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It was nightfall snowing hard, as it had been doing for hours now. Dezan fastened down the leather tarp that covered their makeshift tent, cheeks stinging from the biting cold, hammering down the last wooden spike as the wind howled around him, slicing through his thick grey wool jacket and cutting deep into his bones.

They'd been forced to take shelter in a narrow canyon atop some frigid mountain-top in the middle of the vast, unexplored wilderness, their meager camp hastily assembled in the span of a few short hours, and even then it had been cutting it close. The storm was one of the worst he'd ever seen; a ferocious northern blizzard that swept through the mountains, but a large bonfire blazed comfortingly beside him, orange flames licking into the night sky and keeping the worst of the cold out.

Finishing up, he trudged through the waist-high drifts, squinting through the horrendous gale and stumbling back inside the snow-covered tent. The wind screamed around the flap before he managed to zip it shut.

“Tarp's secure." He said, more to himself than anything. He tossed his thick fur-trimmed gloves aside and shook the snowflakes from his tousled blonde hair, blinking his deep blue eyes clear of frost. “Hopefully it doesn't blow away again."

A large, tawny female gryphoness rested in the corner. His partner. An older castle-born hen named Shazera. They'd been scouting the Northern tundra for new trade routes together for months now, and were finally heading home after a long expedition. One of her large red eyes flicked open, studying him carefully as he settled down in his own dim corner of the tent. The moth-lantern flickered overhead. He had no idea how it was still alive.

“You're working too hard." she said in a smooth, mellow tone. Gryphon's had a strange, vibrating, melodic quality to their voice. Deep and rhythmic. He thought he saw her whiskers twitch with amusement.

“Easy for you to s-say." he replied with a grim smirk, teeth chattering from the cold. “You're not t-the one who will freeze to d-death if we don't keep the camp in one p-p-p-piece."

She gave a motherly sort of "Tsk tsk." clicking her beak disparagingly. “That is untrue. There are many other ways you could keep warm, human. The tent keeps us dry, nothing more."

He settled down and rolled over in his sleeping bag, arguing with a one-hundred year old gryphoness in the middle of a blizzard was a great way to pass the time. “Oh yeah? C-care to explain? I'd sure like to k-k-know, seeing as I'm the one doing all the hard-work around here, s-s-Shae."

The other red eye flicked open, intrigued now. Her massive heart-shaped head lifted off her paws. He knew if it came down to a wrestling match Shazera could best him easily. Gryphon's were competitive by nature, and when words failed, might prevailed, as she'd shown him numerous times before.

“We could keep each other warm, you know."

He glanced at her in surprise. She said it so casually, as if it were a natural everyday occurrence. “W-warm?" His breath steamed around him. It sounded impossible under current circumstances. A distant, long-forgotten memory. Any colder and they'd be freezing to death. “H-how d'you f-figure that in the middle of a b-blizzard?"

“It's not only fire that will keep you warm." she implied, red eyes sparkling like twin burning rubies. She ruffled her feathers invitingly. “You could curl up beneath my wing and sleep if you wish. We could share our heat. It is not such a complicated affair, no?"

“Complicated?" He thought about it for a moment. Shazera did look awfully warm. For an older hen, her cream-coloured feathers were thick and wonderfully soft, especially around her bosom, where they blossomed in a luxurious heart-shaped mane that flowed around her collar, accentuating her shapely curves and deep-hooded eyes. She batted her long eye-lashes at him and he found himself blushing, his cock swelling beneath his pants at the strangely exotic sight of her lounging before him. He shifted and tried to ignore it. Shazera smiled with her eyes. Had she noticed? No. Of course not. It had been a subtle thing.

“T-thanks, but I'll m-manage." he mumbled awkwardly, waving her off and pulling his blankets up over his shoulders. He rolled over into his own frigid corner of the tent, sullen and cold.

She chuckled softly. “There's no need to be embarrassed, Dezan. There's no shame in it. When the circumstances arise, one must do what is necessary to survive, is that not so?"

“I'm … I'm not embarrassed." he snapped back indignantly. “-And the circumstances are simply not yet dire enough, that's all." he offered more politely this time. “I'm sure you're very warm for a ... er ... a gryphoness."

She smiled at this. “I'll admit, I'm no longer the younger, spirited hen I used to be back in the day. Perchance I remind you of your mother? I'm still a young dove at heart, sweet child. You wound me so."

He blushed even harder. “That … that has n-nothing to do with it. And you're a ... lovely hen." he somehow managed to fumble out. Recoiling internally at how stupid he sounded. The compliment came out forced and wrong despite the honesty of it. He was never good at this sort of thing.

She ruffled her feathers in minor annoyance and turned away. “Suit yourself." she said with a shrug. “It was merely a suggestion."

He lay there for a few minutes, feeling like an idiot. Outside, the fire guttered out, and he used the opportunity to extricate himself from his pile of sleeping furs and have it re-lit. When he stumbled back inside the tent he was freezing and covered in wet snow, his wool jacket soaked through. Shazera was busy preening herself. She looked up and shook her head at the depressing sight of him.

“Look at you, all bundled up. If you keep tending to those flames you'll be up all night. You'll sleep much better under my wing child, you'll see."

He threw his gloves down, flexing his stiff, frozen fingers. “You're very persistent, Shazera, but I'm not your child. I'll sleep fine on my own. Don't you worry."

Her beak curled up in amusement. “Well, I'm here if you ever change your mind. All you have to do is ask."

“I'll keep that in mind." he grumbled.

And he did. As he lay there in the cramped, frigid tent, he found his mind wandering to all sorts of strange, unfamiliar places. He thought of Shazera beside him, preening, those warm feathers, long wings, those wide egg-laying hips. How many eggs had she laid in her life, he wondered? She'd been a renowned beauty in her youth, famous even, a prized mount, and still was in an attractive, motherly sort of way. He tried to imagine her squeezing out those large oblong orbs and found himself strangely aroused at the thought. Gryphon eggs were big, and If the rumors were true, she'd been quite productive back in her day, a fecund egg-layer, admirable qualities, for all intents and purposes. The ability to raise healthy chicks was well-sought after by the fiefdoms of the realm, and yet she'd never taken a life-mate, nor a companion in her later years. Now, he found himself partnered alongside her through mysterious circumstances. A lucky draw. He'd never pried deeper into it, a stroke of good luck, perhaps, or a curse, as circumstances would have it. He still couldn't decide which.

He shivered, thinking about all those lovely feathers and thick warm fur. Must be nice, he wondered jealously. Shazera ran hot. Even in the tent, separated by a good few feet he could feel the stifling heat washing off her long, furred, fluffy body. A Boreal gryphon, her thick hardy pelt protected her from the cold. She hardly felt it, if she was to believed, and he believed her. As long as they'd known each other, Shazera was not one to complain. Calm, cool, and collected. It was rumored she'd even seen battle in the Distant Lands almost fifty years ago. Those battles had been hard-fought and brutal, a long and vicious campaign against a rebellious tyrant-king in the stifling deserts of Shan-Kar. Looking at Shazera's serene complexion, you'd hardly know it, save for the thin scar above her left eye, a trophy earned from some battle in ages long past. Veteran status would explain her subtle humor and robust constitution, although perhaps a life of raising chicks was the hardest battle of all.

He cursed when the fire went out a second time, and it took him thirty minutes before he could get it going again. When he stumbled back inside the tent, shivering and covered in frost, Shazera was waiting for him, sprawled out invitingly on her bed of soft furs. The moth-lantern hanging from the roof flickered above her head, casting long, sensuous shadows across her body.

“Your ears. You have frostbite." she said simply.

“H-h-how can you tell?" he chattered, cupping them with his frozen fingers. They felt like they had frostbite too.

“They are white with cold. Come here unless you want me to bite them off in the morning."

He glared at her suspiciously. That beak of her's was razor sharp.

“A jest. Come here so I may at least warm you up." she said.

He stared at her, then at his pile of wet, frozen blankets. They were stiff with cold too. The very definition of misery.

“F-fine. We can sleep together." he muttered after a moment of silence. “B-but just this once, okay? I don't want any rumors saying I was coddled by a motherly g-g-gryphoness during the month's first snowfall. That's the last thing I need on my r-r-report."

Shazera's ruby eyes flashed mischievously. “And where would there be shame in that? I'll say you kept the fires lit all night, and collapsed from exhaustion into my waiting wings. You'll be rewarded for your bravery, young soldier. You'll see."

He smiled. “Doubtful. Best if we just kept this between ourselves."

She opened her majestic wings. “Don't fret, child. Your secret is safe with me."

Satisfied, he removed his winter clothes until he was dressed in naught but his cotton undergarments and snuggled up beside her. He could trust Shazera to keep a secret. This he knew, at the very least.

“Move over." he complained. “You're hogging up all the furs." She dwarfed him in size, and he didn't expect the stubborn hen to listen. She usually didn't.

Surprisingly, the old war-bird did as she was bid, shuffling to the side and making room for him. The ground beneath her body was immensely hot, and he felt warmth returning to his frozen extremities almost instantly.

“There, how's that?" she cooed softly.

“Hmm. I feel better already."

“Excellent."

She draped a wing across his shoulder and pulled him in close, enveloping him in her dense mane of soft, warm feathers. At first he froze, awkward and unsure, but soon relaxed and sunk into her plumage with a sigh of bliss. Shazera positively vibrated with pleasure, radiating heat, and he was warmed up within the span of a few short minutes. She smelled faintly like pine-needles. It was a comforting smell. Familiar.

“Nice and warm now, yes?"

He gave a sleepy yawn. “Hmm. Yes," he murmured. “Warm. I think I'm just going to close my eyes for a minute and ... and ..."

By the time he did, he was already asleep, lost in a sea of warmth and plumage …

***

He woke up in the morning with a lazy yawn.

Shazera was all around him, still holding him close. He rolled over and realized he was hard as a rock. His blood turned cold despite the stifling heat of her embrace. She lifted a wing and gazed down at him, eyes twinkling.

“Slept well?"

