FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

I woke up to the sounds of lovemaking. Moans, shouts, purrs, grunts and yowls wove a complicated primal melody in the (mostly) open air temple. The sandstone walls and pillars didn't lend themselves well to making echoes, but the sounds in the room hardly required any extra help to reverberate through the large hall.

The giant unpainted statue of Mira the Karshan fertility goddess loomed over the proceedings. Her slim leonine form was Karshan beauty personified. Instead of the curves that humans tended to prefer her belly was symmetrically muscular, her breasts and hips were smaller than a human would look for in an ideal mate, and her arms and legs were definitely muscular. For all that though, she was definitely feminine and the way the statue was carved, with her trailing a paw over one breast and the other resting on her belly which was just starting to show the bulge of pregnancy, was enough to give a man...feelings, if he were to stare at it long enough.

"Enjoying the form of the goddess?" A warm Karshan alto murmured to my right and I turned to see my bedmate, the Hierophant of the temple smiling up at me from the red cushions we were reclining on. Her fur was the uniform tan of Karshan females, except for the small tuft at the end of her long tail. Her eyes were a typical Karshan amber-brown and her features were, for lack of a better word, average.

"It is a very nice statue." I commented, reaching out and brushing a hand over her cheek. She purred and nuzzled my palm. My pale skin made a sharp contrast to her fur, a difference that had added considerable spice to the previous night's activity.

"Yes it is. Did you sleep well?" She sat up and drew me into a loose embrace.

"Better than I have in months. For which I thank you." I kissed her soundly, languidly. We'd known each other for years, but we had only become physical last night.

"Good, I am glad to see you well-rested. You looked rather haggard when you arrived." She traced a pawpad carefully under my eyes. "Does the grief still trouble you?"

"Time has healed my heart, if not completely then mostly. I will admit that your embrace last night eased my flight into slumber, but I am not about to break down weeping in the halls."

"I am so sorry Peter. I only met your parents briefly, but they were among the kindest humans I've ever known." The cant of her ears broadcast her honesty, as did the tightness around her eyes.

"Thank you Trebia, that means a lot to me." Our embrace changed in the span of an instant and became something foreign to the temple of fertility. For a long moment we were separated from the cries of exertion and ecstasy around us, just old friends holding each other, using our closeness as a defense against the hurts and the unfairness of the world. Her soft fur and warm presence eased the pang of sorrow that had resurfaced with my awakening and her heartbeat pulsing softly against my chest was a reassurance that words could never match. We spent a minute or so like that, just being together, but all things had to end. "I appreciate everything Trebia, I do, I have not enjoyed myself so much in years, but I am sure you have duties to attend to and I cannot keep you from them."

"My only duties today are to the worshipers." She gestured to the writhing bodies below. "There is no need to part ways. If you wanted we could take some more time to praise the goddess." She trailed a paw over my neck. "Add our music to the symphony of love."

"I...would like that. The younger ones will want to see me, but I have plenty of time." I grinned, cupping her left breast and stroking her nipple with my thumb. Her muzzle split into a grin to match mine and she spread her legs apart.

"I was hoping you would say that. Come now, let us give the goddess a good show." She purred and pulled me on top of her. Then there were no more words, just fur, sweat, and pleasure.

*The previous night*

It was long past midnight when I entered the Karshan city-palace. The contingent of guards surrounding me prevented any unfortunate misunderstandings on behalf of the regular palace guards, only some of whom would have recognized me, and given the distinctly weathered state of my brown cloak, white shirt, and black pants they would probably have stopped me on general principals. My boots were caked in mud from the long walk I had undertaken after my horse had broken its leg, and I noticed some of the servants that were still awake giving me dirty looks.

I was weary, burdened by the memory of my parents' passing, by the last vestiges of a long illness, and by my almost-exile. The halls of the enormous palace were mostly empty and hollow at this time of night, and they echoed the sounds of our passing. Magnifying them and distorting them until they were unrecognizable. The light-producing Gaia crystals were only emitting the barest illumination at this hour, just enough for the leonine Karshans to see by, so I was effectively blind, relying on the firm (but not painful) grip of a Karshan guard directly to my right in order to avoid tripping and falling.

I could probably have made my way to the room we were headed to on my own, I'd spent plenty of time in the Karshan palace before, but right now I wouldn't trust myself to. Besides, the royal guards would likely take issue to any attempt of mine to get into the royal suite. I inwardly cursed the virulent sea-sickness I had been stricken with on the way here. I was born on the island of Gibraltar, and sailing is second nature to me, but even the most experienced old salt can be rendered queasy in a storm, and the out-of-season gale that blew in as I was crossing was more than enough to make me empty the contents of my stomach over the side.

So on I stumbled, weary and clumsy, through the halls of the palace where I would be staying for years, if not the rest of my life, trying to remember the details of the latest reports I had read about Karsha's politics, a form of armor more substantial and reliable than any steel plate.

I recognized the large door to the royal suite even in the dark, as the gold inlay on the heavy wood glistened even in the dim light. The guards, whose armor was intentionally dulled, were invisible to me but for the reflective gleam of their eyes. Words were exchanged in the Karshan tongue, quick and harsh sounding to the uninitiated, and the door was opened. I walked through, into the room that lay beyond.

