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Perched atop the icy narrow ledge of the Black Fort's aerie, Veryn watched the other gryphons soar through the valley below.

Jealousy twinged inside his gizzard. Jealousy and disgust. Another year, another disappointment. He watched a young couple chase each other through the cold, azure sky, newly-paired life-mates, diving and twisting about without a care in the world. 'That should be me,' he thought bitterly. On his first mating flight with a beautiful young female. Yet here he was, alone and unwanted. Roosting like a broody hen.

He rustled his soft, ghost-white feathers and frowned. It wasn't his fault, he liked to tell himself, at least not entirely. He was born a runt. The weakest of the litter, small, ugly, and misshapen. Albino. When the humans had found him, he lay abandoned at the base of a cliff, the victim of a fall he'd been told, or a predator ... or a push. His pale red eyes narrowed. It didn't matter. He was a pale, pink-skinned, newly-born hatchling, half-blind and crooning for his ma', but a Royal Gryphon nonetheless, the rarest and most desired of his kind.

She never did seek him out.

At first they thought he wouldn't make it. Too weak, they said. A reject, best to be put down out of mercy. But as the weeks passed by and he clung to life, he gradually gained his strength, opening his runny, watery eyes, unfurling his trembling wings, and taking his first few tentative steps.

He'd fallen of course, his paws too big for his scrawny frame, but his perseverance shocked everyone. He refused to die.

The humans cared for him, one of them at least: A talented female handler named Kitara. Some rich noble's daughter from a land far away. Food made him stronger. Bits and pieces of pulpy meat, chopped up and spoon-fed to him like a babe. Just thinking about it made him cringe. He sounded so weak and pitiful, like it was all he was ever known for: The sickly hatchling who'd somehow made it. A pathetic little miracle.

His feathers came in first, soft white down that still clung to his undersides, betraying his young age. Next came his fur. Wispy white tufts that sprouted down his flanks, limbs, ruffs and tail. It wasn't as thick as the others, nor as warm. He was ugly, and that was putting it mildly. Gryphons weren't supposed to have white fur. They were supposed to be pitch-black, brown, gray, spotted, mottled, striped, or even blue. He wasn't big like some of the other males, and even some of the females were close in size. He grit his beak and ruffled his feathers in annoyance. He hated being a runt. His yellow beak was far too large for his face, and his ungainly wings were long and clumsy, fast in a dive, but unsuited for more precise aerial maneuvers. No wonder everyone ignored him. He looked ridiculous.

He was about to take a lonely flight back to his roost when the aerie's heavy oak door creaked open behind him. His crest flared up and he whirled about.

A tall, lean, raven-haired human set foot in the empty room. A female, and one he knew all-too-well. It was the one who'd found him all those years back. Kitara, and the closest thing he had to a friend in this miserable, dreary place.

She recognized him instantly, her dark, pretty eyes widening in surprise. A smile danced at the corners of her lips, playfully mischievous - as always. She looked good, he noted, her slender physique lithe and attractive, and her movements quick. For a human anyways.

She was dressed in a set of form-fitting leathers, her lean arms bare and exposed, accentuating her smooth, tanned, skin and shapely curves. He always marveled at the way she carried herself. Confident and self-assured, like nothing ever bothered her. He swallowed nervously, trying to look unassuming.

“Oh, hey Kitara."

The young woman closed the door behind her and turned about, removing her sword-belt and hanging it on a dusty weapon-rack nailed along the wall. “Veryn." she replied in a calm, mellow voice. “What are you doing here?"

“Oh you know. Just watching the others."

Her smile disappeared and she placed a hand on her hip. “That bad huh?"

He nodded glumly.

She came over and sat on the ledge beside him. “Mind if I join you?"

“Sure." he shrugged. She smelled good, he noted. Like lilacs and wild strawberries. He always liked that. It was one of his first memories.

They watched the other gryphons soar for a couple minutes before they disappeared into the mountains further South, where they'd settle down for the evening and continue the courtship ritual. When the last couple had flown out-of-sight, Kitara turned and stared at him intently, batting those long dark sly eyelashes.

“So, what happened this time?"

“I don't want to talk about it." he grumbled.

“C'mon, it can't be that bad."

“It was bad."

She went pale as a ghost. “Oh no. You … you didn't–"

“–No, I didn't hack up a pellet this time." he interrupted, shooting her a scathing look. “I didn't do much of anything, in case you were wondering. I just stood around like an idiot until everyone was paired up."

She grimaced. “Well, that's an improvement I guess."

“Improvement?" he warbled pitifully. “I failed the ceremony!"

“Better than hacking up a pellet."

He shuddered just thinking about last year's embarrassing mishap. Kitara said it wasn't that big a deal, that it happened all the time with the younger gryphs, but that didn't make him feel any better about it. What female in their right mind wanted a male who couldn't keep his lunch in during courtship? None, apparently. There was an awkward silence.

Kitara spoke first, tentatively, reaching out and placing a small hand on his shoulder. “Ver ... have you ever thought that maybe … I don't know … maybe this isn't for you?"

“What do you mean?"

“Well, I just thought that maybe … I don't know, maybe you'd be better suited elsewhere." she suggested softly. “There's lots of good jobs in the city. You could be a messenger-gryph. Delivering food and supplies all over the continent! A good job. An honorable job. One you could be proud of. Besides, it's not like you have to court one of these broody, high-born hens. There's lots of other pretty females out there for you to choose from."

He flinched away from her, hurt. “How can you say that Kitara? You know all I ever want was to serve the Kingdom! I'm a royal gryphon! Not a delivery-bird! I owe them that much. I owe you that much! For saving my life!"

“You don't owe anyone anything." she stated firmly, with a quiet intensity that unnerved him for some reason.

He looked away. Truth be told, he was shaken. Even Kitara doubted him, the one who'd raised him since he was a hatchling. Maybe she was right, he wondered. Maybe he really didn't belong here.

“Do ... you at least want to talk about it?" she asked tentatively.

“No." he muttered in reply. “I'll be okay."

Kitara looked like she was about to say more but held her tongue, frowning slightly. She stood up and took her hand off his shoulder, ruffling his head-fringe and messing it all up. “Alright. I'll leave you alone then, big guy. Get some rest, okay? And don't beat yourself up over it. You're still young, Veryn. You have your whole new year to find a mate. It's not the end of the world."

Veryn didn't reply, gazing off into the frozen valley below. That's where she was wrong. It was the end of the world. It wouldn't be long now before they released him. Unwanted. Cast from the Kingdom's ranks and forced into exile. Soon, he'd be out there, in the wilderness, with no real purpose or goal or reason to live. A nobody. He could hardly even bear the thought. Maybe he truly deserved it, he wondered. Nothingness. It probably suited the likes of him.

Kitara was half-way across the room when he blurted out her name.

“Kitara!"

She stopped and turned around. “Yeah, Ver?"

“W-what about you?" he stammered. “Do you … do you have a mate?" He wasn't sure why he asked the question. It was so wildly inappropriate he blushed immediately and averted his gaze, slouching his shoulders and wilting a little bit. What was he thinking asking such a personal question?

She cocked her head and gave him an odd look. “Me?"

“W-well, I-I just thought that maybe if you didn't have a m-mate, and since I don't have a mate ... m-maybe we could be... you know …" he glanced at her hopefully, then stared down at his paws in shame. The words just came spilling out, and he had no way of stopping them. Kitara probably hated him now. He'd just ruined everything.

She raised an eyebrow in astonishment. “Did you … did you just ask what I think you did?"

He gave a tiny, imperceptible nod.

She gawked, stunned. He'd never seen that reaction in her before.

“Wow. This is … er … unexpected?"

“I'm sorry Kitara." he whimpered. “Just forget I said anything, okay?" he clenched his beak and bit back tears. He hated how weak he sounded. No wonder he was a reject. He couldn't do anything right. Not even this.

“–And to answer your question, No, I don't." Kitara added gently. “–since you asked, but gryphon's and humans choose mates differently Ver. You know that."

He glanced at her in surprise. “You don't?" It sounded impossible. Kitara was so beautiful and kind and strong, she had to have a mate. It didn't make sense. A tingle of warmth glowed deep inside his gizzard. Maybe there was hope for him after all …

“Well, not right now." she admitted awkwardly, shifting her stance toe-to-toe. “Like I said Ver, it's pretty complicated. Humans do lots of stupid things sometimes, including me."

He slouched his shoulders again. Who was he kidding. Kitara probably had lots of mates. He knew humans only lived for a century, oftentimes even less, then they got old and wrinkly like raisins and died of old age. They had to have lots of mates in their lifetime. That's why there were so many of them.

“B-but what about us?" he somehow managed to stammer out, hating his big stupid beak more-and-more with each passing second. “Couldn't we … you know ... be together?" It sounded preposterous. A human and a gryphon? The very notion was pure blasphemy.

Kitara smirked and placed her hands on her hips. “Hate to break it to you Ver, but we're not even the same species."

“Well, y-you're an a-attractive female ... and I'm … well ...I'm a male …"

“Go on."

“And I j-just t-thought that maybe we could … you know ..." he huffed in defeat. “Oh I give up. You're right. This is all so very complicated."

“You're telling me." she said with a wry smirk. “It's not everyday I get hit on by a gryphon."

His ears flicked back against his head and he looked up at her. “Hit you? I'd never!"

She laughed again. “Not me Ver. It's an expression … Do you … do you actually like me?"

He blushed and nodded. “Yes!" that's exactly what he was trying to say! This only made him flush harder. He sounded so needy all of a sudden. Desperate. Females hated that. He gulped nervously and stared at the floor, shuffling his feet and waiting for her reaction. Good or bad.

“Well, I sort of like you too Ver." she said almost too casually.

His heart skipped a beat. “Wait. Y-you do?"

“Sure." she said with an equally casual shrug. “Always liked ya'. Wouldn't have lugged your featherless ass down that cliff in the first place if I didn't."

He stared at her in shock. “But … w-why … why did you never tell me?"

“You mean saving your life and raising you since you were a slippery little hatchling wasn't enough?"

He pondered this for a moment. “Hmm. I guess you have a point."

“'Of course I do."

He gave an exasperated sigh. “You can be a real tease sometimes, you know that Kitara?"

