FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

"Like this?" Keenis asked softly while crouched over the orange dragoness. His voice was barely audible over the sound of the desert winds whipping at the canvas tent, the harsh sand hissing as it was blown against their shelter. "I feel like I'm too high."

Taalli looked down between them and saw his tapered length aimed at her vent. "No, you're doing great," her front paws wrapped around his shoulders for support. "Maybe lower your wings a little, and don't have your legs so wide."

Keenis followed her advice, rocking his hips forwards and back, the tip of his hard shaft running between the swollen lips of her vent. "Okay, I'm going to try and put it in," he whispered and smiled when she giggled.

"You don't have to give me a commentary, Keenis," she said and looked up at his guilty expression. "But it's kinda cute," she added and lifted her head to kiss him.

Since their first time in the cave, they had become almost inseparable. Every day, they were posted to guard a random road or rock in the middle of nowhere. However, when they returned to base, the pair would take any opportunity to spend time together. The rest of Zulu squad knew, of course, with the exception of Joker, whom the squad seemed to enjoy keeping in the dark. While not forbidden, Scarecrow had made it clear that he wouldn't complain as long as their time together didn't interfere with operations.

“Are you sure I'm not putting too much weight on you?" Keenis inquired, looking down between them and instinctively rocking his hips to find entrance.

“It's fine, just here," Taalli responded warmly, wrapping her hind legs around his waist. She guided him backward slightly and pulled him down until his tip pressed against her puffy lips. “There, feel that? Now just angle yours—yup! That's it!" she gasped as she felt him slip into her, her walls parting around his shaft as he groaned and pressed deeper.

“Damn," he groaned, his head tilting upwards as her warm, wet body enveloped him. “You feel so good. Sorry, commentary. I'll shut up."

“No, no, no," Taalli chuckled. “Compliments are always welcome," she said warmly, stroking his shoulders with her forepaws. “Kisses and nibbles are always good," she added.

Keenis smiled and looked down at her, finding himself captivated by her bright amber eyes. He rotated his head as he lowered it and pressed his lips against hers, her mouth opening as their kiss deepened. He could feel her vagina gently pulse around him but held steady, remembering her words about not just humping away.

“You're amazing, Taalli," he gasped, moving from kissing her to nuzzling under her jaw and cheek. “You really are, you're sexy and funny and strong," he whispered, hearing her breath hitch when he then nibbled her throat. “I'm sorry we didn't start doing this sooner. You feel so good, I just want to…" he groaned and gently rocked his hips, his length sliding back and forth in a slow, gentle rhythm.

“That's it, Keenis," she murmured, “nice and slow to start." Between his body over hers, his wings draped down to the ground, and the storm outside, she felt a sense of security and stability with him. Wrapping her paws tighter around his shoulders, she pulled him down further, his weight over her more comforting than any blanket.

Their breathing was heavy, his powerful legs poised to give potent thrusts, yet he held back. His tail flicked from side to side as he gently pressed in and out of her. “Is this okay?"

“Mmmnghh, yes, Keenis. This is okay," Taalli groaned and lifted her tail to wrap around his. She smiled as his eyes widened and mouth opened in a blissful smile. “You're getting good at this, real good," she said warmly as he slowly increased his pace.

“Well, I do have a good teacher," he murmured and kissed her again. His tongue pressed into her mouth as he tried to keep a steady rhythm with his hips.

Parting their kiss, Taalli smiled up at him. “Don't sell yourself short; it's nice to have a drake that listens and pays attention." Wrapping her tail around his tighter, she gave a small nod for him to go faster.

Keenis smiled and resumed kissing her neck and throat, slowly increasing his pace as her pleasure built higher and higher. “I love this, Taalli. You feel so good, and—and you're really amazing," Keenis whispered next to her ear. “I think once we get out, we are going to have to set up some rules though," he said and smiled when she cocked her head in confusion. “Because if given the chance, I would do this all day."

"Oh, you'd like that, wouldn't you?" Taalli teased with a playful grin. "Just you and me, enjoying each other all day?"

Keenis chuckled, "Well, I would bring you food in bed, give you massages when you're sore, and, um, do other things—damn!" he said with a sharp gasp when she arched her back and pressed her hips up to meet his.

"What other things, Keenis?" Taalli asked, giggling as she saw how unfocused his eyes had become.

"Whatever my mate wants to do," he groaned, humping back into her with more force. "We'll do whatever we want, whenever we want," he promised with a nibble to her jawline.

"You called me your mate?" she murmured, turning her head to look at him, his eyes suddenly widening.

"I, um, sorry. I mean, of course, like—"

"I like mates," Taalli whispered, giving him a reassuring lick on his snout. "Mates take care of one another."

Keenis nuzzled her back in appreciation. "I will take such good care of you. Anything you want—the sun, the stars? I'll make it happen," he whispered with a chuckle.

Taalli's heart soared at his promise and she clutched him close. "I think the sun and stars can wait. For now, I want you to take me," she whispered, pressing up into him again. His shaft plunged into her depths with a shaky groan escaping his lips.

"I-I can do that," Keenis murmured, beginning to move with more assertiveness. He had noticed that she became more aroused and happier when he talked about taking care of her. Assuming it was because she was an abandoned egg, beneath the layers of armor she had put up, he believed she just needed someone to hold her. Pressing his forehead against her throat, he adjusted his front paws to cradle her neck. Holding her like a treasure, he thrust in earnest, her gasps and murmurs of encouragement like music to his ears as he continued his building rhythm.

Taalli leaned back, closing her eyes and enjoying being rocked gently by his thrusts. The dedication and care he gave her made her swoon. She knew without a doubt that he was focused on their mutual pleasure. When her breath hitched because he was too enthusiastic, he would slow down, devoting kisses and licks to her before looking to her for permission to keep going.

Her hind legs continued to pull him in time with his thrusts, his body pressed against hers, his scales rubbing against hers in a delightful friction. "Can—can I go a bit faster?" he asked softly, a desperate need in his voice, and lifted his head from her neck to look into her eyes.

Taalli nodded, licking between his nostrils as her pleasure continued to build with every movement. "You're doing good," she whispered, feeling him thrust with more confidence. "Don't stop," she called out next to his ear, her voice louder than she expected as he drove into her again and again.

