FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

I'd like to thank my patrons, TheFunk, John, and Red, for making this and other stories possible. You can find the fully translated version of this story on my Patreon account, so long as you pledge a dollar. Link: https://www.patreon.com/thehopelessheathen

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“Good morning, conejito…" Thomas was woken from his peaceful sleep by a soft paw stroking his cheek, and his eyes opened to see a loving feline face looking up at him. Soft fur rubbed against him as the jaguar shifted her weight, stretching subtly without letting go of her mate.

“Good morning, mi corazon." Over the past week and a half, Kiana had managed to teach the human a bit of her own language, and that was his new favorite thing to call her. He reached one hand up and scratched right behind her ear, causing her to lean into his hand. “Are we feeling frisky this morning?"

“Mrrrrrrrrr," she groaned, stretching even more as she fully woke herself up. “Not that much… could I get a back rub?"

“Of course." With a little maneuvering, Thomas slid out from under his feline lover and came up to straddle her back, brushing his half-erection against her fur in the process. The constant intercourse and nude cuddling had dampened his body's reactions a bit, especially when it came to being so close to a naked woman, but he could still feel that spark of arousal inside his chest. He began kneading the muscles along her back just like she'd taught him to, pressing out the hard little knots with a firm use of his knuckles.

Kiana let out a hum of contentment, relaxing as her mate massaged her back; he was doing an even better job than she had on him, and his hands moved with the smooth firmness of a professional. “Mmmm, right there," she purred as he hit a hardened knot right on the edge of her shoulder blade. “You're a natural, conejito."

A small smile spread across the private's lips, driven by a gentle pride in his own actions. He liked pleasuring Kiana, both lewdly and conventionally, and hearing her gasp with painful pleasure was music to his ears. Eventually, he began moving down to her lower back, pressing on either side of her spine just how she'd shown him. However, before he could get too far down, he felt the jaguar begin to tense up, and he knew from experience she wanted something more. “Could you go a little lower?" she asked, and Thomas complied by moving down about a foot. “A little lower than that…" He quickly realized what she wanted, but he decided to beat around the bush just a bit; his hands slipped down a few more inches, stopping around stomach-level. “Lower…" This time he barely moved an inch, and a devilish smile crept across his face. “Come on, lower than that…"

“You mean like this?" Thomas slid backward so that he was kneeling above her thighs, then grabbed her furry buttcheeks like he owned them.

“No… like this!" Kiana suddenly whirled around, grabbing her human's wrist as she flipped onto her back. She then brought his fingers down to her groin, whereupon he flopped down beside her as he rubbed at her clit. As Thomas got a good rhythm going, the jaguar spread her legs and let out a sigh of contentment, a sigh that broke into a giggle as he buried his face in her chest. “Right there, conejito," she purred, running one hand through the back of his hair as he met her gaze.

As her snatch began gradually getting wetter, Thomas traced a finger along her soft vulva before returning to her clit. “I thought you said you weren't feeling frisky?" he said, “If you want me to do something, you've just got to ask."

“Mmmm… but where is the fun in that?" Without warning, she suddenly grabbed him around the shoulders and flipped him onto his back, coming up on top with his hand clenched between her thighs. “I'd much rather take what I want," she playfully growled, “Especially from a conejito like you…" As she released his hand, the Jaguar grabbed his wrist and pinned it above his head, doing the same to his other wrist with her other paw in one swift motion.

“Oh? And what would you want from a little rabbit like me?" Thomas playfully flexed against his lover's grip; he didn't intend to break free, but he still felt that the jaguar was just as strong as him, if not stronger. The feeling of her wet snatch grinding against his midsection made his erection throb with arousal, and the sight of her lush tits hanging over him made him want to reach up and grope her, but he was willing to play the part of the prey for now. Besides, he could tell from the glint in her eye she wanted to screw just as severely as he did.

“Maybe I want to take your life," she pondered, “It'd certainly be easy, just-" Suddenly, she lunged downward and took his throat in her teeth, biting down just enough to send a message. The sudden danger sent Thomas's heart racing, electrifying his nerves as primal fear. The fear quickly turned to excitement, however, and as Kiana let go of his neck, he thought he'd never felt more alive. She then licked across his cheek, lightly rubbing her sandpaper tongue against the private's stubble and stopping at his ear. “Maybe I want to take your flesh," she whispered into his ear, “You taste delicious, after all…" The jaguar punctuated her words by gently biting her human's earlobe, tugging just a bit before letting go. She then pulled back to gaze into his eyes, her feral demeanor betrayed slightly by the playful grin on her lips. “Or perhaps I want to take your seed," Kiana purred, “I've already taken tu virginidad, and I think you would make a good esclavito sexual." Her grinding was getting more intensive, more heated, and her snatch was getting wetter by the second. “What do you say to that, conejito?"