She walked back over and ruffled his head-fringe again, making his face scrunch up. “Yup. But that's why you like me, Isn't it?" She sat back down on the ledge beside him and leaned against his shoulder. He went tense, but quickly relaxed beneath her touch. He was much bigger than her, he realized all of a sudden, easily twice her size and then some, yet he still felt small in comparison.

“So, what now?" he asked, his heart thumping wildly inside his chest. “I've never been with another female before! Let alone a human."

“I don't know." Kitara said with a shrug. “You're the one who asked, you tell me."

“I never thought this far ahead," he admitted. “I still can't believe you like me!"

She looked at him and gave another clever smirk. “And why's that Ver?"

“I don't know." he sighed. “It's not like I'm handsome like Charron, or as good a flier as Matar. I'm a runt! I'm not even human!"

“That's true." she said. “You're not as handsome as Charron, or as good a flier as Matar."

He frowned, surprised she agreed with him.

“–But do you know what Ver? I don't think any of that matters. I think if you've found the right mate, they won't care about all that. They'll just like you for who you are."

“You think?"

“I know." she said, giving his shoulder a reassuring squeeze. This made him feel a lot better. Kitara always made him feel good.

“So you think this will work?" he whispered. “Me and you?"

“No idea." she replied. “Can't say I've ever been with a gryphon before, but I guess there's no harm in trying, right?"

His crest shot straight up and he wrapped a wing around her shoulder, nuzzling his beak into the top of her neck. “Oh thank you Kitara! This is gonna be great. Real great. I promise I'll be a good mate!"

“Yeah yeah." she said, flinching away, her voice muffled by all his neck fluff. “Just don't go bragging about it to the others. Probably best if we kept this secret."

“I won't tell anyone." he chirped, his head-crest bobbing with excitement. “It'll just be me and you! Promise!"

She pulled back and looked up at him appraisingly. “So?" she said. “What did you have in mind then, big guy?"

It was like all the wind was taken out of his sails at once. His shoulders slumped. “Um, I was hoping you could tell me." he mumbled. “I haven't thought this far ahead either."

Kitara smirked. “Need me to show you the ropes, huh?"

He nodded eagerly.

“Well, I don't mind teaching you a thing or two. No strings attached of course."

“Strings?" He gulped. Nobody had mentioned anything about strings!

She chuckled, removing her black leather jacket and untying her bun, letting her long locks of glossy black hair tumble down her shoulders. “Another human expression. Just follow my lead, okay Ver? And try not get too attached, we're just friends blowing off some steam, alright? Don't turn into some fawning love-bird on me. Got it?"

His crest flattened and he looked down at his paws, kneading uselessly. “Okay Kitara. No strings."

“Cheer up." she offered with a reassuring nudge, pulling her silver bracelets off and tossing them aside. “Doesn't mean we still can't have a bit of fun together, right? Besides, as your handler, it's my duty to make sure you make it through training, whatever it takes."

He snorted with amusement. “Right."

“Look up then, gryphon."

He did, and nearly wilted.

Kitara was sitting on her knees facing him, her white cotton blouse unbuttoned and revealing her small, perky breasts, the lower-half of which were still covered-up by the fine linen garment. She pulled at the lining, drawing his gaze downwards and making a strange flush of heat surge straight towards his loins. Her cleavage was mesmerizing, in a strange sort of way, and he couldn't stop staring.

“K-Kitara! W-what are y-you doing?"

“What's it look like?" she said. “Never seen a pair of tits before?"

“N-no! Of course not!" Humans never took off their clothes, unless they were sleeping or bathing or doing something private. Everyone knew that.

“Well, guess it's your lucky day then." she said with another careless shrug, untying the final lace and letting her blouse slip to her feet, before doing the same with her leather pants, jerkin, and thin, silken underwear. She got to her feet and stood there naked before him, cupping her breasts, before letting her hands fall free to her sides, turning about in a slow, wide circle.

Veryn's beak dropped in awe.

Kitara really was beautiful.

Her pale body was slim and attractive, wide hips, a firm abdomen, a small navel, and smooth, flawless skin. His gaze was drawn between her muscular thighs, where he knew her femininity resided. He caught a glimpse of it before blushing furiously and immediately averting his gaze, his cock pulsing furiously inside his sheath. It looked soft, and pink, and wet. Warm. There was a patch of dark fur on it too, he realized, pubic hair, but not a lot. She looked beautiful. Like something straight out of his dreams.

“Like what you see?" she asked playfully, shifting side-to-side.

He nodded mutely, unblinkingly. His mouth felt very dry.

“Looks that way." she giggled, gesturing between his legs.

He glanced down and noticed the tip of his member peeking out, blood-red and dribbling a thin bead of silver pre. He felt his face burn hot and tried to cover it up, hunching his shoulders and staring at the floor.

“K-Kitara … I … I ..."

She took a step towards him. “Don't worry Ver'. I want to see it."

He glanced up at her. “You do?"

“Yes. Of course." she said quickly. “Why wouldn't I?"

He was taken aback by this. He always figured nobody wanted anything to do with him. He was small and ugly and brooding, a runt, so to learn that somebody was actually interested in something he possessed, well, it made him feel … special! His crest perked up.

“You can take a look I guess." he mumbled shyly, spreading his legs apart and sitting upright.

Kitara eyed his fuzzy sheath hungrily, grinning. “It's cute when it's all tucked in like that." she chuckled. “But I want a closer look." she walked over to the wall, pulling down the furred pelt of a deer one of the larger gryphons had slain during a hunt, throwing the rug on the floor, and lounging upon the soft, warm fur. She patted it invitingly. “Why don't you come over here and join me?" She said with a sly wink. It's nice and comfortable."

Veryn glanced nervously over his shoulder. “What if someone flies in?"

She waved her hand dismissively. “Nobody comes up here at this hour except me, and those other gryphons won't be back 'till morning. We got the place all to ourselves."

He gulped, nodded, and padded over, touring the makeshift bed a few times, before choosing a spot near the flattened white tufe of a tail and settling down right beside her. The fur was very soft beneath him. A young buck from the looks of it, taken down in the middle of its prime.

Kitara smiled. “Better?"

He nodded.

“Well? Let's have a look, shall we? Roll over big guy."

He glanced at her. “Roll over?" Paired gryphons usually just strut about, bobbed their heads, and showed off a little. He had no idea what humans did.

“I'd like to have some idea of what I'm up against." she explained. “You being a gryphon and all that."

“Oh." he shrugged. “Sure. Not much to look at though." He lay down on his flank and splayed his wings out, turning onto his side and exposing his soft lean under-belly to her. He felt awfully vulnerable in this position, and his cock wouldn't stop pulsing inside its sheath, threatening to spill out any second now.

Kitara snickered, her eyes lighting up as she got a better look at his male parts. “Oh … oh my Ver." she said with a tinkly laugh he'd never heard before. “Quite the set on you, huh? Maybe you're not such a runt after all."

“What do you mean?" he asked, glancing down at his loins in confusion. He suddenly understood and blushed profusely. “Oh." He perked up. “You … you really think so?"

Kitara gave an eager nod. “Ver, You have a package that would make a breeder-gryph jealous."

“Is … is that a good thing?"

“Well, it's certainly not bad." she chuckled. “You sure you're having trouble finding a mate? One peek between your legs and I'd be lifting my tail for you if I had one. I'm surprised you don't have females tramping over themselves already. Look at the size of it."

He felt a surge of pride at this. He puffed his chest up and flared his wings out, displaying himself proudly. “That's right." he grumbled. “I'm big!"

“Yeah, well don't let it get to your head. Size isn't everything when it comes to pleasing a mate. There's a lot more to it."

He slouched in dismay. “Oh."

“Strutting around flashing your cock might work with some wild, desperate, heat-soaked hen, but humans are a little different … well, some of them anyways."

“How so?"

“Well, for starters." she said with a cunning grin. “Humans like to flirt. Why don't you try giving me a compliment?"

“A compliment?"

“Yeah, you know, something to break the ice. Make me feel good. I'm sure female gryphons will like that too."

He stared down at his paws, trailing a talon aimlessly through the fur beneath it. “Well, what sort of things do humans like to be complimented on?"

She shrugged. “I don't know, Think of something. Anything!"

He looked up at her and cleared his throat, his eyes dancing up-and-down. “Well … uh … you have really nice um … hair … I guess."

She raised an eyebrow and tossed an unruly lock over her shoulder, unimpressed. “You guess?"

He swallowed uncomfortably. “I know!" he corrected sheepishly. “I'm sorry Kitara. I told you I'm no good at this."

“Don't worry about it." she said encouragingly. “You're doing fine. What else do you like about it?"

He looked up again, feeling like an idiot, but determined to prove himself a second time around. “Well, it's … it's really nice and long. And I like the color. Suits you. Sure wish my feathers were nice and black like that."

“Thanks Ver." she said with a sly smirk, running her fingers through it. “But you're feathers are fine the way they are. Now what else do you like?"

He stared at her body this time, trailing his gaze downwards. “Well … you look … you look amazing." he said truthfully. You're slender, your eyes are beautiful, and your hips are nice and wide. Probably real good for bearing hatchlings and all that."

Kitara stared at him for a second, then burst out laughing.

He jerked back and wilted. “Oh no. What is it this time?"

She could barely hold back tears. “Oh Ver, I'm … I'm so sorry, I just wasn't ready for that. 'You're hips are wide?' she doubled-over laughing again. “I gotta say, that's a first. Never heard that one before. That's perfect. Please use that line again sometime."

He frowned, flicking his ears back against his head. “Just being honest." he mumbled half-heartedly.

“I know." she said, using a finger to wipe beneath one of her eyes. “And I'm not teasing you. I think it's funny. It's good being able to make a girl laugh. You're doing great."

“Really?"

“Well, you're getting there." she said, trying not to wound his pride. “But you're doing okay. It's not everyday someone compliments my hips. It's different, but I like it. Gryphons probably look for all sorts of different things when choosing mates anyways."

“What do humans look for?"

“A lot of silly things really, even if we don't want to admit it. Everyone always wants the strongest, fastest, or smartest mate, and there are usually little signs that give it away. Big muscles, a good reputation, wide hips." she said with a friendly nudge. Humans have all sorts of ways of choosing mates. You just have to know what you're looking for."

“And what do you look for?" he asked.

Kitara pointed at herself. “Me? Well, I look for a lot of things, really."

“Like what?"

“Most of the things I just described, Ver, besides the hips part."

