Taming the Wilds Chapter 19

Story by Dani Drake on SoFurry

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In the aftermath of tragedy, Lopestown finds new hope, and the promise of a new home.


(Author's note: Everyone involved is over 18. Once again, as with Nimei, "boy" describes 18 to early 20-year-old men in sexual situations.)

Dawn broke on a depressing scene. Where once there was a bustling town full of happy monsters and humans, there was now nothing but ashes and sorrow. Not one building had survived the Prilian army's fires, and much of the surrounding forest had fared no better.

Lopestown's population was similarly affected. Despite their victory, dozens of monsters and humans laid down their lives. Their efforts destroyed the Prilian assault, but their lives meant far more to their loved ones, and the corpses of the kingdom's soldiers did little to comfort those left behind.

The Niix's numbers dwindled to three members, but their sacrifice prevented countless other deaths. Russell's life was saved by one of the heroic insects when a Prilian soldier rushed him while Trunk and Lope were distracted by several others, and he'd seen them throw themselves in front of countless other blades throughout the battle. They sought comfort in each other's arms, their antennae entwining, and Russell wondered how he could ever thank them for the agony their shared consciousness must have felt with each death.

Durz and his father had busied themselves digging graves for the fallen, putting their energy to good use, and waving away any attempts to help them. They claimed that everyone else should rest and that it was the least they could do. For the first time since Russell met either of them, they were solemn, and there was no hint of sexual undertones in their actions.

Brigirth was catatonic. He hadn't spoken or moved since he discovered Ko's charred body amid the wreckage of the infirmary, staring blankly at the serene expression on the tanuki's blackened face. Tears didn't stain his face, and the only sign that he was alive was the shallow breathing that rippled through his soot-streaked chest. When Ko was lowered to his grave by willing volunteers, the dragon stood and walked away through the charred trees. No one had seen him since then. Russell wanted to send people to look for him, but, thinking it over, he thought it was better to let the dragon go where he wished. Hopefully, he would come home when he was ready.

Nimei had singlehandedly decimated Prilia's mage division and archers. Peak found him clinging to one of the Niix's dead, passed out and surrounded by seared corpses. When he awoke, he refused to leave Peak's arms, and the manticore could only carry him around while the kitsune buried his face in Peak's chest. The poor boy was traumatized and refused to look at any of his conquests.

Hugh lay in a pile of corpses, covered head to toe in blood, smashing a Prilian's face to splinters with his bare fists when Russell found him. His eyes were glazed, and it was as if he was in a trance, his face twisted in anger. When Russell's fingers touched his face, his expression cleared, and he burst into tears, burying his face in Russell's stomach. The only one who could get him to let go was Thikkeh, and even then, only with a firm tug and a claiming kiss to distract him.

Pain wrote itself clearly across almost every face that Russell saw. He was wrong. Fighting for their freedom, fighting against Prilia, was a terrible idea. How could he have been so stupid? What use was a victory if his people were traumatized and crippled in the process? No, the best thing for his friends, the best way to keep them alive, was to find somewhere else to live.

Tomorrow they would leave Lopestown behind and search for somewhere safe, past Mimid, hell, past the seas. It didn't matter where they went. Anywhere that he didn't have to bury his friends would be home. Losing even one more person he cared about was unacceptable.

Thoughts of what he would say to convince his people to leave kept him up that night, tossing and turning, but soft hands stroked over his cheeks, and he opened his eyes to Trunk's inviting chest inches from his mouth. His tongue slid out to capture one of those puffy nipples, welcoming the distraction, and he slid into place against the manticore's accepting body. Soft fingers spread those puffy lips for him, and he rolled his member along the exposed hole, shuddering at the moist heat. The sensation ate away at his worries, and he welcomed its silken pleasure.

