FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Research Data Entry; Day One:

-I've gathered everything I'll need for the next month and have begun my journey to Validar. It's a lot prettier now that I'm away from the ship, like a blue and green, swirling marble. Supposedly this planet is inhabited by a similar race of Ruun'arr, but there are no signs of electronics or major constructions; however, there are plenty of vital signs. The Guild has hired me to acquire some data on the planet as well as its inhabitants.-

Fievel closed the program on his tablet and shrunk it down to pocket-size with the click of a button. With a relaxed sigh, he leaned back in his seat and let the computer guide the man-sized spacecraft down into the atmosphere of the planet. The giant gem appeared to expand in size the closer he flew, soon taking up his entire view and blocking out the speckles of stars in the void behind it. The bright, blue sun was off to the side and out of view as it shimmered across the planet's surface.

As the small ship entered the atmosphere, it rocked and shook once gravity took hold. To prevent further turbulence, stabilizers automatically actuated and smoothed the spacecraft's descent. Clouds blanketed most of the planet and obscured its land and oceans, but once Fievel came out of them, luscious trees and deep oceans came into view, stretching as far as the eye could see. No longer could he see the darkness of empty space behind him; now it was the deep-blue sky with fluffy clouds. The sky was bluer than most he had seen, vibrant.

Fievel took control of the ship and steered it toward the edge of a continent still in the daylight. From here, he saw one enormous mass of land that dominated most of the planet, and the closer he came the less he saw over the horizons. Many lakes of blue water speckled the otherwise verdant forests. The entire continent looked like a tropical jungle with fog rolling over the treetops in the distance.

Finding a spot close to the shoreline, he adjusted the control sticks and hovered down to land on a sandy beach that stretched for miles. He performed a quick scan of the surrounding area and detected no signs of life larger than a rodent--it appeared safe. He tapped away at the controls on a touchscreen next to the steering and slowly guided the ship down to land.

According to all of the ship's readings, the air was breathable and the temperature was that of a hot, summer day back on Fievel's home planet. Nothing appeared out of the ordinary, as it was a self-sustaining planet with major ecosystems. He turned the ship off and armed a non-lethal security system.

There was very little room to maneuver around his ship, but he managed to slip into a uniform with the symbol of his clan embroidered into the jacket: a four-pointed star with a circle at its center. His jacket was dark-red with black trimming, and his suit underneath was a charcoal color. The suit covered every inch of his blazing red scales from his ankles to his neck and zipped up at the front. To protect his footpaws, he wore form-fitting boots, and he had the option to wear a helmet with a HUD and oxygen, but he deemed that ultimately unnecessary. Finally, he strapped a utility belt around his waist with a holster for his ballistic pistol.

For the most part, Fievel rarely used his weapon, and he could only think of a couple times when he discharged it. These missions were typically safe, but when venturing into the unknown, it was best to come prepared. In his earlier years, he was a soldier in the military and later turned his career to become an explorer. Now, he was a registered Scout that often took up work with The Explorer's Guild, which stretched across many clans of the Ruun'arr.

The Ruun'arr were a race of digitigrade dragons that were spread out in the Redor Galaxy. Each clan was different in appearance, and one's clan mostly depended on the planet they were born. Now that more and more clans were beginning space exploration, thanks to alliances and coalitions with more advanced clans, there was a wide variety of Ruun'arr found on well-populated planets.

Fievel was a Derr'ai, which translated to 'calm minds' in the common tongue. His home planet was toward the center of the galaxy. Now, he was some thousands of lightyears away in search of a new race of Ruun'arr that were suspected to be here on this tropical planet.

Stepping out of his ship, Fievel found himself in the soft, sandy beach. Water lapped at the shore, and the high-pitched sounds of insects whirred ahead of him in the forest. The occasional call of a bird would pierce the lull of nature, as well as other unidentifiable sounds of animals. It smelled like salt-water, and the air was fresh with life.

--The air is very thick and humid. Much of this planet appears to be tropical, like a rainforest. This area appears to be swampy and filled with small creatures.--

On his missions, Fievel liked to keep his tablet close at hand to jot down notes and thoughts as he explored. Having claws made it easy for him to quickly scribble out some sentences, and the program would calculate and record it all into easy-to-read text.

He expected his arrival to attract a lot of attention, if there was anyone in the area, so he kept his eyes peeled in case of any hostile threats. He doubted the inhabitants would have the technology to pierce his protective suit, but any projectile would still hurt! And without a helmet, he was defenseless if anything shot him in the head.

But judging by the lack of any major structures or technology, there wouldn't be much he had to worry about. And if the inhabitants were, in fact, Ruun'arr, they would see him as someone similar to their own kin, so he hoped they wouldn't act hostile in their fear.

If I saw some alien in a spacesuit fly a spacecraft down to my planet, I'm sure I would be terrified and try to defend myself...

Fievel shrugged it off and wandered into the forest anyway. On his wrist was a multi-tool with a camera and a flashlight at the end. It quickly became dark as the sun disappeared above the thick canopy. Frond-like leaves scratched at him as he stepped through the brush with hand extended to record as well as shine some light.

From the small critters scampering about, and the insects buzzing just about everywhere, there didn't appear to be any larger forms of life. Usually, planets with lush ecosystems like this had big felines, canines, avians, and reptiles, so maybe life hadn't progressed far enough on this planet yet? Fievel usually saved the water biomes for last on his researches, but maybe there were large, interesting fish to be found instead of things on land?

Crack! Zip!

"Hey--aaaahh!" Fievel cried out after a line of rope caught around his ankle and tugged him upside-down into the air. He hadn't noticed a tripwire in the midst of all the brush, and it caught him off guard, so now he dangled several feet off the ground.

Blood rushed to his head as he struggled to pull himself up to grab onto his own leg. Using his multi-tool around his wrist, he used a small laser-cutter and sliced through the thick rope with ease. As soon as he felt gravity tug him toward the ground, he flipped around and landed gracefully on his feet. With a sigh, he brushed off his uniform after having been dragged through the dirt from the trap.

So, there are definitely sentient life-forms somewhere nearby...

As Fievel pulled out his tablet to write down some notes, he heard rustling in the trees. Between the tiny beams of sunlight poking through the dense canopy, he saw a few dark shadows crouching behind some plants. His heart raced. Instincts told him to grab his gun and prepare himself, but he trained himself not to. Most species didn't react well to fast movements and having something pointed at them!

"Hello?" Fievel called out. "I'm friendly. I don't mean you any harm." In most of his adventures, he found that many other races spoke the common tongue in one way or another, but that wasn't always the case. He brought along a verbal translator and stuck it on his ear--it could translate thousands of languages, even loose, derivative ones like many shared by the Ruun'arr. He hoped that these individuals would understand him, but chances were that they wouldn't have any idea what he was saying.

He raised his hands and showed them that he wasn't hostile--that was what he hoped they would gather from his gesture. He heard whispers of a foreign language that his translator couldn't pick up. The rustling of the wind in the trees covered a lot of what they said, but soon one of the figures emerged from the shadows.

Before Fievel was a navy-blue and black-scaled Ruun'arr with a spear in his hands, who was taller, more muscular, and half-naked. Around his waist was a simple loincloth that covered his gender from view. Leather straps wrapped around his chest, wrists, and shins seeming to be meant for protecting his bones from hard blows. His presence was certainly intimidating even without the weapon being pointed at Feivel. With all of Fievel's training, he doubted he could best such a sturdy dragon in hand-to-hand combat.

He spoke something to Fievel, but his translator didn't understand it. It was unlike any language Fievel had ever heard, but it sounded draconic with low growls and rumblings.

Fievel wore an awkward smile and kept his hands up. "We obviously won't understand each other, so I really don't know what to do here... Do any of you speak Common? Or any Ruun'arr language? Anything other than what you're speaking now?"

But of course, all he received were more words in some unknown language that had never been recorded before.

Definitely a new clan of Ruun'arr...

The large dragon growled to his companions, and each of them stepped out and flanked Fievel. One was a sky-blue female with a bow and the other was a seaweed-green male with a makeshift dagger made of bones and stone. All of them were bulky and strong, standing taller than him. They wore the bare minimal too, with furs covering their private parts from view. The female wore a loincloth like them but nothing to cover her chest because she didn't have any breasts like Fievel's species, though she did have what looked to be jewelry made of bone and stone. It seemed that the Ruun'arr clan here was a primitive, tribal race.

As they surrounded him, Fievel again felt the need to defend himself, but he didn't want to startle them and ruin his chances of studying a new race. This would be a big find, and he would be rewarded handsomely for it, so it was in his best interest not to squander this opportunity.

They talked to each other and seemed to arrive to a decision about the spaceman in front of them. The black and blue one, who appeared to be their leader or decision-maker, grunted at Fievel and gestured for him to follow.

He nodded and slowly lowered his hands, taking a brave step forward as the other two stayed by his side. He felt so small as the three of them towered over him by at least a foot, but at least they weren't aggressive. The bigger male was in front, like an alpha of the pack. Fievel wondered just how big this race could get and if there were a lot of males like him.

As Fievel studied him like a specimen, he realized that his loincloth didn't cover his rear-end at all, unlike the other two. His haunches were left bare and naked, his legs bulging with muscle below a thick tail. And as he walked ahead, his tail blocked the view of what was between his legs. With the lack of clothing each of them wore, it was obvious they were comfortable with nudity.