He stretched his neck to the side, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. “I think so. What time is it?" he asked, trying to act nonchalant despite his raging stiffness.

“Late afternoon."

He sat up in alarm. “Late afternoon?" They were supposed to be packed up already! “We'll never make it out of here by nightfall!" he complained. He didn't relish another moment on this frozen tundra. They had enough supplies to last for a few more days, but a warm bed was waiting for him in the city not two day's flight from here.

“Relax." she purred. “The camp is buried. I managed to dig us out while you were napping. I even caught and skinned a fresh rabbit if you're in the mood to cook." She gave him a cunning look that left little to the imagination. “Besides, something kept poking me in the middle of the night. I didn't get much sleep anyways."

He turned red as a beet.

“The cold, perhaps." she said, offering him a reprieve. “It tends to make things quite rigid, I've heard."

“Yeah, maybe it was my foot or something."

“A perfectly rational explanation given our current circumstances."

He cleared his throat, eager to change the subject. “Anyways, now that the worst is over, what say you to some breakfast?"

“I'd be delighted."

His stomach grumbled in agreement. Thankfully, he managed to get dressed without any further issues.

After dining on roast rabbit and warm coffee inside their cramped quarters, a rather simple, but tasty meal, he crawled from the tent to survey the damage. The mountain air was crisp and overcast, grey clouds hanging low in the blue sky overhead. Shazera wasn't kidding. The camp was a mess, the fire was out, and half their equipment was strewn across the narrow chasm.

It took most of the day to clear it out, and when he was done, he re-built their camp, took stock of their inventory, checked the hunting snares … and found nothing. He walked back towards the tent sulking just as the snow began to fall, kicking a twig along the way and thinking about the events of the previous night. If he were being honest, he'd never felt more refreshed. Shazera had spent most of the day hunting and gathering hardwood for the fire, and they now had a gigantic pile stacked against the cliffside along with plenty of kindling. There was more than enough to get them through the night, and into the next week if they even so desired. He frowned. Something was amiss …

He unzipped the tent-flap and ducked inside. “Hey Shazera, Why did you-“

He paused in his tracks. The large gryphoness was inside as he'd found her yesterday, although this time her leg was up and she was tending to herself as a common house-cat would, crouched over and licking her dampened fur. He blushed. He knew she was only cleaning herself as felines usually did, but he could recognize that scent a mile away, heady and arousing. It filled the tent with her distinct feminine musk. She looked up when he entered, eyes wide.

“Oh, Dezan! I didn't hear you coming." The leg lowered and she ruffled her feathers apologetically, flustered by his appearance. “Welcome back."

He shrugged indifferently, but only to conceal his intrigue. He found his eyes trailing down her long, lithe, flexible body, lingering on those wide egg-laying hips. Her tail swished provocatively and he gulped, feeling his trousers stir from the arousing sight of her sprawled out before him. She was in heat, that much was certain. He'd seen the signs before. Normally when the big hen went into estrus she left without saying a word. Whether she did so to tend to herself privately, or find some big male griff to pin her down and breed a clutch in her, he had little idea. He tried not to dwell on such affairs for long.

“Is something amiss?" she inquired innocently enough, studying him with those beautiful twin red eyes. He could tell she'd been busy tending to herself right before he entered, but he dare not bring it up.

“No, nothing." he said. “Just finishing up outside. It's snowing. Probably going to drop below freezing again tonight."

Shazera studied him carefully, then began delicately preening herself. “Mmhmm." she agreed, tugging each individual shaft clean. He watched at the way her feathers seemed to part beneath her beak. There was something almost hypnotizing about it. “Are you going to light another terrific fire?" She asked after a moment of silence. “Or … will you be sleeping with me again?"

She asked the question so casually it seemed unimposing at first, but when she turned those liquid red eyes on him, her intent was clear as day.

He gulped. She wanted him.

“Oh, uh, I already lit one." he said, scratching the back of his head and pretending not to notice. “A really big one. Should keep us nice and toasty tonight. You brought more than enough firewood already, thanks for that."

The hen laughed, a pleasant churring sound. “Oh Dezan, you don't have to play coy with me."

He turned and found himself blushing again, cock pressing against the inside of his trousers. “W-what do you mean?"

She extended her long wings, appearing almost angelic for a moment. “I'm in heat, that much is plain to see. It came on quite suddenly this morning. If you don't want me here, just say so. No sense being shy about it."

“I'm not shy!" he protested. Maybe she didn't really desire him and was just being polite, or was testing him. Shazera loved testing him. Now he felt stupid. “I don't care if you're in heat. Makes no difference to me."

Her feathers wilted. “You don't care?"

He held his hands up placatingly. “No, that's … not what I meant."

“Well, what did you mean?"

He glowered at her. “Shazera, don't play these games with me. I'm not in the mood."

A wicked smirk spread across her beak. “You learn fast, human. Well, if you don't care, I'm sure you'll have no issue sleeping with me again, yes? If anything, you'll be even warmer than you were the night before. You humans don't call it 'heat' for nothing, do you?"

He was being walked into a trap, this much he knew. Gryphons had a notorious reputation for this sort of thing, although he never imagined being on the receiving end of such advances, especially from an older hen like Shazera. Was she being serious? It was hard to tell sometimes. He scratched the back of his head again. “Er - I suppose not. But wouldn't you like some privacy instead? I'm sure there's some wild male gryphons soaring somewhere around here. I'm sure they'd love to help you out."

She seemed highly annoyed by this. Her eyes narrowed to slits. “Do you think I just go and lift my tail for any wild gryphon who appears before me?"

His eyes widened. Uh-oh. He was on rotten ice now. “No, that's not what I mea-“

“Do you think I want to be in heat?" she asked. “That I find it easy, or enjoyable?"

“Shazera I-“

Her feathers flared out and she suddenly tripled in size. “You don't know anything Dezan!" She shrieked, snapping her beak at him. He took the hint and dashed from the tent just as she lunged, her momentum sending him careening face-first into the snow outside.

“Damn." was all he said, spitting out snow. She was right. He really was clueless sometimes.

After pacing back-and-forth for a few minutes and pleading with her to let him back in, only to be greeted with sullen silence, he took the hint and wandered over to the roaring bonfire. The wood cracked and split, smoke drifting into the night. It was rapidly dropping in temperature outside, and he knew he'd have to wander back eventually once she simmered down a bit. He brewed up some hot cocoa and gnawed on some sausages in the meantime, mulling things over. He'd never known Shazera to lose her temper like that. She'd always been playful and easy-going, a trusty companion, and an intimidating force on the unforgiving roads, but then again, he'd never been stuck inside a tent with her when she was in heat neither. What on earth was he supposed to do now?

Thirty minutes went by before he plucked up the courage to finally go back inside the tent. Shazera was thankfully asleep by then, head resting majestically on her crossed paws, calm, and snoring peacefully. He stripped to his undergarments and curled up next to her, shivering with cold. She rustled in her sleep and extended a wing. He used it like a nice warm blanket and fell into another odd, dreamless slumber …

Hours passed by before he woke up with a gasp.

The first thing he noticed was how hot it was. There was condensation inside the tent, and his entire body was covered in sweat. The moth-light shone dimly in its glass enclosure above, fluttering about crazily. A bead of moisture trickled lazily down the outside of one of the foggy yellow panes.

“Shazera?" he groaned, blinking as his eyes adjusted to the dim gloom. “What time is it?" He could hear her panting beside him, but something was wrong, it sounded like she was hurt. He could smell her too, he realized. The overpowering scent of gryphoness in heat, a hot and heady musk. It hung thick in the air and made him dizzy, much stronger now. He rolled over, distinctly aware of how hard he was.

She was just sitting there, one leg up with her face buried in her crotch, licking non-stop. He stared at her in shock, his cock twitching between his legs. Her feathery nether-lips were pink, puffy and swollen with need, covered in moisture as her tongue ran between her delicate silken folds. She noticed him staring and looked up.

“Oh Dez." she moaned softly, her eyes were cloudy and heavy-lidded with lust. “I'm so hot. Please. Don't look at me. I'm … I'm not myself. I can't stop."

He went to her side instinctively, her entire body reacting and pushing up against him. She flopped helplessly into his waiting arms, like some feathery, overgrown princess.

He groaned with strain, cradling her gigantic head in his lap. “Gods above Shazera." he said, placing a hand on her damp brow. “You're burning up. It's like you have a fever or something."

“It's the heat." she panted with need, her chest rising and falling swiftly. “I've never felt so hot. Please Dez … you … you have to do something."

“Do something?" He had no idea where to even start. He blushed. Well, he had some idea, but surely there must be something else he could do to help his mount in need. He snapped his fingers. “I know! I'll fetch the medicine bag. Maybe there's a ... I dunno ... an ointment or something that will help. Let me just go-“

Her claws wrapped so tight around his arm he thought she'd yank it off. “No!" she pleaded desperately, her eyes wild with fear. He'd never seen her so panicked before and it unnerved him. “Please! Don't leave me." She said a bit quieter this time. “I ... I need you ... want you. Only you can help me Dez. Just please don't leave the tent, I beg you. Stay here with me."

“Okay okay, I'll stay." he conceded, patting her paw comfortingly. As soon the words left his mouth she rubbed up against him, her beak nuzzling into his side almost painfully hard. Her claws relaxed, but she refused to let him go. She barely had control of herself, he realized.

“-But I don't know what to do." he mumbled helplessly. Nobody explained what happened when your mount went into heat during training! It was something that nature - or another gryphon - was supposed to take care of. Not him!

She whimpered and closed her eyes. Her legs spread apart and she ran a paw between those hot, heavy thighs, moaning and going tense. “Ooh. It hurts." she whimpered. “It hurts so bad. Why now? Why here? Oh Dez, I'm so sorry. You shouldn't have to see me like this. It's unbecoming. You were right. I ... I should've left."

He held her paw and shook his head. “N-no, it's okay. Don't worry about it. It's not your fault."