There was a fire going in a brazier in the middle of the floor, large enough to throw off enough light for me to comfortably see and giving off enough heat to make it attractive in the desert night chill. The floor and walls of the room (and the rest of the palace) were made of rare sandstone only found in the Karshan heartlands. It was an orange tinted tan color and as hard as any granite, despite its appearance. There were bas-relief carvings on the walls, but the floor was unadorned and smooth, save for a few carpets here and there to break up the monotony.

Chairs and low couches were spread more or less at random throughout the room, and the open windows had white drapes that were currently fluttering in the slight breeze. A number of shelves lined the walls of the chamber, each holding books and scrolls of various sorts. It was actually a very inviting and pleasant room to be in, at least during the day. At night it looked a bit close and stuffy. I wasn't in any frame of mind to care about that though.

Standing in front of me was the Chieftain of the Great Savannah Pride, the largest Pride of Karshans in the world, a country in all but name. Polonius, as he was known to humans, who are all but incapable of speaking the Karshan language, stood at an even nine feet tall, and even in what passed for middle age for the leonine people had a physique that any soldier would be envious of. The ruler wore only a loincloth and an open purple robe, which allowed me to see the massive muscles of his chest and abdomen, along with the numerous battle scars that decorated them.

His arms bore a close resemblance to the spars of the ship that had carried me across the sea, and the thick brown mane of fur encircling his neck looked like it could have stopped an axe. He had the dark brown-amber eyes of his people, and they bored into me when I walked in, evaluating me and assessing me thoroughly.

"Ryxah." He said in Karshan. Leave.

The guards bowed and followed orders, walking swiftly out and closing the door behind them. It was only me and him then. I was alone in a room, at night, with a nine foot tall predator who could kill an armored soldier with a single unarmed strike with one of his massive paws. The warrior chieftain began striding over to me the instant the door was closed and the sound of the guards' footsteps had receded, the polished claws on each fingertip glistening red in the firelight as though they were freshly dipped in blood. I stood rooted to the spot as he approached, tilting my head further and further back to look him in the eye, and exposing my throat as I did so.

Five steps. Four steps. Three steps. Two. One. Then, when the single most efficient and powerful killer I have ever seen or heard of came into my personal space, he stretched out his long, sinewy arms and...

Hugged me.

"It is good to see you again Peter." Rumbled Polonius. I smiled and returned the hug without shame, resting my head against his chest and listening to his heartbeat.

"Thank you for having me Polonius, you cannot know how much it means to me."

"Nonsense." He said firmly, giving me a gentle (by his standards) squeeze. "You are welcome here any time. No matter what." I felt a soft pressure on the back of my head as his gargantuan paw came to rest there. "The only thing that upsets me is the consequences that brought you back to me. I am so sorry about Largo and Lucrezia."

"When mother died I knew father wouldn't be long after her." I murmured. "I could see it in his eyes the day after she passed. We all could I think. He never fully recovered from that lung fever three years ago, and the ongoing sickness sapped much of his strength. When mother succumbed to the same thing it broke something inside him. He just...withered away after that."

I shed no tears, I had spent them all already, but the pain was still there. Dulled by time but still very much real, like a half-healed bruise, tender and sore long after the healing had started.

"Love is the great binder." Polonius said wisely, knowingly. "Your parents loved each other as much as anyone can love another without going mad. I always thought that when one of them passed the other would follow soon after, though I had hoped it would not be so soon." He paused and then kissed the top of my head, drawing me tight against him. "We are all here for you Peter. You are not alone."

"I know." I whispered, taking comfort in the presence of the Karshan who had become as a second father to me. "And I am eternally grateful."

He held me in silence after that, and I closed my eyes and reveled in it. I had spent my childhood in Polonius' household, just as Polonius' youngest (at the time of my birth) had spent his in my father's home. The bond between our families was as strong as our countries were old, and there was a long tradition of sending children back and forth. It allowed us to learn the culture of our allies and cemented the bond between nations. The unspoken advantage was that it gave the children in question a second family, something I was very lucky to have.

Eventually Polonius gave me a gentle pat on the shoulder and we separated, though not before he tilted my head back and kissed my forehead. Karshans touched much more than humans did, and in this instant I was happy for it. The familiar contact was a balm to the worry that had plagued me since I had left Gibraltar.

"Come now, I am sure you want to seek your bed, but Juno would never forgive me if she was not allowed to see you, to say nothing of your brothers and sisters if they are still awake." His paw stayed on my shoulder as we walked through the room, towards the door that led to the bedchambers and my adoptive family.

When we entered I was immediately accosted by a four year old cub in a grey tunic. The force and immediacy of their greeting drove the breath out of me and precluded identification, but the excited voice emanating from my abused gut told me who it was soon enough. Resha, the youngest of Polonius' cubs, too young yet to take a human-style name.

"Brother, you are finally here! Mother and father said you would not be here until late but I did not thing it would be this late! Was your ship delayed? Did you run into bandits on the road? Did you get lost? Did you-" I carefully extracted myself from the painfully tight hug and unceremoniously clamped my hand over the offender's mouth, much to Polonius' (stifled) amusement.

"Resha!" Came an angry voice off to my right. I looked up to see Resha's mother Juno striding over. She was tall and muscular for a Karshan female, her head almost reached Polonius' shoulders and her stocky frame had been passed down to her daughter. "What did I tell you not five minutes ago?"

"But mother-"

"Resha..." Her voice held a tone of warning that all, cubs or adults, in this place learned to respect and fear.

"Do not attack brother when he comes in the door." Resha repeated dutifully, looking appropriately chastised.