He furrowed his brow. “But I'm not really big, or handsome, or strong! I'm none of those things!"

“Sure you are!" she said comfortingly. “Compared to a human, you're a lot stronger and faster than they are. Probably smarter too." she added with a roll of her eyes that made him think she wasn't half-joking. “There's a lot of things you don't give yourself credit for. Plus you got all these nice plush feathers. I'm jealous just looking at them."

His eyes widened in surprise. “Really?"

“Really." She reached out and placed a hand on his paw, looking at him directly in the eyes. “I think you're very attractive for a gryphon, Ver."

He blushed and looked away. “Oh Kitara. Don't say that."

“Why?" she asked teasingly, ruffling his belly-fur. “Does it make you uncomfortable?"

He squirmed beneath her touch. “Stop it!" he giggled. “That tickles!"

“Now I'm definitely not gonna stop!" she said, using both hands to rove through his belly-fur.

He thrashed desperately beneath her grip, trying not to choke from laughter. When she finally finished her assault, they both lay there in a panting heap. He stared up at her intimately.

“Kitara. I think I've always liked you." he admitted quietly.

“I like you too, Ver."

He wrapped a wing around her shoulder and pulled her in close. Feeling a lot better about himself. Kitara always made him feel good.

They lay there for a couple minutes.

“So, what now?" he asked.

Kitara sat upright. “Guess you probably want to get to the fun stuff, huh?"

He nodded energetically.

“Okay then. Let's see what we're dealing with here. Lift a leg up, big guy."

He did as he was told, hiking a hind-leg into the air, and showing off his fuzzy sheath and balls. “Like this?"

“Exactly." Kitara said, exhaling in a rush at the sight of his sizable male endowments. “Damn Ver. I still can't get over how big you are. What the hell are they feeding you these days?"

“Lots of fish and meat!" he clacked, licking his beak excitedly. “I've grown a lot this year! Can't you tell?"

“I certainly can." she replied. “You'll be a full-sized war-gryph in no time. All you need to do is build a nice, big nest, find yourself a little female who'll warm it up, and put some hatchlings inside her. Shouldn't be long now."

He blushed at the idea. “What about you?" he asked tentatively. “Can't I give you some hatchlings?"

Surprisingly, Kitara flushed as well. “I appreciate the thought Ver, but humans and gryphons don't work like that. Doesn't mean we still can't try though, right?"

His head-fringe sunk down a bit. “Why not?" he asked in dismay.

“Humans give birth to live young." she explained. “Gryphons lay eggs. Don't they teach you this stuff anymore?"

“Oh yeah." he said. “Guess I forgot about that."

“Don't worry. As far as I know, everything else is mostly the same, so we shouldn't have any problems … physically."

“Physically?"

“You know what I mean." She said coyly, looking down and gesturing at his member, then at the apex of her thighs. It didn't take him long to figure out what she meant.

“Oh!" he exclaimed, before giving a nervous chuckle. “I see."

Kitara smiled. “Let's get started, shall we?"

He nodded and watched as she moved closer, his heart-rate increasing as she placed her hands on the inside of his thighs and lifted his leg up. Her fingers we're firm but gentle, brushing through his fur and making him twitch every-so-often.

“Always knew you gryphons were sensitive." she growled. “Must be nice having all these lovely feathers."

His breath caught as her hands encircled his sheath. He couldn't believe how much dexterity each finger possesed. Humans really were talented with them, and they felt incredible brushing against his skin.

“Oh Kitara." he groaned. “That feels good."

“Haven't even started yet." she chuckled. “Just try and relax."

He drew a shaky breath. Her fingers danced around his fuzzy orbs and squeezed them gently, feeling how full they were, before gliding upwards and doing the same with his sheath-tube, tickling the inside of his thighs. Suddenly, it felt like all the heat was rushing to his loins, like his entire body was on fire and couldn't put it out. She had barely started fondling him when he screwed his eyes shut and hissed with pleasure, the tip of his bright-red cock swelling up and spilling from its sheath; Firm and hot.

“Kitara!" he whined.

She let loose an airy whistle.

After a while, he opened one eye and gasped at what he saw. His cock was in her hands now, a monstrosity of a thing, pulsing, throbbing, and growing firmly erect. He'd never seen it so big before, nor so hard; a thick pole of veiny red flesh, with a narrow tip covered in numerous ridges and spiny barbs. Further down, the base of his shaft was quite inflated, a swollen bulge with veins punching out beneath the surface. Just the sight of it twitching and pulsing amidst his tangle of oily crotch-fur was enough to make him swoon with embarrassment, and he quickly glanced at Kitara to see what she thought of it. He could see its reflection in her awe-struck eyes, a towering pillar of throbbing flesh.

“Damn Ver." was all she said.

“It's ugly, isn't it?" he croaked in dismay.

“No." she breathed. “It's … it's really nice."

“Nice?"

“Y-yeah." she stammered. “I was only half-joking earlier when I said you were big, but hot-damn, you really are. Getting me all nervous over here, gryphon. You didn't tell me you were packing this!" She gave his cock a playful squeeze.

He squawked and shuffled his hips, overjoyed. “Told you I was big!" His cock slapped wetly against each feathery thigh. Slap, slap, slap. It even sounded big.

Kitara groaned, clamping her thighs together and grabbing hold of it, barely able to contain herself. She wrapped her fingers delicately around the engorged shaft and began stroking it up-and-down, stunned by his size and length.

“What about humans?" he asked, lying on his back and shuddering as he twitched in her grasp. He spread his legs open and gave his rump a little shake, trying to entice her further. “They don't get this big, do they?" He smirked. He already knew the answer.

“Humans are tiny compared to you." She answered in a daze, rubbing his cock from base-to-tip. His breath caught as he tried to keep from thrusting into her grasp. It felt amazing getting touched down there, but he knew he had to control himself. Still, he couldn't help but egg her on.

“I'm probably the biggest you've ever seen, huh Kitara?"

She rolled her eyes and glared at him. “Yeah yeah, the runt's got a big cock. Go ahead and gloat about it."

He smiled, feeling immensely pleased with himself.

Kitara kept at it for a few minutes, running her hands up and down his big shaft until they eventually settled into a slow, gentle sort of rhythm. It wasn't long before he felt a familiar pressure begin to mount inside him, his pupils blooming as he sat upright.

“Oh Kitara, that's starting to feel really good." he mumbled. “Keep rubbing the base like that."

Instead, she rubbed the soft, fleshy barbs of his cock-tip, cupping the sensitive head. “Right here?" she asked.

His eyes snapped open and he squawked out-loud, his cock throbbing in her grip. He felt something warm and wet spurt all over her finger-tips and nearly fainted with embarrassment, his cock twitching in her grasp.

“S-s-sorry!" he began.

“For what?" Kitara replied with a wry smirk. “You're just a little excited, that's all."

He sat up-right and sniffed the mess smeared all over her finger-tips, recoiling back in a mixture of disgust and minor curiosity.

“Is that mine?"

“Yup."

“What is it? Smells weird."

'That's your watery little whelp-juice, feather-brain."

“Oh."

Kitara raised her hand and gave it a sniff. To his complete astonishment, she licked it too. She noticed him staring at her, aghast, then promptly wiped the rest into his chest-fur.

“Hey!"

“Quit staring at me like that!" she said with a blush. “You're making me uncomfortable."

His eyes widened. “Sorry. Just never seen anyone do that before."

“Well, it doesn't taste so bad." she said with a shrug. “Kinda bitter. But good."

“You mean you – like it?" he asked incredulously.

“It's different. Sure."

He beamed at her. “Do it again!" he said. “But this time, squeeze the base a lot harder!"

“You mean your knot?" she said, running her fingers across the engorged bulb. It felt incredibly sensitive.

“Knot?" he groaned. Is that what it's called?"

“Yeah. That's what human's call it anyways. It's these two thick bumps right here. Canines have em' too, but yours are a little different." she said, giving them a rub. Veryn watched a glut of pre ooze from the tip of his cock.

“Ooh."

She massaged it, tightening her grip and drawing out another stifled groan from his beak. “It'll swell up even more if you give it some time, lock you right inside the female so you can't pull out. That's called the tie."

“Inside? You mean … like ... we'll be stuck?"

“Yup." Kitara said with a sly wink. “And whoever the lucky girl is, they won't be going anywhere, anytime soon."

Veryn thought about this. “How long does it last?"

“Depends." she shrugged. “I've seen gryphons tied for at least an hour, sometimes more if they're really into it."

A lewd thought crossed his mind. “I hope we get stuck together! A whole hour! That'd be fun!"

Kitara blushed again. She was cute when she blushed. He licked her nose.

“We'll see about that. At any rate, it'll be lucky if we even manage to fit inside me. This thing is enormous."

Veryn closed his eyes and nuzzled against her cheek. “Don't worry Kitara. It'll work. I promise."

“You got it, big guy." She said, grabbing his length and snuggling close. Their bodies pressed intimately together, sharing heat. They stared into each other's eyes. His red ones meeting her black. Kitara's skin was warm and smooth beneath his touch, and he liked how it rubbed against his feathers, all tingly-like.

“You're really beautiful Kitara." he whispered in her ear.

“Hmm, now you're learning." she whispered back, before grabbing his mane, pulling him close, and planting her lips right on his beak.

His eyes widened in surprise. Kitara was … kissing him! He'd seen humans do it before near the lakes and streams surrounding the castle, newly-weds or courtiers strolling through the gardens, but never once in his life did he think he'd be on the receiving end! He always imagined it looked rather uncomfortable, faces pressed against one-another, writhing, squirming, and truth-be-told, it was. He craned his neck back and stared cross-eyed at Kitara, crest pointing straight upwards. She moaned softly and tilted her neck, beckoning him – and then he fully embraced it – opening his beak, closing his eyes. and letting her tongue flit inside his mouth, swirl around, explore it. He growled. It was small and dainty compared to his own, wet, and he quickly pushed up against it, letting her know he was there too.

They kissed for a few minutes, mixing saliva. He was just starting to get the hang of things when she pulled away again, this time for good. His eyes snapped open.

“Why … why did you stop?' he asked forlornly.

She wiped her lips and gave him a heavy-lidded gaze. “Who said I did? We can keep going if you like."

“Only if you want to." He paused. “I wasn't bad, was I?"

“No, of course not! You were great."

“Really?"

