Wishful Thinking, Chapter 11.
#10 of Wishful Thinking
Wishful Thinking, Chapter 11
By Mitch Kenzo.
Contains:
Screw it, I don't wanna put what it contains anymore. >:O IS A SURPRIES!!1
Chapter 11: African Wishes
The hyena heard and felt something settle by his resting tree. Apparently it hadn't noticed that he was there... A fatal misjudgment later in the evening if it were a prey item. He was too tired to look now though. Any wasted energy in the blazing daylight could mean the difference between life and death when he had to make that final rush to take down the meal that would sustain him for the next two days. He waited, watching the sun grow lower in the sky until the ground outside the shadows of the tree no longer burned on his paws. It wasn't a major burn, just uncomfortable, another reason why resting was better.
The creature got up, shaking dust off his beautifully spotted coat, licking and nipping at a sore spot on the grey part of his coat. When it was satisfied, he padded quietly around to the other side of the tree, sitting in the grass to examine what animal hadn't noticed his presence or scent. It wasn't anything like he'd seen before... Somewhat like the monkeys and baboons that he occasionally saw (or had a piece of) but definitely much larger and stranger. It had no fur on its body, just a pale skin... It must not even be from around here, somewhere where the sun did not shine nearly as much. He'd heard tales of that from his brethren who listened to the songs of the passing birds of news from faraway lands. Perhaps that was where this oddity was from. It was at least as big as he was, so he wasn't about to attack it without help, or knowing how dangerous it really was. The hyena wasn't really all that hungry either, so he decided he'd just watch it, probably run if it began to look menacing.
Then, it stirred. He saw a fluttering on the ape-like face. Its eyes opened, and it rolled on its side. It rolled to the other, before taking a breath and looking ahead, stopping as it saw him. It stayed still as he watched it back, as if to study and size him up. He began to tense his muscles, until he got an unexpected reaction: It got onto its hind legs and stood tall, balancing somehow. The hyena knew that stance... This was no ape, it was a human. Humans were bad and dangerous... A growl began to rise in his throat as he remembered his last and only encounter with them, a tribe of dark-skinned ones that chased after him with spears when they saw him eating some remains of a dead calf, even though it had been dead for three days by then. A spear had nicked his back leg, a minor injury, but enough to tell him that it could have been much worse. Some of them even had sticks that were like the spears, but shiny, and emitted fire and smoke when they used them. It must have been an advanced way to throw stones, because he heard one glance off a rock near his head before he finally galloped away into some nearby brush.
This human... It seemed unarmed. He didn't lower his guard, though his growl left him. He sniffed the air for a hint of the smokespear smell, and found nothing. In fact, this human smelled... Fresh, different. It was also a different color than the others. Maybe they came in different flavors?
Perry looked back at the figure staring at him, trying to identify it. It had to be a hyena... It was the only real African mammal that he could think of that looked like a dog, though he remembered reading that it was more closely related to meerkats than to wild dogs. Whatever it was, he couldn't make out if it was friendly or not. As he rose, he distinctly saw the ears on the hyena's head flatten, and he stood still. Perry was no longer afraid of death, but there wasn't a need to be tempted to use that century of time. He waited until he detected a hint less hostility before speaking. "I'm not going to hurt you. I'd rather be your friend... Oh, who am I kidding, you probably can't understand me anyway." Perry stroked his chin. Just how much could the hyena understand? Maybe... Yes, the ears weren't as flat. "Maybe you do know what I'm saying. I'll say it out loud, I'm not afraid of you." The ears perked this time. "Okay, I'm going to come a little closer." Perry walked around a bit before facing the hyena again and raising a foot to take a step. No extra hostility... He planted it in front of him. There wasn't any real change in the creature regarding him, so he took another step, and then another. He was now halfway between the tree and the hyena, and he could see it beginning to lean away from him as if to run. "Fine, I'll stop." Perry sat back down in the grass and kept still, trying to look as nice as possible. He just hoped the hyena was seeing it as nice and not as an attack!
The hyena was watching intently. Oddly enough, he could understand what this human was saying. Not going to hurt him? Right, just like the other humans... But, it didn't seem like it was going to attack. He had a feeling he was going to regret staying later, but the submissive trait of his species held him in place, as well as his curiosity. The human took a step. Funny it should talk to him and ask his permission to come closer, but he was wary. It took another step, and then a third. This was getting a bit too close for comfort. If he was going to run, now was the time. He tensed his legs and began to move back, ready to run if there was a fourth step. He stayed like that as the human stopped. Now it was sitting down? Stopping, huh... He relaxed a moment until it put one of its handpaws out towards him. He trotted back a few steps. Something was nagging at him to stay, but he dismissed it as his submissive side. No, he wasn't going to be anyone's fool tonight, and trotted out toward the darkness.
Perry's head sagged. The hand was too much for the hyena's comfort, obviously. Drat... He didn't know why, but it seemed important to make friends with that creature. He put his head in his other hand and let the first hang in front of him, resting it on his knee. He was lost in Africa, no clue on what to do for food or shelter, knowing full well he could be killed by any of the numerous predators that roamed the savannah. It was likely, to tell the truth. Another thing bothered him... Why wasn't Shanna dead with him in the afterlife? Why wasn't he dead right now? She'd said that mental link was very strong, and that being distant was to invite death. What was going on then? He closed his eyes, trying to think it out. However, something cool and wet pressing into his palm quickly caught his attention. His eyes darted up, though the rest of him didn't move. He felt and watched the same hyena snort and snuffle his hand, ears laid back, but not in such a menacing position. It saw him looking at him and darted away into the dark again. What the heck was going on with that thing?