With a soft blush, Fievel turned his head away and clenched his hands--he obviously wasn't as comfortable. I can tell I'm already going to get into trouble... I'm about to meet a bunch of half-naked, muscular, sexy males--yeah, I'm in trouble. His eyes slowly drifted up the dragon's powerful legs, over his rump and thick tailbase, and up his rippling, muscular back. His dark scales were smooth and glossed over as if they had recently been wet.

Fievel gulped as his imagination ran wild.

The three of them led Fievel through the dense forest, heading northwest and away from the coast where his ship was parked. Unlike him, they knew where they were going, like they had walked these paths hundreds of times before without any guidance. Deeper and deeper they traveled, and the murkiness grew to muddy shallows. They stepped through marshlands, and even the air smelled slimy and wet. It wasn't an unpleasant smell, but it wasn't good either. Sounds of different frogs, toads, and other amphibians croaked along their path. Without the sun shedding light, the heat wasn't nearly as bad--it was actually kind of cool with all the moisture in the air.

Finally, as they came up to solid, sturdier ground, Fievel spotted lights emanating up ahead, firelight glowing between the trees. Small, wooden structures came into view, some of them built on the ground and some in the trees. He saw crude stairs leading up above the canopy, so he assumed there may be buildings up there too. The hides of animals acted as roofs for some of their makeshift shelters, seeming to be much less permanent than some of the log-like houses that came into view.

Tribe members emerged from just about everywhere, staring at Fievel curiously. Even if he was a Ruun'arr himself, he was completely alien to them. The difference in clothing alone was enough to separate himself from the others, but he was also shorter, his tail wasn't quite as long, and his fiery, crimson scales were on the opposite spectrum from the greens, blues, and blacks he saw. This species seemed to take on the appearance of the swamp as natural camouflage.

They took him toward the center of the camp, keeping close as if to make sure he didn't try to run. More and more dragons were gathering around to watch; Fievel estimated that there were about fifty within the vicinity. There were children that were running around and playing before they stopped to stare too, some of them cowering behind the adults. It was appearing that this was a decently-sized tribe of Ruun'arr. He imagined that this wasn't the only small civilization around.

Once they reached the largest house in the village, the bigger male entered through an animal-hide flap and disappeared while leaving Fievel and everyone else in the tribe outside. He wasn't used to so many eyes staring at him at once, but he would rather that than spears being jabbed in his back while he was in bindings--which had happened twice before.

Fievel studied his surroundings. He appeared to be at the center of the village, where small houses were woven between the trees. Most of the area was flat and barren of plants unlike the rest of the village, but a lot of the trees remained because there were rope-bridges and platforms overhead. For a tribe of Ruun'arr well in its early stages of life, they had accomplished a great deal. Fascinated, Fievel wished he could take down notes right now and write down his thoughts.

It's very organized compared to the last tribal society I visited. They seem to have been at this for at least a century or more.

An older, dark-green dragon stepped out after the black and blue one, peering intently at Fievel. He spoke to him in their language and cautiously approached. He wore frayed robes of some sort of linen around his body, but that didn't disguise the fact that he looked just as strong as he could have in his youth. Small animal skulls were tied to him, as well as teeth and even what looked to be rune-etched bones of Ruun'arr.

If I had to guess, this guy is probably their chief or leader or whatever. Looks kind of like a shaman.

Fievel flinched as a bony finger reached out and gently clawed at his neck. The elder said something to the dragon beside him and gestured to his arm. Fievel guessed they were talking about the red color of his scales. And then he picked at Fievel's clothing and made more remarks about their differences. Fievel didn't really mind; he had much more worse things happen to him. At least they were trying to understand!

Another Ruun'arr stepped out from the large house. His scales were the colors of a blue sky and green grass. His purple eyes were softer than those around him, different in a way that Fievel couldn't describe. He looked at Fievel with great interest and talked to the chief briefly before stepping forward.

Now, Fievel was face-to-face with this new dragon that stood a foot taller than him like everyone else.

"Hello?" he said with a thick accent.

"Oh, hello!" Fievel returned with surprise. "You speak Common?"

"I know your language little, yes," he answered with a big smile. Everyone else around them stared in silence. "We want know why you here?"

"I've come to erm... study you." Fievel knew it would be somewhat difficult to communicate, but he was happy to hear someone speak and understand his own language, since his translator was useless. But now that there was someone who could understand him, maybe he could learn their language too! "I want to learn about you and your people."

"You learn us?" he asked with the tilt of his head. "Why?"

"I want to collect data about this planet and its inhabitants... I'm a researcher or explorer that learns about new places."

After each time Fievel spoke, the dragon relayed a translation to those nearby. Sometimes, the chief would speak to him to translate another question. With the broken Common he spoke, he seemed to at least understand what was heard better than what he said.

"You don't hurt us?"

Fievel shook his head. "No. I want to be friends," he responded and slowly extended his hand as a gesture of good will, hoping he would understand.

The dragon looked at his outstretched hand and smiled warmly as he reached forward and grabbed up to his elbow. His large hand easily wrapped around Fievel's forearm as he tugged the smaller dragon against him and embraced. Fievel didn't quite expect _that_warm of a welcome, but he hugged him back with a firm squeeze.

"Friend," he said. "Yes, friend." They pulled away, and Fievel smiled back too in a toothy grin.

Is it really that easy? They must not have very many enemies.

"Come, come," he said and waved Fievel inside, away from all the prying eyes. The chief entered first as he held the flap open for both of them. Inside, it was warm and musty; the smell of soggy wood was strong. A small fire lit the inside of the log-house and ventilated through a makeshift chimney. The chief sat away from them but turned to watch intently. There were a couple others inside that stared quietly. Fievel wasn't sure who they were or what their roles were.

The blue-green dragon offered a seat to Fievel and he took it, sitting down across from him in a rickety chair with no back to it. "My name Anseek," he said. He wore an outfit similar to the dragon that led Fievel here, though his was much more modest because his loincloth wrapped around his waist, covering his thighs, rump, and groin. That seemed to be the typical clothing that everyone wore, some made of cloth and others from animal skins. Though as he sat down, it was hard not to see a round bulge as the cloth lay over his nethers. "This our leader, Anreel, my father."

Fievel tried his best not to stare at his groin. "Mine is Fievel," he replied. "How do you know my language?"

"I meet traveler like you," he answered. "She teach me and give me book." He pointed to a crudely-crafted shelf with a couple books on it. It was rare to see a book used in Fievel's day and age, but for the tribe it wasn't something they had ever seen before--it was later in their time. Most likely it was the first piece of written language they ever had. "I try teach others too, but no one interested."

"A traveler like me? So there was someone else here before?" From all the most updated ship records, there was no sign of anyone traveling to the planet from his clan or from the Guild. He guessed that someone from another clan was here before him.

He nodded eagerly. "She was nice. She give much to us and help make village. Much smart. You look like her, but red and no blue."

Fievel could think of several clans with blue scales, but he wondered why they would be here and why they would stop to help some lone tribe in the middle of a giant planet. And the likelihood of it being the same one Fievel ran into? Perhaps that dragon had already explored most of the planet but didn't disclose any information about it?

"I'm afraid I'm mostly just here to observe and learn, so I'm not going to be quite as helpful as her." Fievel chuckled and scratched the back of his head. "Do you know how long ago that was?"

He furrowed his brow and thought for a moment. "Much moons pass... I do not know. I was young My son just hatch then." He looked at Fievel apologetically.

Fievel realized that they most likely had no form of tracking time, the same with a lot of primitive societies he came across. Seeing that look on Anseek's face almost made him feel bad, so he changed the subject. "You have a son?"

The glow in his purple eyes couldn't have shone brighter. He nodded proudly. "Yes! He play with friends now, but you meet him later."

Fievel chuckled. "Alright, I'll be happy to meet him."

The chief said something to Anseek, so he could ask, "How long you stay? Father welcome visitors, so you stay as long as you like."

"Oh, that is great to hear," Fievel said. Being welcomed into a society would make things much easier to research. "I'm supposed to study a lot of the planet... I'll probably stay a week or two before I move on."

Anseek relayed the translation to his father. "Father will let tribe know you here so they be nice to you," he said with some excitement. "You come during good time. We celebrate the... uuhh... Renewal Festival soon. We call it Rana-Takeel in our language. Father say you may join us."

"A Renewal Festival?" Fievel asked curiously. "That sounds like a fun time." He wondered what they would celebrate, but he supposed he would learn about it soon, anyway. It would be a perfect cultural example for his research! Everything was settling perfectly into place.

He nodded eagerly. "Much fun, yes! You soon see. We celebrate life."

The chief said something else, so Anseek added, "You live with us? I have room."

I've never been so welcomed before. Usually they treat me as an outsider and steer far away. This is... kind of nice!

"Sure. I have to gather some supplies from my ship first," Fievel answered. "Do you mind if I use my technology while I'm here?"

Anseek shook his head. "I curious too. I learn more."

Fievel grinned and pulled out his pocket-sized device and turned it into a tablet. Anseek noticeably scooted closer so he could watch what he was doing, so Fievel tilted the screen down and showed him a map of the area. He marked down his current location and labeled it as Anseek's Village. With the click of a button, it revealed his ship's location, which was about two miles away. Fievel eagerly explained what he was doing as he showed Anseek.