“Well, for a gryphon anyways."

“Hey!"

She laughed and ruffled his feathers, making him squirm. “I'm only kidding. I know you gryphons aren't used to kissing in the first-place. It's more of a human thing."

“It was fun!" he chirped. “And you taste kinda good!"

“You're not so bad yourself." she replied with an appreciative grin. “Although I'm eager to kiss you in some other places."

He cocked his head and gave her an odd look. “Like where?"

“You know where.."

He jerked at the realization. “Oh Kitara. You don't mean–"

“That's exactly what I mean."

He swooned, flopping onto his back and staring up at the wooden ceiling in disbelief. Kitara was going to use her mouth. His cock pulsed at the thought, absurdly excited at the prospect of getting more attention. This was great!

“Gryphon's never do this sorta thing." he breathed. “At least not that I know of."

“Well humans do." she growled, flopping down beside him and gliding sensuously down his body. “Guess you're just gonna have to keep up, feather-brain."

Veryn gulped. Guess so.

Kitara stopped at his crotch, getting a good, long look at his towering malness. The bird's cock pushed fully from its sheath at this point, a big, rigid, throbbing slab of gryphon-meat, twitching and dribbling pre-cum everywhere. She grabbed it with both hands and started pumping away, earning a satisfied whimper from the splayed-out bird below.

“Feels good, huh?"

“You bet. Where did you learn all this Kitara?"

“Picked up a few things here and there." she chuckled. “But can't say I've ever practiced with a gryphon before." Her hands encircled his plump sheath before traveling lower, cupping his hefty ballsack and kneading them gently. “You haven't gotten off before, have you Ver?"

He shook his head. “What's that?"

Kitara exhaled in a rush. “Oh boy. You're gonna make a mess, aren't you?"

He gave her a quizzical look. Mess?

Before he could press any further, Kitata tightened her grip and gave his cock a few more squeezes and tugs, catching a whiff of the gryphon's pleasantly spicy musk. It wasn't overpowering by any means, but was definitely more noticeable than it was a few minutes ago. She craned down into his groin and inhaled deep, her eyes fluttering as the heady, potent scent of male gryphon flooded inside her nostrils and made her pussy surge with heat. Rich, masculine, with a distinct smoky undertone. Veryn smelled delicious, and she wanted to bury her face in there for hours.

“Wow, you smell good." She breathed, shuffling her hips and planting a soft kiss right on the tip of his cock, dragging her tongue across its barbed surface. Veryn jerked upright and shuddered with pleasure.

“Kitaraaa."

She broke off and licked her lips, blushing a little at the salty flavor. “Hmm, you taste good too, Veryn. I think I could get used to this."

He panted in wonder,shuddering in her grasp.. “Gryphon's don't do that either." he breathed in amazement.

“There's a lot of things beaks can't do." she chuckled. “Guess this is one of them." She sank back down and opened her mouth, accepting the beast's turgid shaft inside it. Veryn's eyes fluttered and he let loose a needy whimper, feeling her wet lips slide over the tip of his cock and engulf it entirely. The inside of her mouth was hot and warm, and when her tongue flit about his urethra, tasting his flavour, he nearly passed out right there. She started bobbing up-and-down, sucking his cock working her hands along the base of his prodigious manhood.

“That's feels ... woah."

“Mmm." she replied, her mouth full of throbbing gryphon-cock. They made eye-contact for a brief moment before her other hand started tickling his balls, rolling those heavy orbs through her fingers while she licked and sucked on his thick pole of hard flesh.

Veryn felt a mounting sense of pressure crescendo in his loins, his barbs flaring out as he leaned back and tried to keep from bucking into her grasp. Kitara knew exactly what she was doing, using one hand to support the base of his cock, pinning him there, while the other roved through his fur and feathers, stimulating his body's multitude of erogenous zones. Spurts of sweet-tasting pre leaked from his cock, and whatever Kitara couldn't swallow, she let it drool all over his virility, slaver and pre-juice drizzling down his shaft each time she rose up off it.

“Oh Kitara." he moaned. “I feel weird."

“You're close." she whispered, pulling back a second time and squeezing her fingers around his knot. “Just go with it. Don't hold back."

She crouched down and those wet, noisy, heavenly slurps resumed, running her tongue along the underside of his shaft, all the way up, and lavishing the tip with attention. He felt his cock twitch inside her mouth, his eyes rolling up as he lay back and relaxed with a shudder of surrender, letting the young woman do as she pleased.

Kitara pleasured him for quite some time, coming up every so often for a gasp of fresh air, before sinking back down on-top of his maleness. Veryn tasted salty inside her mouth, but hardly unpleasant, his musky flavour swirling inside her head, filling her palette, and making her want to do all sorts of naughty things to the innocent little bird. She slipped off his cock with a noisy slurp, wiping her lips and stretching her neck side-to-side.

Veryn sat upright. “Kitara? What's wrong?"

“Relax feather-brain." she said with a messy grin. “Just thought you might like to join in too."

Join in? He hadn't even thought of that! She must think he was really greedy. “Sure! What do you want me to do?"

“Just lie still." she instructed. “I've got a fun position I think we can try."

Position? His heart beat faster. Kitara swung one of her legs over him, straddling his chest so that all he could see was her smooth rump and arching back pushed right in his face. His eyes widened and he licked his lips, getting a good look at her firm hindquarters.

“Oh yeah, this is much better!" he chirped in agreement.

She laughed and gave his belly a pat. “Thought you'd say that."

He grabbed her ass with both paws, his talons pricking into her skin. Kitara was soft beneath his grip in all the right places, but muscular too. He grinned. Kitara was in great shape.

“Watch it." she warned. “Those things are sharp. How do you like the view?"

“I like it!" he replied. “What do you want me to do though?"

“Just use your imagination. Try and focus on pleasuring me and I'll do the same for you, okay?"

He nodded, leaning forward, sniffing, and licking up the small of her back. He growled at the way she shuddered and arched for him, clearly enjoying the sensuous caress. Kitara smelled good too, he noted. Excited. She wanted this just as much as he did. He spread her cheeks apart and gazed at her pubic mound, blushing at the strange, unfamiliar sight that greeted him. He supposed her feminine lips weren't much different from that of a gryphoness', except featherless and a lot smaller. Somehow this made it so much better. In the middle, her slit was tight and pink and soft-looking, soaking wet, and above it, her tailhole -lacking a tail- was tight as a button. He placed his claws on her delicate lips and carefully spread her apart, cocking his head and staring into her warm, forbidden depths, feeling his cock rise to full attention.

Before he could think out his next moves, Kitara leaned down and took him inside her mouth again, rubbing the base of his cock and kissing each individual nub. He cried out and felt his balls draw up, resisting the urge to start thrusting into her open mouth. He figured Kitara probably wouldn't like that. Instead, he spread her cheeks and opened his beak, unfurling his wide flat tongue and pressing it against her damp folds, dragging it upwards.

The effect was immediate. Kitara moaned and arched her back for him, rubbing against his body as licked her soft tender flesh. His eyes widened and his cock pulsed hard between his legs. Kitara's lips were tight, pink, and glistening with moisture. She was dripping wet already, and he'd never seen anything like it.

He rubbed his beak against her puffy lips and inhaled deeply through his nares. His eyes fluttered. She smelled faintly of sweat and female arousal. Fertile. A sweet, innocent fragrance that drove his senses wild. His pupils bloomed. He ran his tongue along her silken folds a second time, delighting at all shakes and shivers she made as he slipped through her wetness. Her flesh was incredibly sweet, and his taste buds sparked to life as he ate her out.

“Oh Veryn." she whimpered. “That tongue is incredible."

He smirked. Kitara's praises were few and far between, so he must be doing something right. His tiny papules probably felt amazing on bare skin. He smeared her nectar all over his beak, secretly hoping her scent would never wash out.

They pleasured each other for a little while, licking, kissing, and exploring each other's sensitive bodies. He learned that not only could he stimulate her from the outside, he could push his tongue deeper within, sliding into her warm inner-flesh, and lapping at her tender walls. Kitara's insides were deliciously wet as she squeezed around his tongue, small gasps escaping her lips each time he pushed inside her. She was incredibly tight as well, he noted, and he could only imagine what it would feel like to actually lie across her back and mate with her. He practically swooned at the thought.

Kitara suddenly lurched forward and took his entire shaft in her mouth, gasping as she struggled to accommodate its sizable width. He felt his cock slide down her gullet, her tracheal muscles contracting as she worked his knot with her fingers, stimulating him to full arousal. He could hardly believe how good it felt, and he returned her efforts in kind, driving his tongue deep into her tight depths, and making sure not an inch of her pussy went unexplored. He tried to see how far he could go, grunting when he pressed up against something firm deeper within. Kitara jerked on-top of him.

“Oh Ver." she gasped, slipping off his penis in shock. “That's deep."

He smiled before withdrawing his tongue and slapping it against the skin of her rump, dragging it downwards and running it all over the sensitive little nub at the apex of her vagina. Kitara screamed before catching herself mid-breath, clenching up as he rubbed her just the right way, and hungrily devoured her cunt, quickly driving the young woman to an intense, powerful climax.

She orgasmed right on-top of him, screwing her eyes shut and quivering in pure pleasure. Veryn felt a warmth wash all over his beak, his mouth and tongue instantly flooded with the sweet taste of feminine juices as Kitara squirmed around his steaming-hot appendage, twisting and writhing in absolute bliss. He was so confused as to what was happening he stopped, but knew right away it was something good. Her pussy trembled furiously in front of him, collapsing as he resumed licking and kissing her sensitive inner-depths, giving his tongue a real work-out. Before long, Kitara lost muscle control and could only moan in pleasure, shuddering non-stop as he squirmed his tongue inside her.

By the time she was done, his beak was soaked and she had collapsed on-top of him with a needy whimper, the air saturated with the sweet scent of her pleasure.

“Wow Kitara!" he exclaimed, pulling back and nuzzling against her butt. “What was that?"

It took awhile for her to catch her breath. When she finally spoke, her voice was shaky and weak, but blissfully satisfied: “Veryn, I think you're a natural." she said incredulously. “That … that was amazing!"

“Really? Was I good?"

“Good? Do that, and females won't be able to get enough of you!"

His confidence swelled. “You … you really think so?"