Trunk was gentle, doting on Russell with strokes over his back, and his legs spread wide to let his human lover explore. Teasing at Russell's mouth with that sandpapery tongue, he coaxed him into a slow kiss, the force of his purr numbing Russell's lips. When the kiss broke, he nuzzled into Russell's neck. "Do you think humans can breed with monsters?" His needy sex twitched under Russell's slow grind, and Russell felt fresh wetness drool down his shaft. "I think I like the idea of carrying your children." Wiggling hips punctuated his words as if he were trying to entice Russell to slip inside his greedy hole.

Russell had never thought of the implication, but he shuddered at the thought. There would be something pleasantly perverse about the manticore's stomach growing heavy with his litter. He answered the manticore's confession with a slow penetration, stretching those puffy lips around his shaft. Wet, slippery sounds echoed with each push, and the manticore's honey dripped down his balls in sticky excess. Even if he couldn't impregnate the manticore, he was certainly willing to try.

Slow and steady thrusts brought the manticore to the edge of orgasm, and as he began to clench and squirm, Russell sped his thrusts, squishing those sweet, puffy lips against his groin. Frustration, guilt, anger, and sadness poured into every hard push, and he reveled in the repeated climaxes he wrung from the manticore's depths, his teeth sinking into a bouncing pec. Fucking away the pain was a new concept to Russell, but it proved incredibly effective.

"Oh gods, Russell, I-" The manticore's words cut off into a high-pitched mewl, and Russell's stomach felt a stream of wetness. Feline musk filled the air, and warm liquid poured over Russell's thighs. Overwhelming pleasure had loosened the manticore's bladder, and he covered his face while his golden stream added to the sticky drooling mess. Just when Russell thought the manticore couldn't be hotter, he managed to surprise him.

Russell spread those twitching lips to watch the manticore lose control, and as that golden spray slowed to a trickle, he rewarded that needy clit with his thumb, drawing a high-pitched groan from the tensing feline. He only lasted a few seconds after that erotic display. Wringing one final mewling orgasm from the manticore's pulsing hole, he filled those clutching depths, painting Trunk's inner walls in the thick layer of the seed he desperately craved.

"I love you." The manticore purred against Russell's ear, shuddering arms pulling the human close. Sensual fingers ran down his back, claws teasing over his bare skin and stopping at his ass, resting on it to give it a gentle squeeze. Heaving pecs cradled Russell's head, and as he settled into the soft embrace, the purrs vibrating through their pillowy softness lulled him into a restful sleep.

The midmorning sun's warm embrace woke Russell from his dreamless sleep, and he opened his eyes to the familiar sight of his feline lover's sleeping face. Sticky dried fluids resisted his withdrawal from those warm depths, and dried cum decorated the manticore's pretty, puffy hole, its reddened, well-used inner walls peeking through the swollen lips. Russell could barely resist dipping his head to awaken his feline lover with his tongue, but nature called, and he stood with a stretch, walking to a nearby pile of rubble near the city's entrance to relieve himself.

Nude as he was, the soft clop of horse hooves surprised him, and he turned to face a company of knights, his golden stream still flowing freely. Had Prilia sent another battalion? Fuck, this was the worst timing. He willed his piss to end, wondering if he should sound the alarm.

A polite cough broke the awkward silence. The knights attempted to look away from Russell's unintentional exhibition as their leader stepped from his horse, helping a hooded, hunched figure down with gentle hands. One of the leader's knights handed him a small burlap sack with crimson dripping from its bottom. "Are you this place's king?" He asked, pointedly ignoring Russell's vulnerable state.

At Russell's nod, the knight unveiled the bundle, revealing a crowned head with twisted features and holding it out to Russell, dropping to his knees and bowing. "As the crown prince of Prilia, I offer you my father's head, and mine, in penance. His actions were reprehensible, and his attack on your community was an act of pure evil." The knight removed his helmet, revealing emerald green eyes with dark circles and a golden mane of thick, shoulder-length hair. "All that I ask is that, should you kill me, you grant me one final wish."