He was at a loss for words. He'd never seen Shazera so helpless before. She must be in a lot of pain. He thought about going outside and getting some snow to cool her down, but those claws were latched firmly on his upper arm, holding tight. He settled for stroking her head-crest and was relieved when they relaxed somewhat. Her eyes fluttered. She usually liked that.

“Oh yes ... yes ... that's it ... that's it ..." gryphoness exhaled and closed her eyes, purring happily as he gently caressed her forehead... then suddenly she doubled over and squawked. He'd never heard that sound before. Her eyes snapped open, wide in shock.

He jerked back. “What is it this time?"

Shazera was writhing in his lap, panting and moaning, her nethers inflamed and soaking wet. He could see the wetness from here, a swamp of hot dripping feathers, and all he could smell was the scent of her around him. It was impossible to ignore. She was unbearably tense.

'Maybe she's going into convulsions,' he wondered idly. He'd never seen anything like this in his life.

“Shazera, what should I do?" he asked helplessly, holding her in his arms and cradling her huge owlish head, her body wouldn't stop moving against him.

She whimpered. Her pupils bloomed, and all the while she was rubbing and pushing up against him, fanning that intoxicating scent all around their cramped enclosure with that swishing tail of her's. He could feel his cock aching and stiff as ever. It certainly knew what to do. He found his gaze trailing down her long, lithe body before he caught himself. He counted six tiny pink nipples, and each of them was stiff and hard with arousal. He gulped, his throat apple bobbing up and down. Surely it couldn't hurt to help her find relief? Right? A good rider was willing to do anything for his mount. That was the first thing they taught in the academy: Always help your mount.

They locked eyes for a moment, her wild red ones meeting his deep blue. “Please Dez." she whimpered, regaining some composure. “Will you … help me?"

He knew what she was asking and what it meant for their relationship. How it would change everything … He stared at her long and hard for a moment, then nodded once.

That settled it. Shazera practically swooned, purring and snuggling up against him, immensely pleased with his simple answer. He had to chuckle, stroking her furry cheek-ruffs.

“This is why you've been acting so strange lately, isn't it Shazera?"

She nodded. “Oh yes. I thought I could ignore it … but … I want you Dez …. I tried to hide it for so long ... please … do whatever you want ... I'm ... I'm all yours."

He cocked an eyebrow, strangely turned-on by this surprising revelation. Normally Shazera was the one he deferred to in their relationship, the perks of being an intimidating century-old alpha-gryphoness thrice his size and bred for combat. He may be the rider, but she the one in full-control, as she'd reminded him on numerous occasions, dumping him unceremoniously into lakes and streams during their long flights together. To hear her say something like this was quite unexpected.

“Um, sure. But I don't know where to start." he admitted. “What should I do first?"

“Just do something. Anything!" she pleaded. “I ... I can't take this cursed heat any longer." As soon as the words left her beak she doubled over in contractions again, clamping her muscular thighs together and whimpering in pain.

Dezan took a deep breath. “Okay." Where to start? Shazera was a fully mature gryphoness who'd likely had countless partners in her long life. He didn't know much about gryphon mating rituals, save that they were rough and usually violent if they didn't involve a mated pair. Judging by Shazera's size, she'd likely sent plenty of males packing with their tails between their legs. How was he ever supposed to measure up to her standards?

Still, he had to do something. She was practically begging at this point. He'd slept with a few girls back in the village, but they'd never acted like this ... more casual, awkward flings than anything else. Shazera's lust was on a whole different level.

He ran a hand through her chest fur, feeling her beating heart. She moaned. It fluttered rapidly at his touch, thumping powerfully beneath her ribs. Gods above she was running hot. Her heat was something else entirely. Shazera crooned as his hand traveled lower and lower, trailing down her breast, her belly, and then her sleek abdomen plumage. Her underbelly was so soft. The finest feathers he'd ever felt. His cock throbbed between his legs, but she was so lost in her heat she hardly noticed, rubbing and grinding all over him.

His hand stopped above her womb, hesitating. He knew this was where the fire was. Shazera went tense the moment he found it, groaning with need. His hand traveled lower, and now the fire just became so hot the poor gryphoness couldn't stand it, twisting and writhing and repeating his name:

“Dez, oh Dez. Don't stop. Please don't stop."

“You … you okay Shae?"

“Yes." she moaned. “It feels so good."

“Sensitive huh." he said, thinking out-loud. He licked his lips, mesmerized at the way her abdomen moved against him, the way her body seemed to ripple at his touch. Shazera groaned, her breath coming in shallow pants as his fingers traveled in nonstop circles around her damp pubic-mound, before sinking lower and sliding deep between her legs.

She was wet. Very wet. Shazera closed her eyes and cried out.

It wasn't loud, but loud enough in a cramped tent. His fingers came away slick and drenched in heat. She was soaking wet, and his cock throbbed harder than ever. He knew it was only her instincts making her feel this way, but to his manhood that didn't matter. For all intents and purposes she wanted him, and he wanted her. That was all there was to it.

“Dez, stop … teasing ... It's - it's so hot."

“Shhh." he hushed comfortingly. “It's okay. I'm here." She seemed to like that. He placed his palm on her tender womb and smiled at the way she pushed up against it, quieting instantly. Gods above she was aroused. He had complete control. At this very moment, she wanted him more than anything in the entire world. It would be cruel to deny her.

His hand slid back between her muscular thighs, marveling at just how hot and slick the big gryphoness was. This time her legs clamped together and trapped his hand, the gryphoness groaning and shuddering non-stop.

“You're wet." he told her poignantly.

He could've sworn she blushed, squirming and turning away from his gaze. “Oh, I know ... I'm so bad Dez ... I can't believe this is happening to me. I'm a terrible mount, aren't I?"

“No. You're a great mount." He chuckled, rubbing the area between her feathery thighs, turning inwards and cupping her pubic mound. This had the desired effect. He pressed up against it with his index finger and slipped inside. She practically yowled, her pussy-lips surging with heat and drenching his finger-tips. The entrance to her cunt was like a blast furnace, hot and steamy.

“Gods be good." he said, withdrawing and wiping her juices off in her fur. “I'll need a better angle." He disentangled her claws and scooted over, trailing down the length of her body. The gryphoness sat upright and followed him intently, crest flared in alert.

“Do what you will." she said, satisfied he wasn't using the opportunity to escape and flopping back down. Her tail lifted up instinctively as he got close to her hind-parts, and he was presented with a rather lovely view of her ample womanhood and tight pink tailhole. Shazera's dew-covered lips were about twice the size of any human female's, swollen with heat, but everything else looked more or less the same, her smooth skin a deep-shade of dark purple. The entire area was a tangled mess of steamy, sweaty feathers, and even now he could see her body heaving with need, the slow but constant trickle of lubrication flowing from that tight, forbidden little entrance. It was an exotic sight. And the scent of her filled his head with arousing thoughts.

“Shazera, you sure about this?" he asked. A shaky nod was her only response.

That settled it. He took a deep breath and set to work, placing his finger back over her pubic-mound and pushing inside. The gryphon started panting as he slipped between those heated folds, her body spreading open eagerly for him. He pushed one finger into her tight cunt, wiggling about to loosen her up, then two, then three, and soon, he had half-a-hand sliding inside her. She was so tight he could hardly fit more, constricting almost painfully hard around his digits, but somehow welcoming them deeper-and-deeper at the same time.

“There. How does that feel?" He asked gently. Judging by her lolling tongue glazed look of pleasure, it felt heavenly.

“Ohh Dezzzz." she warbled softly. All her feathers were fluffed up. “You have no idea."

He didn't, and even decided to do a little more. Using his free hand, he rubbed her swollen mons, tickling those tender lips and watching them swell with blood. Her clitoral hood pulled back to reveal her tender little button. He smirked to himself. She was really turned on. He slid the other hand back into those slippery depths, blowing softly to cool those fiery petals. The gryphoness flared her wings out and shivered at the sensation, juices flowing as she lay there panting and moaning, pushing up desperately against the palm of his hand, shuddering non-stop.

He started masturbating his horny mount, sitting on his knees as he held her down with one hand and fingered her hot cunt. Soon, she rolled onto her back and spread her legs open in a daze for him, offering herself completely to him. He squeezed her clit and ran it between thumb and fore-finger, still stiff as a rod. Shazera could barely contain herself, shrieking with pleasure and thrashing about, her abdominal muscles contracting hungrily around his thrusting digits, no doubt a pale imitation of the real thing, but an imitation nonetheless. Her cunt was a mess of damp feathers. Shazera had a lot of stamina for an older hen, and he soon found himself sweating profusely as he pleasured her, arm muscles burning with strain.

“Dez. Oh Dez. Oooh Dez." was all she could say, lying down and twisting-to-and-fro, eyes closed and panting non-stop.

He went faster, rubbing her engorged cunt-lips until the big gryphoness was bucking into his hands and dripping everywhere. Her inner-thighs were sticky with dew, but he kept fingering her until all he could hear were the wet sounds of her pleasure, until her back arched and she let loose an ear-piercing shriek, her hot cunt spasming around his twisting finger-tips, nearly crushing them.

She squirted everywhere, going into full, rhythmic contractions. He stuck his fingers deep inside, feeling her body's pulsations, her heat. Her eyes rolled up as she went tense, then limp, then just twitched every so often. He felt it all inside her. This continued for a few minutes as the gryphoness unwound around his thrusting digits, hardly able to draw a breath. He gave her pubic-mound a couple good pats to make sure she was okay before pulling out. His fingers were slick with dew.

“There, how was that?" he asked when she was done. Her chest rose and fell for a minute, her eyes focused, and then she cast him the laziest of grins.

“Oh Dez … that was … that was … amazing."

“I bet." he said with a chuckle. “Seems like you enjoyed it."

Shazera rolled around on her back a few times like a satisfied cat, tail waving everywhere. The tent smelled of musk, sex and woodsmoke but it was a good smell. He cracked the tent-flap to cool off a bit.

“Damn, it's steamy. Look at the mist escape." His manhood was still standing at attention, but the breeze felt nice on his backside at least. Cool and refreshing. He turned around when she didn't answer. “Shae?"