Tilting her head back again, she exposed her soft neck to him. Pressing the advantage, he continued to lick and nibble her scales, occasionally giving a mock mating bite to test how close she was to her climax. Every time his teeth grazed her throat, her whole body clenched, and her back arched. Her climax was quickly building as he started to slam into her.

The sounds of their hips coming together filled the tent, blending with the white noise of the storm outside and the fluttering of canvas. He felt her walls shudder and quiver as he pushed himself into her again and again; the way her arousal clung to his shaft allowed it to slide in and out with a delightful, slick sound.

“Nnngh, yes!" Keenis growled, his hind claws tearing at the tent floor as he anchored himself for more forceful thrusts. “I-I'm close." He groaned, his words failing him.

Taalli's pleasure skyrocketed, a primal reaction to his shaft hardening even more inside her. “It's okay, in me." She gasped and clung to him as he started to pound her, her whole body surging against the ground with his thrusts. “Yes, Keenis, fuck!" She cried loudly as he adjusted his footing and stroked a sensitive area with his tapered member.

As Taalli's climax built, her tail tightened around his, and her hind legs clutched at his waist as she threw her head back in bliss. Her toes curled against his shoulders as a tidal wave of pleasure washed over her. With what little control over her body she had, she tried her hardest to concentrate on not breathing fire. The image of the squad laughing at her for burning down their tent was the only thing holding her back as Keenis' cock erupted deep inside her.

He hilted hard and growled as the first jet of seed fired from his cock, and with a quick pull back, his instincts made him press back in again and stay buried in her quivering depths. She felt the next rope of his seed splash inside her and rocked her hips against his, her body on autopilot to prolong their climaxes.

Keenis shuddered as he continued to pump squirt after squirt of his cum into her milking depths. No matter how many times they did it, it always felt like his first time. The way her walls gripped and clenched around his invading length took his breath away.

As his internal balls became drained, he opened his eyes and realized he had bitten down on her throat. Not hard enough to injure her, but enough to leave small marks on her smooth scales. Letting go, he quickly licked her throat gently, enjoying the sound of her blissful heavy breathing. “Sorry, I should have asked," he whispered and licked where he had bitten again.

“It's—it's okay," Taalli gasped. “It was nice, not too firm. But—but enough," she added, turning her neck to look at him upside down with a reassuring smile. “I'm not helpless. If it's too hard, I'll let you know," she promised with a grin.

Keenis chuckled and moved his head to kiss her chin. “Oh, I know you are not helpless," he said before tracing gentle kisses down her throat. “You're my sexy, beautiful, strong 'ness." He said while nibbling her scales.

“You said sexy twice," she chuckled and crooned when he rocked his hips against hers, his sensitive length rubbing her sensitive walls one last time before softening.

“Well, it's true," he whispered, slowly withdrawing his length from her velvety depths and continuing to trace his kisses down her chest and to her belly.

Taalli's breath became rapid as she felt him move lower and lower down her prone body. “You—you don't have to," she gasped as he lay down beside her tail and kissed her vent.

“Just because I don't have to doesn't mean I don't want to," Keenis said warmly. “Like I said, I'm going to take care of you, starting with cleaning you up." He promised and began licking the outside of her dripping snatch.

He didn't enjoy the taste of his own cum but pushed through it for her. Looking across her chest, he smiled when he saw her looking back at him and continued his ministrations. Taking care not to overstimulate her sensitive walls but ensuring that there were no traces of his seed on the outside of her glossy orange body.

Taalli watched him work until her neck became stiff and lay back down, happy to trust him with her most sensitive areas. “Thank you, Keenis," she whispered, “I'm glad I chose right."

Keenis smiled and gently ran his tongue a few inches into her depths to ensure she was clean before lifting his head up to look at her. “There was a choice?" he asked playfully and grinned when she turned her head to look at him.

Taalli caught onto the joke and smiled. “Of course, there was you... The drake in supplies, he offered me all the chocolate and batteries my squad could want... Oh, the one that works in the motor pool, he promised me a good hard screw, and have you seen the legs on him?" she teased and grinned back at Keenis.

“Oh really? So what are their names?" Keenis teased and stepped up beside her.

Taalli retracted her wing to let him lie beside her and rolled onto her side to hold him. “Okay, I have no idea," she admitted when he draped a wing over her and curled his tail around hers.

“Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Haarik, in supplies, isn't into 'nesses," he said softly and smiled when her eyes went wide.

“What? How do you know?"

“Patient-doctor confidentiality," Keenis teased.

Taalli chuckled. “So he hurt himself? Or, someone hurt him?" His answer was a lick to the bridge of her snout and a small nod. “So, how does that work? The whole patient secret thing," she asked, snuggling further into his embrace. “Like, if I told you a deep dark secret, are you allowed to tell anyone?"

Keenis clutched her close, curling his neck in the bed to place his head on top of hers. “Sort of. If it's something that is harmful to yourself or others, I would have to tell someone," he murmured and frowned when her grip relaxed. “But to be honest, I don't like keeping secrets," he added and pressed his chin between her horns.

Taalli was glad that he couldn't see her face that was buried in his neck. The small flicker of hope she had of telling him of her condition before they finished their tour was now snuffed out like a candle in the sandstorm that raged outside.

Keenis' paw gently caressed her shoulder blades as he listened to her breathing. The sensation of being curled around her made him feel like her protector, not that he believed she needed one.

Taalli swallowed and attempted to clear her mind, focusing instead on what she could control. “So, when we get out, do you have a place to live?" she asked softly.

“I was probably going to stay with my folks while I looked for a place. They live a few hours' flight north of Liberty Scales. But there isn't even a hospital in that town, just a family practice," Keenis explained sleepily, the fatigue of their activities catching up with him. “So it might be nice to find somewhere in the city," he added with a stifled yawn.

“The city is nice. The people are… a mixed bag," Taalli admitted.

“You lived there?" he asked and felt her nod against him. “It's funny, even though it was so close, I just never went there."

“I haven't been there for so long," she said with a touch of sadness in her voice. “The sunsets are nice. I don't know if it's the fog, pollution, or what. But the sky almost looks like it's burning when the sun goes down."

