Tugela tonguing [word sketch]
Story by Icurthus on SoFurry
Thank you so much to Syranoth for sharing the development of this raffle with me. It was really fun to plan and write the story for it together. The real-world Drakensberg is one of my all-time favourite places to visit, and it was great to share ideas with you.
This is a word sketch for the post here [https://sofurry.com/s/1pxKYQG1 ]
“And as promised, there it is!” Akimere shouted, letting the wind carry her voice as she flew. She swiped a forepaw towards the southwest, where a prominent rock formation dominated the already impressive skyline. Jagged, dark basalt cliffs cast a silent, imposing guard over the narrow river that snaked away from it. Looking at the glistening waters of the Tugela, it was difficult to imagine that this would become the largest river in KwaZulu-Natal. Or that the waterfall they were heading to is a serious contender for the title ‘Tallest in the World’.
Syranoth growled in anticipation when he saw the wrinkled rockface, recognizing instantly what lay before him. Travellers visiting his throne room would often speak of it, describing it as sections of unprocessed cork. But it reminded the king more of the lush blanket on his bed when he leaves his chambers in the mornings. Yet, neither the tales of travelers nor the images and descriptions in the countless scrolls in his library could truly capture their real-life magnificence. He locked his wings to simply glide for a moment, quietly admiring the sight that was far more formidable than he anticipated.
“The Amphitheatre?” It was more a statement than a question. Excitement rumbled in his chest as he shifted the altitude of his glide, pulling up next to the fluffy guide who had offered so kindly to show it to him. He had dreamt of visiting the Drakensberg himself, ever since he first heard there was a place in the world called the ‘Dragon’s Mountains’.
“That it is.” Akimere was silent for a moment, seemingly lost in thought as the two dragons approached the cliffs. “If the king is interested, we could travel further south and visit Cathedral Peak as well?”
“Let’s reach the waterfall first, shall we?” Syranoth suggested. He looked over at his companion, chuckling at her eagerness to show her territory to the king. “We can discuss adding sights to the itinerary while we lunch, yes?”
“Of course, sire.”
Akimere shifted her glide slightly, turning to follow the river towards the Sentinel, the impressive buttress on the westernmost edge of the cliffs. Syranoth initially missed the shift of her flight pattern as his focus was on the grand vista.
“Mind if we take a break here?” Syranoth asked when he caught up with her again. He scoffed when she raised a questioning eyebrow and quickly added, “Please, it will take more than a few hours’ flight to tire me. The sight deserves some time to properly admire, wouldn’t you agree?”
Akimere nodded and started to lower her altitude, heading for a patch of soft grass by the small river. She stretched her wings and arched her back when she landed. The dusty scent of the Leucosidea Trees and the gentle bubbling of water that flowed between the field of boulders had always had a way of uplifting her spirit. She sighed. “Even after seeing a sight like this more than a dozen times, it never gets old.”
“I’d say…”
Something in the male’s tone urged her to look back at him. A glance at his snout confirmed that his eyes weren’t on the cliffs around them anymore. Instead, he was looking down at her rump, where her tail was higher than she intended. She huffed and swatted the impudent male across the snout with her tuft-feathers.
“Eyes up, Syr. You’re missing the mountains entirely,” she said, though she sounded more amused than angry.
“The mountains have stood here for millions of years,” he mused, a lewd grin spreading across his face as he stepped closer to her. “What will another fifteen minutes be?”
“Just fifteen?” Akimere swatted him again with her tail feathers, though she aimed for his chest this time. “And here I was, expecting more of your time.”
“Expecting? Please, do tell.”
“I may have heard stories.”
“And did those stories play a role in your willingness to show me the Drakensberg?”
“I think you’ll need to earn that answer,” Akimere smirked as she settled down on the soft grass.
Syranoth chuckled, a rumble that came from deep within his chest as he settled his powerful frame to rest next to her delicate body. “I’ve always loved a challenge.” He nibbled at her shoulder before pressing her down onto the grass. She allowed him. “But if you want more of my time, then we’ll have to get started. We are already behind schedule.”
Akimere uttered a sound halfway between an eager growl and a needy whine as Syranoth’s teeth started to comb through the thick fur of her neck. A light shudder rippled through her frame, making the king chuckle. “So, are you going to tell me more about these stories you speak of, my dark beauty?”
“Are you going to prove them accurate?” Akimere countered. She nipped at him playfully, but did not resist when he rolled her onto her back with a gentle shove of his wing.
Syranoth chuckled again and reached over to lick her neck. “Looks like I have my work cut out for me.”