He found her sitting up and staring at him with those big, orb-like eyes. unblinkingly, or rather, through him. He couldn't tell which sometimes. He waved to get her attention.

“Shae? Hello?"

Her ears flicked. She tracked the movement of his hand, then those red eyes fell back on him once more. Her pupils were disturbingly large.

“Shae?"

The tent suddenly exploded in feathers, and then he found himself on his back, paws on his chest pinning him down.

“Shazera?" he said, spitting out feathers. “What the hell are you doing?!"

She pawed at him, then sniffed him. He couldn't believe it. She never sniffed him anymore! Only when they first met. He sniffed her right back just to be annoying, then next thing he knew a heavy paw was on his face pinning him down. His muffled protests were silenced when she crouched down and started nuzzling him with her cheek-ruffs, rubbing her scent all over him, then she went lower and chuffed with approval -or amusement- at the sight of his erection. She gave his manhood a curious sniff and recoiled back, apparently satisfied. She let him up.

He rolled onto his side and tousled his messy blonde hair, feeling slightly violated. “Mind explaining what that was for?"

“Sorry, just gryphon things." she explained in a haughty, matter-of-fact way. “You smell good for a human." Her eyes turned to narrow slits and she smiled. He hated when they were slits.

“Well, warn me next time you do something like that, okay?"

She didn't answer, and instead started prowling around him, shoulders slouched like a panther. She didn't look like herself, he thought, all scruffy and feral, and her nethers were still soaking wet …

“Shae, are you okay?"

“Never better." she purred in a sultry tone. “You never told me you were so talented, human. What else have you been hiding from me?" she sauntered up close and stared at him with those big red eyes, inspecting him. He could see his reflection in her dark pupils. She didn't blink. Not even once. He stared at her until his eyes watered and he was forced to look away. Now the paw was on his chest again, pushing him onto his back.

“Shae … wha- what are you doing?"

She positioned herself over-top his raging erection, her damp, feathery, feminine folds dripping with heat and her hawkish gaze filled with lusty intent. Her wings unfurled the span of the tent, blotting out the ceiling. She looked like an angel, or a demon he wondered, something out of dreams or nightmares, then she crouched down and rubbed herself against his unbridled stiffness, moaning softly and shuddering with need. He groaned as well, his cock pushing up and straining hard against her supple mound. She was so hot, sliding in-between her tender folds, and he'd never been harder in his life, his cock throbbing traitorously at the thought of shoving itself beneath her inviting tailfeathers.

“I … I can't control myself." she whispered in his ear. Now it was Shae again. The mount he trusted and loved so dearly. “I'm so hot ... Dezan ... please … I … I need this."

He grabbed her flanks, eyes wide with disbelief. “Shazera, maybe we should just ... I don't know ... w-wait a second here ... wait ... wait ... WAIT!"

She didn't listen, and instead shuffled her hips eagerly sunk down on-top of his erect manhood, fluffing all her feathers up. Her lower-lips spread wide around the first few inches of his shaft. His eyes rolled up as he pushed smoothly inside her wonderfully soft, wet, squeezing depths, a hot tunnel of flesh that hugged his entire length as he slid in deep. The gryphoness sank lower and lower, impaling herself on his stiff member and shuddering non-stop.

He bit his lip and whined. Oh gods above. It felt divine.

“Ohhhh." she growled, her eyes fluttering and her paws kneading his chest. He watched her pupils constrict, then bloom until her eyes were almost pitch black. Her claws pricked his skin. He'd seen that look before. Predator eyes, and trapped beneath her, he felt like her prey.

“That's it." she growled, smiling down at him victoriously. “Nice and slow for the human, yes?"

He grit his teeth, unable to comprehend how tight the big gryphoness was. For an older hen, Shazera had a body that would make a young female jealous, like it was made for him. She sunk down on his cock one-inch-at-a-time, enveloping his length until coming to a rest in his lap with a lewd slap. She shivered, her abdominal muscles contracting as she undulated wetly around his girth.

“Hmmm, that feels wonderful." she crooned. “You're big … for a human."

He blushed at the compliment. After a couple seconds of getting used to the feeling of a full-sized gryphoness sitting in his lap, she leaned down to whisper in his ear. “You have no idea how long I've waited for this, Dez. How much I need it."

She was right, he didn't, but a shaky nod was his only response. He looked down and nearly fainted at the sight of their bodies pressed snug together, hip-to-hip, joined as one. He was fucking a full-sized gryphoness, he realized dully, a broody hen who somehow turned him on more than any female ever could. Shazera followed his gaze and gave another lazy smile at the sight of their bodies pushed snug together, grinding against him and moaning softly with need.

Dez was frozen in place, buried in her thick neck-fluff and unsure what to do. He found himself aimlessly stroking her sides as one might comfort a large horse, gliding through her sleek plumage. He always marveled at how thick and soft it was beneath his finger-tips. Like silk. The avian seemed to like it judging by all the shakes and shivers she gave, pressing tight against him and staring him directly in the eyes. He stared back, getting lost in those endless spiraling depths. They beckoned, oceans of red and black ... and then suddenly he was kissing her. He wasn't sure how it happened, or why, only that he'd initiated it. She responded quick enough, tilting her head and closing her eyes. It was the most spontaneous kiss in his life, and he enjoyed every messy second of it. Shazera did too, judging by the friendly nuzzles she gave him when they were done.

“Oh yes Dezan, you are a sweet thing, aren't you?"

He could smell her arousal. She smelled like a gryphoness in heat, a potent, arousing scent, and her breath was hot in his mouth. She pulled back and doubled-over, groaning as the female rose off his stiff cock. Strings of moisture attached them together. The big hen raised herself half-way up, before lowering back down and pushing his cock inside her body. The shudder she gave, along with the low rumble of pleasure told him all he needed to know; she was enjoying herself immensely.

“Mmmm. No spines." she growled in his ear when they were pressed tight together again. “I've always wondered what it would feel like."

Male gryphons had spines on their cocks, he recalled for some odd reason, or something like that.

She chuckled and lay low against his chest again, batting her eyelashes at him suggestively. “Is this how you humans mate?" she asked, gyrating her hips and squeezing around his girth. His lip curled up and he let loose another groan of pleasure, wrapping his arms around her. It didn't work. She forced herself up, giving him a good long look at the dripping mess that was their bodies conjoined, then slammed back down into his lap. He gasped out-loud.

“Shazera, I ... I ... I'm … maybe we should-“

His words were weak, and she let him know by leaning down and pushing her tongue inside his mouth. She didn't care, he realized. He couldn't believe it. He was being dominated by a gryphonness in heat. His own mount. He pushed up against her with his own tongue, struggling against the powerful organ until the two of them might as well have been licking each other. As predicted, he never won any of these exchanges. The surface of her tongue was coarse and rough, but there was a certain exotic thrill in making-out with a gryphon and he didn't want to stop.

They kissed for a good long while, Shazera hungrily taking his length until they settled into a slow, gentle sort-of rhythm, rocking against one another and nuzzling like life-mates. He picked up the pace as time wore on, wrapping his arms around her hips and listening as Shazera's soft whimpers gradually turned into quiet moans, and then finally frantic pants of pleasure as he thrust into that hot and juicy canal, their bodies slapping rhythmically together.

“Dez … Oh Dez … Oh Dez." she whined. K-keep going! Please d-don't stop!"

Without needing to say more, he grabbed her flanks and hammered into her vagina, biting his lower-lip in intense concentration. Shazera stopped kissing him and simply clung on for dear life, tongue lolling and hips raised to give him easy access to her bouncing hindquarters. His hands roved up and down her steel thighs where they held on tight. This gave him a great angle. He thrust into her with all his strength, his groin a soaking mess of sweat and matted feathers, going so fast the gryphon could only gasp and meet his thrusts with furious arches of her own. She would climax with him, he knew instinctively. It couldn't happen any other way.

“Yes Dezan!" she cried. “Yes! Mate with me! Keep going. Harder! Faster!"

Plunging balls-deep into his partner, she threw her head back in an avian screech of pure ecstasy.

“That's it! Yes …. yes …. YES!"

It was like music to his ringing ears. Her cunt spasmed around his cock. He knew what happened next. Dezan pushed deep into Shazera's hot cunt on his final thrust. Her eyes snapped open, sinking deep inside her trembling body and pulling her into his lap until they were hilted as one. That was when the convulsions started.

His eyes rolled up. He tried to keep from thrusting into that soft wet, warm spot but it was next to impossible. He had to breed her. The gryphoness vibrated on-top of him, heating up to such a degree he'd thought he'd surely melt. Shazera's entire body contracted around his cock in waves, hugging him tight, the pleasure mounting in his loins until he could only screw his eyes shut and join her in release.

He cried out. His penis throbbed inside her, erupting like a volcano and coating her quivering walls in hot ropes of thick, white, steaming cum. This seemed to increase the hen's pleasure ten-fold. Shazera moaned as his essence rushed inside her, squeezing around his girth as it spilled back out around the base of his cock, dripping into his pubic hair before snapping apart. She slammed into his lap until he was sure there'd be a bruise tomorrow, riding him hard, then she collapsed on-top of him with a final gasping shudder and went limp. The tent was suffused with the heavy smell of sex.

“Ooooh Dezzzan." she whimpered happily when they were done. He could barely move.

He massaged her flanks. She seemed to like that and started purring, then she licked him on the nose in thanks.

“You okay, Shae?" he asked. Her temperature was still blazing hot, and then he realized she was snoring softly, juices trickling down the inside of her thighs. He'd fucked the big hen to sleep, he realized suddenly. He grinned. He'd never fucked anyone to sleep before. He lay there for a few minutes basking in the euphoric satisfaction of their post-coital stupor, then gently, but firmly pushed the large hen off him. He slid from her along with a gush of creamy white seed, completely spent.

