FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

"Alright, ladies!" Scarecrow announced as he strolled toward the squad's tents. The front of the dragons' tent had been opened to create a shady spot for the squad to relax and tend to their gear. "It's time to do some adulting—laundry day. So, who's not busy?" he added, assessing potential volunteers.

The members of Zulu squad suddenly found themselves occupied with various tasks. Bishop had his large rifle disassembled, his dark hands guiding a cleaning rod down the barrel. Joker ducked his head behind the thick technical manual he was pretending to read, realizing quickly that it was upside down but opting not to correct it for fear of revealing his error. Meanwhile, Kodiak and Raider each held clipboards, pretending to take inventory of their gear.

At the back of the tent, Keenis and Taalli lay—her orange form sprawled in a relaxed posture, while the green drake looked uncomfortable.

"Need the trough, sir? I'm available," Keenis asked, catching Bishop's smirk in the corner of his eye.

"I appreciate the enthusiasm. Bravo Company has the laundry trough. Can you bring it back here and get started on washing?"

"Got it, Cap." Keenis quickly got to his feet and carefully stepped past the rest of the squad.

"Just don't put it so close to the tents this time! Last time, when you drained it, you got my rack wet," Raider called over his shoulder, seeing the drake nod with a guilty smile.

Keenis had asked last time he did the laundry why they didn't bring their clothes to the large stainless trough and wash them in a central location. The response had been a simple explanation: While there was only one thief in the core, everyone else was always trying to reclaim their belongings from one another. So, having their gear freshly washed and hanging on a line was a prime target.

As Keenis disappeared from view, Taalli let out a small sigh. Offering to help him drag it back was a tempting opportunity to try and earn more of his favor, but she knew she was coming on too strong and should give him some space.

"Still striking out, Taalli?" Bishop asked and smirked as she rolled her big amber eyes.

"Oh, you have no idea. Tempted to actually hurt myself so he has to give me some attention," she joked while the rest of the squad started making piles of their clothes to be washed.

"Taalli, girl. If you want a drake, just hit me up, I've had two drakes ask me about you," Kodiak teased.

"Four have asked me!" Joker chimed in, giving a pair of briefs a sniff and recoiling in disgust.

Scarecrow smirked, his expression so often neutral that Taalli cocked her head. "Out of all the drakes here, two haven't," he said simply.

"What?" Taalli exclaimed, her eyes going wide.

"I swear, it's like they're asking permission to date my daughter or something," Scarecrow chuckled.

"Fuck cap, with that much demand we could totally charge them!" Joker exclaimed and saw the venomous look in Taalli's eyes as she snapped her head to his direction. "I mean, just for introductions or info, hell Taalli, what's your ideal date? That's gotta be worth a fifty or at least some batteries."

"I am so glad that you all are so interested in my love life," Taalli retorted sarcastically. She knew they were all playing and gave a fake smile.

"We gotchu, girl. Just say the word, we can have a line up," Joker replied with a wink and slipped on a pair of aviator sunglasses.

"If I ever wanted that, you will be the first to know," Taalli said and blew him a kiss. "The drakes here are really not my type. If I just wanted a good dicking, I have a tool for that." Despite her playful grin, Bishop saw her tail tip flick in frustration.

"Um, they are drakes. How many types can there be?" Raider added bluntly.

Sliding the receiver back into place on his weapon, Bishop cut Taalli off before she could reply. “Hey, T. I've gotta get some gear from the armory. Can you give me a hand?"

With her mouth open, Taalli's retort deflated. Looking at Bishop, she saw him give a small nod of understanding. “Sure," she said flatly and rocked back before standing up.

Stepping carefully past the squad, her tail flicked wide and struck the side of Raider's head, sending him tripping over his gear and falling to the ground. “Oh, sorry Raider. I must be a bit clumsy," Taalli said with a slight snarl over her shoulder and continued walking with Bishop.

The harsh midday sun made her pupils contract, but once the pair were out of earshot, Taalli nudged Bishop with a wing. “Thanks," she murmured.

“Don't be. I shouldn't have said anything," he replied and adjusted the sling on his rifle. “You really are interested in our doctor, aren't you, though?" he said and saw her smile weakly.

“Maybe I do have a type. The ones that I can't be with," she said sadly.

“Is he still talking about working together?" Over the last few months since Keenis joined their unit, she had confided in Bishop about the many rejections she had faced.

“So he says…" Taalli said softly. “But, you know, there are moments when we are talking where… I don't know, I feel there is a connection, but then he just kind of shuts me out and goes all soldier mode. Maybe I'm just being stupid."

Bishop placed a friendly hand on her wing knuckle. “Want me to talk to him? I can put in a good word for you. Or, I can talk to the captain and get him moved to another unit, that way you two aren't working together."

Taalli snorted in amusement, “I don't think it's come to that," she said as they slowly made their way through the tents. “Although…" she said, deep in thought. “Maybe that's not a bad idea."

“T, I was joking. The captain worked hard to get two deltas on the squad. I don't think he would appreciate losing his new doc."

“No, oh no. I don't want him moved," Taalli hurriedly corrected. “But maybe you two could have a man chat," she suggested with a playful smile.

“A what?"

“Oh, don't play dumb," Taalli teased. “You know, two guys talking about girls. Maybe find out what sort of 'ness he likes. Hell, at this point, I'm not completely convinced he likes 'nesses."

Bishop chuckled and slapped her wing arm. “First of all, it's never been called a man chat," he retorted. “Secondly, that's going to be a bit awkward."

“Don't overthink it, just be like, 'Oh hey buddy, what do you find attractive in a 'ness,'" Taalli said, dropping her voice a few octaves to sound more masculine.

“Girl, I'm starting to see why you're single. Guys really don't talk like that," Bishop laughed.

Taalli chuckled in return. “Okay fine. I won't write you a script. But could you find out for me? He just kinda changes the topic when I ask him."

“Taalli, I know we are in a desert, but damn, are you really that thirsty?" he teased, his bright smile contrasting on his dark face. “Like, there ARE other drakes here who I'm sure would be good to you."

“Ah... No. I think their ideal date is probably crayons by candlelight," Taalli smirked.

Bishop blurted out a deep laugh. “Hey, don't be knocking crayons by candlelight… You can use the crayons as candles, see? They can be a perfect backdrop for a roll in the sand."

“I'm sure they can, but I'm not really interested in just a dumb fuck. Okay? Keenis is pretty switched on, and I think he is kinda cute," Taalli said, her words drifting off before she shook her head to clear her mind. “Bishop, don't make me beg. Remember how I brought those sauces on base for you?"

“Yeah, you did, and you used half of them making dinner for our boy," he retorted.

Taalli lowered her snout and widened her eyes to look at him like a puppy. “But, if you don't do this, they would have gone to waste…" lowering her head down to his level, she tried to keep a sad look on her face despite his smile broadening.

“Fine!" Bishop exclaimed, pushing her snout away from him playfully. “But next tour, you are bringing more sauce in. Okay?"

“Deal!" Taalli wiggled slightly and grinned in excitement. When he went to continue walking, she swooped her head down in front of him again and looked expectantly at him.

“Now?" Bishop asked and shook his head in disbelief when she nodded comically fast. He gave an exaggerated sigh, “Fuck it. Let's get this over with. But if he doesn't say shit, I still want my sauce."

“I'll consider it," Taalli countered and grinned when he turned. “Thanks, buddy!" She called to him as he walked away, not missing the rude gesture he gave her in return.

---

“So that's where you got to, Taalli," Scarecrow said as he came up behind her, the orange dragoness lingering a few tents away from where Bishop and Keenis were cleaning the squad's gear.

“Shh, keep your voice down," Taalli whispered and peeked between the tents to make sure Keenis hadn't heard him.

“What are you up to?" Scarecrow asked with a smirk and followed her gaze. “Why do I get the impression you are the reason why Bishop volunteered to help the doc?"

Taalli smiled guiltily. "I may have sent him on an infiltrate and recon mission," she said, turning to face her captain. "Hope that's okay."

Scarecrow raised an eyebrow with a smirk. "You know you should run all missions past me," he said, attempting to get another look between the tents. "Especially when it involves other members of my squad. So what's the play?"