Thomas mirrored her grin, bringing his arms up a bit more and threading them through the vine ropes holding the hammock-like bed up. “A beautiful huntress like you would lay with a lowly grunt like me? I must be the luckiest man in the world…"

With his hands tangled in the ropes, Kiana released his wrists to tenderly stroke his cheek with the back of one paw. “You just might be," she replied, “Catching me in the peak of my heat. You're so damn cute, there's no way I could've passed you up." With that, she raised her hips up a bit, backed up, and lowered herself down as her paw held his member straight. He slid in with a slight squelch, causing both human and jaguar to gasp with pleasure. Once his member was in to the hilt, squeezed on all sides by the jaguar's deliciously warm body, she began grinding her groin onto his, reaching back to fondle his balls with one paw. “Just relax, conejito, let me do the work."

The private complied as Kiana began humping against his groin, sliding her snatch up and down his cock while he just lay there. He was tempted to reach out and either rub her squishy clit or grope her shapely breasts, but it finally dawned on him that she was doing this for his sake. Maybe she felt generous, or perhaps she liked the way he squirmed; either way, she was going at the perfect pace to make him moan. “Ahhh… right there," he groaned encouragingly, and Kiana seemed to take it as a signal to take him to the hilt and grind her snatch against his groin.

“You always make the cutest faces when I'm riding you," the jaguar purred, “And you always make the cutest sounds…" Suddenly, Thomas felt her vagina clench tight around his shaft as she lifted up, almost as if to tease him, and even if her insides didn't feel like heaven on earth, he still would have let out an exaggerated groan to make her smile.

After a few minutes of vigorous riding, Kiana had brought him almost to the brink of orgasm with her beautiful body, but just as he neared the point of no return, she took him to the hilt and went back to slow sensual grinding. “What's the matter," the jaguar teased, “Feeling pent up?"

“You're mean," Thomas chuckled. Still, he made no attempt to get his lover moving again, trusting that she'd get him off eventually. Sure enough, after waiting a few moments for him to beg, she simply started up back at her previous pace, and it didn't take her long to give him an incredible climax. The private let out a long moan as he shot his load into her snatch, letting her ribbed insides and gentle contractions milk his balls of every drop. Once the initial surge of pleasure was over, Kiana bent down and pulled her human mate into a tender kiss, a kiss that he quickly returned with equal ferocity. “Gracias, mi corazon," he sighed as they pulled apart, “Now, why don't you come over here and sit on my face?"

Kiana chuckled in response, then pulled his member free of her loins with a slick squelching. She scooted forward as Thomas slid back, and with the help of the human's guiding hands, she placed her still-dripping vulva right on his mouth. He didn't take long to start licking and slurping at her soft folds, swallowing both of their fluids as he thoroughly cleaned her out. The slimy texture of his own seed hardly bothered him anymore, and after a minute, the private had gotten almost all of it out. With her nethers all clean, Kiana barely resisted when Thomas rolled her onto her back, and when he switched over to suckling on her clit, she pushed his head into her crotch. “Ahhhh… perfecto, conejito," she purred as he slipped two fingers into her, “Ese es lugar…" His fingers quickly found the hard little spot of her g-spot, and as he rubbed it in time with his licking, the jaguar let out a long groan of contentment. It didn't take long for the pressure to start building inside her, and after only a minute of intensive tonguing and fingering, she let out an ecstatic, primal yowl. Her legs swung over and squeezed around Thomas's head, forcing his face into her furry groin, and her grip only grew stronger as he continued to eat her out.

When her orgasmic high died down, and her legs released his head, Thomas pulled back a bit before smiling up at the jaguar, then smooched his way up her furry body. First, he kissed her crotch, then her navel, then continued on up until he planted his lips right between her breasts. “What do you say we go catch some breakfast?" he said as he crawled on top of her, “I think I could use some more bow practice…"

The jaguar's legs crossed over his back, and her arms hugged him close. “Why can't we just stay here?" she giggled, “Why can't we just lay here and make love again and again and again?"

Thomas let out a short sigh, then hopped off the bed and out of Kiana's cuddling embrace. “Come on, you lazy cat," he teased, “We can come back to bed once our bellies aren't rumbling."

Kiana went limp and let out a pathetic whimper, then slid out of bed as well. She and her human mate began to get dressed, helping each other along the way; Thomas helped tie together her hide skirt and bra, and in turn, she buttoned up what remained of his undershirt. In response to not having a strict military dress code, he'd ditched his heavy red uniform coat, stiff pants, and clunky boots, giving him the appearance of a deckhand straight off a pirate ship. Once they were dressed, he grabbed his rifle and cartridge bag, she grabbed her bow and quiver, and the two of them made their way down from the treehouse.

Ten minutes later, the unorthodox pair were creeping through the underbrush surprisingly quietly, mostly because Thomas's army training had taught him the basics of stealth. He still had a lot to learn, however; Kiana was able to glide through the jungle like a ghost, while the human would always make some kind of little noise. The jaguar was hot on the trail of a tapir, and along the way, she pointed out the various signs and tracks to Thomas. He had no clue what a tapir was, but as they closed in on their quarry, he felt pretty confident about tracking them.

Suddenly, Kiana stopped, and Thomas followed her gaze to see a weird little creature standing about a hundred feet away. It looked a little bit like a pig, but with dark brown fur that peaked in a crest that ran down the thing's back; instead of a snout, it had a short little trunk, and its ears were short and round. As he silently traded weapons with Kiana, the private wondered what the meat would taste like, and as he knocked an arrow to the bow, he decided it was probably something like pork.