The large gryphon stirred after a minute or two. “Dez?" she asked, her inner-eyelids flicking clear. “Why did you …" She blinked slowly then smiled. “I could've sworn I had the most wonderful dream …"

“It wasn't a dream Shae." he hushed, rolling the big hen over and burrowing his face between those warm, supple thighs. “It was all very … very real." Her tail hiked up and she whimpered with need as he went down on her, panting and moaning as he licked and kissed every inch of her receptive body. She held him there with her paws. His tongue brought the hen to another earth-shattering climax. Her body contorted, her pussy spasmed, and he tasted just how wet the big gryphon got when she was turned-on.

This time they fell asleep together, wrapped in each-others embrace. The tent smelled of sweet-smelling sex. The moth-light burned faintly. Outside, the weather finally abated … and all was still in the world …

***

He woke up the next morning all alone.

He got dressed in his winter gear and stepped outside. It was mid-day and snowing again, which meant another night in this frozen wasteland he was starting to call home. Shazera usually hunted alone during the day, as was customary when working alongside a human. Sometimes she hunted at night if they had provisions, although the bad weather had forced them to use more than expected over the last few weeks.

He thought about last evening, about her. His body was aching and sore, bruised indeed. It all felt like a dream, but it happened, and he'd never felt better. He'd pleasured his mount to help relieve her of her painful heat, or had he? Perhaps she was flying off to find some gryphon stud to finish the job. The thought made him surprisingly envious. He had feelings for her, he realized suddenly. Maybe they'd always been there, simmering, just waiting for the opportunity to surface.

He spent most of the day keeping busy and trying to clear his mind of gryphon mating rituals, particularly the wild ones, who were known to have a particular fascination with castle-born hens … Shazera had been a great lay, probably the best in his life, and it bothered him greatly to think that perhaps another male was lying across her back rutting away. He knew how gryphons were. Would she come back satisfied and heavy with a clutch of some stranger's eggs? Would she pretend as if nothing happened? Was that all he was? A temporary measure? The thought left him feeling incensed and insecure. He missed his hammer-strike on the tarp and struck his thumb, jumping around the empty canyon and cursing in anger.

“Dez?"

His hair stood on end and he spun around. She'd snuck up behind him, he realized, having landed in the field of snow some fifty feet beyond their camp. He hated when she did that. She was carrying a rather plump-looking dead rabbit in her beak. She tossed It on the ground at his feet. That meant it was for him.

“Shae! You startled me." he managed, rubbing his sore thumb. He nodded at the rabbit. “Thanks for dinner."

“Sorry about that." she replied innocently enough, blinking and batting those long dark eyelashes. “You looked distracted. Something wrong?"

He pointed at himself. “What, me? Wrong? No, of course not! I'm great … You?" he cringed internally at how stupid he sounded. He was acting a fool.

She cocked her head and gave him a knowing smirk. “Me? I feel fantastic, thanks to you. I was busy hunting all day … but then I found something … You won't believe what!"

Oh he had some idea. “Really, what's that?" he asked instead. All he could think of was wild gryphons lying across her back humping away.

She gave him a swish of her tail. “Finish up whatever you're doing then meet me inside the tent! I'll tell you everything there, okay?"

“Uh sure."

“Don't keep me waiting now, handsome."

She winked and trotted off with a bounce in her step, tail waving everywhere. He frowned and picked up the dead rabbit. Handsome? Oh she'd definitely been up to something. Of that he had little doubt.

After skinning and cooking up some roast rabbit stew, he sat near the bonfire and drank a cup of red wine, stewing. He couldn't stop thinking about Shae. She occupied all his thoughts, her body, those eyes, the feeling of him sliding deep inside her … She was the best thing that ever happened to him, he realized bluntly. After finishing up he trudged back through the snow towards the tent, slightly tipsy. Normally Shazera joined him for dinner, but tonight she had other plans it seemed. He unzipped the tent flap and stepped inside.

“So Shae, what did you want to tell m-“

He froze in his tracks at the sight that greeted him. She was good at making him do that lately.

The tent was hazy and thick with the smoky smell of spice and burning incense, a small metal brazier they'd picked up in some far-off bazaar glowing softly in the corner. Shae was in the middle surrounded by luxurious satin pillows and warm silk blankets, bent low and back arched, tail up high, presenting herself to him with a knowing glint in her eye. She had a white rose clutched in her beak. A winter rose. He raised an eye-brow. Those were quite rare, as was the sight before him.

“Oh, there you are Dez." she said, gazing at him with those sly, sensual eyes. “I've been waiting for you. Can't you tell?" She asked coyly, waggling her furry rump and fanning her exotic scent all around the room. Her nether were flushed pink, wet, and ready for him to claim. She was still in heat, he realized.

He felt the blood leave his face and his cock rise to attention at the sight of her, tenting the inside of his breaches. He pulled at the collar of his jacket, feeling suddenly hot all of a sudden. He hadn't been expecting this.

“Uhh-" he began.

“Uh, what? You just going to stand there and gawk, human?" she teased with a laugh. “Come here fuck me. I demand it."

He found himself undressing post-haste. It was like he was in some sort of trance, kicking off his socks and boots until he was standing there naked before her, his cock standing proudly between his legs. She smiled.

“Ah, now there's a pretty sight. Come here, Dezan. Don't keep me waiting."

He walked over, reaching out and running a hand down her thick flanks, grabbing her muscular haunches and tugging on her tail. She pushed up against him, the furry tuft tickling beneath his nose. He swatted it away, grabbing and spreading her rump in his hands and giving it a firm squeeze. She moaned.

“Oh Dez, I've been waiting for this." she whimpered. “I couldn't stop thinking about you all day. About last night. You were amazing."

“Thanks." he replied with a wolfish grin. “I can't lie, you weren't so bad yourself." He plucked the rose from her beak. “What's this? For me? How romantic." He gave it a sniff and tossed it aside. “Now, what did you want to tell me?" It seems his fears were unfounded. It was obvious she'd remained faithful to him.

“I'll tell you afterwards, okay? Mate with me and I'll tell you everything. I can't wait any longer!"

“Sure." he chuckled. “You want it bad, don't you? You've been a very naughty girl Shazera, haven't you?" he rumbled playfully, leaning over-top her back and whispering in her ear. “Always up to no good, huh? Where were you all day?"

“I'll explain later." she whimpered, shivering with anticipation at the coming breeding. “But yes, I've been terrible. I deserve to be punished, don't you think? I'm such a bad gryphon. You should bite my neck."

He laughed at this. Shazera always had a sense of humor, even in bed it seemed. “Oh, you deserve more than that. You deserve so much more, don't you?" he growled, pulling on her head-crest until her eyes went wide and she was forced to look up at him. She seemed nervous, but excited all the same, shuffling her hips and rubbing her puffy cunt-lips all over into his erect cock. She wanted him to take control this time, that much was obvious.

“I need you Dez. Last night … I couldn't get enough! Take me and be done with it!"

He smirked at this. There was no greater feeling than a female who wanted you. He poked and prodded her juicy cunt with the tip of his cock, smearing her nectar all over her tailfeathers. She groaned and hiked her tail up for him, lifting her rump and giving him a stunning view of her wide, ample hindquarters, shaking her hips invitingly. Her thighs were huge and dense with musculature, smooth curves, and between it, her swollen cunt was soft and wet and warm, covered in damp feathers, almost dainty-looking in its femininity. Her tailhole was right above it, and that too was tight and pink. For a moment, he thought about shoving himself inside it. He smiled. It would make for a spectacular reaction, and perhaps she'd even enjoy it, but the risk of being dismembered was an equal possibility, so he decided against it.

She turned around and gave him a pleading look that made his cock throb, ears flicked low in deference.

“W-what are you waiting for? I'm still in heat!" she wailed. “Stick it inside me!"

He smirked again and gave her rump a swat, making her jump. “Rude little hen. Ask nicely."

“P-please?" her ears perked up, awaiting his response.

He laughed again. “C'mon Shae, you'll have to do better than that."

She bristled in annoyance, but when he tugged her whiskers, she immediately submitted.

“Be a good little hen and beg for me. I want to hear how bad you want it." he growled in her ear. That was the wine talking. "Say you want my eggs."

Eggs. That had an effect. She shivered. “I want it bad." she admitted. “I want you to breed me. Fuck me like you want to put a litter in my belly Dezan, and I'll promise I'll do anything you want. Anything!"

“Anything?" he smiled. He had a few ideas, and each one was more devious than the last.

“Anything." she affirmed with a steady nod. “I'm yours."

“Good." he stated, then thrust himself inside her.

She squawked out-loud. He tried to go as deep as he could, slamming into her juicy cunt and losing himself in all that soft, wet, steaming inner-flesh. He was certainly no feral gryphon, but he did his best impression, wrapping his arms around her wide hips and fucking her roughly. Shazera loved it, stretching out along the ground and letting him go at it. He pushed her tail aside and caught a whiff of her heady musk, leaning over her back fucking her with deep strokes. Soon he had the poor bird squawking and panting and moaning his name, her sweaty, trembling body pushing forward each-time he pounded into her.

“Dez. Ooh Dez. Ooohh Dez. It feels sooo good."

“You like that … don't you Shae?" he panted in her ear. “Should've known you had a thing for humans."

He was out of control. There was no way to be passionate or loving about it, it was pure hedonism. He pulled on her head-crest and whispered those magical word in her ears that made her wet. "Eggs," and "Mine." It practically threw her into conniptions. Shazera's warm cunt trembled and locked around his cock like a vice, her eyes constricting to tiny pinpoints as she pushed back against his thrusts. She always did love her eggs.

He grabbed the base of her tail, yanking it up and catching another whiff of her arousing scent. If anything, it only encouraged him. He didn't even think twice, jamming a thumb inside her tailhole and grinning at her resounding screech of shock she gave. Anything indeed. He responded by slapping her ass and fucking her harder, thumbing the bird's tight virgin pucker until the gryphoness moaned and loosened up for him. She was in heaven. He pushed deeper. Her cunt was like a waterfall between her trembling legs now, fluids gushing around his thrusting cock and splashing against his thighs as he played with her ass. This was a pleasant surprise, he thought with a smirk. Shazera wasn't as innocent as he'd thought.