At the prince's nod, one of the knights unveiled the hooded figure. Glazed golden eyes set on an eagle's face, and a dark, panther-like body with patchy, obviously unkempt fur, and a heartbreakingly concave stomach, revealed the man to be a griffin. Small stumps on his back, covered in bandages and seeping with multicolored sickness, stood out on his back.

"My father cut off his wings before I could stop him, and he's been ill ever since. Rumors of your healer's ability to save even the most hopeless from the brink of death reached the castle just before my father began his crusade, and I knew that I had to act if I wanted to safeguard his life." The prince's voice cracked and trailed off, and those bright emerald eyes stared up at Russell. "Please, save him. He's the only person that ever cared for me. My life, country, men, anything you desire is yours, just please."

Russell felt his chest tighten at the prince's plea, and he stepped forward to examine the griffin, his gentle fingers trailing over the notches in the griffin's beak. His hand came to rest on the griffin's chest, and a soft glow radiated from his fingertips, easing the man's tortured expression. Dull and listless eyes cleared, and the griffin seemed to take in his surroundings for the first time as Russell removed the bandages from his stumps to be sure.

"Lucian. Where am I? What have you done?" A hoarse, deep voice radiated from the griffin's chest, and he weakly turned his head to face the prince, lurching forward and falling into the human's arms. Shaking hands reached out to caress the prince's cheek. "If your father finds out you freed me, he'll make an example out of you." Concern shined in his eyes despite his sickly state, and his shaking, taloned hands were gentle.

"He's dead, Hep. I killed him with my own two hands." The prince embraced the shaking griffin, and he mouthed 'thank you' up at Russell, his eyes overflowing in grateful tears. His face buried in the griffin's dirty feathers, he let his regal air fade, and Russell realized that the prince was likely far younger than his worried appearance and educated speech.

Looking around at the gathered faces of his people, Russell sighed, placing a hand on Lucian's shoulder. "We've had enough of killing. Your life is safe, but there is something that we need in return for our help." Russell leaned against Lope's supporting shoulder and thought for a moment. "Give us enough land to rebuild our homes, and help us protect it." Besides, killing someone this attractive would probably earn Russell the wrath of the gods.

"As much as you need. After my coronation, it's yours." Lucian broke the embrace and stood, shaking Russell's hand emphatically. The prince's soft lips captured his own, sealing his promise with a kiss. Those bright green eyes were sheepish as he pulled away, and his eyes avoided Russell's, a flush on his face. "I- Um- sorry. I'm just so grateful. I couldn't contain myself. Forgive my transgression." The way the boy touched his lips afterward told a different story, and Russell saw his eyes roam down over Russell's naked body.

With the griffin sleeping peacefully on his lap, Lucian explained the circumstances leading up to his revolt while his men fanned out to distribute supplies to the residents of Lopestown.

For most of the prince's life, the king ignored him and sent him off to live among servants. His childhood was lonely, and most of the adults in his life treated him as a burden, punishing him for the slightest things and locking him away. To cope with his isolation, he became a master at picking locks, and by the time he was six years old, he could escape from his room and elude his angry governesses.

On one such occasion, the young prince wandered into the dungeons. The griffin, Hephaestus, was its only resident, and the curious prince wore him down until he told him grandiose stories of his past. Tales of grueling battles hard-fought whet the young prince's appetite for adventure, and he hung on the griffin's every word.

Every day prince would visit the griffin, and grudging acceptance gave way to friendship, then something closer to a fatherly relationship. Lucian loved Hep more than his own family and spent his free time pressed against the bars, discussing his lessons and listening to the griffin's stories. He even set aside food and would bring it to the griffin to replace the slop that the guards tried to force on him.

It wasn't until Lucian came of age that he started to contemplate the king's policies and question his father's cruelty. He couldn't understand why his father hated monsters so much when the only person that had ever been kind to him was his captive friend. In his experience, the meanest, most cruel people were those that claimed they knew best. Why did his father find it necessary to enslave and torture based on something as trivial as species? If someone as kind as Hephaestus existed among the monsters, there was no way that they could all be as bad as his father claimed.