“That sounds beautiful," he whispered and kissed her forehead. “You will have to show it to me."

“Deal," Taalli said warmly. She felt his paws slow their stroking and smiled. “Are you falling asleep on me?"

Keenis smiled and held her close. “Someone wise once told me, if I should get a chance to rest, I should take it," he whispered softly, repeating the words she had told him on his first day deployed.

“They must have been very wise," Taalli chuckled and lifted her head to look at him; his eyes were closed, and a smile formed on his snout as he felt her gaze. “So wise," he murmured sleepily and stroked her shoulders tenderly.

Taalli gave him a reassuring lick on the cheek and smiled. "Well, it beats being outside."

Keenis snorted, “I didn't think I would ever be so thankful for a sandstorm. I'm getting pretty over guarding a useless road."

Taalli gave him a sympathetic nuzzle with her snout and smiled. “It's not just a road; we are guarding the village elders while negotiations continue. Maybe they can stop the war," she said and laughed when he opened one eye slowly to see if she was joking or not.

“This place has been fought over for thousands of years. Everything our negotiator has said has probably been said a hundred times by everyone," he explained while closing his eyes.

“So, you don't believe we are helping?" Taalli asked.

Keenis took a deep breath and slowly exhaled as he tried to word his answer. “We… are helping, but maybe not enough. Like that village we patrolled when I first got here. I could see the young 'nesses getting inspired by you. It's against their religion for the 'nesses to fight or get an education. So watching their eyes light up as they saw you was pretty cool," he admitted and smiled when she licked his cheek in thanks. “I like to hope that they now go on to make a difference. But I think change has to come from within; a foreign power occupying their land and telling them what they can and cannot do, I can only see them resenting us."

“See, this is why I like you, Keenis. Most drakes out here hate the enemy and distrust the locals. But you're out here being all philosophical and shit." Taalli smiled. “Maybe they should make recruits do an ethical test before they trust them to blow shit up with heavy weapons."

Keenis chuckled softly. “If they did that, they wouldn't let the trash like Joker join, whose mother's sole qualification for motherhood was a womb." He grinned with his eyes closed as Taalli gave him a playful swat on the shoulder, her body vibrating with her stifled laugh.

“Oh, Joker ain't that bad. He is really like family to me." Taalli said warmly and cocked her head when he opened an eye. “But every family has a drop out, right?" She teased. “So, what about me? Do you think I would pass the Keenis exam?" She asked.

The green drake gave a long pause as he thought, smiling when her mouth opened in disbelief at his silence. “I'm sure you would pass. Sleeping with the teacher gets you an easy A." He chuckled and laughed when she shoved him onto his back, rolling with him to pin his wing arms down to the bed and have her body between his legs.

“Keenis!" Taalli exclaimed. “Sleeping with the teacher gets me an A? And I thought it was an ethical exam!"

"Ethics lite then." He grinned and gave her a lick on the chin.

"So, you're just a horny drake like the rest of them," Taalli teased as she lifted herself off of him.

"I'm only a dragon! When a storm traps me in a sexy 'nesses cave, what is a drake to do?" he teased, his paws tracing down her body as she stepped away and made her way to her cache of storage tins.

"So, now you're saying it's my fault?" she teased, looking back at him with a smile.

"To an extent, yes," he retorted with a smirk. Yawning, his eyes roamed her strong curves and tight body as she searched through her tins. "What are you looking for?"

"I think I have some snacks left," she lied as she crouched down to shield her tins from view. Finding the one with her pills, she unclasped the lid and slipped one into her mouth, letting it dissolve under her tongue while she frowned. Peering into the tin, she was concerned to see the bottom of the canister through the tablets. Sealing it back up, she continued to shuffle her tins, opening each one to see if she had more hiding in another.

“I think we finished the jerky last night," Keenis offered sleepily, closing his eyes to rest while his mate continued to check every tin.

Taalli paused when she found the half-written note she had tried to write to Mike. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Keenis sprawled out and breathing slowly. “Yeah, I think I'm out of snacks," she said, noticing he didn't respond.

Pulling the note and a pen out of her tin, she padded back to Keenis and curled up next to him. With her back leaning against his side, she smiled when his wing slowly wrapped around her.

Unfolding the paper, she looked down at the worn page, clicking the pen against her chest. She adjusted her grip and began to write.

---

“Alright, ladies, let's get into gear. Taalli, where are you going?" Scarecrow asked. The sun was only just rising, and the rest of Zulu squad was doing the final checks on their gear before mounting up on their Humvee.

“I just need to post something; I'll catch you up," Taalli explained and continued to walk before Scarecrow could stop her. She was already wearing her harness, the heavy armored plates causing the nylon straps to dig into her shoulders as she trotted across the base.

She performed a mental check of her gear, knowing she wouldn't need to carry much as their guard duties had been uneventful so far. The locals seemed aware that the leaders of the province were meeting, keeping a wide berth from the town. Over the past few days, only those who were lost or not local to the area had approached. A few warning shots or the dragons flaring their wings had been sufficient to deter them.

As she trotted towards the postal exchange with the letter securely tucked under a harness strap, a cold shiver ran down her spine. Her gait slowed, and she confirmed she had taken her medication, the memory of hiding it from Keenis still fresh. Frowning, she patted a front pocket. With her pill stash running low, she had emptied her tin into her harness. Despite having over a month of service left in her tour, she calculated it should last until she went on light duties.

Taalli raised an eyeridge, realizing that the squad's punishment for her rendezvous with Keenis had unexpectedly become a benefit. In the face of combat, she had always taken another pill, but with guard duty assignment, she had managed to make her meds last.

She smiled at the Marine on duty and slid the envelope across the counter. The address of Ben's bar was scrawled on the front with a return address in case Mike wanted to reach out to her. "Just sending this," she said, giving a polite nod when the Marine grunted in acknowledgment. The Marine inspected the envelope and turned to add it to a pile. "You missed this week's flight, but it will get there," he grumbled.

"I understand," she said and turned. "He has been waiting so long already..." she muttered under her breath.

As she made her way past the numerous tents and temporary structures, her mind wandered back to the promises she had made to Mike. Recounting the words in her letter, she hoped that she could rebuild the bridge she had burnt, but not as it once was.