“Ahora, draw it back smooth," Kiana whispered, “Point both arms where you want it to go." The jaguar gently corrected his form, lifting his bow hand up just a smidge and raising his elbow. As Thomas got used to using a bow, he'd found it was quite similar to aiming a rifle, with the main difference being that you had to account for drop distance with a bow. Using his thumb as a sight, he lined up the shot with the tapir, aiming right for where he thought the thing's heart was. “Pull it back just a bit more as you loose," his mentor added, “And breathe out as you fire. Listo… dispara!"

Thomas pulled the string back just a smidge, then exhaled as he let it go. The arrow shot from his bow like a bolt of lightning, burrowing itself in the tapir's side in an instant. He just barely heard a squeal of pain, and as he and Kiana approached the creature, he saw he'd killed it almost instantly.

Kiana crouched over the creature, checked for a pulse, then pulled the arrow clean out of it. “Muy bien, conejito!" she said encouragingly, “We'll make a hunter of you yet." After wiping the arrow clean, she slid it back into her quiver, then picked up the tapir and slung it over one shoulder. “Now come on, I'd rather we cut this up back at home."

It didn't take long to make it back to the jaguar's hut, and when they did, Kiana led her mate over to a smaller shelter half-submerged in the dirt, a place equipped with a fire pit and other things needed for curing meat. There she showed him the proper way to skin, gut, and cook a tapir. Once they were finished, the pair enjoyed a lovely meal of cooked meat. “So, Thomas," Kiana asked as she finished her meal, “When do you want to talk to the chief?"

The young private had been dreading having to talk with the chief, although he wasn't sure why, since Kolau seemed like a decent enough person/jaguar. Part of him theorized that he just didn't want his honeymoon to end, but another part suspected he feared to return to his own people, feared the potential scrutiny they'd have in store for him. He knew that a week ago, he'd have found the idea of a human and a jaguar being together positively absurd. Plus, there was no telling what they would do to him if they found out he'd been consorting with the enemy… no telling what they'd do to Kiana if she came with him… “I ah… I dunno…"

The feeling of the jaguar's paw on his shoulder brought him out of his murky thoughts, and when he looked into her jade eyes, he could tell she emphasized with his worry. “Well, if you don't want to go right this minute," she murmured, “What would you say to showing me how you work your palo-trueno?"

Thomas's face split into a grin. “Do you mean my rifle, or my…" He punctuated his question by grabbing his groin, causing Kiana to let out a giggle

“The one that goes boom," she chuckled, picking it up off the ground. “How does it work? Some kind of magic?"

“Not really…" The private sidled up to her, pulling out a single cartridge from his bag. “Inside here," he explained, “There's this black powder inside, gunpowder, that blows up when you set it on fire." He then flipped it over, showing off the primer. “This little thing sets the powder alight, and that makes the bullet, this metal thing, fly."

Kiana seemed fascinated and took the cartridge for her own examination. After thoroughly inspecting the curious metal thing, she handed it back to Thomas and picked up his rifle, then looked it over without touching anything near the trigger. “So, how does this work?"

“Well, first, you check this little dial on the side. If it's straight, the weapon is ready to fire, but since it's angled back, you need to cock it first. Just take this lever here and pull it down…" As he demonstrated, the breach popped open, and a shell casing popped out, which Kiana dexterously caught. “Then, you slip a cartridge in here, pull the lever back up, and you're ready to fire."

“Fantástico." The jaguar took the rifle and raised it to her shoulder, trying to aim it at a spot on the back wall. “And how do you fire?"

“Well… you don't want to fire it here… come on, we can do it outside." The two of them quickly left the meat hut, and once outside, Thomas helped the jaguar to find a decent spot for target practice. “Alright, it's a bit different than a bow," he said, nudging the barrel down until it was parallel to the ground. “You want to point it straight at what you're shooting at, and you want to line up this little notch here with the thing at the end of the barrel… there you go." From his position right behind her, he could see she had a clear shot lined up with a distinctive knot on a nearby tree. “Now, you fire it by squeezing the trigger here. It's going to be super loud, and the gun kicks like a mule, so lean into the stock as much as you can."

With Thomas's help, she got appropriately adjusted, then gently squeezed the trigger. She wasn't sure what would happen, but as a deafening peak of thunder rang out, she realized her wildest estimates had hardly come close. The wooden stock slammed back into her shoulder like a battering ram, and if she hadn't followed Thomas's advice, she would've been knocked on her rear for sure. Instead, she simply staggered back a step as she tried to regain her balance, falling straight into her mate's waiting arms. Once her ears stopped ringing, and she recovered from the sheer shock, she realized her shot had been a few inches from hitting the knot. “Are you okay?" Thomas asked her, but she quickly shrugged off his concern.

“Give me another," she replied, reaching out her palm. Once Thomas realized she wanted a bullet, he took another out of his pouch and gave it to her. The jaguar then ejected the spent cartridge, slid in the new one with a single fluid motion, took a few seconds to aim, then pulled the trigger again. This time, Kiana was much more prepared for the recoil, and she managed to hold her ground as the stock kicked back into her shoulder. The shot landed a bit closer, but the jaguar still wasn't done; she reached out her hand for another round, and when Thomas gave it to her, she loaded and fired it in under two seconds. Kiana managed to hit the knot she was aiming for, and each of her next three shots got even closer to the center. When the jaguar reached for a seventh shell, however, her mate refused.

