"Good," I grunt.
"But there were more of us on that ship. Some were awake like me and the others. But there were more. In pods... sleeping."
Sleeping? This makes no sense. From what Tryk has told us, this 'ship' was attacked by a burrot worm. How anyone could remain sleeping during that, I do not know. And besides, there have already been two full turns of the twin suns. If the females have not awoken by now, I fear they may never. Still, I order a clutch of males to instruct Tryk to lead them to this strange carcass he has found. If the females are still there, sleeping, we will wake them and welcome them to the tribe as we have Zahreenah and her companions. If they are unable to wake, we will honor them and mourn their loss, burying them in the shadow of our great mountain.
But for now, I will focus my efforts on caring for the females we have. Those that have now fitted their trans-late-tors wake and are now blessedly much better understood by me and my people. There is still much to be done. There are still females lost out there in the wilds of the forest and Zarriko will need to be spoken with. As loathed as I am to admit it, I would rather his males find and claim a female, than she be left to the dangers of the jungle. But tonight, I will feed our females. We have had three fresh frizikki kills which have been roasting over flame for hours. Some of our care-givers have taken our sons to the fylli trees to harvest the ripest, juiciest fruits, and some of the elders will bring their fermented drinks. There is still much to do, but this night my people and my mate will celebrate.
***
I make sure that Zahreenah is seated beside me when we gather around the fire. The celebration starts with the sons of our tribe singing a traditional song honoring their mothers, safe and protected in the Temple, followed by some of the youngest sons making a show of how well their wings are coming in. Many of them simply running and jumping, barely hovering with frantic beats of their little feathers but a few manage to actuallyfly, swooping wide over the gathering, making us all clap and laugh. Zahreenah leans into me to tell me the younglings' displays are 'cute' and I find myself reaching for a lock of her hair to twirl with my fingers as I tell her, "do not let the sons hear you call them'cute', my little-light. They are fierce Trixikka Protectors in training." She grins at me, the warm glow from the fire making her smile all the more enchanting. "You know, the sons late to take wing are normally the fiercest, most loyal, and highly skilled in protection." I want to give that lock of her rich brown hair a playful tug. My instincts tell me she would react favorably to this gesture, I do not know why, or where these instincts come from. But I am reminded of how concerned these females are with unwanted touches and drop the hair from where it is wrapped around my finger.
Zahreenah watches me release her and pull away. There's an expression in those eyes I cannot place before that smile of hers returns and she begins teasing me. "The fiercest, huh?" I nod sagely. "Does that mean you were 'late to take wing' whenyouwere little, oh mighty High Spear?"
Sucking in a breath, I am ready to answer her, but instead, I hear Mavyx snort close by. "He was," the traitor interrupts, a small but sly smile on his face. "Rynn hated to be outdone in anything, but he was among the last in our flock to take flight when we were younglings."
I shrug, lifting a cup of fermented juice to my lips. "You cannot rush perfection." Those nearest to us either guffaw or try to stifle their laughter. My pride is not wounded by this. My tribe knows who I am and I feel their love and respect for it daily. Mavyx tells the truth of it however, I was among the last to take flight in our clutch of younglings in training. But I am assured that I could beat almost all of my Protectors in a test of speed on the wing now I am grown. "Come now," I say, grinning at my Second Spear and dearest friend. "Do not attempt to embarrass me in front of my mate. We both know I could fly circles around you once I got the hang of it."
"Aye," he says, eyeing me and my Zahreenah sitting beside me. "Aye, you could." I do not miss the way his gaze slips to the female named 'Ah-lanah'. Perhaps my Second Spear imagines his own heart-stars igniting for her. I hope that for him. I hope that for as many of the males around me as possible.
When the meat is brought over, I offer a small bite to my mate. She eyes the morsel warily. frizikki meat is juicy and tender, especially when roasted over a spit for the majority of the day like this has been. Normally, the herbs and spices used to flavor the meats are reserved for honoring the Temple females gifting the tribe with a son, but now, we have more to celebrate. And females to impress. "It is good," I tell her, moving the meat closer with grease slowly dripping down my fingers. I expect her to take it with her own hand, but instead, she nods and offers her slightly open mouth. My hand moves of its own volition and it's as though the celebration around us, the fire, the land, the very forest whose leafy fingers constantly search to take hold of our village - it's as though all of that pauses, all of it takes an inhale of breath, absolutely everything stops and ceases to exist.Everything. Everything, except the feel of Zahreenah's hot little mouth closing in around my fingers, her soft, wet tongue swiping at my skin.
Her pretty eyes slide shut and the noise of appreciation she makes from her throat almost sends me feral. "Thatisgood," she says, her eyes popping open again. She reaches for more meat but I am faster, tearing a bigger hunk from the frizikki and holding it to her lips.
“Do that again,” I command, feeling almost desperate. “I will feed you, my mate, if you do exactly as you just did.”
Zahreenah looks at me shyly. "I can feed myself."
Ducking, I shift closer, my wing arching around Zahreenah's back. "Do not make me beg, little-light," I murmur, the general sounds of celebration around us drowning out my voice to all others. "My Protectors may look at me differently if they have to witness that." The fire crackles and pops as we stare at one another. I can scarcely breathe with my mate so close. Eventually, she relents, wrapping her tiny hand around my wrist with a sly smile on her lips before guiding my offering to her perfect little mouth.