"Good, now apologize." I would have said something about not needing an apology, but such a declaration was likely to turn Juno's ire to me, and I was smart enough to avoid that.

"I am sorry brother." Resha was almost an exact replica of her mother, only shrunk down, except for a square jaw that came from Polonius. I smiled down at her, unable to be angry at her for such a trifle.

"It is fine sister. Now come here." I knelt down and carefully picked her up, much to her glee. She giggled happily and wrapped her arms around my neck and her legs around my torso as best she could. She was almost too big for that, almost. "I love you sweetheart."

"I love you too." Then she kissed me on the cheek and we shared a long nuzzle. I have always been her favorite, and the little urchin had a special place in my heart. She was not born until I was splitting my time evenly between Karsha and Gibraltar, but there has always been a strong bond between us.

"Welcome back Peter." Juno said, approaching me and giving me a kiss on the forehead. She was wearing a thin white robe, unbelted, and her front was bare for all to see. That might have caused discomfort for most humans, but having grown up in Karsha nudity did not affect me much, if at all. "We all missed you. Some of us quite badly, as you can see."

"You were gone a long time." Resha whined plaintively and I chuckled. It felt good to hear their voices again, to feel them close by.

"I'll be here for a long time now, I promise." I told my sister, then I turned to my adoptive mother and tilted my head back to accept the kiss I knew was coming.

"Was your trip safe?" Juno asked idly. Her tone was light, but I could see her examining me and coming to the same conclusions Polonius had probably come to earlier. Concern knitted her brown and a paw came up to gently trace the bags that were under my eyes, an unspoken question. I nuzzled her paw slightly in acknowledgment and glanced at Resha significantly. Juno nodded slightly in response.

"A storm blew in about an hour after we left Gibraltar." I said, keeping my tone equally bright for Resha's sake. "I got a little queasy, but then again so did half the crew and all the passengers. Other than that nothing of interest happened."

"No pirates or bandits or sea monsters?" Resha asked, clearly disappointed.

"No, none to speak of." I grinned sadly. "Now how about getting down and giving your brother's arms a rest?"

"No." She tightened her grip. "Carry me more."

"Resha you are too big for this." Juno scolded. "And you should be in bed anyway."

"No." The sharpness in her voice surprised me, as did the strength with which she suddenly gripped me. Her eyes met mine with the intense emotion of a child and her voice reflected the same. "I want to stay with you...I missed you."

"Alright." I said calmingly, confused about her outburst but not wanting to upset her more. "At least let me sit down. You can sit in my lap all you want, how about that?"

"Okay." She agreed, mollified. I carried her over to a nearby chair, one of four matched wickerwork pieces surrounding a brazier, and settled down into it shifting her carefully to avoid any unfortunate tail pinches. Her small form fit snugly against my chest and she curled against me instinctively, nuzzling me again. I smiled and cuddled her close, giving her a kiss and petting her. She giggled happily and squeezed me tight.

"I missed you so much little kitten." I whispered, using the pet name I had given her before I had left for Gibraltar nearly a year before.

"I am not little." She protested instantly.

"Alright, kitten then." I chuckled, shifting so that she would be more comfortable.

"That is better." She pronounced with such seriousness that I almost laughed. "Are you going to go away again like last time you visited?"

"Resha!" Juno warned, taking a seat in one of the chairs, followed shortly by Polonius.

"No, Resha, I will be staying for...for quite some time." If she caught the verbal stumble she didn't seem to think it important.

"Good! Then we can go to the stables tomorrow and you can show me how to ride like you promised!"

"Not until your mother gives you permission." I told her seriously.

"Not a chance." Juno said before Resha could twist in my arms to look at her. "We have talked about this, not until you are older. Do not give me that look, it is not safe. My answer is no."

"Do not worry Resha, you will be big enough eventually." Polonius comforted, though he was just as amused by Resha's crestfallen pout as I was.

"And when you are I will teach you how to ride." I reminded her. "Now may I talk with your mother and father? We have much to catch up on."

"Okay." She said sullenly, giving Juno a dark look when she thought the older female would not see.

From there on Polonius, Juno and I held a long-winded and very dry conversation about trade laws and tariffs while we waited for the heat of the brazier and the lateness of the hour to take their inevitable effect on the cub in my lap. It didn't take long, her eyes started to droop not long after we started speculating the worth of various goods in the upcoming season, particularly exported lumber and Gaia crystals. She fought it valiantly but she was still young, and it was quite late.

Every so often she would twitch, starting when she realized she had dozed off, and each time she would glance up at me, as if to reassure herself that I was still there. When she caught me looking back I would smile and give her a quick nuzzle or a kiss and she would settle down again, falling asleep within a few minutes and the pattern would repeat itself.

Eventually though, she fell well and truly asleep and the pretense of conversation I had been keeping with Polonius and Juno trailed off into silence. The weight of Resha's body as she slept against me, half curled into a ball, was reminiscent of the weight bearing down on my mind and heart, though much less troubling.

"She does not know what happened, none of them do." Polonius said quietly when he was sure she was totally asleep. "The older ones suspect of course, and I suspect Helena has the truth of it, but we have kept it from them. We wanted to wait and see how you wanted to tell them."

"They deserve the truth...maybe not the whole of it, not until they are old enough to keep it to themselves, but the barest facts cannot be kept from them." Spare the youngest ones the ugliness of the matter, my heart said, they don't need to know the cruelty of the world, not yet.