Stepping out past the final row of tents, she mantled her wings and looked above her to make sure she was clear to take off. Taking a deep breath, she lunged into the sky and beat her wings hard. Surging upwards, she could see Keenis gliding above the squad's Humvee in the distance and adjusted her course to intercept.

---

"This is bullshit, Captain?" Joker's voice came over the radio on a local channel. "Two weeks, command has had us guarding this freaking road. I'm sweating my balls off out here."

Taalli looked back behind her at the rest of Zulu squad. The unit's Humvee was parked just off the side of the road, with Bishop on the main gun and Scarecrow sitting in the driver's seat. The rest of the unit was spread out in a wide arc, giving them a focused angle of fire onto the road if needed. Keenis' shadow drifted over the hot road where Taalli sat, his large wings extended wide in a lazy glide. From his altitude, he could give the unit forewarning on approaching vehicles.

"We have our orders, Joker," Scarecrow's calm voice retorted.

"Nah, I'm with Joker. I haven't gotten to shoot shit in days," Bishop's Southern drawl chimed in on the radio.

"See, this is what I'm talking about. Poor Bishop here hasn't gotten to pop off a round. Did your recruitment officer tell you that you could shoot shit up?" Joker teased.

"Damn straight," Bishop replied.

"See, these recruiters are liars. Bishop got told he would get to shoot shit up, Taalli over there, Taalli was told she would get all kinds of drakes fawning over her after she signed up," Joker ranted with his rifle slung across his chest.

"What about you, Scarecrow? What made you sign up?" Keenis joined in.

Joker interrupted before their captain could reply. "Scarecrow, remember that TV ad? The one where the knight in shining armor fucks up a dragon, then the knight changes into a soldier. That, that's what got him in." Joker laughed. "Now look at us, Bishop hasn't gotten to shoot shit, Taalli has been paired with a dragon who won't give it to her, and Scarecrow is rolling around in the freaking desert, hunting for dragons in fatigues that smell like two weeks of piss and balls sweat."

Taalli grinned and could see a small smile pulling at their captain's lips.

"You should have rolled into battle with a sword, Cap. That would have freaking rocked," Joker added.

There was a prolonged silence before Raider's voice crackled over the radio. "Sooo... we're just not going to tell Joker why we are out here, huh?"

"Wait, what?" Joker exclaimed.

"Nah, I think not," replied Kodiak, clearly relishing in knowing something that Joker didn't.

Joker's annoyance was palpable as his voice came back over the radio. "Hey, if you know something we don't, tell the class, boys. If I'm sweating my balls off out here, it better be for something good."

There was an awkward pause before Taalli reached for her radio. "Yeah, it was something good. Pretty fantastic, actually," Taalli replied cryptically and looked up at Keenis flying high above them.

"Wait, what? What's the reason why we're out here?" Joker said, still not catching on.

Keenis' voice crackled over the radio, "Yeah, I agree. Great reason. I felt we explored all processes and really got deep into the problem."

"So deep, the conclusion really blew my mind," Taalli giggled in reply.

"Hold up, are you saying what I think you are saying?" Joker said, his voice getting a bit desperate.

"Roger, Joker. Doc gave Taalli a proper exam. Thorough exam, I believe she called it," Bishop's deep voice confirmed.

"Really?! Two weeks of guard duty because our Deltas got busy?"

"That's affirmative, Joker," answered Scarecrow.

"So, when is my special mission to get laid?" Joker asked.

"Sorry, Joker, that would be some mission impossible shit!" Taalli said with a laugh, the whole squad breaking out into laughter at Joker's expense.

"I think that's right up his alley, suspended by the ceiling, lots of ropes. Don't kink shame, Taalli," Keenis chuckled over the radio. There was a brief pause before he spoke again, all merriment gone from his voice. "Hold up! Vehicle approaching, flatbed truck traveling at speed."

Taalli snapped her head back around to look up the road; a small cloud of dust was being kicked up by the light truck as it approached quickly. “It looks civilian," Keenis remarked over the radio.

“Wave them off, Taalli," Scarecrow ordered.

While sitting on her haunches, she lifted her front paws off the ground to sit as upright as possible. Flaring her wings wide, she tried to appear as big as possible. As the truck continued to barrel towards them, she flapped her wings to attract attention.

“Bishop, warning shots!" Scarecrow ordered. With the Humvee off the side of the road, Bishop squeezed the trigger on the roof-mounted gun. Only one burst of high-powered rounds a few feet ahead of the truck was needed, and Taalli breathed a sigh of relief when it screeched to a halt.

Taalli squinted and could see the driver's terrified face as he began to try to leave. A deep ditch ran on either side of the line road, and the whole squad watched as the vehicle lurched in and out of gear as the driver started the process of a multi-point turn.

Taalli noticed the driver glancing at her intermittently. Folding her wings, she attempted to appear less threatening. Sweat beads formed on the driver's face, and she snorted a laugh when he missed a gear, reversing the truck into a ditch. The bald tires spun sand as the driver frantically tried to recover, a plume of black smoke erupting from the exhaust as he floored it, only to become more stuck.

"Now he's messed it up," Joker called over the radio, his amusement evident in his voice.

"Captain, permission to give him a hand?" Keenis asked.

Taalli looked up at him and then back at the truck. Her heart beat a little faster, recalling the aftermath of suicide bombers and improvised explosives. While the driver shouldn't have stopped if they meant harm, it could still be a trap.

"Approved, but stay frosty," Scarecrow said, his voice calm but not relaxed.

Taalli glanced up and watched Keenis tuck his wings in, rapidly descending towards the truck. She found herself taking a few steps down the road, eager to help at a moment's notice.

The green dragon flared his wings, beginning a wide orbit of the truck while skimming the dunes, his head turned to inspect the truck before risking a closer approach. The radio crackled as Keenis described the occupants and landed with a trot on the road. Taalli's heart beat quicker; the driver matched a vague description of an enemy combatant, and she felt a wave of uneasiness wash over her.

Keenis kept his wings mantled to appear more intimidating as he barked instructions at the driver in a commanding voice.

Taalli heard the Humvee's engine start up and turned her head to see the rest of Zulu squad being waved into the vehicle. Taking a few steps towards Keenis, she prowled towards the truck as the squad's Humvee rejoined the road and drove up behind her.