“Absolutely. Guess you gryphons have a lot more stamina than us humans, that or I'm getting old." she said, staring at his neglected cock. It was still hard as a rock.

“No, you we're great!" he protested, not wanting to make her feel bad. “What happened?"

She smiled and went back to casually stroking his member. “That's called an orgasm, feather-brain."

“An orgasm?" he said, rolling the word around on his tongue. “I like the sound of that."

“I bet. Females can have lots of them when they mate. With you males just make one big mess."

“Mess?" There it was again. “What happens with males?" he asked curiously.

“Well, you're cock will feel like it's ready to explode, then it'll start pulsing like crazy, then you'll probably want to take a nap." She chuckled. “It's pretty intense."

He wilted in horror. “It'll explode?"

“Yup." she nodded. “And if you're jammed inside a female, you can expect a big clutch in a few months. That's how hatchlings are made if you're not careful, you know."

Veryn stared at her, doubting himself all of a sudden. “Kitara ... I'm starting to have second thoughts about this … "

“Oh c'mon." she said. “It's not that bad. You'll get the hang of it soon enough. Just give it some time."

“But … but I don't want my cock to explode!"

Kitara stared at him incredulously, then burst out laughing again, looking over her shoulder at the door. “Might not want to say that too loud." she snickered. “Someone might hear you and wonder what's going on."

“If they don't already." he wilted at the thought.

“Don't worry. I'm just kidding. And your cock isn't not going to explode." she chuckled. “I was just exaggerating … sort of."

“Exaggerating?" Humans made no sense sometimes.

“Yeah, you know, being dramatic. It'll feel amazing, you'll see."

He thought about this for a moment. “Humans and gryphon's don't normally mate, do they?"

Kitara hesitated at the question, caught off-guard. “No, not usually. Why do you ask, Ver?"

“Why not?" he pressed.

“Well, it's not really encouraged." she explained awkwardly. “Nobody really talks about it to be honest."

“But why don't they?"

“Because we're … well … we're different species I guess." she said with a hapless shrug. “I don't know."

“But what does that have to do with it? Why can't we be mates?"

Kitara smiled and kissed his belly, making him twitch. “I wish it were that simple Ver, I really do. But I like your optimism. Sure wish more humans thought like that."

He considered this. Maybe it was because humans and gryphons couldn't have offspring together. That made a bit of sense, although he still had lots of questions.

“You're not just doing this because you feel bad for me, right?"

“Of course not!" she said quickly, staring him directly in the eyes. “I love gryphons. I've spent my whole life around them, and I expect to spend the rest of it around them too. I like you just the way you are Ver."

He breathed a sigh of relief and nuzzled against her.

“Besides." Kitara continued in a decidedly darker, more sultry undertone, her hands returning to his turgid member “I've heard stories about riders and their mounts getting … frisky."

“Frisky?"

“You know what I mean." she said in a low, gravely voice, her hands gliding up and down his twitching member. “When they've been flying for days at a time, weeks, months, years even, far from home … their mates … civilization. Sometimes, they get so pent up, things just ... happen."

“And they mate?" he whispered hopefully, ears flicking up.

“And they mate." she purred, bending down and engulfing his shaft inside her mouth.

He nearly cried out, squeezing his eyes shut and thrusting to meet her half-way. Kitara gagged as his cock slid down her throat, her hands wrapping around the base of his knot and holding on tight. Pleasure suddenly spiked in his loins as he jerked inside her, feeling her suck and swallow his copious pre, as her fingers worked his bulbous knot, swiftly coaxing him to his peak.

Kitara braced herself in preparation for the bird's orgasm, breathing in his musk. Her eyes fluttered as she bobbed up and down on his cock, panting as she pleasured him with her mouth. Veryn's toes curled up as that burgeoning heat swelled between his legs, rippling up the base of his knot and shooting up his spine. He screwed his eyes shut and threw back his head in a screech of ecstasy.

Taking cue, Kitara enveloped his entire shaft in her mouth, her cheeks bulging out as she cupped his knot around her fingers, and simulated what a feral tie might feel like, gagging slightly. He gasped as the pleasure exploded through him in waves, his eyes snapping open as he sunk his cock deep into the back of her gullet in a single, violent thrust and went stiff as a rod. Suddenly, he knew exactly what she meant.

Kitara wasn't exaggerating.

He groaned, his balls drawing up as he ejaculated forcefully into the roof of her mouth. Hot ropes of salty cum spurt from the tip of his cock, splashing across her tongue as her eyes widened, and she clamped down around it, swallowing the first wave of gryphon-seed with a nauseating gulp. He watched in awe as the young woman did her best to keep up with his powerful climax, her throat constricting tight as she ingested thick wads of his goopy semen, all while he convulsed rhythmically inside her, his eyes rolling up as he emptied his balls deep inside the back of her mouth.

She slipped off his erection with a wet pop, coughing up a flood of semen that drooled all over his cock-tip. She jerked back and gasped for breath, stunned. His limbs trembled, his muscles contracting as liquid-hot pleasure scorched up his spine, paralyzing his entire body from the neck down. He watched his prodigious load shoot a couple feet in the air, his cock twitching as it arched back down and splattered all over his belly-fur, thick strands of white, steaming-hot in the cold autumn air.

Kitara withdrew, red-faced and panting, staring incredulously at the huge mess he'd made. Her hair was in disarray. He thrust weakly into her grasp, his knot pulsing as he spent the remainder of his seed all over her hands and face, covering the two of them in his hot, sticky ejaculate. When he was finally spent, he collapsed in a heap, his chest rising and falling as his member twitched in her grasp.

Kitara wiped her brow with the back of her hand and exhaled all at once. “Damn Veryn." she said. “You we're really pent up, huh?"

He nodded weakly in a daze, too exhausted to move.

“Feel better?"

He nodded again.

“You made a hot mess." she admitted, inspecting the thick webs of cum still clinging to her fingers. “This rug's done for."

He lay there for a minute, or two, or ten, breathing heavily and letting the pleasurable afterglow wash over him. Now he understood exactly what Kitara meant. His whole body glowed, his cock still pulsing softly to the beat of his heart. He glanced at Kitara with a heavy-lidded gaze. He truly loved her, he realized suddenly, and he promptly reached out and wrapped a wing around the female's midriff, pulling her gently, but firmly, into his chest.

“That was fun." he growled in her ear. “You were amazing, Kitara."

“'Course I was." she smiled back, twirling a finger through his thick chest fur. “You weren't so bad yourself." she said, licking her lips. “Taste good too."

He blushed at the praise. “I didn't even know what I was doing," he admitted quietly. “Is it normal for you to get that–" he hesitated. “–you know ..."

“–Wet?" she offered playfully. He nodded.

“Only if I'm really into it." she said with a wry smirk.

“So you did like it!"

The young woman rolled her eyes. “Of course I liked it. Didn't I just say that, feather-brain?"

He growled and rolled over, pinning her playfully beneath him. “Don't call me that." he rumbled in her ear. “I'm not feather-brain anymore. I'm your mate."

Kitara squirmed beneath him. “Maybe. But you'll always be feather-brain to me." She reached down and grabbed his cock, tugging on it. He yelped and instinctively flipped onto his side, pulling her with him. They tumbled across the ground a few times before he twisted about and wound up on top. They were both panting. His claws wrapped tight around her throat, forcing her to submit. He was much stronger than her, he realized with smug self-satisfaction, his red eyes meeting her black. There was a flash of fear in her dark, penetrating depths, like she didn't recognize him for a moment, and he released her at once.

“Kitara … I'm … I'm so sorry!" he apologized profusely. “I didn't mean to hurt you!"

She blinked and rubbed her throat. “It's okay Veryn. I know you didn't mean it." Her voice was a bit raspy. He could see the red markings where his talons had pressed into her skin, but she seemed otherwise unharmed.

“Sometimes I forget you humans are weaker than us." he offered sympathetically. “Er, smaller, I mean."

“You're just growing is all." Kitara said reassuringly. “And you're right, maybe I used to be able to put you on your back, but those days are long gone." She pushed herself to her elbows and squeezed his paw. “Besides, I kind of liked it." she admitted. “Kinda made me feel vulnerable for a second, but in a good way. I know you wouldn't hurt me Ver."

He raised an eye-brow. “Liked it? What do you mean?"

She ran her fingers through his chest-fur and gave a tinkly laugh. “Well, I've never seen you act like that before."

“Like what?"

“All dominant and pushy. For a second, It was kind of turned me on."

“Turned you on?"

“You know what I mean. You stood up for yourself, showed your strength. I probably shouldn't have teased you in the first place."

He stared at her, contemplating this. Females were strange sometimes. He nuzzled against her hand, purring softly. “I can do it again if you like." he growled. “I kind of liked seeing you beneath me too." he admitted. “For a second, it felt kinda good."

Kitara gave him a friendly push. “I bet. Gonna take me like some big handsome beast are you? Show me who's in charge?"

“Only if you want." he rumbled in her ear, rolling Kitara onto her front with an easy flick of his claws. “And feel free to call me that again sometime."

She glanced back with a coy look. “Feather-brain?"

He scowled at her. “No, not that. The other one."

“Handsome beast?"

“Yeah. I like the sound of that."

Kitara rolled her eyes. “Just shut up and kiss me Veryn."

So he did, leaning down and pushing his tongue deep inside her mouth. Kitara's eyes widened in surprise and she gave a muffled grunt, turning about, grabbing his mane and returning the messy embrace. He felt a lot more confident this time around and closed his eyes, opening his beak and kissing the young woman passionately on the lips.

They shared saliva for a few minutes before he pulled back and nuzzled against her, licking her cheek affectionately. Kitara's breath came in quick, shallow pants, the young woman gazing up at him with a mixture of awe, fear, excitement, and apprehension. Veryn felt his cock pulse angrily between his legs, still fully-erect and drizzling hot strings of pre down her abdomen. Almost instinctively, Kitara rolled over and got onto all-fours, raising her hips and pushing up against his underside, rubbing against his stiff cock.

“K-Kitara?" he breathed incredulously. “What … what are you doing?"

“I want you to fuck with me Veryn." she said with a small blush, her black hair falling messily about her shoulders. “I want you to fuck me like you would some gryphon hen. Like I'm your life-mate. Right here. Right now."

Veryn felt his cock throb again, a lump forming in the back of his throat. He swallowed it uncomfortably, trying to look natural, even though a female was crouched beneath him, asking … no … begging to be mounted and bred.