"That is wise." Polonius nodded.

"How do you fare?" Juno asked the question that had obviously been burning at her since I had walked in. "You are drawn, and you have lost weight since we last met."

"I...fell ill, not long after father passed." I was all too careful of how I spoke, letting the barest pause emphasize my suspicions. "It worsened with the storm, but after the tossing of the ship and a bad leak in the hold left everyone on the ship eating hard naught but tack and water I started to recover. The ship's surgeon said that rich food had obviously been aggravating a weakened stomach."

There was a long pause as Polonius and Juno digested what I had just told them. I could never outright accuse my brother of attempting to poison me, but my own medical training and the state of my brother's mind when he came back from his campaign to assume the throne left me little doubt.

"It is good that you are on the mend then." Juno said slowly. She could have been catastrophically angry for all I knew, but she would never show it around me if she thought it would upset me. "You should probably go to bed though. Purnenk Rak'sha." She growled in Karshan. 'Sleep speeds the mend'. "We can speak further in the morning."

"I am afraid sleep will not find me quite as easily as it did Resha." I replied, giving her a wan smile. "I have not slept more than four hours a night since Father's passing, and I doubt that will change soon."

"Still, you should try. Even if you lie still and close your eyes the rest will do you good."

"Or you could go to the temple of Mira. Soft fur and warm flesh would help you sleep." Polonius suggested. I couldn't help but laugh quietly at that. In human lands suggesting to go see a whore, be she a priestess or not, would have been a great insult. Not so among the Karshans. They have the luxury of knowing exactly when their females are fertile, so sex is much less risky, and thus much more socially acceptable.

"Or that. There are sure to be a few priestesses awake yet, or a priest or two." Juno added. She was of the opinion that youth was for experimentation of all kinds, and had prodded me into trying many things when I was growing up, though nothing like what she had just suggested.

"I had planned just that." I said. "But first, I should tuck Resha into bed. Does she still sleep with the cubs?"

"If you go in there you will wake them all up and there will be a ruckus fit to wake the dead. She can sleep with us tonight." Polonius said, indicating the large bed not far away.

I nodded and carefully got up, cradling my sleeping sister in my arms and carrying her over to the bed. Getting her tucked in one-handed was a trick, but I managed it; gently lying her down and covering her with the blanket. She stirred briefly when I brought it up to her chin and her eyes cracked open blearily.

"Go to sleep little one. I will see you in the morning." I murmured softly and kissed her cheek. She made an indecipherable noise but fell back to sleep in moments.

I stood up and turned to leave but was stopped by Juno standing in front of me. She wrapped me in a brief hug and kissed me, whispering a good bye in my ear before joining her daughter on the bed. Polonius just smiled and waved me to the curtain that covered the passage that would lead me right to the temple complex of the palace, a practicality when one considered that Karshan religious rites often necessitated the ruler's attendance and the fact that the only other way to the complex was quite circuitous.

"See you in the morning Peter." He patted me on the shoulder and gave me a shamelessly perverse grin. "Make her squirm for me."

"I will do my best." I rolled my eyes and left him to bed down with his mate and daughter.

The corridor to the temple was an old addition to the castle, but it had been cunningly placed. It was a completely straight tunnel bored through countless walls and floors and ceilings, but it had no openings save entrance and exit. No side paths, no adjoining doorways. Crystal lamps hung at regular intervals in the walls, a low-grade utilitarian green, with the first, fifteenth, and thirtieth a higher quality blue. Thirty lamps, each one a few long (human) strides apart.

I had been to the temple numerous times when I was growing up in the palace, though I had never taken part in the rites or general...entertainment until just before I left for Gibraltar. Mainly I had gone to watch Polonius as he navigated the tricky waters of church/state relations, though honesty dictated I admit the fact that the ranking priestesses thought I was adorable factored into it too. Mira, being a fertility goddess, attracted many barren females to her service, and though many of her priestesses could and did bear cubs an equal number of them could not. It was they who raised the cubs born of the other priestesses, and the foundlings and orphans left at the temple.

I had happy memories of playing with the cubs or learning the pictographic Karshan script at the tutelage of an aging priestess, rewarded with candies and cuddles when I did well.

It was only much later that I was initiated into the more carnal aspects of Miran worship. When I was fifteen Polonius had brought me to a secluded chamber where I met with a priestess of Mira who proceeded to initiate me into the ways of the bedchamber. I had been unspeakably nervous, but her patience had put me at ease and made the memory a good one. Since then I had been with a few women, human and Karshan alike, though my dalliances were few and far between even by human standards and I did not consider myself to be the kind of fantastically skilled lover I knew most males thought they were.

The end of the tunnel came abruptly, as it always seemed to, and broke me out of my walk through memory. It left me in a small anteroom just outside the Miran temple proper, and I was greeted by the sight of a pair of royal guards and an old priest who (judging by his grey robes and corded muscles) subscribed to Mira's brother, Akhten, the god of war and conquest.

The three of them watched me with the casual suspicion and wariness that comes from a lifetime of combat, but made no move to forestall me. Knowing better than to take this as invitation to ignore them I bowed slightly and spoke the traditional greeting in Karshan.

"Rhlar Xhyvot. Rhlar Frasha. Shrim Kahth." No steel, no blood, only peace. The priest nodded and spoke the traditional answer.

"Tahkven, veral kesha?" Welcome, who is it you seek?