Focused on Keenis, she watched as he encouraged the driver out of the cabin and began searching the vehicle. When the Humvee pulled up alongside her, she turned to see Scarecrow leaning out the window. "Take his place on overwatch," he ordered.

Taalli opened her mouth to protest but paused when she saw the stern look on his face. They both knew her emotions were starting to affect her judgment, but she gave a quick nod and launched into the sky before he could say another word.

Beating her wings hard, she soared up into the sky, keeping an eye on Keenis as he requested backup. As she settled into a glide, she looked down to see Keenis pull back a tarp on the back of the truck. Even from her altitude, she could see the form of an injured dragon curled up in the truck bed. She clenched her jaw nervously as a shiver ran through her body once again, something not feeling right about the whole traffic stop.

She scanned the landscape for hostiles before looking down again, forcing herself to remember that Keenis was not helpless. The rest of Zulu squad was now out of their vehicle and interrogating the driver for details; her mate, however, was providing aid to the injured dragon.

Taalli took a deep breath and tried to relax, telling herself that if the occupants were hostile, they would have tried something by now.

Watching, she could see Keenis standing over the injured drake with a paw on his flank. Realizing he was trying to help the stranger made her smile. The injured drake could have been the enemy or just an innocent bystander, but Keenis helped him either way. The level of care and compassion made her heart swoon, something she made a mental note about to remind him that night.

She flapped her wings again to regain altitude and felt her wing shoulders tighten. “Oh no," she murmured and quickly rummaged around in her front pocket for more medication. Pulling two tablets out, she slipped them into her mouth and closed her eyes as the pain started to build. “Not now, please. Not now," she whispered to herself, trying to focus on anything else as the pain built and the pills dissolved.

Her toes clenched and unclenched in pain, but as quickly as it built, the medication worked its magic. Taking a deep breath, she slowly exhaled and looked down to see she had drifted out of position. With a twist of her tail, she adjusted her course and glided over the truck, casting a shadow over Keenis.

“Hey, Taalli. Could I get your sexy rump down here to give me a paw?" Keenis asked over the radio. She cleared her throat and acknowledged before folding her wings and plummeting down towards him.

Flaring her wings, she slowed her descent and gave a single heavy flap to help land as gracefully as she could. The rest of Zulu squad was mounting back up in the Humvee when she trotted over to Keenis, who was standing with his front paws on the back of the truck. Understanding that he needed help pushing the truck, she quickly moved beside him.

She made eye contact with the injured dragon lying in the truck bed and attempted a polite smile. It was evident from the look in his eyes that the drake didn't anticipate being saved by a dragoness. With the combined might of the two dragons and the truck spinning its tires, they rocked it back and forth until it gained traction.

The pair let go of the back of the truck once it had rejoined the road, and the injured drake expressed his gratitude in his native tongue.

“What did he say?" Taalli asked, slightly panting from the exertion. Her body felt strange, like an encompassing weight was pressing down from all sides, and despite the hot sun beating down on her, she shivered as if a draft blew on the back of her neck.

“No idea," Keenis shrugged and gave her a smile. “Do you want to do overwatch?"

Taalli gave a weak smile as she caught her breath. “That's all you, playboy. I think the heat is getting to me, so I'm enjoying sitting down all day," she added softly.

Keenis looked at her with concern, but before he could speak, Bishop's voice came over the radio. “Well, that's our good deed done for the day."

Taalli saw the look in his eye and shook her head to dismiss his concerns before she smiled and held down the transmit button on her radio. “Oh, I don't know. I'm hoping for another good deed from Doc before the day is done," she said warmly and grinned when his snout became noticeably darker. Turning around, she deliberately rocked her hips and looked over her shoulder to make sure he was watching.

She chuckled when he shook his head and shifted his gaze from her tail base to her face. Giving him a wink, she turned and trotted back to her position, hearing him take to the sky.

As Zulu squad parked the Humvee and spread out in a wide arc, Taalli turned around and sat down on the hot desert road. Her black paws blended into the asphalt, and bright orange scales contrasted, giving her the appearance of a large road cone.

---

The desert sun beat down hard on the unit. Despite Taalli offering to switch places with Keenis, he kept refusing, clearly taking her off-paw comment of not feeling well to heart.

"Yo, Taalli!" Bishop called from the top of the Humvee, his voice carrying a hint of playfulness. "Is that still a no on a cheeky flight? I'm bored out here."

Taalli rolled her eyes and looked back at him. "No, Bishop, I'm not giving you a ride because you're bored."

"What about because I helped get you ya boy?" Bishop teased with a broad grin.

"Still a no," she called back flatly.

Bishop chuckled before holding down the transmit button on his radio. "Hey Doc, you want to know something saucy about Taalli? It'll cost you a quick flight."

Taalli's eyes widened, and she glared at Bishop before snapping her head upwards to look at Keenis. The long pause before his reply put her on edge.

"Oh, if she told you, she will tell me," Keenis replied with a chuckle.

"Sorry, boys, looks like if we want anything from Doc, we're going to have to bend over and look back at him," Scarecrow teased, causing Taalli to smile.

"That ain't happening," Raider grumbled and kicked a rock, watching the dust be kicked up as it skipped across the desert floor.

Taalli looked across at him, positioned furthest out in the wide formation the squad had established. “Oh, don't be a prude, Raider. I'll show you how it's done," she said sweetly. “It's all about the timing, see?" She stood up, turning her rump to face him. Glancing upwards, she saw Keenis glide around behind Raider to get the same angle the Marine was getting.

She swayed her hips sensually, slowly raising her tail. Starting at its base, her tip remained angled low, covering her privates. As she drew her tail tip over her vulva, she curled her head around, staring back at Raider, whose eyes were captivated by the sight a hundred feet away.

She danced her hips from side to side, keeping her tip covering her slit. "So, Raider, are you sure there isn't anything I could do to change your mind about us dragons?"

Raider swallowed hard at the sight before him, his fatigues getting a bit tighter. She ever so slowly started to lift her tail tip to give him an unobstructed view until she quickly sat back down. "Maybe next time you can join us," she teased over the radio and glanced up at Keenis. "Close your jaw, darling," she added, smiling as he flapped his wings to return to his position above the squad.