"Much amazing," he said with genuine excitement, eyes wide. Anseek gently tapped the screen with Fievel's permission and made the map move. "Oh!"

Fievel's lips stretched wide to fit a happy smile on them. It wasn't every day he had the chance to make a friend. For the most part, he was like a slave to his work. He went on mission after mission and rarely stopped to rest for a while, so he didn't have time for socializing. Usually, the people he met on missions either stayed away from him or hated him. The ones that he did end up befriending he had to leave behind--just like what would happen with Anseek.

Fievel hated that.

"Well, I should head back to my ship and gather my things," he said and stood up from his small chair. "I have to leave now or I may not get back before sundown."

Anseek stood up with him and asked, "I come too? I help. I am good guide."

"I don't see why not," Fievel agreed.

Anseek spoke to his father about their plans, and the older dragon nodded. He led Fievel out into the village, where life had returned to normal. The crowd that had once gathered here now dispersed, including the three that taken Fievel here. Of course, the citizens that were around gawked at Fievel as they walked past, but that was something he had grown used to.

"Who were the people that had escorted me here?" Fievel asked curiously.

"Oh, Tahjei, Neelo, and Deeka. Uhh... Tahjei is big one, Neelo is green one, Deeka is female one," he answered. "Tahjei is competing male for festival."

"There's a competition?"

Anseek nodded excitedly. "Biggest competition. Games, food, and drinks! Lots participate, but few win."

Fievel chuckled at Anseek's enthusiasm. He seemed like a genuinely happy person, since he was very friendly toward a complete stranger from space. "What do the winners receive as a reward?"

Anseek had to think for a moment, pausing. "In your language... Mates? They win each other! Three males and three females."

Fievel widened his eyes. "O-Oh! So the strongest male gets the strongest female?"

He grinned and nodded. "I almost win once. I strong!" Anseek added and flexed his muscles as if to display his power to Fievel. Despite Anseek's kind and soft appearance, he definitely had rippling muscles lining up and down his body. Though he wasn't quite as large as the other male Fievel had seen, he didn't doubt that Anseek had the capability to win a competition.

"So did you still get to pick a mate?"

Anseek nodded and looked forward. "Not because of competition... She was nice... Much kind and strong. I have son with her, but she... she uh..." His brow furrowed and his eyes narrowed toward the ground. Fievel wasn't sure if he didn't know the word or if he didn't want to continue speaking. "Die..."

Fievel felt his heart ache for Anseek. Body language was a powerful, universal tool that didn't require speaking. He saw the pain Anseek still held in his heart. "I'm sorry, Anseek," he said kindly.

"I okay," he responded and turned his attention back to Fievel. "I have much years with son. He smart and strong like her. Soon he join competition, too."

Fievel smiled and nodded. Some days he wished he could understand what it was like to have a son or daughter, but most days he realized that he was better off without one. Still, he felt the warm glow of Anseek's pride and love for his son radiating off of him. He was a good person.

After they walked through the village, next was the lower marshlands, where everything was soggy and wet. They followed a path through the morass similar to the one Fievel took before, but this time with Anseek taking the lead. Like the other Ruun'arr before, he was experienced in traversing the swamp and led Fievel out to the coast.

"Is there anything dangerous around here?" Fievel asked.

Anseek tilted his head in thought before nodding it. "Yes. Big monsters sometimes... They do not like us. We scare them too! Poison plants and animals bad, too, but we know not touch them."

"Are there other tribes too? Villages?"

He nodded again. "Much far. On higher land. We talk sometimes to them, but it is long walk."

Fievel thanked him and quickly wrote that down in his tablet. They had a ways to go south before they would reach his ship, and soon they were stepping on sandy beaches. Anseek was intrigued by all of Fievel's things: clothes, tech, and even his bright-red scales. As far as he could tell, the color red didn't appear to exist anywhere near here. Everything was dark, muddy, green, and blue.

When the ship came into sight, Anseek's face lit up. "Woooah!" He ran over to it, unable to contain his excitement. The ship was designed for space and planetary travel, so it had an aerodynamic shape with plane-like wings attached to the sides. The body was slim and sleek, like a bullet. Inspecting it closely, he ran his hands all over the cold metal and even pressed his face against it. After knocking on it a few times, he heard a resounding thrum.

"What this?" he asked and lightly tapped his claws on the metal.

"It is a titanium-steel alloy. Metal," Fievel answered and pressed his hand to the ship too. "It's very strong and durable."

"Smooth like scales," he added and felt along the length of the wings. "It fly?"

Fievel chuckled and nodded. "Yes, it flies through space." He pointed up to the stars beginning to poke out over the ocean's horizon.

Anseek looked at it in awe. "Last traveler did not show me. Thank you." His purple eyes were alive with genuine amazement. He studied the ship closely like Fievel would an ancient artifact or piece of history.

Fievel couldn't help but to smile while he unlocked the small, storage panel on the outside of the ship and gathered his extra clothes and gadgets in a case. It would be heavy to carry it all back to the village, but Anseek was happy to offer a helping hand.

"It dark soon. We hurry."

It had been dark enough in the dense forest before, but with the blue sun descending below the horizon, the shadows crept upon them until it was too dark to see anything ahead. Nocturnal animals filled the otherwise eerie silence, and the air chilled Fievel's scales.

When Fievel brought out his flashlight and turned it on, Anseek hissed with distress and told him to turn it off. "It bring monster. Stay close; no sound or light."

Fievel swallowed and nodded, keeping quiet with his steps as they trekked through the muck. Just in case, he kept his hand on his gun, ready to draw it at a moment's notice. Every so often he would find a planet with scary creatures or monsters, so it wasn't new to him, but not knowing what they had the capability of doing was unnerving. If they were big enough, bullets may not have an effect.

"People disappear. We blame monsters. I do not see one, but friends say they bad and mean," he said in a whisper. "Only come at night. We do not have lights."

If Ruun'arr as big as Anseek were scared of something, then Fievel had every reason to be afraid, too.

After sneaking through the dark forest and following behind Anseek for another hour, Fievel noticed the ground becoming firmer and rising out of the muck. Moonlight peaked through the treetops as the village came into view, silhouettes of buildings in front of a dim, natural, white glow. The moon was much smaller than on other planets, and there was only a single one. No fires remained; every light was extinguished, so it was hard to see the tribesmen walking about.

He relaxed and so did Anseek. He greeted a few of his friends on the way to his home. From what Fievel could tell, his kin had excellent night vision. Most Ruun'arr could see well with little light, but Anseek could obviously see more than Fievel.

Instead of returning to the big house like before, Anseek brought Fievel to his own home, near the center of the village. It was much smaller, but it had plenty of comfortable room for two people--and a child. Anseek's son sat cross-legged on a small cot, peering up at Fievel with wide, curious, purple eyes. They glowed much like his father's. His scales were a deeper color of blue than Anseek's with not so many green scales blending into them. In fact, it looked like all of his scales were blue.

Anseek said something in their language to him, and he nodded. "This my son, Tajeek," he said proudly.

"Hello," Fievel greeted with a small wave. He was never any good with kids. Tajeek appeared to be about ten years old, which for Ruun'arr meant that he was only a couple years away from being an adult. Though he was a little over half of Fievel's height now, he would sprout up and shed his scales soon in the next few years.

They spoke to each other in their language, but to Fievel's surprise, he responded, "Hello." It was difficult for him to pronounce the common tongue. "Nice to meet you."

"I teach him little," Anseek added. "He smart."

Fievel smiled and nodded. Though he could barely make out their physical details, he could tell that Anseek was very happy with his son. It warmed his heart to think about it

"Welcome to my home," Anseek said and patted Fievel on his back. With all three of them inside the hut, it was a little crowded, but Anseek was just as relaxed as he always had been. They set down the cases of Fievel's belongings and stashed them out of the way.

"You have my bed," he offered. "I sleep with my son."

Fievel thanked him and sat down. The bed was made of animal hide and a soft material similar to cotton. The blankets were the same material their clothes were made out of, a thin, soft, leather-like material close to cloth. It wasn't the luxurious sort of bed Fievel was used to, but after a long day it was certain to do the trick.

Anseek and Tajeek curled up together on the bed while Fievel pulled out his tablet to take some notes from his day. He heard them softly speaking in their tongue to one another. He dimmed the light as to not disturb the other two or attract the attention of any monsters.

--A very busy day, overall. I've discovered a native tribe of large Ruun'arr that are friendly and welcoming. Anseek, a son of the chief, has invited me to stay with him and has shown me excellent hospitality. The tribe appears to have no real enemies, though there are rumors of monsters lurking around in the swamp. There are talks of an upcoming festival that I will be keeping a close eye on.

And there was someone else that was here before me... I will look for signs of that and dig up some more information, if I can.--

Once Fievel put away his device, he felt exhaustion overwhelm him. A busy day indeed...

With a big yawn, he stretched his arms up and lay down on his side, snuggling into Anseek's bed. After spending most of the day with him, he recognized the drake's scent lingering on the bed and felt comforted by it. He closed his eyes and let sleep whisk him away.