After running for a bit, the hyena stopped. The human appeared defeated, laying its head in its paw. It wasn't chasing him, yelling or shouting at him, but for some reason the handpaw was still there, outstretched and inviting. He paced, trying to decide whether or not to keep running away. A small sniff to refresh human odor in his mind couldn't hurt. He quickly loped back, cautiously coming up to the paw, snuffling it and pressing his nose in. It was warm, not at all unpleasant to the feel. However, it still felt wrong somehow, making the hyena recoil and trot off. The human still didn't make any move to come after him... Maybe some more sniffing was in order. The more sharp the scent was, the more he'd know to avoid it in the future. He trotted to the human's back this time, cautiously sniffing the coating over its skin, some kind of woven hairs? He pressed his nose against the neck skin and jumped back when the human jolted. It obviously hadn't been paying attention to where he was. This was kinda fun... He leaned in again, poking the human's neck, but this time, it was expecting him, tensing but not moving beyond that. He took the chance to sniff it, going around once before sniffing up into the fur on its head, up and down. It wasn't that bad of a smell, kind of nice really. There was one interesting one, kind of... bitter? It was coming from what he could only make out to be the human's ear. His nose stopped at the entrance, before he poked it in. The human's head pulled away, but he followed, hearing a sound coming from it. It wasn't distressed, more like a happy sound, so he continued to sniff, until something stuck to the end of his nose. What was the human saying? He looked at the gunk, and lapped it with his tongue, before recoiling and batting at his nose and mouth, scraping his tongue against his teeth to get whatever it was off. Ugh, he couldn't eat something that tasted like that! The human was making another sound at him, the same happy one, and this time actually looking at him. Nothing bad had happened so far... Maybe it wasn't going to hurt him after all.
Perry sighed and fell back into thought, trying to make more sense of Lila. Had she lied to him? If she had, that didn't make sense. It was possible, but she never had a reason to. She seemed like she'd been pretty up-front with him... Maybe there was another explanation? The same cold feeling as before, now on his neck made him jump. "Erk!" He wasn't expecting that! He wanted to turn around to see what it was, but had a fairly good idea already. The feeling came back, and air blew over his neck, the hyena's nose sniffing him. It went there, and up into his air. He didn't move this time, but was starting to giggle from the tickling sensation it gave him. The nasal examination was actually fairly relaxing too, so Perry closed his eyes to enjoy it, until the searching nostrils plunged into his ear. He jerked his head away, laughing. "That tickles!" However, the hyena seemed genuinely interested in something. It was sniffing harder and deeper, no longer realizing he had personal space. For a moment, Perry thought he may have made a mistake in trying to trust this wild animal. Not that it was a bad thing, but he'd probably end up on the menu shortly. He felt something squash in his ear canal and snickered. "Hey, that's not good for you, you shouldn't lick it." However, his warning went unheeded as the hyena decided to taste the small glob of earwax now attached to his nose. Well, this ought to serve to teach it a lesson about personal space! The reaction was more or less what he expected, the hyena jarring around as if someone had tried to give him a nasty-tasting medicine. He was batting at his muzzle, trying to get rid of it, a comical scene that made Perry laugh. He took advantage of the situation to wipe the rest of the wax off the hyena's nose, surprised when it didn't try to run or jump away. Perry decided to try again, this time getting the saliva and wax mix that had accumulated on its lips as it had scraped the foul flavor off its tongue. He wiped his hand on the grass, and then smiled nicely, turning to face the creature sitting next to him. "Well now, you don't seem like you're in the mood to hurt me or anything. My name is Perry... Not like it matters right now." He held out his clean hand to the hyena so it could sniff it, happy when he got the reaction he wanted. It was a more gentle sniffing, and it even laid its chin on his hand. His fingers curled up, giving a slow, nice scratch to the hyena's skin, making it blink. He made another pass, and then another. It felt nice, and he moved his hand, stroking its cheeks and the bridge of its muzzle, eventually reaching the hyena's head, and trying a scratch between the ears. It closed its eyes, a more relaxed look on its face, like it was enjoying the feeling. Perry had a good feeling that it was!
Having gotten the worst of the taste out of his mouth, the hyena stopped scraping his tongue just in time for the human to wipe the foul gunk off his nose and onto the grass. It paused, making sure he was alright with the touch, before wiping the bitter drool from his lips as well. The touch felt nice, not at all like he'd been expecting. The human wiped his saliva onto the ground, and then said his name. Perry... It wasn't bad. He didn't have one himself that he could think of, just a scent that was his identification in the world of the savannah. The human... no, Perry had obviously shown great trust in the hyena to not bite or kill him this far, it was time to return the favor... He slowly leaned forward, laying his chin on the human's handpaw, eyes still open for any sign of betrayal or hatred. He only felt a gentle shiver in it before the long toes came up, the blunt claws scratching at his chin. That felt... Good! He wanted more. The claws brushed through his fur again, easing itchy spots and soothing his tension. The hyena waited for more, not disappointed as his entire head was inspected by the versatile paws. His eyes closed, tongue licking at his lips before poking out in a soft pant, a sense of enjoyment on a higher level than he'd experienced before. What was it? He'd never experienced this from another animal before, almost as if they were incapable of giving or receiving it. Humans were strange beings... He had a feeling this Perry was different though. Now, there was a strange buzzing in his skull he couldn't identify. It seemed familiar, like he knew what it was, but had no idea at the same time. He ignored it, enjoying the scratches between his ears he was getting. Oh, that felt good! He stood, walking closer to Perry. His muzzle was inches from the human's, and he could see deep into his clear eyes... There was no rage to be detected, just happiness, though he could feel a little sadness, fear, and loneliness. It had been a while since he'd had another hyena to travel with. The others had run him out of the pack for being so different from them. Perhaps this human could suffice, if not for his own sake, then for Perry's. He lapped the fleshy nose on the face in front of him, nuzzling it playfully before dancing out of reach, and standing there, waiting for Perry to follow.
Perry couldn't be sure, but was this hyena... studying him? It was obviously enjoying being scratched and stroked, but once its eyes reopened, it came up to him even closer, his hand stroking down its neck and back in the process. The fur was short, yet thick enough to make a nice coat on the creature. It felt nice, and had an untamed, wild feel to it. He could see deep into the predator's eyes as well, watching them shift back and forth as they looked deep into his. Perry quite felt like it was scanning his very soul. The expression gave him no clue as to what the animal was thinking, but he wasn't sure he really wanted to know. However, he wasn't expecting to get his nose licked, but snickered when it was. The hyena seemed to be in a playful mood, and danced away from him, then back toward him a few steps. Perry just sat there, watching him. He didn't have an idea of how to react to the dancing, and opted to hold still in case it was a test to see if he'd chase, or try to fight. Once again, he was surprised by the hyena. It came back, sniffing his shirt, before gripping it lightly between his teeth and giving a pull, before dancing away again. It wanted him to follow it? Well, it was better to take a cue than to ignore it... The next time might be an actual bite! He quickly got to his feet and took a few steps toward the hyena, who took a few more away from him, turning from him, but looking over its shoulder to make sure he was still following. He began to give a paced walk, the spotted beast trotting ahead of him, now assured he was being followed. He continued to move in a direction that Perry had no clue on where they were headed. However, the environment was changing... It seemed a bit more humid here, and as his guide disappeared over a ridge, he climbed up and saw where he'd been led. It was a watering hole, but looked to be spring-fed, the clear water bubbling out of a hole in the side of a rock. How curious! It must have happened over many millennia, the water welling up from underground until it was able to come free. Perry quickly washed his hands in it, collecting some in them after to quench his thirst with. Whew, he was safe on at least one level now... Should he need to, he could probably survive up to at least a month, but that was without food... It shouldn't be too hard to find some, though.