“You mean you … you want me to …"

“I want you to mate with me, Veryn." she stated more firmly this time. “I want to feel you. All of you. Inside me. Can you … can you do that for me?"

His heartbeat increased tenfold, pounding inside his chest until he thought it might explode. Just the thought sent an electrifying shiver coursing down his spine. Kitara seemed so vulnerable beneath him, so willing, he could tell she wanted this bad. He wanted it just as much. He wrapped his paws around her midriff and hugged her tight, pulling himself on-top of her and settling gently along the smooth curve of her haunch.

“Okay Kitara." he whispered gently in her ear. “I'll mate with you."

The female braced herself as he adjusted his stance, leaning across her back and mounting her proper. Kitara stretched out beneath him, his cock grinding against her supple pussy and smearing pre-cum all over it. He groaned at the sensation. He'd never taken another female before, but he'd watched some of the older males go at it, mounting and breeding each other when there was nothing else to do. He'd never been one to partake in such adventurous pursuits, too shy, but spying on them certainly did help figuring out where everything went. 'Just don't put it in the wrong hole, idiot.' he told himself. Kitara probably wouldn't like that much either. But who knows. He was learning lots of new things tonight.

Tottering on his hind-legs, he aligned his hips and adjusted to the woman's smaller frame. He could feel her legs trembling beneath him, struggling to maintain his weight. He leaned across her back and snuggled close, easing forward and pushing his big cock smoothly between her inner-thighs. Too low. A pleasured growl rolled from the bottom of his throat, his spines flaring out with excitement. She was so wet already, ready for him to claim. He pulled back and tried once more, this time feeling his barbed cock-tip press against her soft lips and spread them apart.

Kitara moaned, her eyes widening as she felt the tip of the gryphon's member split her open, idly wondering if perhaps she'd bitten off more than she could chew. Veryn hissed as he eased himself inside her, his red eyes narrowing and his growl deepening as he slowly sunk into her warm, wet folds. Her toes curled up and she gave a muffled cry, a snarl curling at the edges of Veryn's beak as he penetrated a female for the first time in his life. Kitara was so tight he couldn't think about anything else, the young female clenching and squirming around his length as he claimed her one inch at-a-time. He stopped when he was about half-way in, panting in her ear.

“You … you okay Kitara?"

The young woman replied with a shaky nod. “Y-yeah. K-keep going Ver. I can take it."

He nodded, gently rolling his hips and sinking deeper inside her. Kitara whimpered as his cock pushed in, spreading her open and stretching her to her limits. The gryphon nearly split her in-two! She clenched around him and pushed back into his initial thrust, clutching the carpet-fur desperately between her fingers.

“G-g-gods above Veryn!" she winced. “You're … you're big!"

He jerked to a halt. “I can stop if you'd like!"

“N-no!" she practically shouted, blushing a little at her lack of composure. “I … I mean no. It feels good, just ... hurts a little. I'll get used to it."

“You sure? I don't wanna hurt you Kitara."

“You won't. I'll tell you if I want you to stop, okay big guy?"

He nodded and gave her cheek an apologetic lick. “Okay. I'll try and be careful."

After giving her a few seconds to adjust, he rolled his hips again, working his length in and gritting his beak with strain. It was like jamming himself into a soft, wet, squeezing-hot oven, one that wrapped around his cock in powerful contractions and beckoned him deeper and deeper, yet fought him every inch of the way at the same time. Determined, he pulled her close and nibbled on her ear, purring as Kitara moaned and spread her legs for him, her pussy stretching around his shaft as he penetrated her naked, trembling body, and took her as his mate.

He gasped. Sliding into her felt amazing, and eventually, he could go no further, his bulging knot pressed up against the apex of her thighs, while his shaft twitched and throbbed, coating her inner-walls in hot spurts of sticky pre-juice. The young woman was already soaking wet when they got started, but now, her arousal combined with his natural lubrication made for a hot, slippery mess of things, thin strands drooling from her juicy cunt and running down the inside of her thighs. He could feel her wet warmth all around him, struggling to accommodate his girth, but it felt so good he couldn't stop now.

Concentrating hard, he went slow, gyrating his hips and dragging back, before thrusting in with a wet, satisfying squelch. Kitara moaned as he pushed inside her, biting her lower-lip as his barbed penis dragged against her sensitive inner-walls and sent jolts of pleasure coursing up her spine. She exhaled in a rush at the peculiar sensation, having secretly wondered for years what it would feel like to get raked by a gryphon's barbs. Leonine in nature, their sole purpose was to make a female ovulate in heat, and the young bird certainly didn't disappoint. Veryn's spines scraping inside her was enough to drive any female wild, and she made a fist and pounded it into the carpet of fur beneath her. It hurt, but it hurt something fiercely good.

“V-Veryn." she whimpered. “That feels … that feels … incredib-ohhhh…" her voice trailed off into a needy whimper as the gryphon jerked back, his tiny papules digging into her flesh and making her spasm uncontrollably. He rocked forward a moment later, and her body responded in-kind by squeezing around his cock like a vice, trying to prevent him from pulling out again in some primal, physical urge to be taken and bred by the large avian. Veryn tensed, his pupils blooming as Kitara's insides hugged around his invading member, massaging his length with powerful squeezes and tugs.

Ooh. That felt very nice.

After getting used to that wondrous feeling of heat surrounding his throbbing penis, Veryn crooned in her ear and started thrusting gently, guiding himself into Kitara's warm, eager body. This time, the young handler gave a tiny shudder as he entered, her eyes rolling up as that thick spire spread her open and sunk deep into her soft cunt, filling her up. Hot juices squelched from her pussy as the horny bird penetrated her one-inch-at-a-time,, stretching her mons wide until she felt that engorged avian knot slam against her pubic mound, the large bird hooking his paws about her waist and getting a better grip, grinding into her sex with gentle circular motions.

Already she could feel his need. Veryn huffed in her ear, his hot, steamy breath washing over her cheek as his red eyes filled with lust and love and something more. She reached up with a free hand and grabbed a fist-full of his ruffled mane, pulling him close so that their bodies pressed close and they nuzzled together. His fur was so much thicker than she remembered, so much warmer, sleek, healthy and full, and beneath it, she could feel the lean muscles of his neck, powerful and tense, rippling beneath her touch. She breathed in his new-found scent as he drove inside her, inhaling his hot, familiar musk, feeling his perspiration ... his feathers tickling her skin. She craned her neck sideways and they kissed long and deep, and when the kiss broke, she realized Veryn wasn't the little hatchling she remembered anymore, the one she raised and reared so long ago, who used to play in the gardens and cuddle in her arms and pounce after butterflies ... Kitara closed her eyes and whimpered as the gryphon's thick cock pushed inside her, feeling his girth fill her cunt in ways she'd never imagined ... He was grown now, mature, so much stronger than she remembered, and in some ways, this made her feel sad. But In others, it made her want him more than anything in the entire world. She blushed as the realization dawned on her:

She wanted to make love to a gryphon, she realized. She wanted him.

As if reading her thoughts, Veryn flared his wings out and pulled her close, giving a throaty growl of dominance as he pinned her to the floor and rubbed hard against her cheek. The room suddenly disappeared from sight as he enveloped her in his long white wings, his silky feathers brushing against her skin and surrounding her in a dense cocoon of soft plumage, a gryphon's mating-embrace. Her eyes fluttered as his potent musk filled her senses, stronger now, headier, and soon, it was just the two of them in there, trapped in Veryn's loving hold as the young male pounded into her, grunting and panting softly in her ear. If it were anyone else, she might have felt scared in such a vulnerable position, terrified even, but with him, she'd never felt more protected.

It was suddenly so hot she broke out in a sweat, her hands clasping at the pelt beneath her as Kitara readied for the pounding she was about to endure. Veryn had taken his sweet time up until this point, going slow, letting her adjust so as not to hurt her, but now his instincts were taking over, his breath coming in short shallow pants and his claws digging into her skin. She opened her legs and offered herself to the young gryphon lying atop her back, bracing herself on her elbows and pushing back into his thrusts.

“Yes Veryn … yes ... fuck me … I ... want you to fuck me." she gasped in his ear. “Don't … don't hold back."

The young gryphon didn't respond; so lost in concentration. His claws wrapped around her belly and hugged her close, rearing back, thrusting forward, and splitting her open around his pulsing cock, sinking deep into her needy, trembling body.

Kitara whimpered as she was impaled on his length, feeling those tiny barbs send her abdomen into powerful rippling contractions. Her eyes rolled up as the narrow tip of his member reached deep inside her. The feeling was so unique and unexpected she cried out in surprise, his cock-tip making her womb tingle. No human had ever gone so deep before, nor fucked her so passionately, and Veryn rutted her with deep, loving strokes, the speed of his thrusts doubling as he leaned down and forced her to stretch out helplessly along the rug beneath him, the young male determined to stake his claim on her fertile womb.

Once in this position, nothing could stop the male from arching back and humping her with all the strength a feral gryphon could muster, his heavy balls slapping against her clit as he locked in place and fucked her doggy-style, breeding her willing body until she could hardly breathe.

“O-oh g-gods v-v-Veryn!" she moaned in-between his fast, pumping thrusts, sweat trickling down her brow as the gryphon lusted in her ear. “P-p-please! H-have m-m-mercy." Her tongue lolled out as he took her as his life depended on it, her hair a tangled mess that fell over her shoulders.

"K-Kitara."

Something in his voice made her turn her head and lock eyes with him, feeling his somber gaze bore into her. He looked scared for a second, uncertain, and she could sense something in their dark, gentle depths, a simmering fire that burned beneath the liquid sea of deep-red. He blinked, and when he opened them, the gentleness was gone and the cold fire was everywhere, an inferno that burned in the depths of his eyes. She could see her reflection in their starry depths. She looked scared too, she realized.

Then his beak sank around her neck.

Her eyes widened and she cried out. The bite was quick but sharp, more of a dominant nip than anything, pressing into the soft part of her neck and releasing almost instantly, drawing a trickle of blood. She hoped the coppery taste would wake the powerful avian from whatever spell had taken hold of him, but the Veryn she knew wasn't there anymore, replaced by something greater: The predatory gaze of a fully-fledged war-gryphon. If anything, this made her even more excited, the young male pressing his beak firmly against her cheek and butting against her, letting her know he was now firmly in control as his body moved against her's, driving into his life-mate, and bringing her to one of her first of many orgasms.