“I think that's enough for now," he said, “We've got a limited supply, and I don't want to waste it all on target practice."

After a few moments, Kiana sighed and handed the rifle back. “Thank you for letting me use it," she replied with a grin, “It was… exciting."

Thomas's response was to wrap his arms around her, hugging her tight as he kissed her on the forehead. “You're a better shot than I am," he cooed, “Pretty impressive for someone who's never held a gun in her life."

Kiana hugged him back for a moment before pulling away, and he could tell from the glint in her eye that her sexual appetite was back in full force. “I think I deserve a prize, don't you?" she replied, “Why don't we just get back in bed for a while?"

“Well, I-" Thomas was interrupted by the sound of swishing and cracking branches, and he looked up just in time to see something leaping toward him in a spotted blur. Without really thinking, the private held his rifle up like a shield, and as the thing tackled him to the ground, he could feel it pressing down in a flurry of claws and fur. Thomas caught a brief glance of a jaguar's face, one with red markings under the eyes that he didn't recognize, but in the heat of the moment, he didn't think about Kiana saving him. Following his training, he hooked a leg behind the jaguar's and rolled it onto its back, then pulled back and smashed his rifle's stock into its jaw. The thing howled in pain, and Thomas was about to hit it again when someone yanked him back. Thankfully, he wasn't berserk enough to lash out at whoever pulled him away, and once he was out of the fight, two other jaguars came in from either side and restrained the one who attacked him.

“Thomas, remember that Fuira I said was an ambassador?" The private recognized Kiana's voice behind him, and his mate quickly let go and moved to stand beside him. “Meet Minya, esteemed representative of the Furias."

“Te voy a matar!" Minya spat in response, “Maldito hijo de puta sin pelo!" She stopped thrashing against the two jaguars restraining her, but she still looked like she wanted to kill the human. Now that she wasn't trying to claw his face off, he noticed her clothing was decorated with scraps of human attire: she had a belt buckle on her bicep, a red sleeve repurposed as a scarf, and a pocket watch worn as a pendant, all of it making her seem like a veteran human-hunter. Her nose was streaming blood from when Thomas had smashed it with his rifle, accenting the red paint she wore under each eye.

It was then that Thomas noticed that Chief Kolau was standing to his right, and without really thinking, the private snapped to attention. “I deeply apologize for the behavior of our guests," he said with a hint of mockery, “She's just rather… irritable, especially when it comes to humans. I wanted to keep you hidden from her, but thanks to Alejo, word got around rather quickly." He then turned his attention to Minya, who had simmered down to simply staring daggers at Thomas. “Puedo recordarte que él es un invitado tanto como tú. Si pisa la tierra de tu tribu, eres libre de matarlo tan dolorosamente como quieras, pero hasta entonces, está bajo mi protección. Entiendes?"

“Claro." Minya yanked herself free of the two jaguar's holding her, but made no attempt to go after Thomas. “Garra Negra oirá esto," she growled, “Al igual que el resto de los jefes." After glaring at everyone present, she stomped off back towards the village, then scrambled up into a nearby tree. Somehow, Thomas knew he'd see her again, but his attention was quickly grabbed by Kolau.

“So," the chief began, “Now that we've gotten that bit of unpleasantness out of the way, I think we've some other business to discuss." He paced around Thomas and Kiana until he was in front of them both, and the two jaguars who'd held back Minya came forward to stand behind him. “Thomas, I'm guessing you want to get home at some point, and I believe I know a way you can leave here."

The private reached over and subtly took hold of Kiana's paw, squeezing it as he tried to sort out his mixed feelings. On the one hand, it seemed only natural to go back to his one kind, to leave the deadly traps and venomous wildlife of the jungle far behind; on the other, he knew he wouldn't be able to bring Kiana back with him, and the thought of being cut off from her made his heart quake with a longing fear. “You mean trading information for safe passage?" he hesitantly offered, “I had thought about it, but…"

“It's a bit more complicated than that, I'm afraid. I'm guessing that most of the tribes will hear quite a few unfavorable things about you in the next few days, so we need to head them off… I'll need to present you at el encuentro de los jefes, have you state your case and explain what the humans are doing. Then… well, maybe then the others can convince Garra Negra to let you return to your homeland."

Kiana seemed to sense Thomas's question before he even spoke. “Garra Negra is the chief of the Furias," she explained, “Her real name is Talia, but everyone uses the title of her… cómo se dice… family line."

“So, when's the meeting?" Thomas asked, “Is it at the village, or…"

“The meeting can happen as soon as I send out some messengers," Kolau replied, “And as for the location, we meet on sacred ground."

“Like a church?" came Thomas's blurted reply.

“Mmm… sort of. It is what you humans call hallowed ground, but there is no building there, it's just a wide clearing with a big, flat rock called El Piso Bendito."

Kiana stepped forward with her own set of questions. “Planea tener la reunión de inmediato, jefe? Deberíamos Thomas y yo esperar aquí hasta que regresen los mensajeros?"