Perry had begun following him... He hadn't been sure whether or not the tug on his strange covering would work or not, but it finally had. He would lead the human to a source of fresh water, it would be the first step in trying to help him survive in a world he obviously wasn't used to, much like taking care of one of the young of the other hyenas. It didn't take long to get to the water, and he lapped it up... Cool and refreshing in the evening, he drank up to have enough to last him through the night. When he was finished, he looked at his companion again. Perry wasn't overfed, but he wasn't undernourished by any means, so it seemed safe enough to just take him hunting tonight, without worrying about if he was going to eat. He didn't even know what humans ate in the first place! With that in mind, he began trotting off again. Perry quickly picked up and followed him, trying to keep him in sight in the darkness. As they traveled along, his mind still buzzed, and it was growing stronger. It was a feeling of familiarity, and fuzzy blurs began to appear in his head. They were ever so slowly becoming clearer, but it was as if they were developing on their own. This was most unusual... He'd almost bet his spots the human had something to do with it though. If the blurs turned out to be bad, he could always run away. He caught a familiar scent and stopped, mentally biting himself for almost giving away that he was approaching. He backed up, turning to Perry and giving a low growl. The human still didn't seem to understand, so he did the only thing he could, stepping in front of him and blocking his progress. It was an interesting sight as Perry struggled to keep his balance as he ran into the stout side of the hyena, but managed to keep from falling and making much noise. Satisfied, the spotted hunter got down on his belly, creeping forward in the grass much like a lion might. Perry watched from a ways away, the hyena thankful for that. He came up to a small mound, hiding on the side and waited. His nose was full of the scent of dinner close by, and tonight was meerkat. He hadn't had it in a while, and it was relatively easy to catch. If they were all sleeping, he could just dig them out as well. He hunkered down and began the waiting game, hoping to have an easy catch with his element of surprise.
Perry looked up and noticed his host moving away quickly, and quickly ran over to catch up and follow. He thanked Lila for the feline vision she'd bestowed upon him, allowing him to see in the darkness much easier. However, even that kind of vision couldn't keep him from running straight into the hyena as it stopped in his way. As he collided with the stout, furred side, he could feel the fur bristling as if warning him. He quickly crouched down low, his knees still touching the fur, and the bristly feeling went away. The hyena hadn't wanted him to go any further, but why? He puzzled over it as the hunter got down on its belly and crawled forward ever so slowly, right next to a small hill. There were a few holes in it, and a sandy area in the front. He watched his strange friend creep to the die of it, and then wait, stone still. What happened next was like a blur to him. A small rodent-like creature popped out of the front of the hill, long in its stature. It got up on its hind legs, showing off its brown pelt with multiple stripes down it. Seeming to detect no danger, it gave a series of chittering barks. Soon, others came out of the mound and joined it, playing in the dimly lit night. The whole lot of them began to get into a wrestling ball, only a few standing to the side. It was apparently just what the hyena had been waiting for, as it lashed out with unreal speed, next to the wrestling... Meerkats? Yes, that's what they were. Or rather, what they weren't anymore. A large snap of the predator's jaws and most of the meerkats disappeared inside, limbs and tails sticking out between bloodstained teeth while they still twitched. Perry was shocked and fascinated at the same time. It was such a brutal thing to see, but at the same time, that was how nature worked. The predators eat the prey, the prey gets no say in what happens. As the hyena downed its meal quickly, any trace that the other meerkats (and those that had been lucky enough to get out of the wrestling ball alive) had ever been there had been erased. Perry caught a glimpse of one scurrying into one of the smaller holes on the hill and chuckled. Such chaos right outside one's own home! His guide came back over, licking its chops and cleaning its bloodstained teeth, tongue grabbing every trace of bloody meerkat flesh it could. The hyena sat in front of him as if waiting for something. "What? You want me to hunt?" It jumped up and nuzzled him in the face. Blech, that was wretched breath to be accosted with! He scrambled to his feet as the hyena nudged him from behind, making him go closer to the hill. He tried to tread lightly, but the pushing was too persistent. Finally, it let up as he reached it. "Okay, now what do you want me to do? They obviously know we're here." Again, his question was answered as a set of paws set to work digging at the entrance to one of the holes. There was an angry barking from inside that grew steadily fainter. As it did, the hyena moved to another entrance and began digging there. Hmmm... An interesting plan, but with so many escape routes, the meerkats were probably well fortified in their burrows. However... Perry did have an idea of his own. He grabbed some of the loose dirt and sand and began to fill in the tunnels, one by one. He felt the eyes of the hyena upon him as it backed down, watching what he was doing. He grinned slightly. He'd show just how much he could do by himself!
The hyena hadn't long to wait before his prey made an appearance. After that, it was only a matter of springing out and clapping his jaws together on the tussling ball of fur. Mmm... Boy was that good! His hunger sated for the evening, the hyena made his way back to Perry. It was time the human showed if he could hunt. He waited... Longer and longer. He wasn't going to do the hunting for him! He knew his breath would be smelling lovely by now, fresh guts on his breath always did. He let out a small hyena laugh as Perry recoiled from his seemingly affectionate advance. It was more of a "Get your butt in gear!" type nuzzle though. And speaking of butts, that was a perfect place to shove Perry forward. The human didn't like it much obviously, so it was perfect. He let up once they reached the hill. He cocked his ears as he was asked what to do next. Dig, obviously! The meerkats weren't going to come out now. However, as he began working on hole after hole, he observed Perry undoing all his handiwork. He was about to growl, but decided to see what this would lead to. If it didn't work, the human could go hungry for the night. He obviously wasn't undernourished! Perry patched hole after hole over, inspecting the mound and finding that all but the entrance were securely packed down. He walked back over to the hyena and pointed at the entrance. Hmph, he wasn't going to do this for him, he'd made up his mind. After he didn't move, he watched as the human got down next to him and pushed him, trying to move him over. The only part the human succeeded in was getting him to roll onto his back. Perry apparently took this as a cue, because before he knew what was happening, the human's paws were running through his belly fur, rubbing it over slowly. Its short claws scratched at it. This wasn't bad... He actually liked it! He began to wriggle closer to Perry, not thinking fully about his safety, only wanting more rubbing on his full tummy. It felt great to have the food and water inside being jumbled around, helping out his digestion. Another blurry image appeared in his head. Wait... Had he had his belly rubbed before? It lodged into his mind... No, he'd never been touched by a human before Perry. Yet... Why did he know this feeling? Perry's voice broke through his thoughts. "Well well, seems you have a weak spot there. Now, help me out with my plan and maybe I'll do this some more later." As much as he hated to admit it, he wanted more. He had to have more! He quickly rolled back onto his feet and went to the entrance of the hill, looking inside. Perry chuckled as he walked to the top of it. "I hope you're still hungry!"