My cock has never before been this hard.
"What if Iwantyou to beg?" she asks, an alluring twinkle in her eyes. "What would you do then,High Spear?"
Clearing my throat, I re-adjust my loin covering. "Are all females as mischievous as mine?"
Zahreenah shrugs with a grin, leaning over to tear some meat from the plate before us. "Why? Want to trade me in for a different one?" I catch her wrist before she has the chance to eat her food.
"Never," I tell her, bringing her small, soft hand to my mouth and savoring the opportunity to flick my tongue across her fingers as I snatch the frizikki meat from her grasp. And I mean it. Zahreenah is meant to be mine. She will come to see it this way too. My eyes never leave hers, though my little-light's gaze seems fixed upon my mouth as I chew. Is she reminded of her mouth-on-mouth gift? Her 'kisses'?
"My High Spear?" Mavyx prompts, breaking the spell my mate and I had been under. My tribe are looking to me with full, untouched meals before them. They wish me to start the feast, not sit there and watch while I feed my mate.
Normally, I would stand to start a feast, though if I were to do that now, the evidence of my hardened cock would be on full display for all to see. Instead, I raise a cup and remain seated while I address my people; the Protectors, the sons, the care-givers, the craftsmen, and now our females too. My wings flare wide but my tail remains at Zahreenah's back where she sits beside me. "Over the past few days, the Goddesses have blessed our people beyond measure." Around me, murmurs of agreement mingle with the popping of the fire at the center of our gathering. "We still have much work to do. We will find the other females, and we will welcome them to our tribe where they will be cared for and protected." Standing Protectors begin thumping the bottom of their spears into the earth in agreement. "So, I call upon you to eat. Feast this night and gather your strength. Our females will need us strong and capable this next day, and all of the days that chase it." A cheer erupts as I tuck my wings back in and my tribe begins to feast on the meats and fruits provided. I, too, am tempted to tear into a frizikki joint, but am far, far more tempted to return to feeding my mate. I'm about to do just that when I realize she is distracted, looking around at our gathering with surprised eyes. I look too, although I am not aware of anything amiss. All I see is my people eating. My attention is pulled to my other side by a laugh. A female laugh.
It is from the one they call 'Chaz-Titi'. "Fuck!" she exclaims, "If you guys eat pussy the way you all chow down on your food, then I'd say we've been abandoned on the right alien planet!"
My Zahreenah laughs at this. Though she covers her mouth and quickly tries to control her amusement. I wish she would not. She is most alluring when she laughs, though I do not understand the humor she partakes in. I look around, seeing only my Protectors and tribespeople eating as they normally would. It is a quick and messy affair, we tear into meat with swift efficiency. Perhaps this is not how it is done where my Zahreenah hails from. "What is this...pu-sayyou speak of?" I ask Chaz-Titi, reaching over to grab myself a leg of frizikki to tear into with my teeth. Grease drips down my chin but I have no care for cleaning myself until I am done with the task of eating. "It is some delicacy, no?"
Chaz-Titi grins at my question but her eyes stay fixed upon my mate beside me. "Oh, I'm sure Serena can get you all clued up on that topic, big guy," she says, laughing and doing something strange by briefly closing one of her eyes.
"Chastity," my Zahreenah hisses, her eyes huge as she stares down her companion. Some form of silent communication transpires between them, but I am unsure of what is being said. It is a secret, then, this'pu-say'? And the eating of it is important. Perhaps it is some form of ritual from the female's homelands? A mating ritual? Yes, this must be it. I study my mate as she eats, her eyes averted and trained upon the food she so delicately picks at. Does she have some secret'pu-say'for me to eat? I would gladly do so if she does. If it is important to her culture. If it means me proving myself worthy of being her mate, I will gladly devour all the'pu-say'she has to offer me.
But...howdo I get her to offer it to me?
I continue to eat while thinking. Thinking, and watching my little-light. Eventually, I wipe the grease from my mouth and cleanse my fingers in one of the nearby clay bowls of water placed there for that purpose. "Will you, my mate?" I ask quietly, leaning into her. "Will you teach me the things that are of importance to you?" She looks up at me, her eyes so green, they resemble the deep lagoons at the heart of the jungle. She has no skin stars to dance at her delicate temples, but from the way her eyes dart between mine and then down to my mouth, she is thinking of the many things she might teach me. "I am very willing to learn," I tell her, my voice lower and deeper than even I've ever heard it before.
"Is that so?"
Only three, short and simple words. Oh, but how they stir me. How is this done? How is it that my mate can say three innocent words in a way that makes my cock ache for her? I want to do much with this female. I want to doeverything. I scan her face, not even sure of what it is my body is urging me to do. More mouth-on-mouth - her 'kissing' as she calls it? Yes, that would be thrilling. There is more. I am sure of it. My mind is unaware of the details but my body knows...something. There is some echo within me that sings of how my ancestors touched their females. How they cared for them, fed them, slept with them in their arms and so much more. The firelight dances in my Zahreenah's eyes and I want to ask her to show me.Show me. Show me all the ways she wants me to care for her. I will learn them all. "Will you share my nest tonight?" The words come from my mouth without much thought.