“I think it's best if we have the meeting before rumors start flying," Kolau replied, sticking to English for Thomas's sake, “And yes, I would like you two to wait in the village just so we can head out at a moment's notice."

Thomas suddenly felt something brush his hand, and he glanced down to see Kiana's paw gently squeeze his hand. He swiftly returned the gesture but held onto her furry paw for some semblance of comfort. “Are we just leaving now?" he asked, hoping he'd get a chance to grab some things from the hut.

A knowing grin spread across Kolau's face. “Don't worry, you can get whatever you want to bring along… however, I'd recommend you keep that palo-trueno at least partly hidden." With that, he turned to his two subordinates, prompting Kiana to lead her mate back toward her home.

It didn't take long for the jaguar to pack the essentials, and once that was done, she helped Thomas find something to cover his rifle with. “So," he started to ask, “About the meeting… how big of a deal is it?"

Kiana grabbed her bow and quiver, slinging them both over her shoulder. “It's not often that the jefes meet, but when they do, it's usually when something concerns all the tribes. They called one when the missionaries came and one when the Rojas first appeared… I think they consider anything human-related to be worthy of discussion."

Thomas's brow furrowed. “Anything?"

“Si. You're a completely different species with mastery over strange weapons, y los Rojas, in particular, seem to be aggressive toward us." She then picked up the human's red coat, holding it up as if to ask whether he wanted to take it. “Y tambien, no human has ever become a jaguar's mate before… probably because no one realized what good companions you make."

After Thomas turned down the coat, she tossed it back on the bed, then moved to let down a vine rope from the exit. The human was first to climb down, balancing his wrapped up rifle on his biceps as he laboriously descended, with his mate following him down in a flash. The pair quickly rejoined Kolau and his escort, and the band of jaguars quickly guided Thomas back through the jungle with only a few close calls.

This time, Thomas had a much easier time climbing up, partially because he was barefoot, and partially because he'd had quite a bit of practice. As he pulled himself onto the platform and examined his surroundings, he saw several jaguars looking on in earnest; when he'd first gotten there, about half the looks he'd gotten were of suspicion, but now everyone just seemed curious. Instead of shying away, a group of cubs seemed positively fascinated by him, especially when they clapped eyes on the wrapped bundle in his hands. Granted, there were still a few villagers who gave him odd looks, but they seemed more uncertain than outright fearful.

“Kiana, por qué no le muestras a Thomas a la casa común?" Thomas was snapped out of his thoughts by Kolau's voice, and he turned to see the chief gesturing to a massive hut that looked like some kind of bunkhouse. “Una vez que te instales, Nieja podría usar algunos arcos adicionales con la cacería de hoy ya que Nerio y Lauia están enfermos."

“Si, jefe," Kiana replied, then motioned for Thomas to follow her. She then led him along the twisting woven bridges toward the bunkhouse, passing a few jaguars on the way, and within a few minutes, they were at its doorstep. Inside were a lot of hammocks, lining the walls in haphazard rows, and a small hole in the domed roof provided dim light throughout the building. Some of the hammocks were just plain vine netting, while others were stitched from animal hide, and most had some level of bone-based ornamentation; few were occupied, and most of the jaguars in them looked to be ill or injured. Kiana led her mate over to a plain hammock by the ground, one that looked like it hadn't held anyone in a while. “This is where we'll be sleeping, for the time being," she said, “You can leave your palo-trueno here, nobody will take it."

Thomas shifted his grip on his rifle, but instead of putting it down, he clutched it to his chest. “Chief Kolau said something about cacería… that means hunting, right?"

A small grin spread across Kiana's muzzle as she slung her bow off her shoulder. “That he did. What, you want to go hunting?"

“Yes," Thomas replied, “He said two people were sick, and I've gotten plenty of practice." He stood tall, trying to make himself seem competent, but it was undermined by Kiana's small chuckle. “Come on, you've seen me in action, you know I've got what it takes."

“Oh, I don't doubt your ability, conejito; it's just that we don't need to wake up half the forest with cracks of thunder." She pointed to his wrapped up rifle, and once he looked down, she took it out of his grasp and tossed it onto the hammock. “Venga, I know where we can get a bow of your own."

The private diligently followed as Kiana led him back out of the bunkhouse, crossing a few rickety bridges to an old but graceful-looking tree a little ways away from the bulk of the village. On the platform that ringed it, Thomas could see a couple younger jaguars shaping branches, tying bowstrings, and fletching arrows; in the middle was a central hut that he guessed that the hut was some kind of armory. As they approached, a mature looking female jaguar stepped out, and her greying facial features lit up as she laid eyes on Kiana. Well, she only had one eye, seeing as how one side of her face was covered by a primitive eyepatch, but that didn't stop Thomas from recognizing unbridled excitement. “Ah, hija!" she called out, “Es tan bueno verte!" As the older jaguar opened her arms, Kiana began jogging over, and the two collided in a heartfelt embrace. “Me preguntaba cuándo vendrías a visitar a tu vieja madre."