Perry knew his plan would work for the simple fact that the entire hill was made of quite soft dirt. Sure, the hyena could probably dig it up, but why waste time and energy? Instead of digging it up, why not make things simple? By patching all the holes, the meerkats would only have one escape route in case something happened to their hill... Say the tunnels began to collapse? However, he'd need help for this part. He couldn't collapse the tunnels without something heavy, and he was the only thing heavy enough to do so. The hyena would have to do the capture part. It wouldn't budge though when he tried to indicate where he wanted it to go. Trying to forcefully move it yielded even less results... Except for a vulnerable belly. Time for another test of how far he could press his luck! Worst that could happen would be a nasty hyena bite and be left for dead. He plunged his hands forward and drove them through the soft bellyfur on his guide. He knew it was totally unexpected, feeling the hyena about to move to bite him, but he began to rub instead, trying to calm it down. Luckily, it worked! It was calming down quite a bit, even seeming to enjoy it some. Perry relaxed, letting himself enjoy the feeling of the stomach. It was quite large, almost bloated... Maybe just pudgy! Whatever the case was, it stuck out quite far with the fur being nice and thick on it, Perry able to grip it as his fingers caught on tangled parts of the fur. "That's right, I thought you'd like that. You have to help me if you want more!" Reluctantly, the hyena rolled over and trotted to the entrance of the hill. Perfect! He ascended and got ready to see if he could work some magic of his own. He didn't need Lila for this one! He cracked his knuckled and raised his leg, before bringing it down with a hard stomp. His shoe sank into the soft dirt half an inch, while from the front of the hill he could hear scrambling and panicked chittering. He have a thump with his other foot with the same result, seeing the hyena perk its ears as it could easily hear more prey nearby. It was now or never. He tensed his legs, getting down low and gave a mighty jump into the air. He curled his knees close to himself, letting gravity take hold of him for a second before lashing out with them in an extremely hard kick, feeling his foot not only sink into the dirt, but break clean through into part of the tunnel network. That was more than enough, and the meerkats scattered out the front of the hole, the hyena picking them off one by one as they exited. He kept a few alive and pinned under his paws while he grabbed and swallowed some whole, others he bit clear in half. When all was said and done, the hyena's gut was considerably bigger. He'd squeezed the life out of the ones under his paws, backing away from them as Perry came down. He picked the limp bodies up and smiled. Well, he knew he wouldn't go hungry here. Now, if he could just remember how to prepare them... That survival camp he'd attended once would really come in handy right now.
Perry sat by the edge of the spring next to the hyena. The creature had gained quite a bit of respect for the human by now, as well as trust. Perry put out his hand, and he nuzzled it, pushing his head under to get an itch behind his ear. He watched as Perry cut the prey open with a sharp rock, separating certain bits and offering them to him, which he eagerly slurped off the human's hand. Not only had he learned to trust Perry, but it was obvious that Perry trusted him as well for him to be offering food straight off the palm of his hand. As Perry scraped the meat from the insides of the meerkats, he piled it on top of a rock he'd washed in the spring water. After he had enough, he let the hyena have the rest of the carcasses, no complaints from his friend. He watched as Perry looked at the meat for a bit before putting some into his mouth, and chewing. He made a face at first, but began to chew faster. More of the meat went in, and a slow smile spread across his face. After a bit, it was clear that the smile was that of enjoyment. Perhaps the human didn't usually eat his meat this way?
Perry hadn't relished the thought of eating the meat like that at all. It was so funny, he'd had no problem with eating Lila, or even a piece of Emerald's navel. However, his was different. The meerkats were dead, and they couldn't bring themselves back to life or heal themselves. This was reality though, he'd been relying on Lila's magic too much to soften it up for him. He continued to feed the hyena, eventually satisfying himself with the meat. He'd grown to like the flavor, raw flesh being totally different from cooked and tasting quite delicious to boot! He sighed and stripped off his shirt, letting the cool air of the night wash over him. His bare chest and belly seemed to have caught the attention of the hyena, who came over to examine him. He laughed as the nose snuffled over his bare skin, a very ticklish sensation indeed! He caught his breath as it passed over his navel, passed over again, pausing as it snorted inside. He knew the hyena could sense him tensing up. Not only that, but it seemed like it knew that it was his weakness as the nose plunged in, throwing him into a giggling fit, leaving him gasping for air as a set of paws pressed onto his belly, his friend pushing himself up to get a better angle to examine the strange hole with. A tentative lick threw Perry into an even larger fit of laughter, sealing his fate. The hyena withdrew his muzzle for a moment, his lips retracted in a bizarre smile as he let out a laughing sound. It was almost a mimic of his own laughter. His break was short-lived however, as the tongue and nose dove right back into his bellybutton. He felt himself being tasted deeply in there... The hyena was enjoying himself quite a lot, showing no signs of stopping anytime soon! Its paws were moving around on his stomach, the claws kneading his belly. It felt familiar... Aha! "Hahaha! Ahaha-all right! I-haha! I'll rub you again! Hehehe!" That was the magic sequence. Most of the attention stopped, though the hyena wasn't going to give up on licking until he was sure he was going to get what he was promised. Perry stretched out a hand and placed it on his friend's side, ceasing the licking completely. His bellybutton was drool-filled and quite hot from repeated lapping inside of it, almost a bit swollen, probably from an overabundance of licks. His hand explored the side of the hyena before slipping down into the softer bellyfur, getting the creature rolling onto its back again. He chuckled, laying where he was next to the warm body of his friend as he rubbed its belly softly. His fingers traced gentle patterns in the fur as he picked at tangled strands of fur. Each pass made the fur smoother and softer, and he could feel his skin getting coated in the oils of the hyena's fur. It was even longer after that until he realized that his companion had fallen asleep on its back from his rubbing, making him smile happily. He left his hand where it was and closed his eyes, finding himself surprisingly tired. It wasn't long before he nodded off as well, before doing so he turned until his arm draped across his friend and guide, making a cute scene of him hugging into the soft bellyfur of the hyena as he slept.