Taalli chuckled, relieved that her captain wasn't against her scheme. "Knowledge is half the battle, Cap. Bishop made contact with the target, his objective is to determine a suitable vector for me," she said with a wide grin. "I'm trying to find out why he is being such a prude."

"What can I do to assist?" Scarecrow asked. "If you want me involved, that is."

"You, I'm okay with," Taalli clarified. "I only have an issue when Joker and Co think I should just lift my tail to any drake. This 'ness has standards."

"You have a solid target lock, Delta One," Scarecrow teased, returning her smile. "I mean, you know what you want."

Taalli's eyes widened as she looked back and saw Bishop walking towards them with a big smile on his face. "Maybe standby, Cap, we may have new intel."

Bishop shook his head, chuckling to himself as he approached them. “You won't believe this, Taalli."

“He doesn't like 'nesses, does he?" Taalli asked, her wings drooping slightly, a crestfallen look in her eyes.

“Oh, he likes 'nesses." Bishop started with a chuckle. “And he totally fancies you too."

Taalli's jaw dropped, and she looked the Marine in the eyes for any reception. “Then what's his problem?" She asked and peeked down the gap in the tents to watch Keenis wringing out a set of fatigues with his paws.

Bishop stifled a giggle and looked her up and down. “I'm not sure how to say this, T."

“Just say it then," Taalli snapped, clearly becoming frustrated in her ignorance.

“So, he finds it hard to be friendly with you because you're covered in shit," Bishop said with a smirk. “And while I ain't gonna judge, he is kinda right though."

Taalli frowned and looked down her forearms. A thick layer of grime covered her scales, but she was used to it. Cleaning and maintaining her orange color was a waste of time when she would just return dirty after the next mission; additionally the layers of grime and grit often helped blend her scales in with the landscape. “Wait, what? You're kidding."

Bishop shook his head. “I believe his exact words were, 'I have nothing against a strong 'ness, but it's hard to focus on her when she stinks of phosphorus and oil,' and he really didn't want me to tell you that, in like an awkward teen sorta way." Seeing the surprise in her eyes, he nodded reassuringly. “100 percent I'm not messing with you, it's that simple."

Taalli looked back down at her paws and kneaded the soft sand with her claws. “Really? I know I let myself go a little bit, but am I that grubby?" Glancing at her captain, he simply shrugged.

“Don't look at me. I'm not the one you're trying to impress."

Taalli smiled, “Well. If he wants a sexy shiny dragoness…" she said, looking over in the direction of the showers. “Do we have any missions today or tonight?"

Scarecrow smirked, “I think I can make one up."

“No, I mean. I don't want to get all shiny, and then we are taking an oil field or something," Taalli said, turning back to see a mischievous smile on her captain's face. “What?"

“I can send you and Keenis on an exercise together. If you want me to," he said, looking her in the eyes.

Taalli's eyes widened in understanding before she squinted. “What's in it for you?" she asked skeptically.

“Do you want my help or not?" he asked. When she nodded, he looked to Bishop and back to Taalli. “Well, get yourself clean, Delta One. That's an order. I don't want to see you back here unless you look like you stepped out of a harness magazine. Understood?"

Taalli smirked and sat at attention, slapping her wing against her side in an overly formal salute. “Sir, yes sir."

“Dismissed." He smirked and waited for her to trot off towards the showers, then turned to Bishop. “I think we need a cave for our Deltas tonight."

“Wait, we are actually playing matchmaker?" Bishop asked in disbelief.

“Bishop, she is one of us. If she were a dude, you wouldn't hesitate. She just needs a wingman," Scarecrow said with a smirk, his smile broadening as he added, “or five."

---

After a brief detour to the mess hall and a persuasive conversation with the Marine on dish duty, she trotted towards the shower area with a playful bounce in her step. "You want a sleek, clean harness model, Keenis. I'll give you a sleek, clean harness model," she smirked and used a talon to unbuckle her harness.

Letting the heavy rig fall to the ground, she sifted through the pockets, extracting anything she didn't want to risk getting wet. Her tongue involuntarily protruded from the side of her mouth as she dug into one of the pouches, retrieving a stray blasting cap and more sand than she thought possible.

Reaching into her front pouch, she quickly scanned the area to ensure no one was watching and pulled out the half-empty canister of pills. With her other paw, she swiftly dug a shallow hole and placed the pills in it before backfilling it to conceal them.

"Boop," she said aloud as she pressed a button on the gasoline-powered water pump, which then roared to life. Lifting her harness in her jaws and carrying the large bottle of dishwashing liquid under one wing, she moved to the center of the wet area. "Washing a harness with dish soap, I can hear you bitching from here, Mother," she muttered to herself. Letting the black nylon harness fall to the ground, she felt like she was burning evidence as she squirted the detergent like a bottle of lighter fluid.

The thick black hose gurgled before sputtering sun-warmed water out of its tip. She gave the harness a quick hosing and tossed the hose over her shoulder, letting the warm liquid run down her back and tail while she massaged the soap through her rig. "Okay, maybe he had a point," she mused as swirls of dirt, blood, and black grime began to emerge from the harness, swirling into the sandy ground.

Her paws ran over her nametape, remembering how hastily she had taken her new name. Emotions surged through her at the memory of enlisting; a scared, weak dragoness running away from her problems.

With a sigh, she rinsed the harness of suds and tossed it in the general direction of where she had hidden her pills. Sitting back on her haunches, she flipped the bottle of dish soap to face toward her chest and began squirting the slippery green liquid across her front. The harsh scent of industrial chemicals stung her nose as she began running a black paw over her orange body, twisting every so often to scrub hard-to-reach areas.

Taalli tried to ignore the looks from the other dragons as she cleaned herself. She knew they wouldn't try anything but often found herself turning around to face alternating directions when she washed, the memory of being snuck up on during basic training still making her scales crawl.

As the layers of grime and soot were washed away, she gave herself a second coating of soap to make sure she hadn't missed any areas. The ground beneath her quickly absorbed the filth until her glossy wet scales gleamed under the harsh desert sun.

“You scrub up okay, Taalli," she muttered to herself as she held the hose in one paw and rinsed the last of the suds off the underside of a wing. While her claws and horns could still do with a final polish, her orange body sparkled with the water droplets as they ran down her sides. With a final look back down over her shoulder, she made sure she hadn't missed anything and dropped the hose. Her inky black paws contrasted heavily against the sand as she made her way to the pump, and with a press of her talon to the button, she killed the engine and stopped the flow of water.

Picking up her harness, she dusted the wet sand from it and slipped her feet through the loops before pulling it up onto her shoulders. Glancing around, she caught a few drakes staring and smirked when they quickly returned to their activities.

“Oh no, you don't," Taalli groaned, swiftly swiping the ground with a paw as she felt a familiar sharp pain building in her chest. Her vision began to blur, and she quickly sat down before she could collapse. Her breath hitched and her jaw clenched as she started losing control of her body.

Her paw scrambled in the sand, frantically searching for her medicine while she still had the chance. Her heart pounded heavily, and she felt exposed in the middle of the base; she knew she couldn't collapse. The faintest brush of plastic against her paw filled her with hope. As quickly as she could, she snatched it out of the sand and popped the lid. Two pills fell into her paw, but she didn't care. Tossing them both into her mouth, she began to feel them dissolve under her tongue.

The stabbing pain through her chest felt as if she were being impaled. Her powerful diaphragm spasmed and froze, making her eyes open wide as she found she could no longer breathe. Losing focus of the world around her, she tried as hard as she could to appear like she was sitting still while her body seemed to tear itself apart.

Taalli focused on the ground ahead of her, her body shuddering and quivering in pain until a pair of strong silver paws stepped into her field of view. “Still got some left in you?" he asked. Taalli let out a soft groan as she forced her head up, the pain fading but her body feeling paralyzed.

Riimack's playful expression was haunted by the sad look in his eyes. She gasped for air, tried to swallow, and gasped again while looking at her concerned friend. “That's it, let's keep a steady rhythm," he said, his words echoing the instructions he gave her on the first day they met.