“Lo siento no vine antes," Kiana replied, “Solo-"

“Bueno, estás aquí ahora, y eso es lo que importa." Suddenly, the older jaguar looked up and met Thomas's eyes, causing her smile to transform into a smirk. “Y este debe ser el chico afortunado," she continued, “Es un poco más bajo de lo que pensé que sería."

Kiana pulled away in mock offense. “Mamá, no te burles de él!" She then turned to Thomas, and her playful expression sobered just a tad. “Thomas, this is Meiana, she's… well, she's the closest thing I have to a mother."

Thomas stepped a bit closer and offered his hand in greeting. “Encantada de conocerte," the human said as Meiana took his hand, causing the older jaguar to chuckle just a bit.

“Muy cabayero, no?" she replied, “Ciertamente puedo ver el atractivo. Es una lástima que no puedas hacer algunos nietos…"

“Mamá," Kiana interjected, “Thomas necesita una arco, ha decidido que quiere ayudar con la cacería."

“Ah, si, si," Meiana said jokingly, “Debería haber sabido que tenías negocios." The one-eyed jaguar then turned and headed back toward her hut, motioning for the pair to follow. “Venga, tengo justo la cosa."

Inside the hut was a venerable workshop, full of primitive tools, raw materials, and a number of bows in various stages of completion. Meiana quickly led Thomas over to a rack of finished bows, most of which were shorter than the Anglan longbows he'd heard about in history class; she picked out one that was about 3 feet long, then swiftly strung it, revealing the arms' recurved shape. “Try pulling back," Kiana suggested, “Don't release, just test the strength."

After a short sigh, Thomas did as he was told, slowly pulling the string all the way back to his cheek like he'd seen Anglan archers do in history books. The resistance was pretty heavy, but not so much that it was impossible to use… it was easy to imagine skewering a rabbit with a shot from the bow. After slowly bringing the string back to rest, he nodded his assent to Meiana, who cracked a small grin. “Perfecto," she said, grabbing a quiver of arrows off the rack and handing it to Thomas, “Los cazadores se están congregando en la plataforma sureste, junto al árbol retorcido. Deberían partir en unos veinte minutos, así que no se apuren."

The human slung the quiver over his shoulder, then bowed deeply to the older jaguar. “Gracias, señora," he replied, right before Kiana led him out of the hut. He looked back to see Meiana waving cheerfully, almost seeming like she took pride in her daughter's choice of mate. As his sort-of-wife led him back across the slightly perilous walkways, he began to wonder what exactly Meiana thought of him… she didn't seem disgusted or afraid, which was more than he could say for the rest of the tribe.

From the bowmaker's hut, it was a long walk to the hunters' meeting point, crossing several rickety-looking bridges and a few narrow branches. As they came up to the platform, the human saw several other jaguars standing about, most of whom he didn't recognize. One of them looked to be in charge, and as she saw the oddly matched pair approaching, she cheerfully offered a greeting. “Hola, Kiana," she called out in a familiar voice, “Finalmente decidiste ayudar a la tribu?"

“Estamos esperando que regresen los mensajeros del jefe," Kiana replied. It then dawned on Thomas where he'd heard the other jaguar before: she'd met them when they were bathing in the river. What was her name… Nieja!

“Oye, qué demonios está haciendo el Roja en una cacería?" The second voice was also familiar, and Thomas took it as a bad omen for the events to come. As one of the jaguars turned to face him with a scowl, he recognized it as Alejo, and the moment their eyes met, he knew something bad was going to happen. “Hey, Roja, this hunt not for perras!"

A few sniggers arose from the assembled jaguars, but Nieja didn't seem impressed. “Muestra un poco de respeto, Alejo," she retorted, “Al menos tiene el valor de ofrecerse como voluntario para esta cacería… Tuve que arrastrar tu flojo trasero pateando y gritando las últimas cacerías." A new wave of chuckles rose from the hunters, and Alejo's bullying demeanor melted into an impotent rage.

Kiana leaned in beside Thomas and whispered, “He's a terrible shot, too… couldn't hit a tree ten paces in front of him." Thankfully, no one threw any more insults as the assembled party waited, although Thomas was starting to wonder what they were waiting for after almost five minutes.

Suddenly, a panicked-looking jaguar came sprinting into view, nearly barreling into Thomas as he skidded into view. “Lo siento, Nieja," he panted while straightening his quiver, “Solo estaba-"

“Al menos estás aquí, Dejito," Nieja said with an absolving gesture. Then, she turned to the rest of the group, and began with a formal-sounding speech. “Esta es solo otra cacería estándar, sin reglas especiales, sin rituales antiguos, solo tú y tu arco contra la jungla. Quiero que todos vuelvan aquí con al menos cinco asesinatos, cuanto más mejor. Mírense las espaldas y asegúrese de permanecer dentro de las tierras Unidas. Estamos claros?"

“Si, señora," the group replied in unison. Even Thomas chimed in, although he had no clue what was being said; Kiana's firm grip on his hand reassured him that she'd help him along. Then, Nieja led the hunting party down to the forest floor, where most of the group split off. Kiana remained behind with Thomas, turning to look him in the eye. “For this hunt, you have to kill five creatures," she explained, “The bigger, the better. You deliver them to Nieja here, either one at a time or all at once. There is no prize for fastest, so go slow and be careful."