Over the next couple of days, Anseek assisted Fievel in everything that he did. He was very happy to explain anything Fievel asked to the best of his ability. They had many names for all of the plants, rocks, animals, and insects, but most of them were rather hard to pronounce. Slowly, Anseek was teaching him some of their language, and Fievel did his best to transcribe it in his notes. Most of the animals shared similarities with other Ruun'arr planets' animals, so it was easy for Fievel to describe them in his own language.

--Like a Baralysk, but four eyes and two tails. Slightly larger. Thick, leathery skin ranging from a dark purple color to navy-blue.--

Fievel took out a scanner to analyze the plants and soil, sometimes stopping to take samples and put them in glass vials. Anseek often peered over Fievel's shoulder to watch him work. He didn't mind that at all and was happy to show him and try to explain what he was doing. It was like an exchange of services, and the more they worked together, the more he got to know Anseek.

He was one of many sons and daughters to Anreel, the chief of the tribe. Anreel and a few other elders had split off from a tribe to the northeast to form their own in the swamps. According to Anseek, it was 'much, much, much moons ago', some time before he was born.

Anseek was the second youngest son, somewhere between twenty-two and twenty-eight, based on both of their estimating. Fievel would have never guessed Anseek was younger than him with how much larger he was. The years of hard work and labor definitely showed on many of the tribesmen. It made them look older, stronger, and wiser than their age. Anseek became a father at an early age, and now he had a son around ten years old, by Fievel's estimation. Fievel was nearing thirty, which was far into a Ruun'arr's adulthood.

Keeping track of one's age was easy for anyone with modern technology. Most alliances and coalitions, including from other species, followed a universal time clock, so everything was the same. Otherwise, they would be left with a jumbled mess of calculating time cycles for everyone's home planet.

Anseek's mate died of an unfortunately common disease that took many lives away about five years ago. Fievel could tell it devastated him. He was such a caring, compassionate individual that it must have hurt terribly to lose someone he loved. If Fievel could study the disease, maybe he could bring back a cure...

He winced and clenched his hands. One of the hardest parts about his job was resisting the urge to think like that. Unless the species was on the verge of extinction, he typically wasn't allowed to intervene in any way. There were many rules in accordance with the Guild he had to follow, but sometimes he broke them. It was likely for him to become too involved in a society, just like he was doing now.

Anseek noticed the frown on his muzzle. "What wrong, friend?" he asked and sat down beside Fievel.

He turned his head and bared a soft smile. "Nothing, I'm okay."

"You have sad," Anseek said and pointed to Fievel's chest. "I see it."

Fievel sighed and shrugged his shoulders before slouching down with his elbows on his knees. "I'm just not looking forward to leaving, is all. I like you."

Anseek grinned and rubbed Fievel's back affectionately. "I like you too, friend. You have more time. Only two nights pass."

He nodded and looked up at him, enjoying his touch. He sat much taller than Fievel, too. Sky-blue scales covered his body with specks of a soft green flecking along his outer frame. That earthen, green color painted his forearms and hands as well as his footpaws. Some lines of green were etched along the ridge of his muzzle and around his brow, trailing down his neck. With toned muscles carving his body into the perfect shape, Fievel had to admit he was attracted to Anseek's physical features. A lack of clothes left most of his body bare, except for what was between his legs.

Mind wandering, he had to reel it back in to keep his thoughts from delving too deep into a fantasy. "We should continue. I've got another page or two to fill up," he said and stood up.

Anseek eagerly jumped to his feet and led on.

They explored what Anseek called, The Hunting Grounds. He pointed out many traps that were placed, and he tended to some of them as they continued about their journey. At the end of it, he carried nearly five small rodents and a medium-sized feline slung over his back.

The tribe used tools and weapons made of stone found around the area. Traps consisted of basic snares and tripwires, like the one Fievel ran into before. Anseek said that the stranger who came before Fievel was the one who taught them how to make the traps.

Currently, there was a competition running between nine males and females to see who could trap or hunt the most animals before the sunrise tomorrow. As they walked through the village, Fievel caught eyes with the black-scaled male he had met first, Tahjei. Over his back was a large, canine-like creature with scales instead of fur. He made a polite nod and Fievel mirrored it.

"Tahjei winning," Anseek said and pointed to a stick with about ten notches in it. Beside it were many other sticks with fewer notches--a tally system. Different colored paint marked the bases of each stick, representing who the competitors were. "Tomorrow, three people lose and fifteen win. Three lose each day until six remain. They winners."

Fievel nodded and added that to his notes. "Why didn't you compete?"

"Dangerous," Anseek explained. "I have son now. No want worry. I close once and that enough."

Anseek obviously cared greatly for his son. Fievel didn't think he would ever understand what that was like, but he still admired Anseek for it. He knew it wasn't easy, especially since he no longer had a mate to help watch after him. And maybe he cared so much for his son because he reminded Anseek of his lost mate? Why didn't he pursue another mate?

Fievel felt that he knew Anseek well enough now to ask more personal questions, so he waited until they were back in his hut, alone together. His son was off playing with the other children until dark. While Fievel rummaged through his case of belongings, Anseek sat down on his bed and relaxed for a moment and watched him.

"Do you miss your mate?" Fievel asked.

Anseek's ears pinned back as he nodded. "Much..."

It made Fievel's heart ache, but he pressed him for more. "Why haven't you found someone else? I'm sure there are lots of females interested in you."

He nodded and stared off at the wall away from Fievel. "I want her. Only her. I... I much, much, much like her. No female like her."

Fievel smiled softly. "You 'loved' her," he corrected to help teach him more words.

Anseek's eyes lit up and nodded. "Yes, much love. Much love her. Love son, too." It was unique to see that he shared the same feelings with his mate and his son. He didn't know entirely what the word meant, but he recognized that he had the same feeling of _love_with both of them.

"She must have been very special." Fievel set his tablet down and pulled out his clothes for the next day before closing up his case. It had been several days since he last bathed, and he was starting to feel grimy under his scales. He hoped to find a way to clean himself nearby, but he figured he would be taking a trip to the ocean to bathe. Swamp-water was not very cleanly.

"You have much things," he observed and changed the subject. "Why much clothes?"

Fievel chuckled. Now that he found the planet to be relatively safe, he didn't wear his scale-tight, protective suit under his clothing, so he mostly wore his casual clothes that we would whenever he was at home base. The outfits consisted of a t-shirt, uniformed-jacket, pants, form-fitting boots, and underwear, all made of a fibrous cloth. It was less than most missions, but he wore considerably more than anyone else around!

"Where I'm from, we like to protect ourselves and also look good. Clothing is a way to express ourselves or to represent who we work for." He pointed to the emblem of his clan. "It's weird for us to not wear them, unless we're in privacy."

Anseek nodded in understanding. "We have private now. You always wear clothes."

Fievel blushed, realizing what he was getting at. "Y-Yeah... I'm more comfortable wearing my clothes. Like I said, it's strange for us not to."

"Not comfortable here?" Anseek asked, seeming to be mildly offended that Fievel wouldn't be naked around him. To Anseek, it probably seemed like Fievel was trying to hide something or disguise himself. With everyone Anseek knew, he knew exactly what they looked like from head to toe, except maybe for their genitals.

"N-No, I am comfortable, it's just... Oh, fine." Fievel felt his face heating up as he went to undress in front of Anseek, who was wearing only his loincloth to cover himself, aside from some leather straps and bracers around his limbs. After being around half-naked Ruun'arr for the majority of his trip, it was only fair that he would dress down, too! It would make him feel less of a stranger around them, since he was the only one wearing clothes.

He slipped out of his jacket and hung it up on a stray piece of wood, and then he lifted up his shirt to expose the white scales of his chest splitting the crimson color of his body. Anseek watched with interest as he continued. From his years of service, Fievel had built up some muscles and had a lean body. Although, it wasn't anything it comparison to the tribesmen here, and even the females looked buffer than him.

Next, he unbuckled his utility belt with his gun holstered and hung it with his jacket. His shirt he folded and put away, and he did the same to his pants after he tugged them off. Now, all that remained was his scale-tight underwear, which partially covered his legs and bulged out at his groin to fit his sheath and balls.

Anseek smirked widely and made Fievel feel self-conscious about his body, since he was a much smaller, skinnier male in comparison. He was physically attracted to Anseek too, and the whole situation was making him feel rather warm and fuzzy as the other male stared at his body. He was embarrassed, sure enough, but his mind enjoyed the teasing thoughts of what the two of them could do in this privacy.

But Anseek wasn't thinking about that--Fievel doubted that he would be interested in another drake. Instead, he seemed more apt to making Fievel feel uncomfortable and enjoying that! "Cloth, too. I give you mine!" He all too eagerly found one of his spare loincloths and handed it to Fievel.

Fievel swallowed. In his culture, it wasn't normal to expose oneself in front of another, unless they were sexual partners. It wasn't like it was taboo, either, but it wasn't as common as what Anseek was used to. He probably had seen everyone in the tribe naked at some point. And now, he wanted to see Fievel naked.

But Fievel knew Anseek well enough to consider him a friend, and it wasn't that weird for friends to see one another nude. So, he gulped down all his inhibitions and tugged down the last remaining garment to expose his sheath and two drooping orbs to Anseek's curious eyes. He quickly took the loincloth from him and tied it around his waist, soon hiding what he had presented almost willingly behind a loose cloth. The backend split in two parts and draped on either side of his tail, covering his rump from view too.