The human was taking off its outside covering, the weird fur covering that had tasted so strange when he'd licked it earlier. He could tell why the human needed it though, as his skin was bare as a newborn pup. It was intriguing... He couldn't help but take a look and a smell. The covering must have trapped most of his scent under it during the day, because he could smell the human's musk much more now. It wasn't very noticeable at all really, but somehow it was an exotic scent. However, the higher he went, the more like an onion plant the human smelled. He decided to stick at the belly level, and that's when the found the little hole. It didn't grab his attention much at first, until he sniffed it. He had to go back and take another snuffle, finding it to absolutely reek of the human smell. Perry obviously didn't know that, but something was up. As he sniffed in that one spot, he could feel Perry tensing up. Why? Was it special? He stuck his nose as deep as he could get into it, and was assailed with a loud hyena cry from the human. Well, it sounded like his, but it had no meaning to it. He seemed to be enjoying the sniffing... Maybe it was like having his belly rubbed? He switched to licking, even putting his paws on the bare belly. This only made the laughing worse, but gave him an idea. He'd been promised more rubs for the help he'd given! He'd go on the attack of this sensitive hole until he got what he deserved. Besides, it didn't taste bad at all. Even if Perry didn't catch the hint, he'd get to lick it as much as he wanted to, and he could do it for hours the way it tasted! It was a shame he couldn't eat the human, and made a mental note to do so if he ever found a carcass. However, a paw on his side caught his attention, and before he knew it, he was on his back and side again, rolling around in time to the rubs he was receiving. Again, more images surfaced. One he could make out the shape. Lion? He didn't know any lions, they were his enemies! He especially knew they didn't come in strange colors either. Another image was clearer yet. It had him standing on his back paws. He'd never done that, or even tried. It was impossible anyway, he didn't have the balance for it. The images whirled in his head just as the human's hand was whirling on his belly. They swirled faster and faster, drawing his mind into a sea of blackness and sleep.
Morton shook his head. "I just don't get it Lila. We know where he was sent, but he's nowhere around. He hasn't died since then, as Emerald had decided to check multiple times." The mouse glanced over at some lions feeding on a carcass, bits of green fur sticking out on top of the grass.
"Hey, don't blame me, they're the ones with the insatiable appetites. Hold on, I'm healing! Yeesh, greedy pigs." There was a small light flash, and one of the lions shoved its way into the middle, taking a big bite and coming up with what looked like Emerald's navel as the others dug in around the area with gusto. It was no wonder most animals on Earth didn't have them!
Lila shrugged. "I've tried to detect him, but it's like something keeps blocking me off."
"Wait, blocking you off? You didn't mention that before." Morton rolled his eyes. "Do you know what direction that little blockage might be in?"
Lila thwapped herself on her forehead, her ears laying back. "Grah, I can be such a ditz sometimes! Come on, let's go! Emerald, you can catch up later, I guess."
Emerald gave them a thumbs up, and a split second later didn't have a thumb as one of the lions thought it looked particularly tasty at that moment.
Heat caused the hyena to awaken. He yawned, licking his lips. There was a great taste still in his mouth, and slowly the events of the previous night began to trickle back. There was a human... One he was licking for some reason. He looked down and saw that it had draped its arm across his belly. Why hadn't he been eating it or attacking? He almost stiffened until more memories came back. Oh yeah, it was following him without fear... And he hadn't been afraid of it. So, maybe he could eat it? He rolled over, its belly clearly exposed. He saw the hole, and knew that's where the great flavor had come from. He gave it a tiny lick, confirming it. Oh well, that was as good a place to start as any. His jaws opened, and he tried to bite at the soft bottom of the hole, but his jaws slipped over the top. He tried again, pushing his muzzle deeper into the human's belly. His teeth caught the flesh for a moment, but then slipped off. Deeper his muzzle went, the human waking as he did so. This time, he easily got the flesh between his sharp teeth, and pulled back. He couldn't bring himself to really bite it though, and he wondered why? He pulled on it, the bottom of the hole turning it inside out and stretching the belly skin. The human was making no effort to stop him though, but a puzzled look was on its face. It seemed to be enjoying the feeling more than anything! He ignored it and gave pull after pull, the knot of meat surprisingly stout in the human's stomach. He was even dragging its entire body along with each pull. Finally, he gave up. It was better to lick anyway. He did so, lapping at the outstretched skin, and as he did, the rest of the memories came back, his head drooping in shame as he'd attacked the human who had been so nice to him. He closed his eyes and nuzzled the hole back to its original shape, right side in. He heard the human catch its breath as he did so and gave the nub another lick. He was half expecting to be hit, and was surprised to get a scratch behind one of his ears.
Perry had been dreaming of the nice night he'd had with the hyena. However, in his dream he could also see Lila. She was trying to call out to him, but it was as if she were doing it through a field of distorted glass in a bubble around he and the hyena. It was quite the strange dream. However, the wonderful final part of the night before began to start again, the hyena nuzzling and licking his navel. However, this time, it was going deep inside of it, to the very depths, until he felt a bite down in the very bottom, which woke him up with a start. He looked around, the first thing he saw being the hyena dragging his navel between its teeth, with him still attached! It was in between those powerful jaws, compressed to a near breaking point, but not yet having been pierced by the sharp teeth holding it. What was it waiting for? Maybe it had forgotten who he was... Probably, as he recalled sleeping nearly draped over it the night before. It suddenly stopped and nosed him in recognition, Perry knowing then that was exactly what had happened. What a crazy way to wake up! He knew his friend was expecting some kind of reproach, but he had none to give for such a nice wake up call. A quick scratch behind the ears was all that was needed to lift its spirits right back up. "No need to be sad about anything, I was enjoying that. In any case, now what?" As if to answer his question, the hyena trotted behind him and nudged his back, trying to get him up.