Taalli's voice was hardly above a whisper, her words hoarse as she struggled to speak. “Riimack. You're-"

“I know, but you're not," he said, a look in his eyes that she didn't quite understand.

Taalli shivered as she felt a deathly cold sensation run down her spine. Despite the harsh sun beating down on her body, she couldn't feel any warmth in the world. Her heart rate was erratic, feeling like it was skipping beats and bouncing around in her chest. She looked into her friend's eyes for help, and he stepped forward, sitting beside her. He moved his wing over her in a friendly hug, even though she couldn't feel his embrace.

"Don't worry, I've got you," he said calmly, his voice almost lost in the wind. "I never really minded guard duty," he added with a sad smile. Taalli's eyes burned, not blinking, her pupils contracting and dilating as her nerves confused their signals.

“Is this… real?" she croaked, wishing for nothing more than the pain to stop.

“You would be having a bad day if it was," Riimack whispered reassuringly. “Just try to breathe, the drugs will do their thing, and you will be okay."

Listening to his words, she focused exclusively on her breathing, her wing arms rocking slightly to help drive air into her lungs. As the tablets in her mouth slowly dissolved, she felt a deep warmth spread over her back and down her wings. Snapping her eyes shut, she kept them closed as she regained control over her nervous system.

“I miss you, so damn much," she whispered through her clenched jaws.

“Well, that's silly. I haven't gone anywhere," he said warmly, causing her to open her eyes while gasping for air.

Her black paws had sunk into the sand with the quivering her body had done. Looking around, she felt a mixture of relief and disappointment when she found herself alone at the edge of the showering area. She scanned the other tents and thankfully didn't see anyone staring, her body still trembling like a leaf until she shook her body. Her heart was still beating quickly, but evenly as she forced herself to take a deep breath of air and slowly exhale.

Looking down, she saw a scattering of her pills on the sand and sighed. “Pull yourself together, girl," she muttered to herself. “He's gone." Shuffling closer, she lowered her wings to hide her weakness from any prying eyes and began collecting the pills. She picked up the tablets one by one before sifting her paws through the sand, she knew she had more in her tins but also that she was slowly running out. Only once she had triple-checked she had collected all of them did she tuck the bottle back into the front pouch of her harness.

“It must have been defective," she mumbled. Thinking back, she knew she had taken her morning tablet, but her words did little to ease the concern in her mind.

Checking her surroundings one last time, she began a slow walk back across the base. Her mind in turmoil as Feerah's words came back to her. If her condition was indeed getting worse, then she was putting her squad at risk. Cocking her head in thought, she wondered if she should make this tour her last, regardless of how it turned out with Keenis.

She quickly composed herself as a drake walking past gave her a polite nod. "Looking good, Killer," he said cheerfully in passing, causing her to give a polite smile in return.

While she still had many chipped scales and faded scars from battle, she walked with her neck curved in a tight S shape and carried herself with effortless grace. The last of the water beaded on her scales and rolled down her limbs as she moved. Though her scales were nothing compared to the painted, polished, and perfected orange her mother wore with pride, she couldn't help but feel better knowing she still had her natural shine.

She remembered how dull and lifeless her scales had looked when she was at university, the constant criticism and judgment of her parents causing her body to become almost ill. Now, however, her scales almost glowed in the sun. Even with the looming danger of her condition, she kept telling herself that she could only control what she could control and tried not to let the anxiety get to her.

As she approached the squad's tent, she paused to take a deep breath, holding it before slowly exhaling as she looked over her wings and tail. Once satisfied that they were no longer twitching, she turned the corner and walked towards her squad.

A playful smirk pulled at her lips as Joker's jaw dropped. Walking with an elegant gait, she ensured her paws landed close together and swayed her tail in a slightly exaggerated arc. Nothing too sultry, but enough to accentuate her feminine grace.

"Hold up, INTRUDER ON BASE!" Joker called out loudly, the rest of the squad looking up to watch her approach.

A knowing smirk appeared on both Bishop's and Scarecrow's faces, Raider looked at her in confusion while Kodiak simply turned to look at Keenis and judged his reaction. The green dragon's eyes widened, and his mouth opened in astonishment.

“Did I ever tell you to shut the fuck up?" Taalli snapped playfully back at Joker.

"Oh, it's you, Taalli. You look... good," Joker added while scanning her from head to toe. She gave a nod of thanks and made sure to position herself upwind of Keenis. She noticed his nostrils twitch as he subconsciously tried to take in her scent, and she couldn't help but grin when he adjusted the position of his hind legs.

"Yeah, you look..." Keenis added, his voice trailing off as he lost focus on his words.

Taalli's heart soared as Keenis continued to gaze at her when she sat beside him. She shifted her attention to their captain and the map spread out between the squad.

"Glad you could join us, Taalli. Keenis will fill you in. I'll get you two to fly ahead, and we'll join you via ground vehicles," Scarecrow said, attempting to contain his smirk. "Any questions?"

"What does the target look like?" Keenis asked, tearing his gaze away from the powerful presence next to him.

"Still waiting on that," Scarecrow replied, noting his confused expression. "Don't give me that look, you know what I know. Once Command gives us details, I'll let you know," he said, holding Keenis' gaze. "Gear up, I want you both in the air in 10 minutes."

"Roger that!" Taalli said, turning around to head into their side of the tent, ensuring Keenis had a good view of her.

Entering the tent, she padded her way over to her gear stockpile and began stuffing her pouches with explosives. She knew she wouldn't need them for their mission, but it provided a good chance for Keenis to see what he might be missing. Reaching behind her tins, she fished out a small portable camp stove complete with a pack of coals and stuffed them into her pouches.

While strapping a pan to the side of her rig, she paused, looking at a tin. She frowned when she couldn't remember its contents and cracked the lid to check. Her heart sank as she saw the worn paper with a half-written note scrawled on it. Her message to Mike was still unfinished, the words eluding her, and now she wondered if she should even write to him at all, given how long it had been.

She heard Keenis outside clipping his harness buckles together and smirked. Clamping the lid back on the tin, she hastily unclasped a buckle from her harness and pretended to search through her kit.

Keenis stepped into the shade of their tent and paused, his voice betraying his nerves. "Hey, so, Taalli."

Her head lifted from a pouch, and she looked at him with her powerful eyes. "Yes, ma'am?" she said sweetly. She could tell by his wider eyes that he was clearly looking at her differently now.

Keenis cleared his throat and focused on what he had to say. "So, ah… the mission. We are going to provide overwatch from the caves. That cool with you?"

Taalli smiled at his nervousness. The stern drake who tried so hard to be emotionally detached seemed to be melting in front of her. "Yeah, that's cool. I would like that," she said playfully and gave him a wink.

"That—that's not what I—I mean, it's not a date. It's for the mission," Keenis stuttered.

"Oh, I didn't say date, you did," she smiled and deliberately struggled with a strap. "Give me a paw, would you?" She nudged her head towards the problematic buckle. He shuffled his way over to her and gently placed a paw on the strap, holding it down while pulling the buckle up its length. He could feel her strong body under his paw, her clean orange scales soft and smooth. "Thanks," she said gently, enjoying his paw on her shoulder. Her bright amber eyes held his gaze, and she gave him a reassuring smile.

With a polite nod, Taalli turned around and stepped out of the tent. She took a few steps before turning her head to look back at the staring drake. "Coming?"

---

The sun dipped low, casting elongated shadows across the rugged terrain, adorned with rocky outcroppings and towering sand dunes. Despite the falling temperature, Taalli reveled in the moment, feeling more alive than ever. Beside her, Keenis soared, his heavily tinted goggles concealing his eyes, yet she sensed his occasional glances in her direction.

Upon spotting the cave, Keenis transmitted a message to the other Zulu squad members. A smile played on Taalli's lips when Scarecrow responded, hinting at the possibility of an extended stay.

She gracefully landed at the cave's entrance, her robust hind legs absorbing the impact effortlessly. Trotting inside, she made space for Keenis to follow. The sandstone cavern surpassed her expectations, a potential sanctuary for wild dragons. It offered ample room for a dragon family to sprawl comfortably, with an entrance narrow enough for only two dragons to walk side by side.