Though he was covered now, Fievel still felt naked. A cool, unfamiliar breeze brushed up between his legs and caressed his nethers. Everything hung loose; he no longer had underwear to keep his male parts tucked snugly against his groin. It was freeing to have his scales exposed, and he was starting to like the idea.

"More comfortable, yes?" Anseek asked, his teeth bared in a big smile.

Admittedly, Fievel did enjoy the comfort of freedom. "Y-Yeah... It's nice. Th-Thank you," he replied with a soft blush at his cheeks. Anseek's loincloth was a little too big for him, so it covered a lot more than most of the other males, but there was nothing else to hide his gender. He realized he would have to watch the way he moved around in order to keep from exposing himself, although he also realized that not a single soul here would care if they caught a glimpse of his sheath.

"Look good," Anseek added with a nod. "Handsome!"

"You are too..." he said quietly. Now that Anseek had seen him naked, he wished he could admire Anseek's body too, but that would be a weird thing for him to ask. Sure, he had caught glances of what was beneath that cloth, and he liked what he saw, but he wanted to stare for a moment and take it all in.

They sat together--practically in the nude--and ate a quick meal of roasted frogs. It was a common, easy-to-make food for the tribe, since the critters were about everywhere. Fievel was cautious about eating new foods on different planets and scanned everything with his device to detect anything that could hurt him. Everything seemed okay!

Later, Fievel followed Anseek through the village to look for his son and bring him home. Any confidence he once had was lost; he felt vulnerable. The warm, muggy air brushed against all of his scales now. Plenty of eyes stared curiously at him. He was still a stranger with fiery red scales and a white underbelly, unlike anything they had ever seen, and now his foreign body was on display for them. Fievel was used to being stared at, but without his clothes he felt naked.

Because I am naked!

Once they returned with Tajeek, Fievel sighed and relaxed on Anseek's bed for another night. Now that he returned to a private place, he could enjoy the freedom more. Sleeping was much more comfortable without clothes on, and as he pulled the soft, furred blanket over him, he was tempted just to take off the loincloth too. But instead, he closed his eyes and relaxed into a peaceful dream.

After sunrise, the chief announced the winners of the hunt and celebrated with a large feast of what they caught for breakfast. Fievel participated as much as he felt comfortable, not wanting to interject anywhere he wasn't supposed to be. But everyone seemed to be rather accepting of him, though he still had plenty of eyes staring him down. Trying out the loincloth again, he felt entirely exposed, and he didn't like not having his weapon to defend himself in case of an emergency, but maybe that was helping him fit in?

At one point, some of the younglings were brave enough to approach him and touch his scales. They curiously felt his arms and chattered in their language about the color. It was awkward enough, but Anseek was there with his son to keep him company and not let their innocent exploration go too far.

Today's competition was about strength. Each competitor, male and female, demonstrated how much they could lift, carry, and drag. It lasted through the afternoon and ended toward the evening, with twelve winners in total. Tahjei, the black-scaled Ruun'arr that Fievel was secretly rooting for, came in second. The male winner was a larger drake named Darseek, one of Anseek's brothers. Though they shared the same blood, they didn't look much alike since his scales were mud-brown and forest-green compared to Anseek's blue and green mix, and he was also a giant. He towered over Fievel about nearly two to three feet taller.

Anseek partly explained their political system to Fievel. Since Fievel no longer had pockets, he kept his tablet in a case with a sling over his shoulders that kept it at his side. He still wore his bracer full of gadgets and technology, but sometimes if he didn't plan on using it, he would leave it back in his locked case of belongings.

--Their politics follow a very similar line to a patriarchal monarchy. When the chief passes, his position is passed on to one of his willing sons. Those who wish to become the next chief compete for the right, suggesting that the stronger and wiser son will win and be best suited for the role. If no sons wish to compete, or there are none left, the competition is then opened to any male in the tribe.

If the majority of the tribe is upset with their chief, they may call on an early competition and have him compete too. If he loses, he is exiled. If he wins, he remains the chief.--

"We obey chief. He say final word in everything," Anseek said.

"Will you want to be the next chief?" Fievel asked him.

Anseek looked at his son who sat with his back to them. He was busy fletching together arrows for the hunters--Fievel noticed a smaller pile beside him that he probably kept for himself. "Yes, I will win," Anseek stated confidently, smiling as his attention returned to Fievel.

"You sound pretty sure of that... You'll have to face your brothers, right?"

Anseek nodded without his confidence waning. Of course he had already considered that fact. "I smart, fast, and strong. Not strong like Darseek, but Darseek not smart." He chuckled and glanced over at his brother. "He trade brain for muscle."

Fievel giggled. "How do you win the competition?"

"Three games: brain, muscle, and survive--use all skills. Three nights, three games, win two and you are chief."

"Are the games dangerous?" Fievel asked, ready to take more notes with his tablet in his hand.

Anseek winced and nodded. "Yes. Much dangerous... More than now. Last game... You take light into dark and wait... Monsters come, you survive or die."

Fievel grimaced at that. "That sounds like an awful game..."

Anseek agreed. "Last one. Break a... a..." He scrunched his brow and pondered over the missing word.

"It breaks a tie? A draw?"

He nodded. "Yes, tie. No win, no lose. A tie."

Fievel added that to his notes and put his tablet away. "I hope you win the easy way," he said with a small smile.

"Me too. I win for Tajeek. He be good chief," Anseek said proudly. "I be okay... but he be better."

Fievel wished he could communicate better with Tajeek. He seemed like a bright youngling, but Fievel didn't know enough about him or any of the other children. They would occasionally have a basic conversation so he could practice speaking the common tongue.

Anseek called his son over, and Tajeek showed him the bundle of arrows he had made. Each chiseled stone tip looked fine and sharp. Anseek praised him and patted him on the head and sent him off to play with his friends after taking the bundle. Tajeek kept a few of the arrows he set aside and happily ran to a group of younglings playing with rocks.

Fievel and Anseek chatted together about various things, some personal and some business or learning related. He taught Anseek many words and a few things about his culture. Anseek was mostly curious about the spaceships and flying, wondering what it was like being amongst the stars. Fievel had grown so used to space and technology that he forgot about the wonderment in it all. Truly, it was a spectacular sight to see the universe before him, the millions of stars littering the black void with their gleaming light, and the array of the cosmos painting eloquent pictures so far beyond imagining.

Trying to describe all of that to someone who didn't fully understand the language was difficult.

When night fell, Anseek took Fievel to see the stars from his perspective in the treetops. There were a few spots scattered in the village where they could poke their heads out above the leaves and see the great expanse of the night sky surrounding them. Fievel was lucky enough to have visited many unpopulated planets so he could see the stars clearly. Most populated planets had too much light pollution so one could never see the sky like this.

The small moon shined brightly and lit the treetops in a cool glow. One of the planets rose over the opposite horizon at about the same size. Its red surface reflected the sun's light. Thousands of stars speckled the darkness around them, some brighter than others.

"Beautiful," Anseek said softly. "I... I learn word fast: beautiful. I tell mate she beautiful before she uhm... She smile. Last smile."

Fievel felt a tightness in his chest. He swallowed and reached over to squeeze Anseek's shoulder. "You're very sweet, Anseek."

He smiled and chuckled. "I sweet? Like fruit?"

Fievel grinned and shook his head. "No, no, I mean you're very kind... You have a good heart."

Anseek curled his tail around Fievel's as they sat together. "Thank you, friend. I love you."

Fievel felt his face flush and his heart come to a sudden stop. In that second that he heard those words, he felt oddly excited, but he quickly realized that Anseek didn't mean it in a romantic way, like he was hoping. Anseek just meant that he loved Fievel like a good friend, brother, or a son, and he just didn't understand exactly how that word was typically used.

"I love you, too," Fievel returned, trying to mean it in the same way Anseek did.

The rest of the night was a blur as Fievel's mind thrummed with conflicting thoughts and feelings. In most of his ventures, he tried to leave as little of a mark as possible. It made things easier for him so he could leave without his heart yearning to stay. But this time, in his attempt to study a new species of Ruun'arr, he was caught up in the excitement and forgot about his rules he made for himself to not grow attached.

Now, he was delving too deep into the bonds of a friendship, one that would tear his heart out when he left.

But... I can't just stop... I've dug myself into a hole.

Fievel sighed and threw his head back against the bed, eyes wide open since he couldn't find any sleep.

The final day of the competition came, and the nine remaining competitors were gathered at a starting line for a race of endurance, as Anseek explained. Yesterday had been a competition of wits, where each participant had to play a mind game similar to old classics like checkers or chess. It wasn't nearly as big of an event as today's, where seemingly everyone in the village gathered around to watch.

Fievel hadn't seen so many people around before today, but he counted himself lucky because they were all engrossed in the events rather than him, so he didn't receive as many stares or glares. It helped that he was much more comfortable in his loincloth now and used to the feeling of the breeze between his legs.

"Why are there so many people here for the last event?" he asked Anseek.

He grinned widely and explained, "It is last game before Rana-Takeel. All enjoy celebration after!"

The Renewal Festival... Isn't that what's been going on all week?