"Mira." The old priest's expression did not change overtly, but a slight glimmer appeared in his eyes, as it did in the eyes of the guards.

"Ryxah, Mira nuval." Go, may Mira find you worthy.

The three of them parted and I walked through the doorway into the complex, one of the guards trailing behind me discreetly. The doorway led to a nondescript hall, which in turn led to a larger hall, which led to a side door to the temple floor.

The room was massive, easily the largest single room in the whole palace, which is saying something given that the palace it a city unto itself. The domed ceiling was easily fifty feet high at its apex, and a forty foot tall statue of Mira stood at the far end. The whole place was carved out of the same mountain the palace was, though I'd heard the original architects had needed to quarry stone from other sections to finish the ceiling and the pillars that supported it. The wall opposite me consisted entirely of carved pillars, the gaps between them left open to allow fresh air to circulate through. The side I had just come out of was solid, though covered with geometric carvings and embellishments.

The floor, though, was the most interesting part. Instead of chairs or benches as you would expect in a temple the amphitheater like room was filled with bedding. Cushions and blankets were spread all over, interspersed with large iron rods each holding a cluster of yellow light crystals carved in such a way that their light guttered and flickered like fire.

The whole space was a great semi-circle, with the statue being the focal point, each step of the amphitheater like space was enough for a dozen priestesses at least, though the smaller ones at one end and the larger ones at the other allowed for a variance. By the feet of the statue there were three raised platforms each with a smaller section of bedding. One on the left and right and one directly between the statue's legs.

This was where the priests and priestesses of Mira plied their trade, where they worshiped their goddess. Red-dyed bedding supported tangled bodies of spent lovers wrapped in the warm forgetfulness of sleep. The smell of sex in the room was noticeable even with the night breeze wafting in and I could hear (and see) a few determined souls continuing their efforts here and there.

I walked down the steps carved into the floor, well away from the mostly sleeping priestesses and their bedmates. The ones that were still awake smiled at me, and a few even made silent invitations, but I turned them down graciously. They were all tired, and who could blame them? I would be taking advantage of my relationship with the ranking priestesses tonight to secure a slightly more private location for my tryst.

When I finally came down to the center of the room a middle aged priest in faded red robes stood to greet me and I got what felt like the hundredth crushing hug of the day.

"Peter, I did not expect to see you so soon." His voice was incongruously high for his barrel chest, but there was unmistakable kindness in it.

"Sleep eludes me Pontus. I take it Polonius has informed you of the details of my return?"

"Yes, though I suspect he left a few things out, as he should have. I am sorry to hear about your parents. They did not follow our Path, but they were good people nonetheless and I am sure they are being watched over by the gods."

"Your words comfort me." I said honestly, breaking the embrace and meeting the old priest's kind eyes. "I can only hope they have in death what they did not have at the end of life."

"Though it may seem like it, good deeds are not always punished. At least not in the long run." He said, patting me on the shoulder. "The gods see what we do not, and good people are taken care of when their time comes. But I am sure you do not want to hear more cold comforts from a priest, dare I presume you came to worship?"

"As Polonius suggested," I replied dryly. "Warm fur and soft flesh may help me sleep this night. And even if they don't, the company will be comforting."

"Well, in that case I welcome you to the temple and ask if you have brought an offering."

Paying for the priestesses' time was not strictly required, but it was considered quite rude to ignore the offering platter. One need not empty their purse, and there was not even a set price, the poorest of the denizens of the realm could know the embrace of a priestess, it was only asked that you pay something. Each according to his stature. In reality the temple was quite well funded, as even the least religious Karshan was wary of earning the ire of the fertility goddess.

I had planned on this trip since I got here, and even though I knew Polonius could have covered me I would not have felt right. So I dug into one of the pockets of my cloak and brought out a small coin purse, handing it to Pontus, who took it and placed it into a small iron bound chest near the statue's feet.

While he was doing that I reached into a hard leather case on my belt and withdrew a few small vials of dark green glass. Inside were the seeds of a rare plant that grew only in the high mountains far north of Gibraltar, or in specially-prepared magical greenhouses.

"Take these as well." I extended the vials carefully. Pontus' brow furrowed as he inspected them.

"What are they?"

"Heartbloom." The small bush like plant produced fruits that, properly prepared, would trigger an estrous cycle in Karshan females. It was often the last resort of those desperate to have cubs, and very expensive given its rarity and the distance one had to ship it.

"Heartbloom." He muttered, taking the vials with an air of reverence. "These are worth thrice their weight in gold."

"No woman who wants a child should have to go without because her purse is too light." I said, remembering the struggle of one of Polonius' mates. "The greenhouses at Gibraltar were always my pet project, and these plants even more so. That was all I could gather, but if properly grown..."

"Then many females will know the joy of a family." Pontus said, smiling. I politely ignored the wetness at the edges of his eyes. His only mate was barren, I knew, which explained the fervor with which they both took to raising the orphans in the temple. "This is a great gift, and well given. Our supply has grown small and our suppliers greedier. It is not the place of mortals to bestow blessings, but I am sure that Mira smiles on you for this."

"I am more than happy to give it." I said. "And if your growers ever want my help I would be more than happy to give it. I am no master gardener, but I have watched over these plants for months, and I may be able to contribute at least something."

"I will let them decide that." He said, holding the vials carefully. "But enough of this, your gift has been accepted and you said you wished for the company of a priestess. Most of them will be asleep or exhausted by now, but a few of us are always awake at night. Come with me and we will find someone."