As her eyes adapted to the darkness, Keenis touched down behind her. Unfastening her harness with a talon, Taalli let the heavy rig fall to the ground, stepping out of the loops with casual grace. She sensed Keenis's gaze linger on her as she ventured deeper into their newfound shelter.

Sniffing the air, she confirmed the absence of other dragons' scents. The cavern floor was strewn with stray animal bones and faded shed scales. With each step, she heard a distinct crunch beneath her paw and discovered the shards of a once-green egg. Its vibrant hue had faded, and its once hard shell was now brittle as glass. "This place must have been a dragon home, maybe a family lived here," Taalli remarked, holding up the eggshell to Keenis.

The green drake nodded, pausing as something on the wall caught his eye. "Hey, check this out."

Taalli padded over and followed his gaze. Etched into the sandstone cave walls were crude drawings of a family of dragons. They seemed to be scratched into the cave wall by a dragon's claws, the soft sandstone carved with care. Keenis and Taalli sat next to each other in silence as they absorbed the details; the etchings appeared to tell a story. A large dragon with a mane of quills seemed to be the father or leader of the family. As they continued to observe, the scenes changed to that of a small dragon leaving the family, followed by others attempting to leave, only to be stopped by the large dragon. The carvings of the large dragon changed, as if another dragon had carved them, and the lines became more aggressive. They depicted him attacking other family members when they tried to leave, causing the number of dragons in the family to dwindle. The story continued with the remaining dragons leaving the cave together, leaving the large dragon behind and alone.

Taalli's lip quivered slightly, and she was relieved that Keenis was engrossed in the cave drawings. She glanced back across the drawing to when the smaller dragon left and saw similarities to her own life. The large drake that ruled the family was not unlike her father. A part of her wondered what compelled this small dragon from the past to leave her home, was the leader as domineering as Kaarak? After Taalli had left, she knew her mother had borne the brunt of his frustrations, much like the rest of the flight in this carving.

Looking at the final carving of the alpha dragon alone made her silently sniff back her emotions. If her mother did stick to her word and leave Kaarak, then he would be alone, just like this dragon. It wasn't sympathy for her sire that made her eyes glossy, it was the idea of being like him—alone and unloved.

"I think this was carved by the dragons of old," Keenis said softly.

Taalli grunted softly in acknowledgment. "Did you bring food?" She gave a weak smile and blinked to dry her eyes.

“Of course," Keenis said with a smirk at her change of topic.

“All right, bring it out then," Taalli said, turning before he could see the pain in her eyes. Padding toward her harness, she adjusted the leg loops so she could put it on in a hurry if needed.

She heard his harness gently fall to the ground and the sound of Velcro ripping.

“We have beef stew or maple sausage—"

Taalli snorted in amusement and turned her head to look back at him with a wide grin but was cut off.

"Shut it! I'm talking about a meal," Keenis exclaimed before she could make a rude joke. His eyes held a warmth that matched his smile.

Taalli laughed, "Me too. What were you thinking of?" She joked and chuckled when he looked at her with a look of disbelief. "It's ok, I've given up on pushing you." She lied and pulled out a small camp stove from her harness. “Could we share? I wouldn't mind mixing them." She said and stepped towards the mouth of the cave with it tucked under a wing.

Keenis watched her walk to the mouth of the cave and lay down before she started setting up the stove. Holding the two MREs in his paw, he shrugged. “Sure."

He walked awkwardly on three legs towards her. As he approached, Taalli placed some coals under the stove and moved her head to be just above. With a shuffle of her shoulders and neck, two small trickles of liquid dripped from her mouth before igniting in an oily amber flame.

As the coals in the camp stove quickly ignited, Taalli looked up to see the green drake staring. “Oh, um, sorry. Matches can be a fiddle. Do you find that gross?"

Keenis shook his head and smiled. “No-no, I think it's amazing." He said and lay down adjacent to her. “Although, do you mind if I ask a question about… doing that?"

Taalli could see the wonder in his eyes and smiled warmly, “Of course. What would you like to know?"

"How does it work?" Keenis inquired before quickly answering his own question. "I know it's two glands in the throat, but how long can you do it for? And how do you control it?"

Taalli gently took the MREs from his paw and began preparing them in the pot over the stove. "I can keep the flame going for about a minute, if I don't breathe fire for a week or so. But it's kinda hard to breathe while doing it, so I couldn't do it forever anyway," she said, smiling at how she held his attention. "As for controlling it, that's a whole story in itself," she mused, her words drifting off. "When I was a fledgling, it was a bit rough. Waking up and finding my pillow singed or the fire alarms going off wasn't fun. So I used to try and purge them as much as I could before going to sleep, which kind of helped. I remember I set fire to my school work once when I laughed too hard, that was hard to explain to the teacher." Taalli chuckled at the memory and adjusted the MREs in the pot. The sun was beginning to set on their cave, and Taalli took a deep breath to relax.

"But you can control it now?" Keenis asked, shuffling to get more comfortable and inadvertently moving closer to her side.

Taalli nodded. "Sometimes if I get worked up, I may smoke a little. My ex caused me to do a full flame a few times, I think he knew I wasn't faking it after that." She giggled and laughed when she saw him looking as awkward as ever, his head dipping down to focus on something between his claws. "But it tastes horrible, so definitely not something to do too much before dinner."

Keenis cocked his head and looked up at her. "What does it taste like?"

Taalli tilted her head from side to side as she pondered the best way to describe it. “It's kinda its own sorta thing. But, like, did your school have a pool?"

“Ah, no," Keenis said, feeling self-conscious. “But there was a public pool my family sometimes went to."

Taalli nodded. “It's like that taste you get at the back of your throat when you first walk in. But with a bit of an oily taste added too."

“Bleh," Keenis remarked. “Magic tastes disgusting too. Almost like burnt hair."

Taalli snorted in amusement. “How does magic taste of anything?"

Keenis' smile revealed his pearly white teeth, his posture becoming more and more relaxed around her. “I only taste it if I push myself too hard. I read that it's meant to be a warning to the body that it's in danger, sort of like how you throw up when intoxicated. Essentially, the body is trying to reject what's making it sick," he explained.

Taalli nodded in understanding. “So when was the last time you got so shit-faced?" She asked with a smirk. Getting up, she walked back to her harness and retrieved a few bowls. When she returned, she lay down a little closer to him.

“Just before I left for basic, me and a few buddies got written off." Keenis noticed her lying closer and tried to play it cool. “How about you?"

Taalli chuckled and adjusted the MREs. “Promise not to tell?" She asked softly, a hint of vulnerability in her voice. Only when he nodded did she continue. “We stumbled across this hut in the middle of nowhere, looking for any weapons the locals might have been hiding. But when we cracked open the door, it was full of moonshine. The orders were to destroy it, and well… Joker and I destroyed some of it ourselves."

“Taalli!" Keenis exclaimed with a laugh.

“Oh, shh you! I was having a rough week, okay?" Taalli retorted, “I'm pretty sure the captain knows, but please don't tell him."

Keenis shook his head with a smirk, “So, how's the local alcohol?"

“Oh gods, it's flammable, that's for sure. For a religion that forbids it, the locals sure know how to kill some brain cells." Taalli chuckled and shuffled closer to the green drake. “But please don't tell Scarecrow. He's done so much for me, it's better if he doesn't know."

Keenis smiled nervously at her closeness, her body only a few inches from his. “Of course," he said softly, his heart beating faster when her tail brushed against his. “I think these are done!" he said louder than he meant to and stood up to retrieve the food from the stove.

The flicker of disappointment on Taalli's face didn't go unnoticed by the green drake as he lifted the MREs out of the pot and emptied them into the bowls. The beef stew was little more than slop, but the sausages seemed plump enough. Keenis frowned when more of the thick sausages ended up in his bowl. With a sharp claw, he stabbed one and transferred it over to her bowl.

Taalli's mouth opened with a joke about finally getting his sausage, but she held her tongue, waiting to see what the drake would do next. Her heart soared when, out of all the places he could lay down, he chose to lay next to her again.