It hit hard and unexpectedly, like the bite, and Veryn kept thrusting right through it, her vagina rippling around his cock and undulating in violent waves until she thought she'd shake apart. Her face screwed up in a mixture of pleasure and pain, her mouth agape in a soundless scream of pure ecstasy as she experienced the strongest orgasm in her life, grabbing Veryn's shaggy paws and holding on for dear life as she was furiously bred by the powerful avian. Wet juices squirted from her cunt, dripping down her trembling legs until all she could feel was his massive knot straining against the entrance to her vagina, stretching it wider and wider as the gryphon panted in her ear and tried to jam it in.

“V-v-Veryn!" she whimpered, trying to hold onto what little control she had amidst the vigorous mating. “P-p-p-lease … y-you're g-g-going t-too f-f-fa–"

He licked up her neck. The lick was long and possessive, and when it flicked away, she shuddered and fully surrendered to him, her eyes rolling up and her body instinctively relaxing as the big avian pushed in so deep, he spread her mons wide around his massive knot and slowly sunk inside. The sensation of getting stretched so thoroughly made her eyes snap open and her fingers clasp his claws in desperation, her eyes fluttering as the gryphon lifted her hips up and began to force it in.

_'This damn bird is going to be the death of me.' _she thought.

“G-g-gods! Veryn … y-you're–"

He growled and rammed forward. She screamed. His knot sunk in one-third of the way, then half, then three-quarters, and just when she thought the shiny circumference would make her pass out ... it popped inside with a wet, satisfying squelch, her folds enveloping the base of his sizable bulge as the beast huffed in her ear and collapsed on her back, filling her cunt completely with hot, throbbing gryphon-cock, and completing the tie at last.

They stayed like that for a couple seconds, panting and struggling to catch their breath. Kitara was speechless in shock. She could feel his heartbeat all-around her, but especially inside her cunt, strong and firm, reminding her of his virility. She had no idea how she'd be doing anything tomorrow, nor for the rest of the week, or month perhaps.

“You … you okay big guy?" she breathed incredulously. Her entire body was aching, sore and covered in sweat, and she could barely feel her legs after the furious pounding.

Veryn's only response was a low, lusty purr. That meant yes. He started pumping again. He wasn't done yet.

“Fill me up." she moaned in his ear, pushing back and forcing his knot in. “I want you to breed me, Veryn. I want your whelps."

He rumbled in agreement, biting her shoulder. Just when she thought he was giving her a momentary reprieve, he wrapped his paws around her hips again and resumed his hungry thrusts. Kitara's eyes widened as the sloppy sounds of sex soon filled the room once more, his immense knot tugging at the entrance of her vagina, while the feeling of all that thick, barbed avian cock sliding through her soon had tears of pleasure welling up in her eyes. “Yes." she whimpered as the gryphon didn't stop. “Yes … yes … yes! That's it! Faster Veryn. Faster. Keep going. Fill me up!" His member pushed in so deep she almost passed out, the narrow tip kissing her cervix before drawing back, resting just beneath her navel. Loud sex was usually a sign of good sex, and Kitara soon realized that she was in for a wild ride.

Her hands returned to pelt in-front of her, clasping onto something, anything as the bird's hips kept pumping non-stop, extending her orgams one into the next. All she could feel was his heavy ballsack hammering against her clit, plapping noisily as those tiny barbs flared out and scraped inside her until she experienced another screaming mini-climax, lights flashing in her mind's eye as she struggled to remain conscious amidst the powerful, pulsating waves coursing through her body. She could tell Veryn was close when his thrusts became frantic, the young gryphon slamming into her so erratically she had to bite her tongue to keep herself from screaming and cursing his name to high heavens. Never in her life had she been taken so rough. She could taste blood in her mouth from where she'd accidentally bit her tongue, but smiled in-between his furious thrusts. There was nothing like rough sex, and each and every bruise would be a trophy well-deserved.

His last dozen strokes were the hardest yet. Kitara's eyes fluttered as Veryn clamped his beak around her shoulder and whimpered with pleasure, going so fast all she could hear was the wet sound of their bodies' slapping together as he fucked her like a wild animal. Her fingers clenched and unclenched, her toes doing the same as her vision tunneled into a bleary haze. She was being bred. Ravaged. Her body was numb with pleasure. Just when she thought she'd surely lose her mind, Veryn thrust forward one final time, stretching her lips wide and hilting himself inside her with a terrific screech. Kitara screeched too. She didn't care who heard them. Not anymore. She felt his cock-tip pierce her very soul, the young bird going tense as he rocked forward and pulled her close, knotting her fully and finishing them both off with quick rutting thrusts.

Her eyes rolled into the back of her head. Veryn shuddered and went still, his hackles rising as his cock pulsed, throbbed, and exploded directly inside her aching body, ejaculating heavy ropes of steaming-hot seed straight into the depths of her empty womb.

Her eyes snapped open, her mouth agape in a soundless scream as the first wave of molten gryphon-cum splashed within her stretched cunny, his essence thick like glue, each successive spurt so forceful, she felt the pressure of it push into her gut before spilling back out around his length, his fully-inflated knot ensuring not a single drop of his fertile seed escaped her tight confines. Kitara came at the sensation of getting filled by the virile male, gasping for breath as his generous load flooded inside her uterus, filling her with an amazing warmth that spread outwards beneath her navel and soothed the wicked flames of her raging heat.

She soon found her voice and gasped out-loud, her pupils constricting to tiny pinpoints as she reveled in the once-in-a-lifetime sensation. Veryn came forever, thrusting non-stop as his cock pulsed within the welcoming contours of her body, the dance of life throwing the young handler into passionate throes of ecstasy the likes of which she'd never experienced before. Eventually, there was so much heat pumping inside her she felt incredibly full, a pleasant, tingling warmth blossoming inside her womb as Veryn closed his eyes and slumped across her back, purring deeply in her ear as his thrusts gradually tapered off.

When he was done, he stayed put for a little while, panting and purring non-stop. Kitara was exhausted. She could feel his spent seed flowing inside her, and Veryn's wings were spread out haphazardly, fluttering gently as he emptied what little remained inside her slender, nubile body. Feathers drifted everywhere, but they remained tied snugly together, a tangle of limbs, fur, and naked skin. The rug beneath them was in tatters, and Kitara's body was glistening with sweat. The sweet scent of sex and musk hung thick in the air around them, making her dizzy.

She took a deep breath and the world returned into an ethereal focus. She was aching sore and covered in scratches, but filled with an immense satisfaction that made her smile. She could hardly believe how much cock was stuffed inside her, and the smile turned into laugh at the humorous thought of the big male gryphon lying slumped atop her back, but it hurt to laugh and she grimaced instead.

Above, Veryn calmed down and licked her cheek, his eyes no longer manic as they'd been not moments ago. She watched the fire dissipate inside them, and then suddenly, the beast was gone and the Veryn she remembered was back in control, his handsome face awash with confusion.

“Kitara?" he asked, his throat-apple bobbing up and down. “You okay?"

“V-v-Veryn." she managed to reply weakly, shaking and shivering and bruised all-over. He looked horrified at the state she was in, ragged and covered in love-nips.

“Kitara! You're hurt!" he exclaimed, his voice filled with concern. “What … what did I do?"

“N-nothing." she panted. “Truly. You were … you we're ama-."

“But look what I did! I … I hurt you! You're … bleeding." he managed to choke out, trying to swallow back his shock at the state she was in.

Kitara hung her head and sighed with exasperation. “Veryn … Did I … tell you to stop?"

He shook his head innocently enough.

“Exactly. That was … that was the best sex … I think I've ever had." she managed. “I don't think humans ... will ever compare."

His crest perked up. “Really?"

“Absolutely."

A sly look crossed his feathered features. “It was good for me too." he admitted, fluffing his mane out proudly. “You were so warm and tight and snug I don't know how I even fit. I really went all out, didn't I?"

“You certainly did. I think I'm gonna need a vacation after this."

He raised an eye-brow. “Me too. Wanna kiss again?" The question just popped into his head, and it felt natural to spring it on her.

“Sure."

So they kissed again, a long and messy one, their tongues swirling around one-another until Kitara broke it off, strings of saliva snapping apart.

“Wow. You're getting good at that." she said with a small blush.

“Thanks."

“Better in other ways too. I still can't feel my legs. You crippled me, you wild beast."

Veryn pulled his hips back and grinned. Kitara's eyes widened as his knot tugged against her stretched cunt, the shiny, red, veiny surface covered in slime and mixed bodily juices. They collapsed on-top of each-other with a satisfied groan.

“I don't think this knot is ever coming out." he informed her with a smug grin of self-satisfaction.

“Good. I don't want it to. Feels nice. Warm." she mumbled softly, rubbing her belly and sinking into his furred chest. “Part of me wishes I could lay your eggs," she said with a small blush. “I hope that's not weird or anything."

This made Veryn laugh. He nuzzled against her, preening her razzled hair and purring non-stop. “Guess we're gonna be stuck here for a while then." he said with a low chuckle. “You're my little hen now, Kitara. Do you want to come back to my nest?"

“Hmm." she smiled dreamily. “That sounds just about right."

He flopped onto his side and pulled her with him, tangling her up in his wings and holding her close. They stayed like that for a little while, necking and whispering naughty to each-other. Kitara giggled and snuggled into his warm fur. His spent seed trickled down the inside of her thighs, and she moaned and rubbed them together, marveling at how thick and sticky the creamy white substance was. She had little doubt that if she were a female of his own kind, she'd surely be heavy with a massive clutch, and eventually, as if to prove this fact, he started mating with her again right there on her side. This time he was gentler, tender and loving, running his claws along the slender curve of her haunch, and feeling her body move against his. They climaxed together, and he filled her womb with his seed once more.

“Oh Veryn." she whimpered when he was done. “Why haven't we done this before?"

“We can keep going if you like." he growled seductively in her ear. “I'm always up for another go."

Kitara shivered at the suggestion. “Hmm, it's tempting, but I don't think my body can take it. You wore me out, handsome. No human will ever measure up to that."

“Well that's because we gryphons are just better, I guess." he growled in her ear. “Now come here, I'm not done with you just yet."

He tangled her in his wings and then they were kissing again.