"There is no need for searching Pontus." Came a familiar voice from nearby half-light. A priestess in a crimson short robe strode into the light, a warm smile on her muzzle. "I will be more than happy to show our wayward prince a night of soft fur and warm flesh." She turned her smile to me and opened her arms invitingly. "It has been too long Peter."

"Trebia." I eagerly returned her embrace. "I did not expect to see you here, at least not so late."

"Trebia has been chosen as the next Hierophant." Pontus informed me, smiling at my old friend like an indulgent grandfather, which, in a way, he was. "She is often up and about late. I imagine an excuse to forgo her normal duties for some basic worship will be most welcome."

"Indeed it will." Trebia laughed. "I grow tired of constant scroll work and ledgers. I knew that being Hierophant would be a great deal more...bureaucratic than my previous duties, but the sheer number of order forms and checklists involved boggles the mind."

"I imagine it does." I leaned into Trebia's embrace and nuzzled her cheek. She and I had gotten acquainted when I first came to the temple with Polonius. We had become fast friends after my first meeting and had only grown closer until I had to leave to go back to Gibraltar. "Congratulations Trebia. If anyone has earned it, you have."

"Thank you Peter." She nuzzled me back.

"Go, both of you." Pontus chuckled. "Before your blood heats and you mate on the floor. Take the dais, it is mostly unoccupied." He gestured to his right. "Go and lose yourselves in sweet flesh and hot blood, as is your goddess given right."

"Better advice I have never heard." Trebia said, taking my hand in her paw and drawing me with her towards the dais. "Let us have a proper greeting."

I smiled at her and I felt my loins stirring as we walked. The dais itself wasn't raised very high, just about seven feet off the floor, but even that relatively small elevation and the lack of enclosing walls made it seem like a stage, especially when you climbed up the short set of stairs that allowed access to it.

Trebia untied her robe with one paw as we walked, the motion easy and well-practiced. My own clothes would not come off so easily, but they would be gone soon enough.

The top of the dais was littered with cushions and blankets, all the same scarlet red that was Mira's color. It was divided into four roughly equal sections, none of which were occupied. Trebia chose the section closest to the stairway and quickly shed her robe, leaving her completely nude as she turned to face me.

Her muzzle met my mouth in a sweltering kiss and she pressed herself against me hungrily. I returned the gestures in kind, reveling in the intimacy of the act. Miran priestesses lay with many males, but kiss only few. Their wombs are given to the goddess, but their mouths are their own. Trebia's kiss was like hot spiced cider on a cold day: refreshing, comforting, and invigorating all at once. It also revealed the extent of her emotions. She was very glad I was back. I was very glad to be back. I kissed her as passionately as I knew how.

Her paws undid the clasp that held my cloak around my neck and tossed it on top of her robe. Then her paws slid down my back and under the hem of my shirt, pulling it quickly over my head and sending it to join my cloak. She would have discarded my pants just as quickly had I not stopped her, taking her wrists in my hands and redirecting her paws. She accepted the diversion without complaint and I took the chance to move my kisses away from her mouth to the line of her jaw.

The art of using one's mouth to please a mate is highly esteemed in Karsha, books and songs and poems have been written about it. All the great Karshan folk heroes are said to have had clever tongues and careful teeth. I held no pretentions to of being as good as the heroes of lore, but what I did know I used well, licking, kissing, mouthing and nipping all in due time as I primed her body for my own.

Trebia, in her turn, was as eager to show off as I was, and her paws made maddening circles on my exposed skin, seeking and finding sensitive spots with the alacrity of an owl finding a mouse in the scrub brush. Her mouth rested against my head as I trailed my kisses down her throat and my hands down her flanks. Soft sounds caressed my ears as her paws caressed my skin. Sounds of joy, contentment, and yearning. Music to any male's ears.

"Lay me down Peter." She whispered in my ear. "Lay me down and show me all you have learned of the flesh." A soft exhalation into my ear. "All the motions." A flitting kiss. "All the passion." A swift lick. "All the raw lust." A gentle nip. "Show me everything."

"Poetry suits you." I panted back, pausing long enough to catch my breath. "I am not nearly so eloquent, but I promise you this." I drew her into a tongue melding kiss that had us tasting each other noisily. "Before we are through I will see you tremble in climax. Whether I have to use my hands," I brushed my fingers over the base of her tail, ghostly soft. She gasped lightly and arched her back into me, smiling like an excited child. "My mouth." I carefully took her right breast in my hand and kissed my way around her nipple, tugging the fur ever so gently with my teeth. She hummed happily. "Or my rod." I pressed my hips against hers and she ground herself against me happily.

"You are very poetic for one who claims not to be eloquent." She purred, undoing my belt and slowly starting to remove it. "But if you are still nervous, I find that bodies can express what words cannot."

"Mmm, I will have to give that a try." I grinned as my belt slid completely out of my pants. I was sure to catch hold of the hard leather case I had carried Pontus' vials in, and I tossed that aside carefully while Trebia pushed my pants down, revealing my body fully.

Then she took a step back and admired my erect member, smiling with unabashed lust and posing for me, giving me a wonderful view of her breasts and, a second later, her swelling lower lips. She beckoned me to the cushions and sat down, her tail lashing the air behind her.

"Come now, let us taste of each other."