Fingering the gryphon's ass and fucking her like a wild animal quickly worked the big female up to a spontaneous climax. Her cunt was like an ocean, and he withdrew his thumb and settled for leaning over her back and rubbing her swollen mons as he fucked her. The gryphoness clearly wasn't used to this amount of stimulation, and she had no control over her orgasm this time. It just happened. Her powerful vaginal contractions quickly made his legs go weak, her tailhole winking furiously. He collapsed on-top of her with a groan, rolling his hips as fluids dripped everywhere. He kept fucking her until the pleasure was such that he thought his legs would give out, her contractions pulling him deep into her slippery depths and massaging every inch of his thrusting cock.

He went until he couldn't give her anymore, then exploded inside her, his cock twitching, eyes rolling up as he pumped the gryphon's hot cunt with thick spurts of warm seed. It splashed inside her empty egg-chamber, filling her up with his warmth, his chest heaving as he finished her off with quick, rutting thrusts, fucking her doggy-style. Shazera stretched out along the ground in a quiver of pure ecstasy, eyes wide, beak yawning, her tail-hole winking, and then suddenly their orgasms were one, each contraction meeting his pulses until he went limp and his mind emptied of all thought, emptying himself inside her. He'd never felt anything like it. A completely unique and foreign pleasure no human was meant to experience. He collapsed on-top of his partner with a groan, speechless, thrusting weakly and working his spent seed deep inside quivering, welcoming depths. Not a single drop leaked out.

“You're mine now, Shae." he panted in her ear when they were done. “My gryphoness." She nuzzled against him in absolute pleasure. It was exactly what she wanted to hear.

He realized he was standing on the tips of his toes. He'd pushed her entire rump in the air, and her tail quivered and relaxed, wrapping around his waist so he couldn't pull out. He just lay there twitching inside her, tied as one, unable to comprehend the experience he'd just gone through. His cock slipped out after a few minutes and he slid off her large backside with a groan, pulling her with him. She collapsed beside him. The air smelled of their wild fornication.

“Oh Dez." she purred. “Where did you learn to do that?" she asked him after a moment of silence.

“I … don't know." he answered truthfully, still recovering from the exertion of breeding his mount. He panted hard and was covered in sweat. “Seemed like the right thing to do. Sorry I was so rough. You good?"

She rolled over and wrapped a wing around him, staring him deeply in the eyes. “Don't apologize. If that's how you treat me when I'm bad, then perhaps I should misbehave more often," she said with a sly look. “How did I do?"

He chuckled softly and stoked those fuzzy cheek ruffs, listening to her loud purrs gradually lull him to sleep. “You did good, my little hen … You did good." He yawned. “We'll have to do that again sometime, except maybe when you're all tied up in your riding gear."

She laughed at this, resting her head on his chest. He closed his eyes, and then they both drifted off to sleep.

He dreamed all sorts of strange dreams that night. Of eggs, and gryphons, and snowstorms, and tropical paradises half-way around the world … In one of them, he brought Shazera to meet his family on some secluded island cabin, but instead of introducing her as his mount, he introduced her as his wife. It made for an awkward conversation before he realized they were all skeletons sitting around the dinner table in the middle of a blizzard, frozen stiff.

He woke up with a start, heart pounding. Shazera was right beside him. Her eyes glowed red in the dark, like rubies. He could feel her comforting heat. The Moth-light had gone to sleep during the Hour of the Raven. All was still in the world.

“Dezan, what is it?" she asked in concern.

“N-nothing. Just a bad dream." The wind howled through the canyon outside the tent, a lost and forlorn sound atop the barren mountain-top. “You okay?"

“Of course. You're here, aren't you?"

He couldn't see her in the darkness, but he could feel her comforting touch. That made him feel better. She placed his hand on her belly, and he found it instinctively traveling lower, down her abdomen, and finally her soft underside. He could hear her breathing increase the lower he went, and then finally, the sticky hot wetness that was the apex of her thighs. He felt himself rise to attention. She was still in heat.

“Again?" he breathed, in half-disbelief, half-wonder.

She nodded. “I want you Dezan. Will you have me?"

He took her, grabbing her hips and pulling her towards him.

He fucked her on her side at first, lifting one of the her massive hind-legs up and rubbing her swollen vent as he quickly sunk inside her trembling cunt. She was wet, oh so wet, quivering and squirming and crying out his name. He fucked the large hen into a powerful orgasm, her pussy contracting as she cried out and squirted everywhere, chest heaving, whimpering his name in the quiet darkness.

Eventually, when he had enough of this position he rolled her onto her back and wrapped his arms around her midriff, lying atop her breast and fucking her like a husband fucked his wife. She clearly wasn't used to being taken in such an unfamiliar position, but adapted quickly enough, spreading her legs wide and eagerly welcoming him inside her warm, nubile body. His cock slid between her legs and pushed into her velvety smooth depths. He nearly came on the spot, and watched with some satisfaction as her pupils dilated at the feeling of him slipping into her delicate wetness once more. She needed him, and he needed her, there was nothing else that mattered.

“Oh Dezan. Make love to me." she whimpered. “We're life-mates now. Now and forever."

A firm nod was his only response.

Laying on-top of her feathery bosom was very comfortable. His hands roved up and down her sides, exploring her sensitive body and squeezing each tiny pink nipple he found. Shazera shrieked with pleasure and wrapped her wings around his back, holding him close. Her claws pricked his skin and refused to let him go, but he hardly noticed, burying his face in her neck-fluff and inhaling her intoxicating scent, drunk on her mind-numbing pheromones. He started aggressively necking her, forgetting the dreams, forgetting the mountain-top, forgetting everything as the gryphoness whimpered and offered her neck to him. His kisses went lower and lower until his lips found her uppermost nipple and slipped around it, suckling it like a new-born babe. She tensed before melting beneath his gentle touch with a moan of surrender, the tiny nub stiff like a diamond between his lips. He sucked until he tasted her sweet milk. It was the sweetest thing he'd ever tasted in his life, and he couldn't stop.

“Dezan, oh Dezan." she panted in his ear, whimpering as he thrust inside her. “I'm yours. I'm yours. Please. Please D-don't stop. I'm yours. I'm yours. I'm yours."

He answered by fucking her harder and faster, driving deep and listening to the wet sounds their bodies made as he sunk inside the gryphon's fat, juicy cunt. He was rapidly approaching the peak of his climax, his thrusts quick and frantic, and Shazera was too judging by the red streaks her claws left down his back. She panted in his ear. He fucked her so hard and passionately one would think he was trying to break through the frozen ground itself, his body covered in sweat and his muscles tense with exertion. The pleasure in his loins was great, and the way her body moved against his was mesmerizing in every way imaginable. Shazera was a natural lover, each subtle contraction designed to bring her partner to the highest peaks of physical pleasure. He pushed his cheek against her's and rolled his hips, panting in her ear, his breath hot against her neck.

“Shazera ... I'm ... I'm close." He managed, his voice muffled by her dense neck plumage. “I … I-“

His voice had an electrifying effect. She could sense his urgency. The big gryphoness shivered, her beak dug into his collar-bone and nuzzled hard. She wanted him, and without saying a word, he knew exactly what he was going to do. He was going to finish inside her. After this, she would be his forever.

He wrapped his arms around her midriff and pumped his hips, fluids squelching from her pussy as he passionately fucked the large gryphoness as if his life depended on it, determined to breed her and relieve her of this painful heat at last. Shazera whimpered and gyrated against him, moaning in his ear, his cock plunging inside her cunt until he was going so fast, all he could hear was his balls slapping against her swollen mons, vaginal fluids trickling down her taint as the big, beautiful hen whimpered with need and shuddered against him, her pussy contracting around his girth.

“Shazera-“ he groaned. “I'm ... I'm going to-“

He didn't even get the chance to finish. As if reading his mind, the hen wrapped her paws around his hips and pulled him in close. He had her in a mating press and couldn't pull out, not that he would ever want to, he imagined. Sliding into Shazera's smooth depths was enough to cause any man to lose his wits. He settled for closing his eyes and biting her neck just the way she liked, pumping so fast she could only moan in pleasure.

He came hard, his cock-tip pushing up against her tender cervix and kissing it, pulsating furiously and shooting hot ropes of fertile seed straight into her heated womb. The gryphoness swooned as each heavy spurt lanced deep inside, twisting-to-and-fro as he filled her up and fertilized her eggs, quelling the wicked flames of her estrus. It felt like his orgasm never ended, her body tugging and milking his shaft for every drop he could put out, until he couldn't put out anymore and was completely spent.

He collapsed on-top of her with a final groan, his creamy white seed flowing inside and trickling down her inner-mons. He'd creampied her. His groin was covered in her juices. He caught his breath in-between pulses, his dreams momentarily forgotten. All that mattered was her.

He stayed put for a while, feeling each twitch … each subtle contraction, then pulled out for good. His cock slipped out and she clamped her legs together with a groan of bliss, batting those long eye-lashes at him. He had to grin. A thoroughly stuffed and happy bird.

“Hmm." he chuckled, smiling. Patting her womb and watching her chest rise and fall with each heavy breath. “How does that feel?"

She squirmed with pleasure beneath his touch. “Amazing." she whispered in the dark. “I can feel you inside me. It feels wonderful, Dezan. If I could lay your eggs, I would. A thousand times over."

This turned him greatly on for some reason. “You're mine Shazera." he growled in her ear. “And I'm yours, I guess. So … now what?"

She rolled up and butted against him, pulling him into their makeshift satin nest, paws on his head pinning him down. He could feel her blazing body-heat smothered beneath all that royal fluff. He was at her mercy.

“Hey, watch it, will you?"

“You're not going anywhere." she said with a devious smile, beaming down at him. “We're just getting started, you know."

He was about to retort when he furrowed his brow at a sudden realization. “Wait a minute. Is this why you collected so much damn firewoo-“

She grabbed him by the shoulders and planted a smooch on his lips, rolling over so he was on-top of her once more.