“Vamos, tontos, no tenemos todo el día." Nieja was standing with her arms crossed, a scolding grin on her face.

“Nos vemos tarde, mi corazon" Thomas whispered back, after which the two of them set off into the jungle down separate paths. The young human felt a tad bewildered, being out on his own, but Kiana had taught him enough to where he thought he had a decent chance. As he gingerly stepped over a well-hidden tripwire, the young human silently thanked the jaguar for her lessons on trapmaking, hoping that whatever gods ruled the wild jungle would spare him from their wrath.

About an hour into the hunt, Thomas made his third kill: a flat-snouted raccoon-like animal that he shot clean through the neck with an arrow. It was probably luck, he told himself, but that didn't make it any less edible. He tied the creature to his belt with a bit of woven-vine twine right next to his other two modest kills, not minding the small amount of blood leaking onto his pants. The first victim, a small bird, had been much like his third, shot from a distance with his new bow; the second, a somewhat portly possum, had been lynched by one of the boy's primitive traps. With his boon secured, Thomas started off on the trail of his next prey, which led toward a faint sound of rushing water.

Throughout his hunt, the private had felt fairly alone, mostly because the other hunters were far better sneaks than he. Occasionally he'd see a crushed leaf or scratched tree that indicated where they had passed, but he never them or their kills in person. Even Kiana seemed to have given him a wide berth, and the only company was the ever-present sounds of the jungle.

As the trail wound on, the sound of water got closer and closer, until, at last, Thomas began to see the bank of a river through the underbrush. It wasn't all that wide, maybe fifteen feet across, and the exposed cliff of a bank stretched barely a foot from the treeline. His quarry's tracks turned left to follow the river's flow, but just as he poked his head out, something shoved him from behind. The human went toppling over the riverbank's edge, splashing into ankle-deep water face first; the surprise blow managed to knock his bow out of his hand, and the arrows in his quiver spilled out as he landed face-first. He flipped onto his back just in time to see a cruelly-smiling Alejo staring down at him, and he was just about to come after the jaguar when something bit down hard into his shoulder.

Whatever it was, it had sharp teeth that dug into his flesh, and he barely had time to register a long, thick shape before it started rolling him around like a ball of string. Before he could react, he was wrapped in strong, scaly coils that squeezed hard enough to force the breath from his lungs. One of his arms was pinned against his side, and as his assailant rolled him back into the water, his other was swiftly pinned against the ground. He couldn't breathe, he couldn't see, he couldn't fight as the creature crushed his body. It felt like his bones were about to splinter, crushed by the thing's ridiculously strong grip, and he could already feel the life being squeezed from his body when he rolled far enough to un-pin his free arm. In an instant, his hand went down to the hilt of his knife, and once he pulled it free, he began wildly stabbing at the creature's scales. With each blow, Thomas could feel the steel point poking him through its body, but he only stopped after burying the weapon into his assailant's head.

He couldn't pull the blade free, but he could feel the thing relax just a tad, so he switched his feverish efforts to get free. To the private's surprise, it didn't offer much resistance, and he managed to wriggle free of its coils in a matter of seconds. Its jaws still held on, however, and he had to rip the hooked teeth in a painful spurt of strength. He splashed his way back onto the shore, taking in gasps of precious air, trying desperately to get back to what he thought was safety. As soon as he made it back onto dry earth, Thomas whirled around, only to see that his adversary had perished.

A gigantic, green-and-brown snake lay half-submerged in the water, coiled limply around nothing in particular; its hides were marked with several crimson-dripping wounds, and Thomas's knife was buried to the hilt in the top of its skull. As the adrenaline died down, the young private realized it must've been one of the giant anacondas he'd heard horror stories about.

“Thomas!" Suddenly, a familiar figure hopped down from the edge and pulled him into a tender hug, and he quickly realized it must be Kiana. “Dios mío, conejito, estás herido?"

“I'm fine… fine," Thomas sighed in a state of shock, “That thing attacked me… tried to crush me…"

“Oh diablos, your shoulder!" The jaguar quickly tore something from her belt, pressing it to his skin in an attempt to stop the bleeding. “You're lucky to be alive, conejito, constrictores can kill anyone."

As he took over holding the bandage, Thomas shakily got to his feet, but as he thought back to the moments before the attack, his shock gradually melted into a blazing rage. That bastard pushed him, tried to kill him… and sure enough, the little shit was still standing dumbfounded just inside the treeline. Without a word, Thomas dropped the cloth and hopped up onto the bank, striding toward Alejo with violent intent. “Y-yo lo siento, no quise decir-" he began to stammer but was quickly silenced as the human's fist connected with his jaw. The force of the blow sent Alejo staggering backward, but before he could fall over, Thomas grabbed him by the front of his quiver harness and yanked him close.

“I ought to shoot you, you pigeon-livered whoreson!" he snarled, “But I guess I'll just have to settle for a solid beating." Alejo flinched as he raised his fist again, but before he followed through, he was stopped by a shout behind him.

“Thomas, stop," Kiana called, hopping up from the riverbank. “You don't need a reputation as a púgil."