Perry was surprisingly forgiving, though it was clear why. Obviously that hole was a weak spot for the human, but that didn't explain why he liked it so much, especially the taste. Even after he'd licked the collected sweat and oil from the hole, a good place for catching it, he still found it to be a great treat! More images flowed into his mind, this time with feelings. A clawed paw that looked partially like a human's and partially like his own was going into a hole similar to Perry's. It was furred though, and the fur looked a lot like his own. He didn't have one of those though! He shook the image off, and another one with light coming from his paws replaced it, and then a giant rock blotting out the sun after it. His head drooped again as the images began to overwhelm him. There was a long, very long period of blackness now, and he opened his eyes. Maybe the weird pictures were over. He lightly grabbed Perry's paw in his jaws and pulled him along toward a good resting spot. Even though he and Perry had been sleeping the night before, he had to stay out of the sun to retain his energy.
Perry wondered if his friend was all right. It seemed like he was... almost meditating? This was one odd hyena. Something was tickling in the back of his mind, telling him that things weren't always what they seemed. The spotted guide came out of it soon enough and clamped down on his hand to lead him. He snickered, as this was fast becoming one of his favorite positions to be in. He felt the squishy tongue of the hyena pressing up into his palm while the even sharper back teeth rubbed against his skin with each step. Saliva was dripping onto it as they walked, but it was a bit funny that he wasn't going to be eaten afterward. At least, that's what he was hoping for! They came back to the tree where they had been the day before. Perry quickly laid down, realizing the hot sun had only made him more tired than he'd been the night before. He propped himself against the tree trunk, letting his legs splay out in front of him. He laughed as the hyena trotted over and laid down across his lap, placing its head on its paws contentedly as Perry began to stroke along its back and sides, admiring the pretty coat. He spent an hour or two like that, trying to rest in the hot day. However, the hyena on top of him was making his legs quite hot. "I hate to ask, I really do, but could you let me up?" His friend looked at him and got up, shifting over to Perry's side. He changed positions, laying on his back beneath the tree and letting a nice breeze wash over him. It had a nice smell, one that made him relax. It was wild, it was clean, it was... cinnamon-apple scented?
Perry made a nice cushion to lay over. Not only was he soft, but he also rubbed and itched the hyena as well, something the creature could appreciate. He laid there for a while, letting the darkness in his head swirl around. Then, once again, a burst of images, becoming more clear and crisp. He felt a pain of being held still for years beyond counting. Everywhere he looked, strange creatures were lumbering about. There was a giant rhino-like creature, but it was covered in fur and had a forked horn on the end of its snout. A lengthy rodent came back, as well as a gazelle that looked like it had a trunk like an elephant. Then, he saw a creature much like himself eating the carcass of another animal. The images blurred again, and a power hit his mind like a kick from an elephant. He could vaguely hear Perry asking him to move, and did before flopping down. A scent filled his nostrils, one that wasn't right. Images flew through his head as well as the feelings over the past few days. Curiosity. Trust. Friendship. Courage. Ingenuity. The multitude kept coming, pushing him to his mental limit until he felt like his mind was going to explode. He looked up, and saw a lion tail weaving through the tall grass, aimed directly at Perry. If he were about to die now, it wasn't going to be because of his mind overloading, it would be giving his life for a friend. That was when he understood everything. The hyena's mind could finally piece together everything he'd seen, it was as if the love he had for someone who had become a friend had unlocked him somehow. He leapt up, moving forward at a speed even he couldn't fathom, and slammed into the pouncing lioness. The smell... What was this smell? He let out a howling cry as his mind clicked. The hyena closed his eyes as he hit the feline, who easily brushed him to the side. His strength began to leave him, and he laid there in a heap until he breathed his last.
Everything was a blur to Perry now, he'd seen the friendly hyena race up and attack Lila just as she was about to pounce into him, a look of absolute glee on her face. However, it wasn't her who hit him, rather the hyena hitting her. It didn't faze her a bit, as she shoved him to the ground and resumed barreling through the air, slamming into him against the tree trunk, smothering him with a hug and plenty of licks. "Darnit Perry, I had no clue where you were! Good thing Morton has a good head on his shoulders." The mouse came walking out of the tall grass as she spoke, glancing at the downed hyena before coming over.
The hyena... It wasn't moving anymore? Perry brushed by the two furs and raced over to its side. "Wait... No! What happened to you? All you did was touch her! Lila, what'd you do?" He was angry beyond description, truly livid right now. He'd been a bit hurt that Lila had lied to him... He'd figured out by now that the "mind link" was a hoax. Why she'd lied, he didn't know. However, killing his friend was something else entirely. "Bring him back!" Hot tears began to trickle down his cheek, dripping into the spots on the hyena's coat.
"Perry... I didn't do anything! I don't know why he died like that."
"Are you lying to me again?"
"Urk... N-no..."
"You do know what I'm talking about then."
Morton looked back and forth between the two of them. "Lying? What do you mean Perry?"
"Ask Lila, she should be able to tell you about a certain mind link."
"Er... That is..."
"Well? Out with it!"
"I didn't think it'd be so big, but the main reason I said that is because in your memories I saw images of movies, movies where aliens or strange creatures would show up, and humans would drive them away and kill them, or be terrified. I... I wanted to stay with you, but I didn't want you to be scared and try to shove me away. I was scared that if I didn't say something like that, you'd call for help. I'm really sorry Perry!"
Perry turned bright red in his cheeks, and hung his head in shame. So that's why she'd lied to him! To think he was mad at her, while she'd done it scared out of her wits. Come to think of it, wouldn't he have done the same in her position? "Er... No, I'm sorry Lila. I had no idea... I shouldn't have jumped the gun like that." He sighed and sat on the ground. Tears still formed in his eyes as he looked at the fallen hyena. He ran a hand through its neck fur gently before getting up. There was no use doing anything else with it now, the cycle of life should complete itself. He saw Lila motioning as if she would resurrect it. "No, don't bother... That wouldn't exactly be natural. Though, that was the most unnatural hyena I ever met, not to mention the only one."
Lila felt herself choking up and came over to give Perry a hug. "I don't know what else to say Perry..."
"Then don't. I'm just happy to have you all back. Speaking of which, where's Emerald?"
Morton laughed. "Feeding the wildlife."
"Shall we go retrieve her then?"