***

When he awoke in the aerie, he was all alone.

Veryn yawned and rolled over, stretching his long wings and looking about the empty, dusty room. It felt like he'd been asleep for ages, the world around him slow and dream-like. He used a claw to pick the sand out of his eyes, then his crest flared up and he glanced about. “Kitara?" There was no response. She must've left sometime in the night. He sighed.

Outside, the sun broke over the horizon, blades of light slicing through the tall pines and bathing the valley in a soothing yellow glow. He could just see the hoarfrost melting along the edges of the fort, watching as the shiny droplets trickled down the ramparts before falling away into the open sky. It was a beautiful spring morning, but one he couldn't savor. His mind was occupied with the tumultuous events of the previous night.

He shook his head and groaned. What had he done? He'd mated with a human. A prospect knight. His own handler at that! Everything would be different now, changed. Would anyone find out? Would he be put to death? At the very least the other gryphons wouldn't care if they found out. They might share a few stories but word would never leave the nest. If anything, the older males might approve. Why had she left without saying anything? Was it because she felt embarrassed? Humiliated? Even worse, did she regret it all? They'd done things, deliciously foreign things he'd never even considered until she taught him last night. They'd mated for hours, and when they finished, she'd kissed him in places that would make a maiden blush. He'd returned the favor in kind. The skin beneath his feathers burned hot with embarrassment. Oh gods. What had he done?

Gathering himself and reluctantly preening Kitara's scent out of his feathers as best he could, he grabbed their makeshift bed and took his morning flight, tossing the used pelt into a deep gorge and praying none would ever find it.

Afterwards, he skimmed his favorite stream, snapping up some fresh, fat salmon and swallowing them back with a single, greasy gulp. The taste of river water made him feel queasy for some reason and he soon had his fill, landing next to the sandy embankment and lifting his leg on a lonely shriveled pine, relieving himself all over it. He shuddered, today his morning micturition felt amazing, like he hadn't gone in quite some time. By the time his bladder was empty, the soil beneath him was soaking wet. The forest was his, for a time at least.

When those precious few hours expired, he returned to the Black Fort and continued his search. He couldn't find Kitara anywhere in the castle grounds, the forest, nor in the nearby village, and everyone he spoke to said she was off doing something different. He wasn't surprised. Kitara was always busy with some affair and hardly had time for anyone these days, least of all a runt like him. He grit his beak. Still, he was determined to find her and apologize about the events of last night, no matter what.

He searched all day, but couldn't find her.

He didn't find her the next day either, or the day after that.

After the ceremony, there was a short week before training resumed, and after scouring all her usual haunts, he soon came to the conclusion that Kitara was either off on some errand, or avoiding him for one reason or another.

He had a good reason why.

She probably felt disgusted after what they'd done. She'd mated with a gryphon, a reject one at that. The realization left him feeling numb. He supposed he should've felt terrible, but truth be told, he felt nothing. Maybe someone had found out and arrested her. In all his years he'd never heard of something like that happening, but he supposed with his luck anything was possible. Was she being interrogated by the high council? Or even worse, tortured in some pitch-black dungeon? Maybe they'd sentence her to death for copulating with a gryphon. The thought left him feeling sick to his stomach. Maybe he'd hurt her. That thought was somehow even worse.

By the end of the week, he was a nervous wreck. Kitara was nowhere to be found, and yet not a single soul came searching for him either. He was right back where he started, confused and alone, drifting through his days as if stuck in a dream, or a nightmare. It was as if nothing had even happened, and perhaps that was for the best. Sometimes, he wondered if it had all been a dream in the first place … that he'd somehow conjured it up, or was slowly losing his mind ...

By the time training resumed the following week, he was forced to attend roll-call, soaring into the main barracks on an empty stomach with all the other fresh-faced recruits. He was surprised to discover he was bigger than most of them now, but he was older too, so that wasn't saying much.

“Veryn?" the old, grizzled, foul-mouthed master-of-arms gowled, looking up from his oily quill and parchment and squinting at him with his one good eye. “The fuck you doing here?"

“Reporting for training, sir!" he gulped. He'd always feared the old, burly, gnarled master-of-arms, everyone did, but for some reason, the career soldier had never treated him any differently than the other gryphons. Maybe he despised them all equally. If he did, he certainly let it show.

The master-at-arms leered at him and spat on the ground, displeased with this morning annoyance. “Don't you check the duty rosters anymore, runt? You've been assigned. Report to the flight deck before I write you down as a fresh recruit. Gods be good if I have to train you all over again."

“Assigned … sir?"

“You deaf? Some poor sod wants to ride you. Now get your feathery ass out of here before I kick it out myself. Out, stupid bird. Out!"

Veryn didn't need to be told twice, unfurling his wings and launching himself from the aerie. He spiraled down to the flight deck, passing the snow-covered ramparts and crashing through the hangar.

The flight-deck was packed.

Soldiers marched to-and-fro, drilling themselves in their early morning routines. Knights sat at the far table, eating eggs and sausages and sipping watered wine, sharing stories with one-another about their latest conquests. Everyone was getting ready for something big. He looked around.

And there she was.

He spotted Kitara sitting in the middle of the bustling room atop a pile of gigantic cannonballs, sharpening her blade. When she wasn't fighting with spear and shield, Kitara preferred a falchion, a viciously sharp curved blade from an eastern land she'd won in some game of dice at a local tavern. The steel blade was well-forged and surprisingly light for its size, the leather-wrapped pommel set with a silver, amethyst, and lapis lazuli. It was a well-known fact that many unfortunate souls had met their end upon its cruel edge, and when he'd asked her its name, she'd only laughed. Only fools named their blade, she replied. And if anything, Kitara was no fool.

“Kitara!" he shouted above the clamoring din of loud voices, steel-against-steel, and rattling, clanking armor. The young woman looked up from her shining blade, and the bright smile she gave him made his heart soar.

“Took you long enough!" she called down to him as he made his approach. “I was starting to think you weren't gonna show up!"

“I've been chosen!" he exclaimed, forgetting everything he was going to ask her for a moment and flaring all his feathers out with excitement. “Somebody wants me as their mount! Can you believe it?"

“Obviously." she said with her familiar, fox-like grin. “You wouldn't be here if they didn't."

“But who? I didn't even pass the mating ceremony! I thought I failed!"

“You didn't fail." she said. “Do you think the Kingdom refuses all able-bodied gryphons just because they can't find a mate on their first or second try?" She lifted her blade up and inspected its razor-sharp edge, nicking her thumb in the process and cursing out loud. Now it was his turn to grin. “Goodness Veryn. You're dumber than I thought."

His grin disappeared. “Hey! It's not my fault! How was I supposed to know? I thought … I thought I needed to mate with a-“ he looked around nervously, but with all the noise and commotion, no one was paying them even the slightest bit of attention. “-you know... a gryphoness!"

Kitara laughed. “That's just something we tell the fresh-bloods to get them in a competitive spirit. The Kingdom only accepts the best of the best, you know that. If we didn't make it a competition-" she gestured all around them. “-Well, I suppose we wouldn't be here, would we? There's plenty of gryphons we've recruited who didn't pass the ceremony. Everyone finds their true love eventually. Some it just takes longer than others. Like you .... or me."

He scrunched his face up at this surprising revelation. “So everything between us, everything we did ... that was ... that was all just … a test?"

She tilted her head side-to-side and shrugged. “Yes and no. At first I wanted to see if you were capable of being a strong mount, which you did, exceedingly well I might add. Everything else we did after that was just … well ... extra."

His feathers wilted. “Extra? But ... but I thought-“

“-Veryn, you think too much sometimes," was all she said.

His face scrunched up. “But why did you leave!" he blurted out loud, not caring if anyone overheard them. “Why couldn't I find you until now? I looked everywhere! All I wanted to do was talk to you about us … about what happened!" he mumbled sincerely.

Kitara nibbled on her bleeding thumb, shifting her stance toe-to-toe. “I ... I needed some time alone." she admitted. “To figure things out. A lot was going through my head at the time ... but you're right. I shouldn't have left you alone like that. It was wrong."

“I thought you hated me."

Her hands dropped to her sides and her eyes widened in shock. “No!" she practically shouted. “Of course not. I love you Veryn! Truly! I would never do anything to hurt you, I swear it! I wasn't kidding when I said you went all out. I'm still sore after our … training."

Relief washed over him. “So you meant everything you said? We can still be friends, right?"

“Of course!"

He wanted to smile, but instead furrowed his brow in deep thought, frowning glumly.

“It's all pointless though." he protested. “I've been chosen! What if they send me to another outpost? Or set me on guard duty watching caravans up north in the wilderness! I'll … I'll never get to see you again!"

A wicked smile spread across Kitara's face, she thumbed the pommel of her falchion.

“You still haven't figured it out yet, have you big guy?"

He cocked his head. “Figured out what?"

“The person who chose you is me. I'm your rider now, silly!"

His heart skipped a beat. He must be hearing things. He shook his head to make sure it was on straight.

“You ... what?"

“I chose you as my mount!" Kitara exclaimed, jumping forward and hugging him tightly around the neck. “You're nobody else's mount but mine, as long as you accept, of course!"

He froze, completely taken aback, his eyes wide and unblinking. There was no way. It couldn't be real. Any second now he'd wake up and find himself alone in his nest, having dreamt a pleasant dream. There's no way Kitara had chosen him. Riders paired for life, and it took years for a bond to develop between knight and mount, if one ever did in the first place. He pulled back and gazed at the young woman in shock and awe.

“Kitara, you … you can't be serious."

She squeezed him so tight she thought his head would pop off his shoulders.

“You better believe it. I'm your rider now, and you're my mount … among other things." she whispered in his ear with a knowing smirk. “Now put this on." she said, all serious now, tossing a silver-winged metal full-helm at his feet. It clanked heavily on the deck. “Bandits hit an encampment a hundred leagues south of here. Local militia drove them off, but they might re-group. We're on scouting detail until further notice, which includes plenty of long, lonely nights under the stars. Plenty of time to catch-up for all the time we missed. Command thinks your feathers blend in well with the sky, even in daylight making you hard to spot." She winked. “Seems we found a use for you after all."

He wanted to jump and tackle her and roll all over the ground he was so happy, but figured it might look odd in a room full of people. He settled instead for licking her on the nose multiple times.

It was the best day of his life.

The End!