricated enough he could just ram his hips against the beast's, while leaning forward onto his belly for better leverage.
Fur slapped against scale as the panther wildly fucked his mount's hole, rubbing his erection along the dragon's half-mast penis. By taking up some room it made the cloaca just tight enough for the cat, who felt a second orgasm quickly rising. It only took him a few more thrusts into the drake's vent before shooting his essence deep inside. The feline emptied his load with brief strokes before pulling out. A string of spunk followed out, attached from his tip to the base of the slit. It broke, and more mixed fluids were pushed out from the dragon's cloaca, as his own member finished its retreat into the ill-used shelter.
"Damn, what a fucking mess" said the leopard, looking at all the semen splattered on the dragon's scales and soaked into his fur. "Let's clean-up, then rest until dusk. We'll be travelling at night from now on. It's too hot during the day anyway."
The pair still had a few days of travel ahead of them. They were stuck in the middle of nowhere, but at least had all the privacy needed to explore their newly discovered pleasure.