Lucian wasn't the only one opposing the king's cruel actions. When his father forced him to train as a knight, many of his peers felt precisely the same way he did, and he began to surround himself with like-minded people. With his authority as the crown prince, he recruited these compassionate men into his guard, and by the time he returned to the castle, he had a small army at his command.

His first evening at home was when his father decided to torture poor Hephaestus, claiming that he wasn't showing the king the degree of respect he demanded. Bloodied wings that the tyrant paraded around the castle as if they were a trophy broke something inside of Lucian, and he drew his sword on his father as soon as he could catch him alone, piercing his chest with his blade. He wouldn't allow any more of the bastard's awful behavior to continue.

"And the rest, you know. I caught wind of my father's final decree and rushed after his army to stop the assault, leaving the rest of my men to clean my father's corruption from the nobility." Lucian's regretful gaze lit over the graves. "I'm sorry that I couldn't arrive in time. Your people have been nothing but an asset to mine. None of you deserve the pain and heartache his hatred brought you."

"There is one more thing you should know. Are you familiar with the founding of Prilia? The story goes that the current royal line slew the 'Horrible despotic tyrant' and made the land safe for humankind, but it was all just an elaborate lie." Soft hands ran through the sleeping griffin's feathers, tracing the scars on his beak, and the prince nodded towards his sleeping friend. "He's the rightful king. My great-great-grandfather was his advisor, and his revolt ousted him from his throne. My family destroyed his life, killed everyone he cared about and sentenced his people to slavery, or worse." Lucian's face held a gentle smile, and tears stained the griffin's dingy feathers. "But still, despite everything we did to him, he comforted a lonely little boy in his time of need and gave meaning to a life that could easily have become full of hatred. He's a better person than anyone I've ever known."

With the knights' help, Lopestown's survivors gathered what few belongings had survived the fire and set off for their new home. According to Lucian, the land was untouched by human hands, and the only reason it was left alone was an infestation of giant boars settling within its confines. Considering most of the hunters Buck trained were capable of taking down prey far more massive than any boar, the pests guaranteed a source of fresh meat.

Fortunately, their trip was uneventful, and they arrived at a valley within the week. The humans' problems with the location soon became apparent as a snorting, squealing boar charged from the underbrush, its height easily rivaling the knights on horseback. Lucian's guards drew their swords, their horses rearing back with worried neighs.

"Food!" Came Ruri's voice from behind Russell. Russell couldn't help but laugh as the orc rushed to take the boar's charge to his chest, his arms gripping the creature's neck. The orc flipped the unfortunate feral monster with practiced ease, as if it weighed nothing, and slammed it to the ground, its neck crunching and its eyes rolling back in its head. "I've been craving meat for days now!" He smiled triumphantly, and as he dragged the boar into the midst of the gathered monsters, Russell saw the knights' jaws drop in unison. He had to admit, if he didn't know Durz and Ruri so well by now, Russell probably would have had a similar reaction, but he'd seen them carry multiple trees at once, and Ruri could lift Hugh's massive frame with less effort than one would expect. That overgrown wall of pork was nothing for an orc.

By nightfall, the weary travelers gathered around blazing fires, and the scent of cooking pork tinged a much less solemn atmosphere.

Lucian's knights were a friendly bunch, and they were already acting like old friends with Greg's men and a small group of monsters. Luminos was teaching them a whistling tune from his childhood while seated on Greg's lap, and judging by the rapt expressions on their faces, the pretty bird was starting to gain a bit of a fan club. Hopefully, Greg wouldn't be too jealous of his phoenix's new admirers.

Russell snuck off to piss among the bushes, and just as the flow began, he heard a soft rustling next to him. Lucian, his face flushed, looked away from Russell's fountaining cock and started to retreat, but Russell shrugged his shoulders. "You have a talent for catching me with my dick out, don't you?" He teased, wiggling his stream with his occupied hand. He'd long since shed any inhibitions about his nudity and bodily functions.