Not wanting to ruin the moment, she murmured her thanks and began to eat while the sun continued to set. She could feel the warmth of his body radiate against her wing, and when she glanced at him, she saw him staring at the sunset. Vibrant hues of reds, yellows, and oranges streaked across the sky, the hazy desert horizon almost glowing as it diffused its dying rays.

“It's really pretty," Keenis murmured between mouthfuls.

She couldn't help but nod. “Best color," she said softly, her voice almost inaudible.

Looking down, she finished her meal and licked the bowl clean. “You know, if it wasn't for the war, this place would actually be quite nice to visit," Taalli mused.

Keenis nodded softly and finished his meal. As he lifted his head, he saw Taalli looking at him, a playful glint in her eye. “What?"

Taalli focused her attention on his snout. “You've got some on your snout," she lied. He gave a lick to one side of his snout. "No, the other side. Further back, almost got it, nah nah nah, bottom lip," she smiled as she guided him to lick an imaginary piece of food on his snout. "Here, let me." Before he had a chance to respond, she pressed her snout against his cheek and gave a tender lick. Taalli kept her snout against his cheek, and she could feel his body stiffen but not pull away. She gave another lick on his jawbone and pushed her luck by giving the back of his jaw a little nibble, which caused him to pull away.

"Taalli!" he exclaimed, his eyes wide and tail flicking in confusion.

"Sorry, I got a bit carried away," Taalli said, deflating slightly at his reaction. Taking a deep breath, she cocked her head, her eyes burning into his. "You know you are really hot, right? Are you sure you don't like drakes?"

Keenis recoiled back in surprise, the powerful dragoness before him holding his gaze with ease. "I-I… No! I'm not," he stammered. "I'm just what's available," he said and instantly regretted his choice of words.

"Hey! You're not the only drake on base, buddy!" Taalli retorted, his words cutting deeper than either expected.

"Sorry, that's not what I meant to say. I mean, I'm really not that good-looking," Keenis flustered, feeling pinned by her powerful gaze.

Taalli looked into his bright, intelligent eyes and shook her head. "Bullshit," she said simply and tried to calm her emotions. "Let's have a look at you then." Walking around him, she watched his head turn to keep an eye on her, and she quickly snapped her jaws at his tail. With a yelp, he was on his feet as she continued to circle him, her eyes tracing over every curve and contour of his toned body.

"Long legs, great for cuddling. Your wings are big and strong. You don't have an ounce of fat on you thanks to our crappy food and training. Your neck is just begging for a good nibble, your scales are smooth and sleek, not like sandpaper. Between your sexy curved horns is a switched-on brain. It's no easy feat to be where you are, and you have the body and brains to back it up. So yes, Keenis, I do find you hot, and while I could just lift my tail for any of the drakes on camp, I find you attractive," she exclaimed loudly.

Keenis struggled to maintain eye contact, his head bowed in shame. He attempted to apologize, but the words eluded him.

Taalli, visibly frustrated, snapped her jaws shut with a resounding crack. Shaking her head, she realized she might have pushed the nervous drake too far. "You're a good egg, Keenis. Nothing like those burly, crayon-crunching drakes back at the base," she remarked, taking a deep breath. "So give it to me straight, Keenis. What's wrong? Because I'm starting to wonder if I'm..." Her words trailed off vulnerably, and she caught him gazing at her. Lowering her eyes to her paws, she sat back on her haunches. "Broken," she added so softly that she wasn't sure if she had spoken it aloud.

A heavy silence enveloped them before she looked up at him. "Now that I've gotten that off my chest, what are you going to do about it?"

Keenis spoke gently, his voice softening. The glossy orange 'ness had revealed her emotions in a rare moment of vulnerability. "I'm sorry, it's just..." He looked away, his words becoming choked.

"You think I'm ugly, don't you?" Taalli asserted firmly, her emotions gathering like a violent storm. Dark thoughts of inadequacy and regret crept into her mind, her mother's judgmental gaze materializing. "I thought it was just because I was a bit dirty. Please, tell me. What is it about me that isn't good enough?" She said weakly.

"Nothing. It's not you, it's—" He halted when he saw her stern expression, her glossy eyes challenging him to finish that sentence.

"It's what, Keenis?"

"I don't know!" Keenis blurted out, his voice elevated and claws digging into the dusty cave floor. He felt weak and ashamed as she waited for him to continue. "I-I don't know what I'm doing… I have not been with a 'ness before," he muttered.

Taalli's expression softened, and she cocked her head as she realized what he was saying. All the walls he had put between them started to crumble. “Wait… really?" she asked; before her was a handsome drake that should have had the 'nesses chasing him, just like she was.

“So you're a-"

“Yes," he muttered, his tail curling around him defensively as he sat down, his posture slumped, and he began circling a claw on the ground.

Taalli's eyes widened, and a smile pulled at her snout. “But I just assumed that-"

“What? Because I'm a soldier drake, I must have gotten my dick wet at some point?" He snapped, glancing briefly at the powerful dragoness' face before averting his gaze.

Taalli saw she had struck a nerve and moved to sit next to him. “Hey, I didn't mean it like that. I mean, you're so handsome, and smart," she said warmly.

“Well, handsome and smart didn't really get me far with the 'nesses at school. And once I started basic, there weren't many opportunities, if you know what I mean," Keenis murmured. “And I thought it would be better if we just stayed as squad mates because… I don't know," he added softly. “Please don't tell the squad, I really don't want to earn a nickname about… that."

Taalli gave him a friendly nudge with a wing. “I won't," she said with conviction. “And hey, I'm sorry if I was making you uncomfortable. If it's any consolation, I never noticed," she added and saw him smile weakly. “But also, it's nothing to be ashamed about."

Keenis glared at her but smirked when she chuckled. "I beg to disagree."

Taalli waved a paw dismissively, "I think it's kind of cute. Also, it means you haven't learned any bad habits."

"I guess. But it also means I have no idea what I'm doing. I haven't even kissed a 'ness before."

"We could fix that," Taalli mused, her heart rate increasing when he didn't say no.

"Thanks. But I don't know," Keenis murmured. "I would probably mess it up."

"Well, that usually comes later," Taalli teased. "How about we start at the beginning?" She said softly and looked at the nervous drake. "Hi, I'm Taalli, and I think you are cute," she said warmly and saw his lips twitch in a faint smirk. Leaning closer, she whispered under her breath, "Now it's your turn."

Keenis chuckled and turned to face her. "Hi Taalli, I'm Keenis. And I think you are alright," he said with a playful smirk, his smile broadening when she gave a look of mock offense.

"Just alright? Surely there is something about me that you like."

Keenis tilted his head from side to side. "Okay, I think you're quite pretty," he admitted. "I mean, beautiful, no—yes… strong, I don't know. Sexy? I'm horrible at this," he flustered, trying to find the right word that described her.

Taalli smiled broadly. "You really think I'm sexy?" she asked and brought her head close to his when he nodded. "Thank you, Keenis," she added and nudged his snout with hers. His posture was still stiff and awkward, but he didn't pull away from her affection. "You know… We are going to be out here for a while," she said and heard his breath hitch. "And there aren't many 'nesses out here. And I'm what's available. As you said," she added and rubbed her snout against his jawline.

“I... um. I don't know," Keenis whispered, “I might not... last."

Taalli continued to nuzzle and press the bridge of her snout under his jaw. “How do you get good at something?" she asked, pulling back to look into his half-lidded eyes.

“Practice?"

“That's right. We can take it slow, go at your pace, I won't judge," she said reassuringly. “If it helps, my last partner was in a similar situation." She could tell he was thinking about it and shuffled closer. “How about we start with something super easy and go from there? If it's not for you, then we stop."

Keenis nodded, and his eyes widened as she pulled her head back from under his jaw. Slowly moving so their noses were almost touching, his warm, masculine scent filled her nostrils. A sense of security and warmth seeped into her as her bright amber eyes flicked from his eyes to his snout. Tilting her head slightly, she gently pressed her lips to his.

Her eyes narrowed as he kept his jaws closed for a moment, but she smiled when he closed his eyes and parted his lips. Her tongue rolled against his, their mouths locking as their kiss deepened.

The validation she felt from him and the new experience he was feeling made both of their heart rates increase. His tongue moved with uncertainty, her taste invading his mouth, and her slippery tongue swirled against his teeth as she guided their embrace.