"I would be delighted to sample the nectar of your loins." I said, crawling on top of her and inwardly chuckling at how dramatic she was making this.

My mouth found her right nipple and I began mouthing her gently. She sighed happily and pushed her chest up, showing her enjoyment. After a long while spent licking and suckling I kissed and mouthed my way across her chest to left nipple and I repeated the process. I kept at her breast until she got impatient and I felt her paw rest on the top of my head and she pushed me down gently. Grinning to myself I did as she wordlessly ordered, mouthing my way down her belly and waist until I had settled between her spread legs and I could admire the treasure that awaited me there.

I took a moment to admire the beauty of her fully blossomed entrance before gently spreading her fleshy curtains apart with my fingers. Then I carefully traced one side of her folds with my tongue, getting a taste of her juices. Her scent was powerful, and the flavor just as strong. Musky and wild. It stiffened my member by several degrees the instant my mouth and nose were assaulted by it.

Listening for sounds of particular enjoyment I parted her folds with my tongue and explored her tunnel methodically, starting at the outside and moving ever inward. The deeper and deeper I probed with my tongue the more of her I was able to taste, and I was determined to taste it all. Her inner flesh, soft, slick, and beautifully warm resisted my intrusion ever so slightly. My tongue prodded and teased her in ways I had practiced on most of my other mates, searching in a well-rehearsed sweep, picking out every pleasurable spot I could find, finding what made her moan.

When her sounds grew sufficiently primal I started to work the nub at the top of her blossom, gently toying with its protective hood with my fingers and pursing my lips around it gently. She gasped and let out a throaty laugh when I did, proving my timing was right.

"You have an accomplished mouth Peter," She panted. "Before long you shall reap the fruits of your labor." She managed to purr despite being rather out of breath.

I found myself grinning as I renewed my assault on her with vigor, suckling on her energetically as she started down the road to climax. I circled her nub with my tongue and gently started probing into her with my fingers, deeper and deeper until I found the soft spot that all females adored. I curled my finger up and felt its sponge like texture, stroking it softly even as I licked her nub.

The pleasure proved too much for her and she climaxed with a gasp, arching her back and gripping the back of my head as she voiced her pleasure with a soft but intense moan. I continued to lick her as she came down from her high, cleaning up the small gush of fluid that came with her peak and easing her down gently, prolonging her orgasm as long as I could.

"Goddess I thank you for my mate, and for the rapture which he brings me." Trebia murmured, half joke, half prayer. "Now please give me the skill to give to him what he has given to me."

"If you wish to taste me you are certainly welcome." I chuckled. "In fact I would quite like that."

"Well then, if you would sit back I would be happy to give you what you want, only let me catch my breath first."

I did as she said, repositioning myself so that I was leaning back, supported on my arms with my legs parted and my prominent erection proudly displayed. She admired it while her breath slowed to normal and I (somewhat impatiently) waited.

When she was ready she slowly and sensually crawled over to me and gave me a brief but tongue-heavy kiss.

"Can you taste yourself?" I asked flippantly.

"Mmm, just." She replied with a twinkle in her eye as she moved her mouth down to my neck. "But now I am more interested in tasting the sap of your vine."

"I can guarantee you that you will be able to sample it very soon." I closed my eyes and moaned as her breath caressed my sweat slicked flesh. Her mouth was not a human's mouth, her lips were not as prominent, so she could not do the same things a human could, but there were things that she could do that no human could match. Her mouth traced a path down the line of the artery in my throat to my shoulder where her tongue lashed out, tasting the salty tang of my skin. I shivered as she did so and let out a breathy exaltation to Mira, provoking a laugh from her.

"Only priests and priestesses are supposed to know that." She chuckled, using her breath to stimulate the sensitive skin of my throat. "You must have eavesdropped. Bad human." I jumped as I felt needles prick my shoulder and I looked down to see her smirking unabashedly. Then her jaws parted again and she bit me, not hard enough to pierce my skin, but enough to get my attention.

The experience was completely new to me, but shockingly erotic nonetheless and I watched with helpless fascination as she nipped her way down my chest and belly until her head was positioned right above my member. Her breath tickled the head of my sensitive organ and I saw that I was already leaking some fluid. I thought struck me and I spoke as her mouth opened, presumably to take me into her.

"Do not bite me there. My chest is fine, but not there."

"I would not, not unless you asked." She reassured. A paw wrapped around the base of my shaft and her tongue lavished my pole. First the left side, then the right, her rough tongue covered every inch of me. Then she took my shaft into her mouth and slowly sank her head down, taking my length into her maw and sucking noisily on it as she went.

I had to grip the cushions and grit my teeth hard to keep from shouting as her paw transitioned from the base of my shaft to my sack and began juggling my balls. Her tongue relentlessly sloughed all over my throbbing cock and I could feel the back of her throat at my head. Her tongue undulated against me rhythmically, nearly causing me to see stars. On each down stroke she buried her nose in my pubic hair, her exhalations sending maddening currents of warm air through the bush. I stroked her face with a hand as she enthusiastically mated me with her mouth, enjoying the view almost as much as the sensation.

Under such skilled assault and as long as I had gone without sex it was inevitable that I would not last long, but the rapid approach of my peak surprised me even so.

"I am close Trebia." I managed to get out between pants. She slowed her efforts slightly, prolonging the act by perhaps a minute but I just could not last. My eyes rolled back into my head as euphoria washed over me. I was vaguely aware of Trebia's pleased noise as my shaft twitched and I filled her mouth with my seed.