"Sure, why not?"
"NOT WITHOUT ME YOU WON'T!"
Perry nearly jumped out of his pants as a ghostly apparition manifested in front of him. It was like a beast from the depths of hell... It had translucent skin and flesh, its powerful muscles and bone structure plainly visible within it. Perry found that by concentrating, he could look at different areas inside its body as he wished. Its skin, what he could see of it, was a foggy, smoky color that seemed to swirl about as he watched. The most chilling things were the black feet with translucent pads, the seeming lack of any eyes in the skull, the flaming mane, and above all else, the fact that it was a behemoth, easily twice as big as Lila. His legs turned to jelly, and he fell on his backside, finally finding enough power in them to scramble back over the dirt and grass. What did it want with him? It gnashed its fangs and rolled out a blood red tongue, hissing drops of hot saliva falling from it onto the ground. He froze in place as his back hit the tree where he'd first met the hyena. How ironic, now he was meeting something else. It lumbered over to him and put its face right next to his. In a deep voice, it spoke. "I don't believe we were properly introduced. Nice to meet you, Perry. I'm Avereth. Here, you might recognize me a bit better like this." Now Perry was more confused than he had been when Lila first showed up. Just what the hell had he gotten himself into!?
The figure glowed brightly and began to change shape. The frame stayed more or less the same, but grew much smaller. Fur grew onto it, in an instantly recognizable pattern. "Y-y-y-y-y-you." He felt his stiff form begin to relax. His mind was still locked in fear though, until Avereth came over and placed a paw on his knee, giggling wildly. "Damn hyena!" He reached out and hugged around his reborn friend's neck. "I thought you were dead!"
Avereth shook his head. "Not in the least, just being reborn."
"You... Oh, I was worried so much!"
"Well, that's what friends do for each other I guess. You don't seem surprised to see a talking hyena though."
"Not much does anymore."
"That's not what I got from you about two minutes ago!"
"Touché." Perry motioned at Lila and Morton.
Avereth trotted over, nuzzling both affectionately. "It's been a long time, you two." They both nodded and sat down, Avereth doing the same.
Perry was a bit confused again. "If you don't mind me asking, are you like them, or is that your natural shape?"
Avereth trotted over, and then raised onto his hind legs. His body frame changed, growing larger. His limbs elongated and reshaped themselves to be more useful to stand with, his forepaw toes splitting and shaping into clawed fingers, a depression forming in the middle of his belly, as well as muscle definition appearing on his chest. A smiling muzzle bent down to him, and Perry scratched its owner behind his ears. "Does that answer your question?" Perry just nodded.
"Well, that makes four of us." Lila nodded in satisfaction. "Just one left to go."
"Four?" Avereth looked at Lila. "Last I checked, we never had any humans way back then."
"Oh, that's right. Emerald isn't here yet."
"Hah, fashionably late?"
"No, a bit indisposed at the moment. You'll see." Morton walked over with Lila, placing their paws on the other two furs. Morton drew a circle around them on the ground and stepped into it. As he did so, it raised up around them, disappearing as it passed over Lila's head. Perry looked around himself. Nothing seemed to have changed at first glance, but then he realized that the tree was gone. He turned around and laughed. Emerald was sitting in the middle of a group of happy and rather bloated-looking lions. They were grooming her fur, apparently too stuffed to eat any more wolf for the day. They quickly scattered as the others walked over, Emerald looking a bit sad.
"Want to take their place Lila?"
"Not at the moment. Guess who we- Actually, more Perry -found?"
"...Avereth? Wow! I never thought I'd see you again!" Emerald leapt forward and tackled the hyena fur with a big hug, snuggling close to him. He returned it and held her off of him, laying her next to him and taking his place on the rocks.
"I think you all wonder exactly what happened, right?" Nods of confirmation all around. "Well, I've got a story if you've got the time."
A smile formed on Perry's lips. "Three months, here."
"All right. Perry, I'm going to assume you know a lot about us by now. Our little frames of existence protected us against total destruction and such. I was a bit... indecisive on mine, so it ended up being pretty generic, it was when the light of day hit my frame that I was released. However, when I was released, it was much, much earlier than it is now. I'd say about 30,000 years."
"Thirty THOUSAND!? That's an awful long time to wait around, Avereth." Perry was genuinely shocked. One could go insane in that time!
"Yes, and I could have gone insane in that time period." Perry rolled his eyes. "Plus, my natural life would have run out. Chances are I'd have been running on magic to keep me alive. In any case, I saw a creature looking much like the one you first knew me as, Perry. Well... Not exactly much like it. It was much smaller, with jet black coloring. It also had some strange teeth for what it was eating, and an exceptionally long tail... Okay, so quite a bit different from what you know me as. In any case, I examined a bit of fur I snatched from it. Luckily for me, I was able to analyze it and realize that it had a lifeblock close to my own."
"Lifeblock..."
"He means DNA." Lila looked proud that she had all the knowledge from Perry. Truth be told, she had telepathically transferred much to Avereth when she'd realized he was awakening, allowing him to speak in the first place.
"Oh, that makes more sense."
"Yes, I'll continue. The life- Er, DNA was close enough for me to insert my own into the creature so it could be handed down from generation to generation, but only in one offspring. My personality, powers, and mind were sealed away, to be merged with the creature I was in when I reawakened. The start of the process was to be when I met an intelligent creature on the planet, such as yourself Perry. There were two routes this would take. The first would be that my personality would slowly creep out, then my powers and my mind until I was fully in control and able to analyze what was happening around me. However, I implanted a backup key. That was when I attacked you, Lila. Part of the key was to know the love for a friend, which surprisingly came from Perry. The other half was to meet a Protector, because then there would be no need for me to stay hidden."
Perry thought a bit. "Wait, so... You didn't totally replace the hyena? Or was that you all along, or what?"
"No, no. It's a bit difficult to explain. You knew me as a completely feral hyena, more intelligent than the others yet completely unaware of who I really was. That personality and those memories are merged with my own, nothing has been replaced at all. Indeed, I remember you have a weak spot." He reached out with a toe and pressed it into Perry's navel hole for a moment, then retracted it quickly. "Well, that personality differed from mine a little bit. I'm not usually so dominant... I don't think I'll be trying to pull off your bellybutton again."
"Awe, but I liked that!"
The other furs laughed, and Emerald spoke. "Well, if he won't, you can always come to me."