He laughed, burying his face in her chest-fur. “Guess so."

***

By the third night he was completely exhausted. Shazera was insatiable, and they didn't do much of anything that day except keep the fire going, cook dinner together, and kiss inside the tent. Shazera had gotten much better at kissing … and he kissed her in some other places as well … between her thighs, her hips, and even beneath her lifted tail … Gryphons learned quick enough, and now she embraced him with all the skill and expertise of a young virgin maid. He smiled as her beak rubbed against his bare chest. Shazera was no maid, but she acted the part well enough and held herself in high-esteem. Besides, that tongue of her's was lecherously talented. One more thing she could claim to be better at now …

“So, why did you end up picking me instead of some other gryphon?" he asked when they were trekking alongside each other one late-afternoon.

“Male gryphons mate for hours and never finish." she explained calmly, trudging through the thick underbrush in-front of him. He watched her hind-quarters sway back and forth, and was well-aware of the way she swished her tail whenever he fell behind her, giving him a furtive peek between her legs … “They are rough. They bite and scratch and have these awful barbs that scrape inside you and leave you aching and sore for days. When I was young it was a thrilling experience being claimed by a stronger male, a great honor, and yet ... as time wore on I found myself longing for a more ... gentle touch. I've read your file and watched you for some time now. You are quiet but diligent, young and inexperienced, shy yet selfless. Exactly what I've been looking for. Unless perhaps ... I'm mistaken?"

“Wait." he paused, coming to halt. “You read my dossier to see if I'd be a good match?"

“Yes." She turned around and cocked her head in a vaguely owlish demeanor, giving him an appraising look. “Is this a concern? How else was I to find someone like you with all the strange rituals and bureaucracy you humans engage in?"

“Fair enough." he conceded, and they continued walking. “But you could've at least told me Shazera. I'm nothing but a fresh scout. I have no idea what I'm even doing half the time. I'm nowhere near the best match for you. I'm not even a gryphon! How do I even compare?"

Her eyes narrowed. “You are not listening to me, Dezan. That's what I like about you. I've grown tired of being paired with the strongest gryphons, the fastest, the most desirable. I simply want someone who is none of those things. Someone who is kind and will treat me as an individual. Someone like you."

He scratched the back of his head, strangely humbled by her bold admission. “Er ... thanks Shazera. I don't know what to say. I had no idea you had these feelings for me, truly. I wish you'd told me earlier. "

“Yes … I think now perhaps you might have understood." she replied with a casual smirk, swatting him in the face with the tuft of her tail. He shook his head and dropped his rucksack at his feet, disoriented, then caught her tail from mid-air and gave it a tug. She shrieked and spun around. He tackled her, rolling in the snow and laughing. She came out on top, as she always did.

He tugged her whiskers. Her beak wrinkled up and she playfully batted him with a paw.

“You were going to tell me something a few days ago," he asked. “What was it?"

She smiled down at him, letting him up. “We're almost there, Dezan. Just try and keep up."

***

Hours passed by …

“Where are we going again?" he asked, cutting his way through the thick pine brush behind her. The foliage was dense and overgrown, snow and frozen pine-needles crunching apart underfoot. Normally they flew everywhere, but oftentimes Shazera liked taking the scenic route. She had no issues ducking and weaving through the treeline like a shadowy panther, pausing occasionally to sniff the cold mountain air and check the wind direction. For him it was a slower, more arduous affair. To make matters worse, snow toppled off the uppermost branches each time the large gryphoness brushed against a low-hanging branch, dumping snow unceremoniously on his head. He was sure most of it was intentional.

She looked back at him and cast him a sly wink. “You'll see. We're getting close now, handsome. Not much longer."

He smirked. Handsome. She'd started calling him that lately. He had no complaints.

They weren't almost there, however. And they certainly weren't close. Gryphons had a different perception of time and distance. They marched for another hour through the snowy tundra, crossing frozen streams, blanketed drifts, rolling hills, and finally an expansive ghost lake frozen to an eerie blue stillness. Beyond the lake, the forest continued into the ice-capped mountains further south, climbing high into the cloudless sky, before dropping off into a steep gorge that seemed to plummet into the depths of the very earth itself. Mount Balkan, if he was reading their ancient map correctly. There was an expansive cave system beneath these mountains if the rumors were true, spreading like tendrils deep into the earth. Very few had been fully explored.

They crossed the ghost lake and approached the face of the cliff, the sun radiating blindingly off the ice-encrusted surface. The wilderness continued to his right before dropping into the valley below, a wasteland of dark, solemn pines that swayed gently in the wind, stretching on as far as the eye could see. The sun was beginning to set in the distance, bathing the valley in a gentle golden aura. At the base of Mount Balkan wound a narrow goat-pass. It looked treacherously steep, climbing upwards.

Shazera approached it and he stopped in his tracks. “You can't be serious about taking that." he said, pointing at the narrow gravel trail. “It looks dangerous."

She turned around. “Of course I'm serious. You want to stop now?"

“No, but wouldn't it be safer to fly up?"

“Flying is easy. If one is to be strong they must sometimes take the harder path, yes?"

“Easy for you to say. You have wings."

“Even more reason then. Besides, Even I forget where things are hidden sometimes. Now come, we must hurry before nightfall. We are getting close."

So they started up the trail. At first it wasn't so bad, but the higher they climbed the narrower it got, until eventually they had to scramble up the side of the mountain to a steeper precipice above.

“Is this your idea of fun?" he called out, the wind whipping his coarse wool scarf around his neck. Unlike his leather fur trimmed boots, Shazera's talons gripped the terrain with relative ease, allowing the large gryphoness to clamber up the side of the mountain with graceful leaps and bounds, sailing from one rocky outcropping to the other ... and dislodging gravel that skittered all around him.

“Yes!" she called back jubilantly. “Keep it up. You're doing great!"

He grumbled to himself. Gryphons.

They climbed for half-an-hour until the path reappeared, except this time it was so narrow he had to keep his back to the mountain to keep from falling off.

Shazera followed the cliff as it rounded a subtle bend in the terrain, her paw-placement careful and deliberate - dextrous in comparison to his clumsy attempts as he trailed a dozen feet behind her, struggling to keep up. His stomach lurched as he glanced down again. He had to stop doing that. One misstep and he would plunge two-hundred feet into the valley below. He had no doubt Shazera would catch him in-time, but she always managed to stay just far enough ahead that he had his doubts. He grimaced and shook his head. She always did like showing off.

“Any reason we had to go this way?" he complained. “It's taking forever."

“I was sure the entrance was around here somewhere." he heard her reply, not really answering his question in any meaningful way. “Shouldn't be far now … ah! Here it is. I knew it."

He rounded the bend, stepping on a patch of loose ice and nearly losing his step. His arms flailed and he tumbled backwards, yelling like an idiot. He heard a snap of wings and his momentum jerked to a halt. The collar of his jacket was held firmly in her talons.

Shazera yanked him onto the narrow path and dusted him off with a wing. “Watch yourself."

“Thanks." he grumbled, waiting for the tingle of adrenaline to wear off. He stepped onto solid ground, looking up and holding his breath at the sight that greeted him. They were in front of the entrance to a massive cave tucked between the rock-face, a dark slash in the mountain covered in icicles and long, creeping ferns. A small patch of winter roses grew around the base, and the wind howled through the entrance. Where it led, he had no idea, but the map said there were hundreds of these uncharted tunnels all over the region.

“Is this where you found that rose?" he asked curiously.

She nodded, pointing with a wing. “We're going inside."

“You've got to be kidding me."

“C'mon, let's go."

He frowned. The cave looked forbidding. “There might be a bear or something in there. Isn't it the hibernation season?"

“A bear is no match for my speed and strength, you know that. Besides, I've already been inside."

“How deep does it go?"

“Deep enough."

“That's not answering my question."

“Just shut up and follow me Dezan. You won't regret it, I promise."

Then she disappeared into the gloom.

Not seeing much choice, he followed her in, removing the moth-lantern from his rucksack and giving it a firm shake. The insect hummed to life, casting long shadows across the walls of the cave. The interior was expansive, a dark tunnel burrowing deeper into the ground further ahead. He noticed the walls were inscribed with strange runes from a time before modern civilization. Perhaps no one had set foot in here for thousands of years.

“I don't like this," he muttered to himself. “Not one bit."

Shazera turned around up-ahead. Her eyes glowed faintly in the dark, reflecting light. “Stay close." she said. “It's easy to get lost down here."

He followed her deeper into the mountain, ducking around stalactites, avoiding pools of icy water, and using the moth-light to guide his path through the darkness ahead. The runes were scrawled all over the cold walls and ceiling now, continuing on-and-on, depicting what looked like ancient battles, ferocious beasts, and cryptic patterns in the night stars above. The deeper they went, the stranger things became. Odd bio-luminescent crystal-veins weaved through the rocks, illuminating his surroundings in all sorts of mesmerizing colors, to the extent he hushed the lantern and put it back inside his ruck-sack, gazing about in curiosity. They were warm to the touch. Down here, it didn't smell like a damp cave either, dry and odorless, and odd sounds echoed deeper within; Shrieks and whistles and what almost seemed like … singing. Just the wind, he told himself, or his mind playing tricks on him. He rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't dreaming and realized Shazera had fallen out of sight. He called out to her.

“Shazera?"

There was no response. His heart rose into his chest and he ran to catch up, the tunnel twisting and turning until he felt like he was lost in a maze, going in circles.

Just when he was about to panic, the tunnel opened up before him, a vast chasm that plummeted into a massive ocean of darkness below. The very depths of hell. The interior of the mountain was completely hollow, he realized in awe, the last rays of sunlight bleeding in from the snowy peaks some two hundred feet above. He breathed a sigh of relief when he found Shazera at the precipice, staring down into the void. He felt tiny compared to the grandiosity of his surroundings, a meaningless spec of dust standing at the edge of the abyss.

Her ears flicked upon his arrival. “There you are," she said. “I was wondering if you'd gotten lost."

“You could've waited for me, you know."