Now that Fievel thought about it, there hadn't been really much of a festival around. When he thought of a festival, he thought about food, drinks, games, and fun where everyone could join in. What he had witnessed so far was mostly a select number of people enjoying the fun, except for the occasional feast. And what exactly was the renewal about?

During his studies, he noticed that the tribe followed the moon closely, using it for judging how many days pass. If they had a calendar of any kind, it would have been based on the cycles of the moon. By his calculations, the moon was between half and full, so he assumed the celebration wouldn't be about the moon unless it was something obscure. Before, Anseek had said they were celebrating life, and the winners of the competition would receive each other as mates...

Oh, I'm an idiot...

After Fievel put the pieces together, it became rather obvious what they would be celebrating: mating--sex. The renewal would take place when they made eggs together. And judging by the social aspect of the tribe, it would be publically done, with everyone joining in on the fun, like a giant orgy. That's why they were all excited about today; he could feel it in the air.

The race began, and the runners were off. Fievel watched them disappear into the trees, soon out of sight.

"Are you uhm... going to be participating in the celebration?" Fievel asked.

Anseek smirked and shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe. I sometimes mate for fun, but not for egg. You?"

Fievel's eyes widened in surprise. Was he considered eligible to participate in something like this? He blushed and played with his thumbs. "I-I don't know... I don't think so... I'm uhm--I don't think I want to. It'd be weird for me."

Anseek chuckled and patted him on the back. "No worry, friend. Much females like you. They tell me."

Fievel didn't know what to say to that, so he just sat in awkward silence, wondering what he had gotten himself into.

The race lasted for a surprisingly long time. From the way Anseek described it, it was similar to the historical marathons or triathlons. A participant had to be fast and dexterous to be able to traverse the swampland. It helped to have the ability to recognize what was solid ground and what was sticky mud. At one part of the race, there was a lake they had to swim across. The path looped around the area and would eventually lead back to the starting line.

Fievel and Anseek had left their spot, since there wasn't much to watch now that the racers were gone. Around the village were revelers enjoying food and drinks. In the middle of the day, torchlight and fires flickered all around beneath the canopy of trees. It was safe for light to shine during the day because the 'monsters' were sleeping, but toward the evening is when they extinguished every flame. The smell of cooking meat wafted in to the air, piquing their appetite. The two of them joined the others and enjoyed the meaty haunches of animals and the warm beverages of some sort of alcohol made from fruits.

The alcohol helped loosen Fievel's mind from all the worries he troubled himself with so he could relax a little and enjoy the celebration. He never left Anseek's side, like most of his time here. He showed Fievel many different aspects of their culture and let him try different foods and drinks, and before long Fievel had plenty of information written down for the day, so he took his tablet and gadgets back to Anseek's home and stowed them away. Now, all he had to do was worry about having fun!

As the participants of the race trickled in, the winners were soon announced. Darseek, Tahjei, and another large, robust drake were the male winners while three beautiful, powerful Ruun'arr that Fievel couldn't name were the female winners. Anseek later told him their names, though it was becoming increasingly hard to keep track of them all! All six of the winners gathered to the center of the village, followed by a crowd.

They stood before a large, crackling bonfire next to the chief, Anseek's father, Anreel. He spoke in their native tongue, and Anseek helped translate what he said.

"He give congratulation to winner. Work much hard to win. Make much egg and make strong warrior. He give them chance to choose mate."

Fievel watched the males discuss who wanted who. Anseek explained that if two males wanted the same female, they would wrestle for her, and the winner would get her. But it appeared that they were all in agreement, and the females stood by their soon-to-be mates. Surprisingly, the females didn't appear dainty at all being next to such strong and large males--they looked just as intimidating, which was why Fievel was surprised the tribe held such patriarchal standards. Any one of the females here could easily outmatch him.

Three pairs of Ruun'arr lined up beside one another before the fire, each of them representing the pinnacle of performance in their tribe. Anreel continued speaking and waving his arms around with authority. It appeared that as he spoke to the winners, he also spoke to those around him, and everyone listened intently.

"He talk about god uh..." Anseek paused like he often did when he needed to think of the right word. "Moon. Moon bless seed, so they wait for night, but others celebrate now."

While Fievel studied the tribe, he noticed that in some of the artwork carved into wood that there was a god or gods of some sort, and it made sense to him that the moon would be one. He never heard Anseek speak of it though, so that would be some questions for later.

The chief took out a handful of dark powder from one of his pouches and tossed it on the fire. With his final words, sparks ignited and the flames erupted higher to kiss the treetops in a blinding light. It illuminated the area with a radiating heat that Fievel felt all the way in the back for a split second.

Anseek grinned and bumped his arm into Fievel. "Now he say begin celebration."

Fievel gulped and watched the joyous revelers cheer for what was to come. The winners departed to their homes with their new mates in tow. Now was the time for the actual festival of renewal to begin. He was in the thick of it, surrounded by tribesmen and women. Thankfully, the crowd dispersed and left less people gathered in the center. The two of them wandered to a log in the back next to two huts, away from the majority of the tribe, where Fievel could observe the celebration.

The sound of music played from above, mostly percussive instruments. Even above Fievel along the wooden tree-houses and bridges were kin celebrating. It was quick to start, since everyone already had their bellies full of good food and drink. The shift in the mood was tangible--it went from feeling relatively normal to teeming with excitement. Fievel even felt it.

As Fievel sat back on the log, he watched many members of the tribe undress, pulling off what little clothes they wore to cover themselves. Some didn't even bother with undressing before they started their mating rituals. He saw thick sheaths and plump, drooping orbs that bounced around with their movements. The females had no breasts, but they did have slits similar to his own kin. Embarrassment was quickly settling in as he observed their nudity.

Fievel looked around curiously in spite of his better judgment. Everyone looked to be having a fantastic time with one another with no shame in their nakedness. He felt almost like a pervert, but everyone presented themselves willingly. The light of the flames flickered across their bare, scaled bodies and glinted beautifully. Many of the kin danced like the fire with one another, and Fievel watched as some of their dances quickly led to mating.

"They have fun, yes?" Anseek said and watched too. His eyes followed some of the acts more closely than what Fievel dared to.

"Y-Yeah, it sure looks like it..."

"You join?"

Fievel felt his face flushing more than before and squeezed his hands. It had been a while since he felt the need to mate. Watching these sexual acts unfold was making him admittedly horny, something he hadn't felt for a while. "I... I don't know..."

Anseek chuckled and let it go for now. He seemed to be watching over Fievel to make sure he was comfortable so he could enjoy himself. He was encouraging, but not overbearing, and Fievel appreciated that. When a female approached Anseek, he politely declined her invitation to dance and stayed with Fievel, even though he insisted that Anseek should enjoy himself.

It didn't take long for arousal to weave its way through the revelers. Penises swayed around with nothing to hide them--until they were buried inside a female. Fievel stared a little too much at them, wishing to satisfy his own curiosities... Glancing at Anseek's groin, he swallowed and immediately turned away.

To help distract himself, he took a mental notes he could put in his tablet later of what they looked like and described how their dancing led to sex. That didn't actually help at all, and he felt the effects of arousal warming his loins too. There was no escape to it; anywhere he looked were naked couples having sex!

Some were bent over objects and going at it while others took a soft approach and lay on the ground together, rocking back and forth. Fievel's face was hot, and he set his hands firmly on his lap to completely cover himself with his loincloth. His sheath felt warm and fuzzy, and he knew his own cock would want to spill out soon. It was embarrassing enough when he exposed his unaroused nethers to Anseek, and before long he would be exposing a lot more to everyone around!

A particular nearby couple caught his eye: two blue dragons with tender expressions. They danced slowly together, swaying back and forth to the sounds of the tribal music. The female's back was to his belly as he wrapped around her. His hands caressed her delicate, curvy form, often stopping to rub her flat chest and brush between her legs. They turned to kiss, and the male guided her down onto her back in the dirt. Like most of the kin celebrating, they didn't care if they got a little dirty.

Soon, the male pushed between her legs, and even from here Fievel heard the moan that spilled from her lips. They rocked together, mating with not a care in the world but for each other. Many couples gathered around the light of the campfire and experienced pleasure together. In some cases, there were groups of three or four simply having fun and exploring one another with hands and mouths. Fievel mentally noted that not everyone was here for reproduction, though at the center it was mostly mates, new and old.

A beautiful, naked, gray and green-scaled female approached them and stared at Fievel. She spoke to Anseek while Fievel tried to not stare at her. Her hips were curvy with wide-set haunches. Thin muscles complimented her grace. He caught a glance at her slit and squeezed his hands together.

"You have fun now?" Anseek asked again, pressing him for more.

Fievel swallowed firmly and awkwardly tried to hide his erection pushing his loincloth up. "I... I still don't know. I w-wouldn't mind, but..."

But I want a male...

Anseek giggled and sat back. When Fievel glanced over at him, he saw his loincloth draped over his hard cock, partly covering it while some of his glistening, pink flesh was exposed. "Why no relax and have fun? We celebrate now." He presented himself willingly, unashamed of his body. The female smiled and looked down at him as well as Fievel, politely waiting his answer.