Pulling back, she giggled as his head followed hers until he got the hint and broke their kiss. “How was that?" she asked with a smile.

Keenis' mouth opened in a gentle, flustered pant, his smile speaking volumes. “That was… that was nice," he finally said, earning a quick lick on the nose from her.

“Just nice?" she asked, cocking her head with a warm smile. “You're not a bad kisser," she added. Truthfully, it had been so long since she was with a drake that she had almost forgotten how nice it was to kiss someone her size.

“Really?" he said, slightly more enthusiastically than he expected. “I mean, totally, of course. I've had so much practice," he said in jest, a genuine smile on his snout as he looked into her deep eyes.

“Uh-huh," she said with a giggle. “More?" She asked and waited for him to lean in before meeting his lips again. His tongue moved with more purpose, clearly having paid attention to her efforts prior as it moved into her mouth and rolled against hers. Taalli's breath hitched as his front paw moved up to her shoulder, the surprised sound catching him off guard, and he quickly placed it back on the ground. Turning her head slightly, she gasped. “No, that was good." Deepening the kiss, she smiled as his paw returned to her shoulder, gently holding her for support as their heads turned softly against one another.

As they parted, she went to nuzzle him but was surprised when he pressed his snout along her cheek. His eyes closed as he enjoyed the texture of her smooth scales against his. “You're a fast learner," she whispered and heard him chuckle. “So, you have now kissed a 'ness. Do you want to try something more?" she asked warmly.

Keenis nodded softly against her. "Yes," he hissed in bliss before hesitating. "But can you tell me what to do? Like, what feels good to you?" he asked weakly. "I don't want to ruin this."

"Keenis, can I let you in on a secret?" she murmured while nuzzling him. "I really like that you asked. Some 'nesses may prefer the aggressive type of drakes, you know, the ones who pin you down and rut you senseless. But most of us really don't," she whispered into his ear, her voice and warm breath sending a shiver down his body as his cock threatened to emerge from his tight slit. "So the fact that you want to learn what works is like... really good," she added.

Keenis' pride swelled at her words. "Well, good soldiers follow orders. So what should I—we do next?"

Taalli's eyes closed as he gently kissed her jawline. "That! Is a great start. Keep going down my neck." Her voice wavered in her building arousal. His warm, kind face nuzzled and rubbed against her sensuously, gently tracing nibbles, licks, and kisses down her throat. Without realizing it, her head tilted towards the cave ceiling as he devoted himself to her.

"Better than alright… sexy… definitely sexy," he muttered between kisses and nibbles, smiling when she giggled softly.

"Are you sure you haven't done this before?" Taalli whispered, boosting his ego greatly, and smiled when she was rewarded with further nibbles to her collarbone. Her heart fluttered as she smelled his scent mixing with the aroma of his budding arousal. His tapered length started to spill out and expose itself to the early evening air.

"Where should I go now?" he asked, nuzzling into her wing arm, uncertain whether he should work his way back up or worm his way under her wing.

"How about you get a look at what you're dealing with?" she offered, holding his gaze as he lifted his head. "Would you like that?"

Keenis nodded gently and stepped back as she turned to face away from him. Her neck twisted so she could look back at him, and she rolled her hips to lift her tail.

"Start with my rump, then see where you go from there," she suggested, smiling as he held her gaze. Lowering his snout to where her shapely hind legs joined her body, he gently kissed the soft scales that ran where her tail met her thigh. He could smell her budding arousal and found himself tracing further licks and kisses under her tail.

"Like this?" he asked, kissing her again when she moaned a soft yes. The dying sun cast its final rays into the mouth of the cave, providing enough light to see her puffy slit inches away from his snout. A faint sheen of her juices shimmered, drawing him closer and closer.

"It's okay, I don't bite. Unless you're into that," she said and adjusted her stance, moving her entrance towards his delightful snout.

Keenis' claws scratched at the ground as he brought his nose to her folds. Her warm, slick sex pressed against his nose, hormones hijacking his body. Before he knew it, he had begun lapping at her slit.

"That's it, Keenis, like that!" exclaimed Taalli, her back arching to give him better access. His warm, strong tongue continued to lap at the outside of her entrance with a tender yet deliberate touch.

Her front paws came together when she felt him part her orange-scaled lips and begin to press into her. Keenis was so focused on the delightful taste and scent that flooded his mind—a heady mix of warmth and spice that left him wanting more. Turning his head this way and that, he tried to delve his tongue deeper and explore all the different areas of her passage. Rubbing his chin at the base of her slit, he felt her breath hitch, her whole body tensing and clenching on his invading tongue. Pausing in shock, he stayed still, unsure if he had done a good thing or not.

"Don't stop!" she cried, grateful for the gesture of checking in with her but needing more. As he resumed, she let out a groan of bliss, his tongue seemed to worm and stroke effortlessly inside her vagina.

Keenis' hard cock throbbed in need, dripping a single string of precum as his hips involuntarily rocked in the air. He tried to focus, rolling his tongue on the sensitive areas of Taalli's body and kept steadily building her climax.

“Higher." She gasped, her tail draping over his shoulder as he pleasured her. “That's it, there." She added, her pitch getting higher as he stroked the rougher patch of her velvety walls. Her body shuddered in bliss and she lowered her front to the ground, her front paws becoming shaky. While he did his best to hide his inexperience, she found his dedication and willingness to please endearing. Lifting her wings, she looked back down her side and saw his tail swishing from side to side as he continued to eat her out, her heart pounding in building excitement when his strong paw latched onto her rump for support.

Gasping and panting for breath, Keenis pulled his head out from under her tail. Resting it on her rump he looked her in the eyes while breathing heavily. “You taste amazing!" he panted, her slick juices clinging to his nose and snout.

Her amber eyes held a look of need as she whispered softly, “Please-Please, can you take me?" Her heart swooned when he nodded and kissed her rump.

Guided by instinct, he moved his paws to her hips and tried to get into position. Lifting her front back up to be on all fours, she adjusted her hip and tail to make room for him, his paws holding her with a tenderness that made her feel secure as his head and neck stretched out to be alongside hers. She could smell her arousal on him and smiled as he licked his lips. His snout pressed warmly against her neck as he resumed kissing and nibbling her, taking his time to trace the contours of her corded muscles while clumsily trying to find his mark.

“Right, not that far, just a bit lower, lower, cowboy." She guided him as he jabbed his tip against her rump. She gasped as she felt his tip suddenly make contact with the left lip of her vulva and he instinctively pushed forwards, parting her tight wet walls with his smooth length. “Nngh, fuck!" she exclaimed as she was suddenly filled with a full sized dragon cock.

He suddenly paused, the warm wet walls of her vagina gripping him tightly and spasming slowly in time when her heartbeat. “Ah-Ah-Are you okay? I did that wrong, fuck, I'm sorry. You feel so good, so wet, I couldn't help myself. I just-" Turning her head, her jaw locked with his to silence him. Her tongue pressed into the green drake's mouth as he held her close.

Parting, Taalli gave him a reassuring lick on the cheek. “It's okay. It's just been a while, okay? Just take things slow, and Keenis?" She waited for him to focus on her, her body clearly distracting the untested drake. “It's okay if you need to let go. It's never perfect your first time." Giving him another lick, she emphasized her point by rocking against him. She groaned when he slowly withdrew his length from her. The feeling of his large shaft pressing back in and parting her folds made her shiver in bliss. While her toys had helped her on lonely nights, nothing beat the real thing.

His scent, his comforting paws on her waist, and the sound of his heavy breathing made her feel so alive. His strong body began to surge above her, making her sway with every slow thrust of his hips. Closing her eyes, she became swept up in the primal nature of the moment. The warmth of the cave made her feel safe, the food in her belly made her feel cared for, and the rhythm of his thrusts made her feel loved.

She could feel him holding back, the way his forepaws clung to her desperately, wanting him to speed up and release his seed into her. When she opened her eyes, she could see that his were scrunched closed and his jaw clenched hard. She adjusted the angle of her hips and gasped when his length began to rub against a sensitive area, his hard tip driving deep into her with every surge of his body.