"Fuck, Taalli," Joker exclaimed, feeling a bit flustered.

"That's the doc's job," Bishop retorted, causing them to laugh. Raider remained silent, grateful that his dark sunglasses hid his wide eyes as he discovered something about himself.

Taalli glanced at the other members of the squad, seeing them all smiling at Raider, and chuckled to herself. Never in a million years had she thought about doing something like that to someone who was so against dragons, but as she glanced up at her mate, she felt free for what felt like the first time.

"Eyes up, another truck coming," Keenis announced over the radio and angled himself to get a better view.

Taalli felt another cold shiver run down her spine, like a cube of ice slowly being dragged down her scales. "On it!" she called and fluttered her wings to shake off the feeling. Rearing up on her hind legs, she flared her wings wide. When the truck failed to notice, she gave them a few brief flaps and looked back at the Humvee parked off the side of the road.

"Bishop-" the captain's order was cut off by a quick burst of tracers from Bishop's mounted weapon. The crack of supersonic bullets whizzing past the side of the cabin did nothing to deter the driver.

Taalli frowned and tried to identify the truck; it looked nothing like the ones she had seen growing up. More of a collection of thick steel plates with wheels than anything mass-produced. Her heart sank as the truck downshifted and a thick plume of black smoke erupted from the exhaust stack.

She folded her wings back in and lowered herself down to all fours, her bright amber eyes focused on the incoming vehicle.

"Make it stop!" called Scarecrow with a tenseness in his voice that made her uneasy.

Scarecrow opened the door to the squad's Humvee and braced his rifle on the door as the Zulu squad dropped to a knee. Streams of hot lead zipped out of their weapons only to strike harmlessly against the oncoming vehicle.

Taalli felt her chest tighten and wings quiver as she watched the truck continue to hurtle towards her family. Slipping a steady paw into her harness, she retrieved a handful of pills, stuffed them into her maw and swallowed.

She knew the truck wouldn't stop; even the high-caliber rounds of the mounted machine gun were ricocheting off the truck's crude armored plates. She could see a collection of slits in the steel plates that had been welded over the windows and knew a well-placed grenade would stop the truck.

She could feel the familiar pain building in her body as adrenaline pumped through her veins. Her stomach turned as Feerah's warning echoed in her mind. Looking back at the squad, she knew she could never live with herself if they were injured due to her weakness. With a snarl and a determined look in her eyes, she focused on the truck. Placing one paw in front of the other, she took three steps and pulled her head back. Lunging forward, she expelled a long jet of flame towards the enemy. She knew he was out of range but burst into a sprint towards him. The thick oily smoke of her flame clung to her as she used it to obscure her approach.

She knew exactly which side of her harness held the grenade she would need. Bounding through the smoke, she could feel the hot asphalt sticking to her paws, her flame turning it into a gel-like goo. She couldn't see the truck through the smoke but observed the oily cloud swirling into shapes as she bounded towards her target. A shape in the corner of her eye made her breath hitch. In the smoky fumes of the melting asphalt, the shape of a silver drake running beside her began to materialize.

“Still got some left in you?" Riimack called out, his voice sad and somber, as if asking a question he didn't like the answer to. She glanced at him and snarled, snapping her head forward, focusing instead on the sound of the truck ahead of her.

“You're not real, you're gone!" she snapped and launched herself out of the smoke.

The fear in the driver's eyes made her smile, a wicked grin that complemented her demonic look as she emerged from the oily black smoke. Her quivering wings tucked close to her sides, and she ran at full speed towards the oncoming truck.

She saw the driver correct his course and aim at her as bullets skipped off the armor plating. Her lungs burned, and her tail felt numb, but she continued, determined to protect her new family from the suicide bomber. Bounding to the right side of the road, she smiled wider as the truck swerved to continue its path towards her. With a quick skip to the left of the road and back again, she made the truck become unsettled on its abused suspension, the heavy steel plates that were put on to protect it now causing it to become unstable.

Taalli quickly calculated her moves and bounded left, then right, before feinting left again as the truck dangerously closed in. The driver, fueled by adrenaline, fell for her tactics. Gripping the wheel tightly, he heaved it back to try and collide with the dragoness, but it was too late.

Taalli attempted to flare her quivering wings to slow her speed as she leapt at the truck. However, their delicate membranes only partially extended, and her front paws latched onto the front of the cab. The momentum swung her body around, colliding with the side of the truck with enough force to drive the air from her lungs.

A pained roar escaped her mouth as the sharp metal plates dug into her soft underside. The pain caused her paws to clench, holding on tighter to the side of the truck as it wobbled and bounced down the road. The scent of gasoline stung her nostrils, and she realized an error in her judgment. She had to slip a grenade into a window slit but discovered the gaps were too tight.

The driver aggressively sawed at the wheel to dislodge the dragon, causing the truck to rock dangerously on the poorly sealed road. His head snapped towards the passenger door at the ear-piercing groan of metal bending.

Taalli's entire body felt ablaze as she clung to the truck. With one paw, she heaved back on the armored door. The thick steel plates resisted her efforts, but the thin metal truck cab they were welded to began to tear. With a snarl, she pulled back on the door, feeling its hinges give up. The thick, heavy door fell to the ground and bounced away harmlessly.

Taalli adjusted her grip on the cab and glanced up the road. The smoke began to clear, revealing her family ahead. They stood frozen, not firing, their faces etched with horror as she clung to the suicide bomber's truck.

Retrieving a grenade from her harness, she reached with her mouth to pull the pin. However, her paw suddenly released the grenade when a loud crack echoed from inside the cabin. Taalli roared in pain as a jet of red blood burst from the back of her forearm.

Fueled by rage and adrenaline, she drove her head into the cabin, her eyes slits as she snapped her jaws at the driver. The panic in his eyes and the quivering pistol were the last things she saw before her paws lost their grip on the side of the truck, and she fell to the road.

A sharp pain surged through her body upon hitting the asphalt, but it faded as she tumbled along the abrasive road. She rolled over and over, growing dizzy and disoriented before coming to a halt.