“You were taking your time. I figured you'd catch up."

“You hear those sounds back there?" he asked. “It sounded faint. Like ... singing." He recalled stories of sailors back in the day, of sirens who lived off the coasts and lured unsuspecting men to their doom. He gulped nervously at thought.

“Yes … singing .." she trailed off. “Are you worried, Dezan?"

“No." he lied. “Are you?"

“Never. Climb up. We're going flying."

“Good." he muttered. “Let's get out of here. This place gives me the creeps."

“We're not leaving. “We're going down there." she nodded at the chasm. It looked like it led to the center of the earth itself. A gaping black maw that swallowed up the light.

“You've got to be joking, right?"

“I'm serious. Do you trust me or not?"

“I trust you." he answered right away.

“Good. Then get on my back before I'm forced to carry you in my talons."

He didn't like the sound of that. They'd left all their riding gear back at camp, and flying without a harness and saddle was uncomfortable, but he didn't have much of a choice in the matter. He hoisted himself on Shazera's back, feeling her powerful muscles bristle underneath his weight, wrapping his arms around her neck and holding on tight.

She looked back at him. “Ready?"

He nodded.

Without a word, she launched silently from the ledge and unfurled her wings, angling them down and dropping into a dive. The wind rushed through her feathers, and all that guided them was a final god-ray of sunlight spilling through the crack in the mountain-top, illuminating their descent into the depths of the earth. His heart pounded, his stomach rose into his throat, yet he made no protest, holding on tight and putting complete faith in his mount.

They dived for what felt like hours, but in truth, it was only a few short minutes. Eventually the darkness consumed them, until he saw nothing and simply closed his eyes, counting down the seconds. One … two … three … four. Each tick was a dozen feet. They must have surely passed beneath the ground now. Five … six … seven … eight. The lake, and finally, he tensed his muscles and braced for impact, half expecting them to slam into the bedrock at any moment. He still couldn't see anything. They were flying half-blind.

Shazera suddenly banked hard and leveled out. He felt something rush by them, an overhanging ledge perhaps, and now they were plunging down one of the many unexplored tunnels that led beneath the mountain, twisting and weaving and spiraling out of control. It was getting warmer for some reason. He squeezed his eyes shut, wondering if perhaps this was all some feverish nightmare, and that any second he'd wake up in the Capital in his bed, safe and sound with his mount at his side. His teeth were clenched so hard he thought they'd shatter, but he couldn't show fear. Shazera would never respect him as a rider again. It was rapidly heating up the deeper they went now, a dry heat, he was certain of it.

Suddenly, the wind caught her outstretched wings and they leveled out, his stomach dropped back into place.

“You okay Dezan?" He heard her ask. “You can open your eyes now. We're here."

He opened his eyes a crack, and gasped in amazement at what he saw:

They were in some sort of vast, underground cavern, but it wasn't so much a cavern as it was a … realm; A mythical underground world that stretched out for what must be kilometers beneath the earth. He couldn't see the other side, only towering mountains, arid plateaus, lush vegetation, and some of the largest mushrooms he'd ever seen, a forest of strange, bioluminescent fauna that peppered the alien landscape below, and filled him with a wild sense of youthful wonder. A stream wove lazily through the strange, magnificent forest, fresh water pouring in from an aquifer along one of the outer walls, falling in titanic sheets that splashed into a sparkling blue lake that twinkled with starlight in the distance, half-obscured by fog. Most amazingly, however, was the volcano in the center of it all. An active one too, judging by the looks of it, tendrils of smoking lava rolling gently down the blackened slopes, before turning to steam the moment it touched the riverbank. That explained the heat. It was an endless summer down here.

They'd emerged from a tiny hole in the star-lit ceiling, and now gently circled above one of the enormous central plateaus. There was light in the cavern, not much, but just enough to illuminate his surroundings. Everything had a strange, soothing magenta hue, crystal veins etched in the rock-ceiling some hundred feet in the air. Thousands of them. They looked like stars, and he was reminded of the inscriptions on the cave walls closer to the surface. Was this the secret of the mountain? Hidden from time itself?

“What is this place?" he asked her, awestruck by the surreal beauty of it all.

She turned around and looked back at him with a gleam in her eye. “Home." was all she said, a faint smile curling on the edges of her beak.

“Is this … is this what you wanted to show me earlier?"

She nodded. “I found it a few days ago. What do you think?"

“I've … I've never seen anything like it." he breathed. “It's … incredible."

While gazing around, he quickly realized they weren't alone. He spotted other creatures flying in the distance, at least a dozen of them, soaring in slow, wide circles just as they were, rising and falling as they passed over the natural thermals that gusted from the magical forest. He heard the same strange singing he'd noticed earlier, and realized with a jolt of surprise the creatures were … wild gryphons! Singing those soft, beautiful, melancholy tunes they often did when flocking together. One of them spotted their arrival and gave a high-pitched cry of alert, banking off and coming straight towards them. He gripped Shae's nape tight.

“Looks like we have company. What are gryphons doing all the way down here?" he asked, a hint of uncertainty creeping into his voice.

“Don't worry about them." Shae said reassuringly. “They mean us no harm."

“How d'you know?" Gryphons were highly territorial. He had no doubt Shae could easily fend off two, maybe three of the feathery beasts, but a dozen? Even she wasn't that skilled. They'd be ripped apart in seconds before they could even think about finding an escape route.

“Don't fret. I've already spoken with them. They've been awaiting our arrival." Her smirk turned into a playful grin. “Yours especially."

“Mine?"

“Oh yes. Here they come now."

Within a minute, the entire flock had them surrounded, calling out in those strange, hooting, haunting voices. He knew they were communicating in their own indecipherable language. Wild gryphons didn't speak nor understand the common tongue, but Shazera understood perfectly fine. She replied in her own commanding hoot, and the rest listened attentively.

He gazed in nervous apprehension at the multitude of strange creatures encircling them, soaring effortlessly in leisurely circles. The rest were busy chasing each other through the star-lit cavern, playing, tumbling and twisting through the air. They didn't seem too concerned. The creatures came in all shapes and sizes, and in such wondrous colors too: Reds yellows blues and golds, with beautiful wings, majestic head-crests, luminous eyes, and smooth beaks of various length and width. Their fantastic colors contrasted wonderfully with the magenta aura of the cavern itself, and they were all female, as far as he could tell. The males were usually much larger and uglier, plainer and more temperamental.

Shae did a couple loops in friendly greeting then dropped towards the central plateau. The others followed, and a moment later they'd touched down on solid, mossy ground, surrounded by dozens of inquisitive, hooting gryphons. He tried to give each one an equal amount of attention, laughing at the way they sniffed his scent and butted up against him with their heads.

“It's a gryphon sanctuary." Shae explained, her eyes reflecting the shimmering light of the cavern. “A haven where wild gryphons migrate during nesting season. I found it while scouting the area a few days ago. I wanted to show you before we left!"

“I've … I've never seen anything like it." He admitted, tickling a pretty blue-furred female beneath the chin until her golden eyes glazed over and she was drooling with bliss. Gryphons loved finger massages, even the wild ones, it seemed.

Shazera laughed at the sight. “We keep places like this a secret from you humans. Too disruptive. There's plenty of food and water down here, and underground thermals keep it nice and warm even during the coldest winter months. There's likely a hot spring or two around here somewhere as well. Just don't go eating the mushrooms," she said with a wink. “Or you'll be hallucinating for hours."

“Uh … sure."

He looked around at the group assembled before him. There must be over two-dozen gryphons now, all peering around each other and staring at him expectantly, heads cocked and crests flared in excitement. A few stragglers circled overhead, studying him warily. Shae was the largest amongst them, he noted, and probably the oldest too. An alpha amongst the flock. These hens were all young and fresh, hardly more than a few decades old. Shae ruled the roost.

“Where are all the males?" he inquired. A smaller brown-furred female wanted his attention now. The blue gave a pitiful “wark," when the massage stopped.

Shae rustled her feathers and stretched out along the ground, her spine popping loudly. “They come later during the mating season. Gives them a better selection. The females are always first to arrive."

“Wait … it's … mating season?"

“Oh yes. That's what they are all here for. Didn't I tell you that?"

“No."

“Well," Shae said with another mischievous wink. “I guess you're the first male to arrive then. Lucky you." She stood up briskly and brushed past him.

“Wait, where are you going?"

“To scout around a bit more. I didn't have much time to explore when I first arrived. Besides, someone has to do all the hard work finding us food and a place to sleep around here."

He frowned and glanced nervously at the flock of gryphons assembled before him. One of them licked its beak expectantly.

“You're … you're just going to leave me here with them?"

“Why not? I figured you could use a little rest and relaxation after the adventure we've been on. Besides, they've been very eager to meet you, Dezan. I've told them so much about you. Why don't you introduce yourself?" She leaned in close to whisper in his ear. Don't worry, handsome. I won't be gone too long. They know you're mine, after all."

And with that, Shazera trailed past him, her tail flicking beneath his nose as he stood there, stunned. She unfurled her long, majestic wings, and took flight in a burst of tawny feathers, gusting him back.

He watched her fly off into the distance, then turned his attention back to the flock of gryphons, jumping in surprise when he found the blue-furred one butting beneath his hand again, purring and nuzzling non-stop. She had the most beautiful golden eyes he'd ever seen, and the next thing he knew, he was surrounded by a dozen young female birds, poking, prodding, and rubbing against him. One nipped at his waistband, chirping with delight when she managed to get it untied. He gently pushed her back, but she nipped at his hand this time and made him reconsider. The others were landing now, intrigued by this strange new arrival.

He held his hands up placatingly and took a step back, blushing profusely. The pack of gryphons surged forward.

“Hey, hey, slow down now. I don't know what she's told you but I'm really not all that special. Besides, I'm already taken, we probably shouldn't be-"

Within seconds they were all over him, bowling him over and knocking him onto his backside, chirping and nuzzling and licking his face. He shook his head and laughed.

“Oh what the hell."

He'd get her back for this.

One day.

The End!