Fievel's eyes bulged before he quickly turned his head away. He didn't want to stare even though he really, really wanted to. His curiosity begged him to; after all, he had been imagining it and wanting to see Anseek's cock all this time. He stole another glance or two and then glanced at the female before turning his gaze to the ground, blushing. "Why don't you?"

Anseek bared a wide grin. He spoke with her and probably explained his awkwardness, but she was persistent. "She wants fun with you. Why not?"

Fievel shook his head and let out an awkward laugh. He didn't want to hurt her feelings, but he couldn't simply explain his reasons to her. Everything he knew about sex didn't apply here. Similar to animals, the tribe didn't need privacy to mate. They weren't insecure about their bodies and the natural means of reproduction like Fievel and most of his culture was. It was a shock to him at first, but he was slowly getting over it. "I'm okay, really."

Anseek peered at him curiously, like he didn't understand. "You want mate, yes? You are hard." He gently moved Fievel's hand aside to free his cock that lifted his cloth up, tenting it just like Anseek's.

Embarrassed was to put it lightly; Fievel wanted to shrink up and disappear. Even if everyone else was naked and aroused, it felt weird for him. In his culture, stuff like this was done in private. Getting an erection in public was taboo, but now he was as hard as a rock, with Anseek and someone new next to him looking at it. "I-I... It's b-because it's more f-fun to watch... I think."

Anseek found humor in that and laughed. Easing some of Fievel's nerves, he acted like there was nothing unusual about that at all. He patted Fievel's back. "She want it too. Relax, have fun!"

Fievel elicited a startled grunt and held still, shaking his head with his face hot from humiliation. "N-No, wait, wait... I don't really... I don't like females. I like males a lot more," he finally admitted with a shy smile at the navy-blue and green dragon.

Anseek's big smile curled his lips. He spoke to her and most likely explained the situation, so she smiled at them and left without any complications--surely there were plenty of other males that would love some time with her.

Fievel hoped Anseek would understand--in his own culture, it was somewhat common for two of the same gender to mate. That didn't seem so obvious here, since all he saw were males and females sharing each other. He was an outsider; he didn't want to feel more excluded than he already was. He worried that Anseek would think differently of him.

But Anseek's smile only grew as she left, his purple eyes bright with amusement. "Oooh, I see! You like only male?"

Fievel nodded and covered himself again with his hands. Of all the things he expected to do on his expedition, admitting he was gay was so far down on the list that he never thought it would happen, but the reaction he received was completely unfathomable.

Anseek shifted closer to Fievel and gently moved his hands away from his groin again. Before he could stop him or even consider what was happening, Anseek cupped around Fievel's erection and squeezed it. An intense shudder wriggled up Fievel's spine as he clenched his toes and gasped, unbelievingly watching that hand knead and rub his tenting cock. No part of him wanted to stop this, even if his embarrassment was floored. After spending most of his time with Anseek, he came to know him extraordinarily well, and he had to admit that he had been thinking about this quite a lot.

"We have much of that here, too," Anseek said softly next to Fievel's ear and kissed down his neck.

Fievel groaned quietly and leaned back with his legs opening eagerly. He wasn't sure if it was the effects of the festival or if he actually wanted this right here and now, in front of the tribe, but either way he didn't care that there were others around. He tilted his head to the side to expose his neck to Anseek, submitting to his forwardness. His brain surged with so many different thoughts. He didn't know what to do except let it happen. It was something he wanted, and now he was participating in the festival, right? There were so many others around... but they were all engaged in sexual actions anyway. No one would care if they saw them.

Anseek leaned firmly against his smaller body, gaining confidence as Fievel submitted to him. When Fievel glanced over, he saw the other male's erection sliding free from his loincloth that draped over only his balls now, fleshy-pink and glistening in the firelight as it reached full-mast. There were many, many things he wanted to do with that cock. Anseek was certainly a handsome specimen, and Fievel was eager to explore him and do some extra in-depth research as their night continued on.

"We mate for pleasure, yes?" he said softly next to Fievel's ear and nuzzled along his snout. "It is part of festival, too. No eggs, no problem. Not always about eggs, but we try make eggs anyway?"

Fievel nodded and curled his toes as Anseek squeezed and massaged his hard cock under his loincloth. A hot breath escaped his lips as he shuddered. He realized Anseek was talking about taking his rump like he would a female, an attempt to 'breed' even though it was impossible. The mental image Fievel saw was pretty hot. "Y-Yeah... That sounds fun. You like other guys?"

Anseek chuckled and pulled off his loincloth to leave himself naked next to Fievel. His spire protruded out from between his thighs while his thick stones rested on the log they sat on. It twitched and pre beaded at the tip of it. Like most of the tribe, he obviously didn't mind being naked as the day he hatched, confident. "I never try, but I like you."

Anseek cooed and kissed Fievel's cheek as he lifted up his loincloth to expose his hard, twitching member. It was a darker pink color than Anseek's and much smaller. Since Anseek's body was larger than his, it made sense that his cock was bigger too. Anseek's hands moved from his groin to the rest of his body, tenderly caressing him up and down while he admired Fievel's complete nudity as his cloth rested on his leg instead of covering the one thing it was meant to.

A smooth, white underbelly split his crimson scales down the middle, painting his inner arms and legs and running down the bottom of his thick tail. Though he was much smaller, that didn't stop Anseek from enjoying him anyway. His gaze followed down his toned, red and white-scaled body, studying each and every detail down to his hard cock and drooping orbs. Even though Fievel was somewhat embarrassed about exposing himself with all of the other naked dragons around, he liked the way Anseek looked at him and opened his legs a little more as he relaxed. If anyone turned to look, they were sure to see him in the nude with a hard cock poking out. He saw Anseek staring at his cock, his purple eyes swirling with lust--it looked like he had been thinking about having sex with Fievel, too.

Anseek rumbled deeply and reached down, taking Fievel's loincloth off before wrapping his digits around Fievel's length to squeeze and stroke it. "You much handsome," he said kindly and stared into his red eyes.

Fievel huffed and curled his toes as Anseek caressed his sensitive flesh. He smiled with a hot blush, gazing back into his soft, lavender eyes before he took Anseek's cock into his grasp and squeezed it up and down to return the favor. His cock was warm, soft, and slippery--and also very large! Fievel curled his fingers around the girth and felt how thick it was, much larger than any drake he had ever been with. It had soft ridges along the base and a triangular head, much like the shape of his own. In spite of their difference in size, they had many similarities.

"You are too," he said and grinned widely. Despite the fact that there were at least fifty or so other dragons gathered naked around the village in front of them, Fievel felt like it was only the two of them in their own world. It helped that everyone was distracted with one another, and that there was already lots of sex happening. Everyone else was too caught up in their own acts of pleasure to watch the two males in the back.

Anseek let out a lusty breath into Fievel's neck and sensually kissed and suckled on it as he stroked him off. Fievel gasped and let out a soft moan, his body relaxing and his mind hazing with arousal. There was certainly a bit of a language barrier between them, but sex was a universal language. They shared their bodies intimately with one another and formed an understanding of what was to happen. Both of them sought for pleasure, and they would gladly give it to one another.

As Anseek gently pushed on Fievel's back and guided him down, he bent forward and climbed off the log, lowering to his hands and knees in front of him. It seemed that Anseek and the rest of the tribe wasn't too keen on foreplay, but Fievel didn't mind that at all--he was just as eager. Fievel joined many of the females that were on all fours with their tails lifted, presenting to their mates. It felt so naughty to be exposed like this in the middle of a village surrounded by nature. Cool air brushed up between his legs and under his tail before Anseek took the dominant position behind him and pressed their hips together.

This was the first time Fievel had ever had sex in a public place, and the second time he had done it with someone he was researching. He felt Anseek's legs brushing against his own, and his hands grabbing his hips. Fievel looked back and watched him take his time in lining up with his tailhole. He spread his cheeks wide apart and pressed his tip firmly against his soft pucker. Fievel's tail was bent over his back while Anseek pushed into him.

"Ooohhh..." With a deep groan, Fievel clenched his toes and felt Anseek's cock squeeze inside and penetrate him. It felt so big as it stretched his muscles wide, steadily sliding inside his tight, soft passage. Anseek elicited a pleasured, rumbling growl as he sank inside Fievel's warm depths. Fievel relaxed as much as he could and let Anseek's member push deeper until he bottomed out. As he turned his head, their eyes met for a short moment and shared a glimpse of their desire for one another.

"You like that?" Anseek asked, grinning while he rubbed Fievel's back and the base of his tail, their hips tied with his cock buried inside him. "You feel like female."

He nodded and inhaled a deep breath as he leaned back into the other male's lap. "You're really big..."

"You small," Anseek chuckled and gripped tightly around Fievel's waist. Spurred on by the festivities, Anseek slowly pulled out and slid back inside, obviously eager to continue but wanting to let Fievel adjust to his larger size first so he didn't hurt him. Each pass of his cock bumped against Fievel's prostate, sending a delightful jolt of pleasure up his body. It helped relax his tight, clenching muscles and it drove hot, huffy breaths from his lips. Fievel greatly appreciated Anseek taking his time and let him know he was ready with his pleasured moans.

It didn't take much longer before they were rocking together in the dirt. Their sounds of sex joined the others: the light patting of their hips, the lewd, lusty groans escaping their lips, and the grunts and breaths filling the silence between. Fievel eagerly pushed back into Anseek's lap each time he thrust forward so that his cock delved deeper and grinded against his swollen prostate. It stretched his entrance wide before Anseek pulled out and thrust back inside again and again.