"Well, it isn't unpleasant to look at," Lucian mumbled but shook his head, tearing his gaze from Russell's manhood. "I mean, um." He stammered, trying to regain his composure. "I meant, I wanted to thank you for saving Hephaestus. It seemed easier to approach you without your lovers hovering over your shoulder." His gaze kept wandering down to Russell's cock, and Russell smiled. Was his power of attraction beginning to work on humans, or was the prince just a pervert?

Either way, the innocent need written across Lucian's face hardened Russell's member, and he guided the prince's soft, well taken care of hand to his shaft, the last drops of urine dripping from the tip. "Don't be shy. I'm not blind. I can see you staring." His arm slid around the embarrassed prince's shoulder. "Sex is practically a greeting around here. No one will judge you for your desires."

Lucian bit his lip, staring down at Russell's member while his hand explored its length. "I'm not supposed to indulge myself until my wedding night." He seemed unsure, but he was already stepping out of his armor and releasing a dick that rivaled Durz's length from slickened underclothes. Adorably eager, with his hard cock slapping against his smooth stomach, he stood expectantly before Russell's appraising eyes.

Aware that, perversely, this counted as diplomacy, Russell slipped to his knees in front of the prince, trailing his tongue up from the base of his shaft to the thick, hooded tip. Practiced lips kissed at the head, and he pulled back the excess skin to expose the glans to his gentle teasing. Savoring his first royal cock, he let his tongue explore every ridge and fold of the head. It wasn't fair how perfect the prince's manhood was, compared to the rest of him. Did he have ANY flaws? Even the nest of blond hair at the base of his cock was well-kept.

"How are you so good at this?" The prince shook with each roll of Russell's tongue, and his tip was beginning to leak youthful pre to shine Russell's lips with gooey splendor. Tentative hands reached out to rest on Russell's head, and emerald eyes stared down at him from a blushing face. Fuck, how could someone simultaneously be so adorable and yet so muscular? It was like sucking off an underwear model.

Using all the practice he'd accumulated over the past two years, Russell slowly slid his mouth down Lucian's pulsing shaft, his tongue teasing over the underside while that thick head spread his throat. Without a single gag or cough, Russell took the massive member to the root, rubbing his nose against the nest of blonde hairs at its base. Slowly swallowing, he bathed the bucking member in suckling glory until the prince desperately clutched at his hair, incoherent pants leaving his pretty lips. Well, at least there was one thing he could confidently say that the prince couldn't do as well as he could.

Russell slid back to the tip, a cocky smirk painting itself across his mouth. He'd have to thank Durz later for teaching him some of his tricks, but for now, he had a cock to please. Alternating between deep, plunging bobs and intense suction at the swollen tip, Russell worked the prince's manhood until a desperate groan tore from Lucian's throat. He recognized the almost pained expression on the prince's face and pulled back until only the tip was in his mouth, both hands feverishly stroking along its length.

Hosing spurts of sweet cream filled Russell's mouth, forcing him to swallow with each volley, and he kept up his efforts, milking every drop from the twitching shaft. Stroking until that big cock lost its rigidity, he gave it a single parting kiss on its drooling slit, and his mouth opened, showing off the pearly treat before he swallowed the last of it. Lucian's flavor was far less musk-laden than his usual bestial mates, but he made up for it with sheer volume.

"I-" The prince's chest heaved, and his nipples looked almost painfully hard. "Are you accepting marriage proposals? I don't think I can live without more of that." He finished with an adorable shyness as his silky hands guided Russell to his feet. Unprompted, he leaned in to press a kiss to Russell's seed-slicked lips, tasting himself with a shudder and coaxing Russell's tongue to explore his mouth. Perhaps he'd have to consider Lucian's offer. After all, the more, the merrier.