Snarling, she swiftly stood up and fixed her gaze on the truck, now up on two wheels, with something hanging from the side of the cabin. Her claws dug into the road as she bounded toward the truck, its extra weight causing it to tip onto its side and grind along with a shower of sparks.

As the gasoline storage ignited, Taalli skidded to a halt but didn't feel the heat. The roar of the explosion was muted and muffled; sharp scraps of thick metal whizzed past her, but it didn't feel real.

“It's going to be okay," Riimack said softly, his blue eyes glossy and kind as he stepped beside Taalli.

Taalli glanced at him and shook her head. “You're not real! You're gone!" she cried and reached to her harness for her meds, pausing when her paw only felt her scaled body. Her whole body tensed when his wing draped over her and gently pulled her against his side.

“I never left," he said softly, a tear running down his snout as he tried to give her a weak smile.

“My meds, my harness. I don't…" she said and frantically looked around in case it had unbuckled itself.

“You don't need them now," Riimack said and held her closer, feeling her body quiver against him. “Either of them."

Taalli's eyes widened in realization. “No… NO!" she cried and pulled away from his embrace. She ran as fast as she could towards the wreckage; she could see Zulu squad drive towards the thick, oily cloud of smoke, and Keenis flared his wings to land. Despite her paws pounding as she ran, she left no marks on the soft desert sand.

"Keenis!" she cried out and came to a skidding halt a few feet from the wreckage. He ignored her plea, his dark green body covered in thick black grime from the smoke. Without hesitation, he tried to pull something large from the truck. His muscles bulged as he dragged her body out from the mess, his eyes and paws inspecting her for any signs of life.

Taalli's jaw dropped in disbelief as she made out her orange scales and black paws, once shiny scales now covered in grime, burns, and blood. Chunks of her flesh had been ripped out by the steel fragments that had been sent through her by the explosion.

"No, please no!" she whimpered. "Keenis! Save me!" Her body shuddered when her mate ignored her pleas, pain and hopelessness in his eyes as he realized he couldn't help her.

A deep growl roared from the squad's Humvee as it passed Keenis, followed by the deep booms of the main gun firing. Keenis snapped his head up and saw Bishop firing further down the street. Following his aim, he spotted multiple vehicles approaching. Small yellow flashes from the enemy vehicles sparkled in the mirage before bullets skipped past his squad.

With a screech of the tires, Scarecrow turned the Humvee to block the road, and all but Bishop dismounted. Using the small, thin-skinned vehicle as cover, they began firing at the oncoming mix of trucks and tired sedans. "Keenis! How is she?" Scarecrow shouted over his shoulder.

Taalli could only watch as the green drake looked to their captain, his eyes conveying her condition better than the words he couldn't find. His lip trembled as he looked back down at his dead mate, her body was so limp and lifeless he struggled to process what had happened. Moments ago she was fine, joking even but now she was gone. His chest was too tight to breath, he reached out with his gifts for any sign of life but felt only the void of a lifeless corpse.

"Fuck!" exclaimed Scarecrow, turning back to fire off more rounds at the oncoming hostiles. While the enemy's aim was not that of the trained Marines, the volume of fire was immense. Sparks flew up from the road as bullets ricocheted off the asphalt, peppering the side of their vehicle with lead fragments.

The barrel on Bishop's gun glowed red as round after round shot out across the desert, causing puffs of dust to be kicked up around the enemy until they found their mark. As he shifted from target to target, he quickly realized that they were fighting a losing battle.

“Captain-"

“I know," Scarecrow said, firing off more rounds. “Keenis, can you get her on board?" he asked before a line of enemy bullets ripped through the front of their vehicle. The whole Humvee fell half a foot as the tires were blown out and the engine was shot through.

“Man down! Fuck!" shouted Raider. The Marine dropped behind the Humvee and moved to Kodiak, who had fallen to the ground, his hand pressed to the side of his thick neck, warm blood seeping through his fingers.

Taalli's eyes were wide at the scene unfolding. Unable to help, she became nothing more than a spectator to the horror unfolding in front of her. Bishop was still perched on top of the Humvee, running belt after belt of ammo through his gun. With Raider and Kodiak out of position, Joker and Scarecrow were now trying to maintain a higher rate of fire to suppress the enemy who were beginning to encircle them.

“Keenis! Help us!" Shouted Scarecrow, shaking the green drake from his paralyzing shock. He looked down at his fallen mate with tears in his eyes, hoping to see some sign of life. His mind went into shock and latched onto his training for some semblance of what to do. He knew his squad needed him more than her and with a snarl he bounded over to Kodiak. With a tug of his powerful paw, he ripped one of his pouches off his harness and scattered the medical equipment next to the injured Marine. Taking over from Raider, he started working to save Kodiak.

“I hated this bit," Riimack said softly as he stepped next to Taalli again and placed a wing over her. She tried to squirm away, but he held her close.

She finally stopped fighting and looked up to him for guidance. “So, I-I'm-"

“Yes," Riimack said softly.

“But they need help! We can't just stand here!" she cried. “We need to save them!"

Riimack held the lost dragoness close. “We can't do anything. Trust me, I know," he said sadly and blinked back a tear.

Taalli glanced around for anything that could help and saw dust rising on either side of the pinned squad. “They are going to be trapped. They're being flanked."

“I know. I don't think they have long now." His lip quivered. When Taalli looked at him in disbelief, he sniffed. “Help is still hours away, and I don't think that Humvee is going to turn over."

Taalli pulled herself away from his embrace and moved closer to Keenis. Glancing at the other members of the squad, she knew they were not equipped for a prolonged firefight. Her eyes snapped to Joker, his posture unnatural as he leaned heavily against the Humvee. Looking down, she could see a trail of red blood running down his leg, mixing with the oil and coolant pooling under their vehicle.

Taalli looked to Keenis, whose eyes were closed in concentration. The green drake's paw pressed against Kodiak's neck while he stitched back the torn arteries with magic. “Keenis! Joker's been hit!" Taalli screamed, her jaw dropping as his eyes snapped open and looked straight at her. For the briefest of moments, she looked into his pained eyes as if he could see her.

Keenis glanced at Joker and saw he was wounded. Looking back at Kodiak, he lifted his paw and was relieved to see the bleeding had been stemmed. “Joker, you good?"