"Well, what do you like?" Perry was interested in this. He already knew that each of them had a special part of him they went for. Well, it was mostly his belly, but he didn't mind Morton liking his feet in the least, nor did he dislike the tails that were constantly touching, prodding, and grabbing him.
"Um... Actually, I was more of a reader."
"That's the understatement of the universe! He almost never came out of the libraries! Day in and day out he was in them learning everything he could."
"So, you never developed a real feeling of what you liked when the others were out eating each other? Surely you ate some while you were holed up."
"You are correct, but that time I spent in there was where I got the idea for the pocket universe. Speaking of which, I don't suppose you've found the fifth of our number, have you?"
"Not yet. There were only five of you to hold off the other planet?"
"Mmm. Seems unreal now, doesn't it?" Perry nodded, it sure did!
Lila was next to speak. "I don't think you totally sealed off your power though Avereth, I couldn't find Perry while he was near you because of something blocking the area you two were in."
"Oh yes, that was to ensure that it was a Protector finding me. You obviously picked up on it."
Morton cleared his throat, and Lila blushed and shrugged sheepishly.
Perry walked over and placed a hand on Avereth's bellyfur. He got the effect he was looking for, a shiver running though his friend's body. The thick eyelids drooped slightly, and he felt the belly relax slightly under his touch. "I'm beginning to doubt you didn't have any enjoyment besides your books."
Avereth visibly blushed through his face fur. "I didn't say I wasn't open to suggestions..." He gave the human a lopsided grin and lowered his ears submissively. Boy, now this was something new! Even Morton had been more dominating than Avereth. Well, he might not have brute power or magical force, but he had a feeling he could coerce the hyena into some fun sooner or later.
Emerald's stomach broke the silence that had set in with a loud growl. "Well, the sun's setting. I think that means it's about dinnertime." She snickered and grabbed Avereth by the shoulders. "I think you'll do quite nicely for the main course!" Perry smiled and watched as Avereth panicked.
"W-wait a minute, I didn't agree to this!"
"Tough, I agreed for you."
"Mmph... Come on!" He struggled playfully trying to wriggle out of her grasp. Emerald wasn't about to let go however, and Perry could tell she was using strength augmenting magic to hoist Avereth high above her jaws. The female wolf wasn't going to give up, and easily let Avereth down into her open jaws, her soft tongue sliding over her face. "Yecch, it's slimy- Mmf!" His complains were cut short as the tongue pressed his mouth shut against the top of her mouth. Perry watched him give another shiver. What a lying hyena, he DID enjoy all this! He wasn't struggling much at all anymore as Emerald's tongue slid down his throat, her mouth widening and filling out with his furry form inside of it. It was easy to see the hyena's form through the stretched skin of Emerald's throat as she gulped him down. Lower and slower his form shifted into her, his head now a mere bulge in her throat while his shoulders filled in the end of her muzzle. Perry sat back with Lila scritching through his hair as they watched the spectacle, and he giggled as Avereth's tail began to wag. Another gulp and one shoulder slipped in around Emerald's lips, her teeth brushing down through his thick fur as her mouth worked harder and harder to get his other shoulder in. It didn't take long for it to happen, Emerald's jaws stretched wide around her meal as it began to move once again, Avereth whining inside her as his head entered her stomach. Her broad tongue was still working over him, slicking back his fur to make it easier. His spotted pelt began to meld together, the brown fur growing darker from the wetness of the canid's mouth. Emerald was enjoying every moment of it, stroking his hide as he moved down. His chest quickly disappeared, and then his waist slowed her down, the wolf chewing on him just to feel his belly jiggle a slight bit, the hyena being a bit paunchy. Her tongue delved into his unprotected navel, and the furs could all hear an audible yelp of surprise from within, followed by Avereth relaxing enough that he could slip on down her throat. The human snuggled closer to his furry friends, even resting his back against one of the full lions. The feline growled, but let him lay there after Lila touched it on the forehead. Perry gave it a slight rub on its large belly, and got a lick on his palm in return before the cat went back to resting. Perry was fascinated by the bulge traveling down Emerald's throat, watching it squeeze and distend the large belly with the strong muscles in it. They were effectively doing their job though, and Avereth's wagging tail curled between his thighs as they too disappeared into the shrinking maw of the she-wolf. Emerald tongued over Avereth's footpads for a minute, letting him curl up comfortably inside her belly for the evening. The paws disappeared, her lips curling around the last of his toes as she gave one last gulp, and then a large belch of completion after. Perry watched the bulge quickly recede, amazed at how quickly Emerald could digest.
"Mmm... I haven't had a meal like that since... you, Perry!" She murred and waddled over, laying down in front of the human. He put a hand out to rub her shrinking stomach, able to feel Avereth's muscle and bone structure being crushed by the powerful walls inside. He tried to pinch a bone between his fingers, and found it dissolved as he held it, leaving him pinching Emerald's stomach. "I'm not that fat, am I?" Perry could only giggle at her comment.
"Well, what next? I'm not exactly hungry; I've had an interesting meal recently, and I think everyone here is fairly satisfied. I'm not tired, I don't know about the rest of you." The lion he was laying on grunted, and he shrugged. "Fine, then leave." The feline pulled itself from under him and bopped him with a large paw before moving a few paces and laying down. He looked at Lila. "Another fur?"
She shook her head. "Annoyed cat."
Morton spoke up next. "Well, I suggest we wait for Avereth first. We don't exactly want to move on without him, right?" The others nodded, including Avereth, right over Morton's shoulder. "Gah, what the heck!? Don't do that!" The hyena smiled and chuckled.
"How'd you get back here so fast?"
"Express processing, I did like to get back to my books as quickly as possible... It's amazing how many furs wanted to eat hyena back then."
Emerald burped. "Wanted to? Try still want to!"
"Ohhhh no, you stay away from me." He backed away, hiding behind Perry.
The human got up and smiled, taking Avereth by the paw. Emerald was about to get up and chase them, when Lila pulled her back down. "Perry had a chance to personally get to know each of us, even Morton. Why should Avereth be any different?" Emerald thought about it for a moment and then sat back down, watching the pair walk into the dark savannah again, Avereth's tail wagging behind him.
AHAHAHA! IS DONE, CHAPTER DONE! WHY I TALK LIKE THIS? I NOT KNOW! IT 12:44 IN MORNING AND I HAS WORK TOMORROW!
I need a life. :(