The back of Fievel's skull thrummed with sheer pleasure, his scales shivering in delight. Anseek's thick cock felt so amazing inside him and rubbed at all of the right places. The longer they went, the easier it was for him to slip in and out, driving deep, lusty groans from Fievel's throat. He felt Anseek's large orbs tapping against his rump every so often. Anseek humped Fievel in a steady rhythm, unrelenting.

Anseek leaned over Fievel more and more the further their intercourse progressed. His larger hands gripped around Fievel's chest, tugging him back into his powerful, piston-like thrusts that pounded against his rear. Anseek's chest pressed firmly against his shoulders. More weight fell over Fievel's back until he had to brace himself with both arms and legs pushing into the ground. His moans came in grunts and gasps because he didn't have enough time to let out a full one before another spike of pleasure pulsed up through his loins.

If Anseek didn't stop, Fievel knew he was going to cum at any moment. The excitement and anticipation of reaching his orgasm without touching his own cock quickened his breaths and racing heart, his chest humming with delight. Every time Anseek's cock slid inside him, he felt that warm, pleasurable ball pulsating in his loins, swelling as bliss trickled up his body to make his scales tingle.

He heard Anseek huffing and puffing next to his ear, a deep, rumbling moan sometimes escaping his throat. He slapped his hips against Fievel and made him bounce back and forth in his lap over and over again in a quick rhythm. But that rhythm was becoming more erratic, more filled with primal desire driving his body to feel that ecstatic release.

Fievel's cock bounced and swayed below him with the jerky movements of his body as Anseek rutted him. It leaked and oozed strings of gooey pre that dripped into the dirt under him. Each time his muscles clenched, his flesh would throb. He focused on the pleasure balling up inside him, ready to burst at any moment. It was all quickly becoming too much, and his head was spinning as whining, lustful moans dripped from his mouth each time Anseek rocked into him.

"G-Gonna... I'm gonna c-cummm..." He didn't think Anseek recognized the word, but he obviously could tell by the way Fievel quivered and cried out what was about to happen. He slammed into Fievel repeatedly, and pleasure came bursting inside his body in ecstatic waves. It felt so good that Fievel couldn't tell when his orgasm began. The sensations were so intense that he suddenly realized he was cumming when he felt his cock throbbing uncontrollably, spilling copious ropes of his seed all over the ground beneath him. Waves of ecstasy bathed his body with pleasure.

Even after he started his orgasm, Anseek continued thrusting at that same, lust-filled pace, eager to finish too. It prolonged Fievel's climax, making it continue until he shoved his cock as deep as it would go, balls squishing against Fievel's rump as he made his claim and spilled his seed inside him. Between all of the pleasurable waves lapping at the back of his skull, Fievel felt Anseek's warm cum seeping inside him, coating his walls as it spurted out with the powerful throbs of his cock. Anseek moaned with pleasure and rubbed Fievel's bare back as he came.

That moment felt like it lasted forever, and Fievel cherished every second. A deep, hot blush filled his cheeks while his mind was fogged with arousal. It slowly dissipated as he regained his senses, and he felt a dull ache in his full rump. His muscles relaxed entirely now that his orgasm ended, allowing Anseek to slip right out and leave him with an empty feeling. Warmth oozed out of his stretched tailhole and caused him to shiver and flex his toes. Anseek purred happily and caressed Fievel's thighs as he sat up behind him to admire his naked haunches.

"Fun, yes?" Anseek asked and gently squeezed Fievel's two drooping orbs. They felt wet from Anseek's seed that dripped down from his used entrance.

Fievel huffed and nodded. "That felt amazing..." He looked around and saw the festivities continuing, many couples still having sex and enjoying one another, though there were some that basked in the afterglow similarly to them.

Fievel sat up on his knees in front of Anseek and turned his head to smile warmly at him, and he was happy to return it as he scooted forward and wrapped his arms around him. "Much fun..."

Anseek caressed Fievel's smaller body, rubbing his large hands all over Fievel's scales, which drove deep rumbles up into his throat. He leaned back against him and shuddered with a soft gasp as he enjoyed Anseek's sensual touch tracing up and down his underbelly. Fievel fit snugly between his legs and half-sat and half-leaned into his lap, feeling his hard cock pressing up under his tail.

"You're still hard?" Fievel asked, grinning as he lightly rubbed against Anseek's flesh. His own was softer than before, drooping between his thighs after having experienced the pinnacle of satisfaction. Anseek touched it, eagerly groping and fondling both his softening member and his balls.

"Yes," he said. "Celebrate all night. Celebrate tomorrow..."

Fievel clenched his toes and let out a soft moan as Anseek kissed his neck. While his hands gently played with his cock, Fievel felt arousal warming his loins again, his sensitive length pulsing and growing into his grasp. Anseek wanted more--much more.

And Fievel was more than willing to give his body to all of Anseek's desires.

His large size was much easier to take the second time around--and the third, fourth, and fifth! Fievel found himself at Anseek's mercy as the masculine, horny drake guided him into many different positions so he could mate him. After their third time, he seemed a little tuckered out, so Fievel rode him to prolong their pleasure together. It was a dream come true, and he loved it all.

The night wore on through their passionate sex. Lights were extinguished, but the sounds of moans continued through the darkness. The crowd gathered at the center of the village steadily grew thinner, but there were many just like Fievel and Anseek that stayed to enjoy one another many times in a row.

Eventually, Fievel found himself snuggling Anseek in the grass and dirt, their naked bodies pressed together as they caressed one another affectionately. It was unlike anything Fievel had done in the past: a new experience to enjoy. He felt spent, and he was certain Anseek did too!

"You always like male?" Anseek asked. He lay on his back while Fievel lay on his side pressed against him, hands rubbing his belly with his head on his chest. Here, he had the perfect view of Anseek's sheath.

"Yeah, for the most part," Fievel admitted. He loved the intimacy they shared beneath the moonlight poking through the treetops. It was romantic in a way, though he doubted Anseek knew much about romance.

Anseek chuckled and held Fievel closely with one arm wrapped around him. "I like male too, now. No worry about egg... Only fun."

Fievel grinned and nestled in close with Anseek. He supposed that was one of the perks of being gay, but sometimes he wondered what it would be like to raise a child. Anseek already had a son that he was very proud of, and Fievel saw the joy shining bright in his purple eyes anytime they were together. He wanted to know what that felt like.

"River not far. We go clean?" Anseek offered.

Fievel nodded eagerly. He could feel the dirt nagging at him from beneath his scales, and beneath his tail felt grimy and gross too, even if he did like the idea of being bred over and over again by Anseek.

They stood up together, and Fievel found his loincloth on the ground not far from him. As he went to put it on, Anseek stopped him with a smirk. "No clothes. Part of celebration."

Fievel gulped and nodded. He followed Anseek through the dark village, naked, passing by other naked Ruun'arr as well as those still celebrating. It verged on humiliation for him to be covered in dirt, naked, and filled with another drake's cum as he walked through a public place, but it helped calm his nerves that there were many others in the same situation as him. In fact, it was encouraged in the tribe, and now Fievel was a part of it, in a way. Anseek accepted him enough to choose him as his mate for the festival, so Fievel was fitting right in with the others.

The river water was cool and a refreshing experience for Fievel, who was happy to rid his red and white scales of all the grime. They weren't the only ones getting clean, either; there were a few other couples bathing too. Everyone was quiet, whispering. Monsters rarely came close to the village, according to Anseek, but the river was almost half a mile away.

Without any incident, Fievel followed Anseek back to the village and returned to his home. Thankfully, his son was already fast asleep on his cot so he didn't have to see Fievel naked. He thought it would be weird for him to know what he and his dad were doing, but Anseek must not have minded that so much because he climbed into the same bed as Fievel to snuggle instead of curling up with his son.

"What about Tajeek?" Fievel whispered. He loved cuddling with Anseek, enjoying his large body wrapping around his smaller one. He was warm and comfortable.

"What about?" Anseek wondered, as if this was completely normal.

And Fievel realized that he may think two guys cuddling naked around a kid was a completely normal thing! Sure, the blanket covered their nudity, but Fievel didn't feel comfortable having a child around while they did naughty things. Then again, he supposed this wasn't really naughty... They were only sharing their affection and not anything else. And in a way, it was like he was Anseek's mate... just without the female parts.

"You don't mind doing this around him?"

Anseek grinned and groped Fievel, cupping his orbs and squishing his sheath to rouse a soft gasp from his lips. "He sleep now. When he awake, he play with friends. He know festival. He too young now, but soon he participate too. Is part of life," Anseek said as he teased Fievel.

Fievel loved the way Anseek touched him and felt relaxed. Anseek pulled his hand away and held Fievel's hips as they lay on their sides together to fit on the small bed. As they snuggled together, they caressed one another and explored each other's naked bodies. Had they not spent the whole night having sex, they probably would have been hard and ready for another round.

Eventually, Fievel turned his back to Anseek and nestled into his belly as the little spoon. Anseek purred softly and hugged around him tightly to tuck him close. They fell asleep together like that, lulled into a perfect slumber, the perfect end to an evening of passion.