“I'm firing, ain't I?" called Joker while reloading. “Last mag!"

“Keenis, we need an evac. Now! Can you get us out?" shouted Scarecrow while he passed one of his last mags to Joker.

"Not with her as well," Keenis replied and felt like a knife ran through his heart as he saw the captain glance to Taalli and back to Keenis. The Marine's eyes conveyed the order he didn't want to give. "Please, don't make me," Keenis begged. He knew what could happen to a downed dragon and shuddered to think of what they would do to his mate's body.

Shane fired off a few more rounds before turning back to the green drake. He could see the pain in his squadmate's eyes and his chest tightened when he called out to the drake. "We can't stay here. It's her or all of us," he said urgently, his voice not that of a commanding officer but of a friend. "Your call, Keenis."

"I can't leave her!" Keenis cried and looked around to see the enemy closing in on them. He knew that he couldn't afford to make two trips and felt a cold shiver run down his spine.

Taalli stepped in between the pair, her spectral form invisible to them as she looked into Keenis' glossy eyes. "Save them," she whispered softly. "Please, save them. Get them out, get them home."

Keenis glanced back at Taalli's broken body and closed his eyes. Drawing on his gifts, he reaffirmed what he already knew; her limp body was devoid of life and there was nothing he could do to help her.

"KEENIS! SAVE THEM!" Taalli screamed into his ear, tears streaming down her ghostly snout. "Leave me," she added desperately.

Keenis opened his eyes and looked through Taalli at her family. Kodiak was unconscious but stable, Joker wouldn't last long but would survive a short flight, and the other three were running dangerously low on ammo.

"Let's go," Keenis said and nodded to his captain. "I'll come back for her," he promised himself.

"Zulus! We're leaving, pop smoke and drop anything you don't need. We are leaving light," Scarecrow barked and pulled out a smoke grenade. With a tug of the pin, he tossed it as far as he could while the others followed suit. "How do you want to do this, Keenis?"

Taalli sat on her haunches, observing as her mate issued instructions to the rest of the unit. He swiftly sliced through the front of his harness, allowing the armored plates to fall to the ground. Extracting a steel wing shear cable from his pouch, he looped it through the tether point under his harness and tossed it to Scarecrow.

The white smoke emitted from their grenades formed a wall, a deceptive cloud of security. While it obscured them from the enemy, it permitted hostiles to advance without engagement.

Keenis crouched to facilitate Kodiak's lift, securing him to his back, although it promised an unpleasant ride given Kodiak's unconscious state. Bishop stepped forward, swinging a leg over Keenis' neck to face backward, a large machine gun slung across his chest with an attached ammo box. Joker, Raider, and Scarecrow all attached themselves to the wing shear cable.

"Set!" Scarecrow called out as his carabiner locked onto the cable. "It's all you, Keenis."

Keenis glanced back at the smoking wreckage of the truck that had claimed her, one last time. Her broken body lay unceremoniously on the black asphalt road, with wings strewn in different directions.

"Go. Just go," Taalli said sadly, noting the regret in his eyes.

With a snarl and a snap of his jaws, Keenis mantled his wings and leaped into the sky. The added weight of his unit strained his wings as he climbed, twisting his tail and adjusting his course in a spiral to avoid countless shots that zipped past them. Gritting his teeth, he focused on beating his wings harder and harder, each surge propelling him and his unit to safety and further from Taalli's lifeless body.

---

---

Liiria's freshly painted claws clicked on the pavement as she happily trotted back towards Mike's cafe. The sun was setting, signaling the end of Mike's shift and the start of their date at Ben's bar.

Countless cars whizzed past her as she hummed happily to herself, the stale city scents a far cry from the fresh air of the alpine slopes she grew up on, but she didn't care. Coming to a familiar intersection, she saw the lights change and slowed down; she knew their cycle by heart and took her time walking up to the curb.

As soon as her paws reached the edge of the gutter, she frowned. The light turned green for her, well out of cycle from what she remembered. “Two days in a row? Maybe they changed it," she muttered to herself and stepped out onto the road.

Trotting merrily around the corner, she saw the familiar logo of Claws on Coffee: two stylized black paws holding a mug on an orange background. A smile crept on her snout; it had only been a few days ago when she had been stuck at the same lights for ages. She had been so nervous ahead of her big interview and was kept waiting until the rain began to pour, but now she cherished the memory of seeking shelter in Mike's cafe.

As she approached the cafe, she frowned; the open sign had been turned off, and the lights were off. Pressing her face to the glass door, she smiled when she saw the familiar figure of Geevin. Tapping on the glass with her ivory talon, she smiled when he turned, but her grin faltered at the somber expression on the drake's face.

The brown dragon strode over to the door and unlocked the latch with a click. Liiria was surprised when the drake only opened the door enough for him to push his head through and whisper to her. “Um, Liiria… Something bad has happened."

“Mike? Is he okay? Did he hurt himself?" Liiria asked and tried to look past the drake.

“No, he is behind the counter, but…" he said, trying to find the right words. “Look, it's probably best if he tells you," Geevin whispered.

Pushing the door open further, the large drake let her pass. Padding into the dim store, Liiria heard a sniffle from behind the counter. “Mike?"

Mike sniffed and wiped his eyes with his sleeve. “I-I'm here," he said weakly, his voice breaking.

Coming around the counter, Liiria's heart sank. Her Mike was leaning against counter cupboards, a newspaper strewn next to him, and the crystal sculpture of his ex cradled in his lap. She lowered her head down to his level and slowly approached. “Mike, what happened?" she asked softly.

Mike looked at her with bloodshot eyes and shook his head before sobbing again. Liiria came closer and lay down, curling her body around his to shelter him from the world.

He leaned against her side and wept, his whole body quivering as his breathing became ragged. “I-I'm sorry," he whimpered. “We were going out, weren't we?"

“Shhh, it's okay. I'm here," Liiria said warmly and pressed her snout against his cheek. “What happened?" she asked; glancing down at the statue, she began to guess whatever had happened must have involved Leena.

Mike wiped his nose with the damp cuff of his shirt and sniffed back more tears. “I think- I think I need to tell you about someone," he stammered and swallowed before finding his words. “A dragon called Taalli."