I had a truly large emission saved up and I was certain I gave Trebia quite the mouthful, but she did not gag or move as I squirted the last of my ejaculate into her mouth. Instead she waited until she was sure I was done and rhythmically suckled on my softening shaft, drawing out any last drops of fluid left inside. Then she carefully removed herself, keeping her mouth closed as she did. I shivered as the chill night air contacted my penis but watched in fascination as she came up to sit on her haunches and met my gaze insistently. Then she grinned and opened her mouth, showing me exactly what I had given her.

Gooey white strands connected many of her teeth and pooled on her tongue. I smiled as she rolled her tongue through it, deliberately tasting it and moaning. Once she had given me a good show she closed her mouth and swallowed a couple times, running her tongue over her teeth to get the last of it. The spectacle went a long way towards preparing me for the real mating ahead.

"My, you must have been quite lonely for a while to have such a surplus stored up."

"I have been, but that is over tonight." I reached out to her and drew her into my arms, immediately dropping my mouth to her shoulder and biting her. "I need some time before I can go again, but I think I know how we can fill it." Another bite.

"Revenge is sweet." She laughed, sliding a paw down my side and making me shiver.

The next few minutes were spent in breathy groping and writhing. Moans slid out of our throats as hands and paws hunted for pleasurable spots, bites were traded back and forth rapidly, human and Karshan musk mixed to form a heady perfume that glazed our eyes over and awoke primitive instincts in the both of us.

Knowing that tails were the most sensual part of any Karshan's body I gripped the base of hers like I would grip myself if I were going to rub myself for relief. Her whole body spasmed when I first gripped her and parts of her continually twitched as I gently but insistently squeezed her there. In return she quickly rooted out the weakness I had at the points of my jawbone, just under my ears. Her efforts there drew whimpers from me unwillingly and disrupted my efforts at pleasing her until I could regain control of myself again.

Our mutual efforts quickly built us up to a height of lust again, and before long I was subconsciously moving into position to mount her. She recognized it and offered no resistance at all, instead she rolled onto her back, pulling me on top of her and splayed her legs wide, granting me unrestricted access to her body. Our eyes met and we shared lust filled grins as I reached down and grasped myself, guiding myself into her. I paused as my head just slipped into her and took a moment to enjoy the sensation of her slick walls on my bare flesh, but when she arched her hips up and made an impatient noise I slid myself in fully.

Burying my rod inside her was like being enveloped in honeyed silk, and I moaned unabashedly. I hilted myself inside her with my first slow stroke and savored the look on her face. We quickly established a comfortable rhythm and started exploring what else we could do with our bodies while we rutted.

Our mouths once again found themselves heavily occupied. Her tongue lavished my throat for a time, but I would not be outdone, so I buried my mouth in the junction of her neck and shoulder and began to nip and suck on her flesh where her fur was thinnest and her scent the strongest.

As her mind sunk deeper and deeper into the mating her instincts asserted themselves and she began bucking against me wildly, forcing me to step up the pace and strength of my thrusts accordingly. To a human it would have been painful, but to a Karshan in the throes of pleasure it was bliss. Our congress never quite became rough, but it straddled the edge, and I loved every second of it. The wild abandon, the raw passion, the knowledge that I could not have hurt her with my actions unless I went so far that I would hurt myself, drove me onwards. I gave into my passions, surrendering myself completely to the lust thrumming through my body and relished every moment of it.

We were in full form then, mating as powerfully as any two lovers could have, but such intensity could not last. Our motions started to become less coordinated and more eratic as we became pleasure drunk. We both knew it would not last long, and our groans echoed our anticipation. Pleasure built and built and I began to wonder if I would be able to hold on.

Just before I reached the point of no return I managed to push her over the edge and she moaned my name into my ear. Lust and satisfaction slurred her voice, but that only made it that much more beautiful. My own climax came not long after and I instinctively hilted my shaft inside her to spill my seed. Once, twice, thrice my cock throbbed, sending pulses of sticky fluid into her waiting tunnel.

Spent but not willing to remove myself from her yet, I rested my head on her shoulder and panted, feeling my arms and legs shake. She was not in much better condition and it took her a long few minutes before she could speak again. When she could she began a quiet but heartfelt invocation to Mira. The archaic prayer thanked the goddess for the rapture of climax, praised her for conceiving of it in the first place, and offered the experience up to her.

She had been embracing me the whole time we mated, but as she prayed her embrace became softer and less intense. Her paws strayed over me, stroking gently with the soft fur on the back of her paws. The next part of the invocation thanked the partner of the priestess for the experience and was oftentimes shortened or ignored if the priestess was expecting to be with many males on a given day. Trebia did not shorten or abbreviate it at all. She murmured the whole of it, all the archaic phrasing and dramatic prose, into my ear as she held me. It was one of the most peaceful moments of my entire life.

When she was done I withdrew my softened member and laid down beside her, taking her into my arms and draping a leg over her. She gave me a warm smile and gave me a warm kiss, on which I could taste the salty reminder of my own ejaculate.

"It is good to have you back Peter." She whispered tiredly. "I missed you, and I am glad to have known your embrace."

"I missed you too old friend." I murmured back. Then a yawn took me unawares. "I am honored to have been with you."

"Flattery." She chuckled. "Good night Peter."

"Good night Trebia. May the goddess protect you from nightmares."