She knew this was a special moment for him but couldn't deny her pleasure was building quickly. As her velvety walls gripped and clenched on his invading length, Keenis shuddered, his climax on a hair trigger. “It's okay, Keenis. We can go again if you want to," she moaned softly as he began to speed up.

He pressed the bridge of his snout against the back of her neck, and she smiled. Despite her reassurances, she could tell he was trying to last as long as possible. He adjusted his hind paws and began to thrust heavier and faster, retreating until just his tip was in before gliding back into her wet tunnel.

“Take me, Keenis." She groaned as he found another sensitive area, his weight shifting from paw to paw as he tried to run his length against the same place. “Fuck, I'm close," she cried and felt him begin to hammer away.

She felt his head turn against the back of her neck and, turning slightly, looked back to see what he was doing. She smiled as she saw him opening and closing his mouth, but with his eyes closed, relying purely on instinct as he tried to perform a mating bite. Caught up in the moment, Taalli pressed her hips back into him and arched her neck back in a tight S shape and gasped as she felt his teeth latch onto her neck.

She was startled at first, his grip on her neck firm yet tender as if he was holding on for support rather than trying to dominate or claim her. He let out a long groan against her neck and she felt him start to become undone. His shaft seemed to stiffen even further on the next plunge and her heart skipped a beat when he didn't pull back, instead remaining hilted inside her.

The feeling of him cumming inside her was the key to her own climax, the rush of his hot seed spewing inside her caused her passage to grip down hard on his cock and begin to ripple. The deep rumble of him growling into her neck reverberated through the cave, merging with her own long crisp yowl to create a symphony of pleasureful cries as she lifted her head to the ceiling. Her climax seemed to wash through her with every jet of his virgin seed into her body, her toes clenched, her tail thrashed and wings fluttered uselessly. With her head turned safely to the ceiling, the glands in her throat contracted and released their volatile mix of chemicals into the air. The dim cave was suddenly cast in a brilliant orange glow from her flame as he continued to shudder inside her.

He felt the heat of her flame and opened his eyes as she closed her jaws. Gasping, the sound of their breathing dominated the cave, his length now trickling his seed inside her as he leaned over her for support. His fore paws gently stroked her belly as he held her close, softly tracing where his seed was pooling.

Taalli swallowed before panting again, the taste of her flame lingering in the back of her mouth. She smiled warmly when she felt his tongue on the back of her neck, his touch gentle and tender. “How-how was that?* Taalli gasped, arching her neck into his gentle licks.

Keenis nodded and nuzzled her neck before pressing his snout to the soft area where her jaw and neck met. His words escaped him as he tried to nibble and kiss while also catching his breath.

"I really needed that. Thank you," she murmured. She could feel him starting to soften inside her, and the strain in her hind legs from supporting his weight became apparent. Turning her head, she saw the look of post-coital bliss in his eyes as his wings and tail drooped low on the ground. "Being in heat makes me really wound up."

His eyes snapped open. "Wait, you're in heat?" he asked, and his jaw dropped when she smiled mischievously. "Oh-no-no-no!" he stammered, quickly pulling out of her and stumbling over his limp tail, crashing to the ground. Taalli roared with laughter as the green drake tried to right himself. "We shouldn't have done that!"

The look of panic made her turn around to watch as he wracked his brain for a solution. His mouth opened and closed as he frantically thought about using his magic to stop his seed from taking root.

"Keenis, I'm joking," she said quickly and watched him process her words. His eyes met hers with a desperate look. "I'm not in heat."

"Really?" Keenis asked, searching her eyes for the truth.

"A 'ness won't go into heat if stressed out, remember? And we are in a war zone," Taalli said, taking a step closer and nuzzling her snout with his. "And trust me, you would know if I was in heat. No eggs today, stud," she added, smiling as he sighed in relief.

"How did I... you know... how did I do?" Keenis asked, finally catching his breath. His eyes widened as she pressed her head into his neck, turning to be alongside him. "Oh, we are not done yet," she smiled, hearing him gulp. "A 'ness often likes a good cuddle afterwards," she said, lowering herself down to the ground next to him.

Taking the bold hint, he lifted a heavy wing and draped it over her as he lay down. His whole body felt sluggish and tired, but he was happy to shelter her body from the world, their breathing becoming in sync as they nestled against one another. Turning her head, she looked up at him. "But you did very well. Especially for your first time-"

A loud static hiss came from their harnesses, causing them both to snap their heads towards their radios.

"Command to Zulu Actual, come in!" crackled the radio, the authoritative voice on the other end not sounding amused.

After a brief pause, Scarecrow's voice came through clearly. "Zulu Actual, go ahead."

"What is the meaning of you all outside the wire?"

"Ah, this is a training exercise," replied their captain, his voice slightly wavering, causing Taalli's body to tense.

"And who authorized this training exercise?"

"That would be me, sir," replied their captain.

"This is unacceptable, Captain. You know all training must be approved by command," the voice barked.

"Sorry, sir. Won't happen again. We will return to base immediately," their captain said calmly.

"Negative. You are spending the night outside. Report back to base at 0500 for a new mission. How copy?" Command stated, leaving no room for negotiation.

"Roger. Report 0500. Zulu Actual out," Scarecrow repeated. "Zulu Actual to Zulu Deltas One and Two, you get that?"

Keenis stood up and quickly made his way to the radio, "Copy, sir. Want us to come to you?"

"Negative. No need to risk you two night flying. Rally up at base before 0500, copy?" Scarecrow said.

"Roger, see you back at base," Keenis replied and put the radio on standby. Turning around, he saw Taalli looking guilty, and he cocked his head. "So this wasn't a mission?"

She fidgeted with her paws for a while and glanced up at him. "Well, sort of a mission," she said with a smirk.

"Why do I think you had something to do with this?"

"Are you complaining?" She chuckled as he lay down again and pressed himself against her side. She could see he had mixed feelings about being tricked, and she rolled to face him. "Do you regret it?"

Keenis shook his head. “No, but… I really don't like being kept in the dark," he complained.

“Would you have come along if I was open and honest?" Taalli asked and looked deep into his eyes.

Keenis swallowed and shook his head. “Probably not, but I really don't appreciate being manipulated," he said and saw her recoil back.

Taalli opened her mouth but couldn't find the words to deny it. Her eyes widened in realization that she had controlled the environment around him to lead Keenis to an outcome she wanted, a ploy her father had used regularly.

“Sorry, that came out wrong." Keenis said, seeing the fear in her eyes. “I-I mean I'm grateful, I really am."

Taalli's mind was racing at the idea of her using him, fear and anxiety gripping her heart as she spiraled.

Keenis's paws reached out to hold her shoulders when she went to stand up and looked her in the eyes. “Taalli." He said and held her gaze. “It's okay. Please, forget I said anything."

Taalli looked into his kind, warm eyes and slowly relaxed, “I still shouldn't have done that. I really didn't mean to force you."

“And you didn't force me to do anything." He murmured back, holding her gaze until she looked away. “But if you want to make it up to me, a kiss would do," he added with a small smile.

Taalli smirked and looked back at him, the genuine warmth and honesty evident in his gaze. “Oh, I think we can do better than a kiss."

---

"Gods, Taalli, yessss!" Keenis moaned in bliss, his eyes closed and mouth slightly agape. "Where did you learn how to do this?"

Taalli chuckled, her black paws pressing against his body while she hunched over him, rocking in a slow, relaxed rhythm. "You like that, don't you?"

"Oh, I do, but in a bit, I'm going to do the same to you. For now, though… mmmmnnnn." He groaned as her paws pressed into his tired wing shoulders and massaged the muscles under his scales.

"Mmmmm. Yes," he murmured as she gently rocked backward and forwards on his back. Sitting just to the side of him, she applied steady pressure with her paws to his joints and made him feel like he was floating on a cloud.

She could feel his body becoming like butter as she slowly relaxed her pressure, allowing his body to drift into a state of semi-consciousness.