Keeping ahold of his quarry, Thomas turned to meet Kiana's gaze. “He shoved me into the river, almost got me killed."

“Trust me, what Jefe Kolau will do to him is far worse than a few punches." After a standoff that lasted a fraction of a second, Thomas remembered his manners, letting Alejo drop like a sack of rocks. The jaguar scurried back, then hopped up to his feet and ran off, glancing behind him as he fled with fearful anger in his eyes. When Thomas turned back, he found Kiana right up against him, and he faintly blushed as she kissed him on the lips. “Now, come on, we aren't going to be able to carry that beast ourselves.

All in all, it took five of the tribe's strongest to haul the anaconda out of the water, and all of them were griping about the massive weight. Everyone else, however, was quite impressed with the feat, and as they brought the monster up into the trees, some of the craftsmen looked eager to get their hands on authentic anaconda hide. Chief Kolau gave him a warm greeting, as did the rest of the tribe, and things were looking swell until Thomas had to explain what exactly happened. “Well," he said slightly sheepishly, “I was tracking something by the river when Alejo shoved me into the water. Then that thing grabbed me, I stabbed it a bunch, and next thing I know, I had a dead anaconda on my hands."

At the mention of Alejo, a tide of gasps and murmurs rose among the onlookers, and the human heard quite a few unkind words directed at his rival. “Are you certain?" Kolau asked with a stern face, and when Thomas nodded, he seemed to believe him. “I'll ask Alejo what his side of the story is… in the meantime, you should probably get that wound looked at." After the chief gave him a firm pat on his uninjured shoulder, Mezina's aged face emerged from the crowd, beckoning Thomas out of the spotlight. The human gladly followed along, and his jaguar mate came with; the old shaman led him down a surprisingly un-windy path to what appeared to be Mezina's place of residence, a large woven hut adorned with a litany of charms. The old shaman led Thomas and Kiana inside, where she had the former sit on a hammock-like sling.

“Quítate la camisa," she said, and as she demonstrated the action, Thomas realized she was saying, “Take off your shirt." He quickly complied with a pained grunt, revealing the still bloody wound from where the giant snake had bitten him; Mezina took a second to look it over, then went over to a series of shelves to grab some supplies. “Eres afortunado de estar vivo, Thomas," she said over her shoulder, “Muchos anacondas han matado a muchos otros cazadores, cazadores con mucha más experiencia y fuerza que tú."

“She says you're lucky to be alive," Kiana translated, “And you are… thank the gods you had that knife with you."

“Well, I wouldn't have needed it if that bastard hadn't pushed me," Thomas shot back, “I hope he hangs."

Mezina's face curled into a scowl as she began smearing a greenish paste onto his wound, causing the burning, throbbing pain to die down a bit. “Ay, no seas tan duro," she chided, “La venganza no sirve a nadie más que al segador. Los dios consideraron conveniente preservar tu vida, no los insultes deseando tomar la de otra persona."

“Alejo didn't mean to kill you," Kiana added, “Knowing him, he probably just meant it as showing off."

At first, Thomas thought about offering a heartfelt rebuttal, but he realized they were right. Alejo probably didn't have the balls to actually try and kill him… and, come to think of it, surviving the anaconda attack seemed to have given him quite the reputation. He stayed quiet as Mezina patched up his wound, using a compress of leaves and cobwebs to keep it covered. Once that was done, he thought about putting his shirt back on, but he decided it might be best to stay barechested; after all, it seemed to work for the jaguar men, and he rather liked the way Kiana ogled his trim physique.

With his wound covered, Thomas decided to head back to his hammock and rest, with Kiana right beside him every step of the way. After slipping into the sling, Kiana swiftly curled up on top of him, gently headbutting the underside of his chin before snuggling up against his chest. “You know, I might have to stop calling you conejito," she purred, “You're getting to be quite the hunter."

Thomas smiled, raising a hand to pet her soft, furry flank. “You can call me whatever you like, mi corazon," he replied, “It won't make me stop loving you."

The two of them just relaxed for a moment, shrouded in a quiet that was only broken by a coughing fit from one of the infirm jaguars. Thomas loved these quiet moments with his beloved, with his bare skin right up against her soft fur… granted, it'd be even better if they weren't wearing clothes at all, but he had enough decency to avoid rutting in public. After a minute, however, Kiana began to stir, and she shifted to look Thomas right in the eye. “Are you nervous at all about the gathering?" she asked.

“A little," Thomas answered honestly. “It sounds like a pretty big deal, having all the chieftains come together."

“Well, don't be. You'll have Kolau vouching for you, and I'll be there too… just be yourself, I know they'll take a liking to you."

The private thought a moment before asking a question of his own. “What tribes are there, again? I know there's the Furias, the ones that hate humans…"

“There's the Estreyas, the Hojas, the Ríos, the Montes… y nosotros, the Unidas. I don't know all that much about the other tribes, so don't ask me for a history lesson."

“Speaking of tribes, would you mind if we worked on my speaking skills some?"

“Por supuesto, conejito." Thomas spent the rest of the day learning more and more about the jaguar's language, helped along by Kiana's expert teaching. With her by his side, Thomas felt like he could do anything… and he felt more than ready for el encuentro de los jefes.