"I'm so sorry for tricking you, Keenis," Taalli said softly. "I really didn't mean to control you or anything, I just…"

"It's okay. Honestly," Keenis murmured. "You meant well, and we both needed it," he added. When she paused her delightful massage, he turned his head to look back at her with a sleepy expression. "It's not like you held me down or anything. And besides, I'm kinda glad it was out here and not in our tent with the whole squad next door," he added with a smirk.

Taalli returned his smirk. "I'm sure Joker would give us a commentary. If not just to piss Raider off."

Keenis chuckled and closed his eyes as she resumed her gentle massage. "He would do that, wouldn't he."

"Yeah, he was the only one on the team who didn't know the plan," Taalli said warmly. "He is a good egg but has a big mouth."

Keenis nodded gently, eyes closed, his breathing slowing with every stroke of her paws. A small smile tugged at his snout as he heard her soft humming, the soothing sounds helping him forget the world around him.

Taalli observed him resting as she worked, conflicting thoughts lingering in her mind. With a deep breath, she tried to dispel the thoughts, reminding herself that Keenis was not the fragile, weak, and unstable teen she once was, and she was not her father.

As she massaged his shoulders, a deep rumbling purr emanated from the green drake. Cocking her head, she smiled, expecting him to open his eyes in embarrassment. However, she shook her head in disbelief when he smacked his lips sleepily. Pausing her massage, she realized he had fallen asleep and muttered, “I guess it's been a big day."

Carefully placing her paws on the ground, she guided his limp wing against his side and lay down beside him. Rolling slightly, she pressed her back against his folded wing, feeling his warmth enveloping her, creating a sense of safety and security.

She heard him snort softly and felt his body twitch. His eyes opened slightly, blinking slowly to focus on her. “I was meant to give you a massage," he murmured.

“It's okay, we'll have another chance," she whispered, shrugging her wing shoulder against him to lift his wing. “But I'll settle for a cuddle."

Rolling onto his side, Keenis awkwardly shuffled against her, bringing his front against her back. Draping a wing over her orange body, he smiled as she wiggled herself back into his embrace. “Like this?" he asked, feeling her nod against him. His pride swelled as she became so comfortable alongside him. “Thank you, Taalli, for giving me a push," he whispered, holding her close. His long, strong forearms wrapped around her belly, and his tail instinctively entwined with hers. A happy murmur escaped her lips as she relaxed into his embrace.

---

Taalli's nose twitched at the delightful aroma, the crackle of something cooking fading into white noise as she slowly awoke. Leaning back, she discovered he was no longer sleeping next to her and began slowly opening her eyes. The cave was still dark, but the sky outside was still dark but starting to lighten as the sun threatened to rise from the horizon.

Yawning deeply, she rolled further over onto her back and looked upside down towards the source of the scent. Her green drake sat next to the camp stove, a pan resting on top with something meaty sizzling away.

“Mmmghh. What time is it?" she asked sleepily while stretching out her tail and neck, her front paws tucked close to her chest.

Keenis turned and smiled warmly when he saw her exposed form, trying his hardest to keep his gaze focused on her face. “0400. Sorry, did I wake you?"

Taalli shook her head. “There isn't a better way to wake up…" She yawned deeply again, revealing her sharp teeth before continuing, “...than a drake cooking breakfast for his 'ness."

“For 'his' 'ness, you say? I could get used to that." He smirked and used a talon to turn the meat he was cooking.

Taalli chuckled and looked warmly across at him, content to remain on her back. “Oh, don't be going all dragon of old on me. Just because you have a happy 'ness in your cave."

“I'll try to control myself, but only because big alpha Keenis cares for his 'nesses," he teased.

“Oh gods, what have I created? Next, you are going to be collecting a hoard of treasure," Taalli laughed, wiggling in excitement when he stood up and sauntered over to her.

“Well, I know they are not gold pieces, but maybe medals will do." Lowering his head to hers, he kissed her briefly.

“Well, you can add mine to your collection," she whispered and pressed her lips to his, their lips sealing when he angled his head just right. Reaching out with her forepaws, she fumbled to find his shoulders, but once she found them, she guided him around to step over her.

Pulling back to break their kiss, he gasped and looked down at the dragoness beneath him. “We shouldn't," he whispered and saw the longing look in her amber eyes. “I want to, trust me. I really do. But we need to get back to base," he added and kissed her throat.

“And you were worried about how long you would last," she giggled and leaned her head back to expose her throat further to him.

Keenis gave her a playful nip and smiled when her head snapped to his. “Come on. Breakfast first, base, and then maybe tonight…" he suggested, his words drifting off as he smiled.

“I'll hold you to that," Taalli promised.

“And I'll hold you back," he teased and stepped off of her. “Come on, 'ness of mine. Sit up, and I'll bring it to you."

Taalli stretched one last time and rolled over to right herself. Her green drake carefully picked up the pan by the handle and walked back on three legs to set it down between her forepaws. “Thank you, it's good to have a sexy, handsome alpha drake providing for me," she teased and waited for him to lay down next to her. “May I have the first bite?" she added, her mouth watering at the lump of meat that he had cooked.

“Oh, please, like I could stop you," he chuckled and licked her cheek. “You big, strong hunter 'ness," he added when she bit into the meat, her amber eyes flicking up to meet his gaze with a smile.

As she ate, she saw his smile fade when he bit down into the meat. “It's not that bad," she murmured, realizing it wasn't because of the meat when he glanced at her in confusion.

Keenis shook his head and quickly chewed the meat before swallowing. “No, the meat is okay... it's just, it's nothing. Never mind," he said and tried to smile warmly again, his eyes conveying a pained expression.

“Keenis, what's wrong?" Taalli asked, sliding the pan back from them to encourage him to focus on her.

Keenis took a deep breath and smiled, opening his mouth but pausing. Her expression told him that she wouldn't accept his deflective remark as a valid excuse. Cocking his head from side to side, he tried to think of the right words. “I-I don't want to ruin the moment."

“What is it, Keenis?" Taalli asked and placed a paw on his. “You can tell me."

“You're not going to let it go, are you?" he asked and gave a weak smile when she shook her head.

Taking a deep breath, he finally mustered the courage. "I really enjoyed last night. And… It's just…" His heart sank when she looked away from him and withdrew her paw. "I'm going to be finishing in a few months. This gig was just a means to an end, but I know all of this is sort of what you're all about," he said softly. "I know the squad is like your family, and I will be leaving, so I'm not sure if we should just stay as… Sorry, I've ruined it now, haven't I?"

Taalli saw the pain in his eyes and shook her head. "No, you haven't. I was thinking of this being my last tour too, anyway," she said warmly and smiled when his eyes widened. "So, if you want to, we could hang out after we leave," she offered.

"Oh! I-I would love that!" Keenis said happily and grinned when she pressed against him more firmly. "That is such a relief. Jeez, I was so worried that we just did that, and then I was going to dip and leave you like some deadbeat," he flustered as his stress waned.

Taalli smiled and pulled the pan closer again, offering him the next bite and kissing his cheek when he lowered his head. "Oh, you can't get rid of me that easily," she teased. "I really like you, Keenis, I think you're sweet." Once he had taken a bite, she did the same.

The green drake grinned with his mouth full and pulled her close with a wing. "We have so much in common, I really like me too," he chuckled once he had swallowed. "What are your plans for when you get out?" he asked as she finished her mouthful.

Taalli's heart beat a little faster as she formulated her response. "I-I… I was going to spend some time with my friend," she said and saw him nod kindly. "I was thinking maybe I should move in with her to help or find a place for her to move in with me. But I don't know what I'm doing," she added, her voice soft and vulnerable.

Keenis cleared his throat. “Well, I could probably help. If you wanted me to, like… I want to help if I can. But only if you want me to, I don't want to sound like I'm pressuring you. Just if you wanted me close, I could live nearby, or maybe I could be a live-in carer," he flustered.

Taalli's heart soared, and she smiled up at him. “You would do that? You would help care for… her?" She asked and wiggled when he nodded.

“Of course! It's kind of why I wanted to become a doctor, to help in any way I can," he said warmly and gasped when her lips pressed to his cheek. “Oh! I take it that was the right thing to say?" he asked; clearly, her friend must mean the world to her.

Taalli nuzzled her snout under his jaw. “Yes, Keenis. That was exactly the right thing to say."