Know Thy Enemy, Know Thyself
A story about a lion and a hyena who meet one another on the savannas of Africa. Despite their first meeting, in one another they find a like-minded companion, and a friendship and understanding that transcends ancient rivalries between species. Trust is a powerful thing... almost more important than life itself.
Contains: Lion M, Hyena M, Meerkat M, Navel Vore, Oral Vore, Navel Fetish, Musk, Domination/Submission, Digestion (Graphic), Force Feeding
Part 1 of 2 22 pages
This story is a collaboration between myself and Mitchkenzo.
Mitch and Jeremy are (c) Mitchkenzo
Know Thy Enemy, Know Thyself
"Uwaaaagh. Damn heat..." The sun was beating down with incredible intensity today. The Savannah was quite literally a sauna, humid and hot as a sole lion walked through it. It wasn't just any lion, however, it was Mitch, the anthro predator that many loved -- or feared. The grey-furred feline always hunted alone, finding the chases of other prides tiring, and oftentimes too brutal. There was blood, and then there was... Urgh, he didn't want to think about the blood-drenched faces of the other felines as they feasted on a carcass. However, it didn't curb his appetite at all. Yes, he was on the prowl, looking for any unsuspecting meal that might be about. He had no preference, finding it quite easy to find food in such a unique world.
It was hot. And this time of year, there was very little of anything else. Avereth reclined against a many trunked tree, keeping out of the sun and relaxing, a paw absently trailing a claw in the dirt or occasionally settling over his stomach. He had had the luck of tricking a few rodent-like animals by covering their burrow wih a flat rock and blocking all but one way to get to it. He had herded them carefully and cornered the confused animals as they panicked right outside of their burrow. Several had gone squirming down his throat before he moved the stone and left them. Better to let them fall for the trick again another day, in his eyes. The heat and full stomach had made the grey-furred hyena drowsy and he rested half asleep. There was a herd of various herbivores near him. They paid him no mind, seeing no danger from the content hyena for the moment, though they were still wary of their surroundings. Avereth finally yawned and stood up, back creaking as he stretched and rubbed it. "You never have been a comfortable tree, have you?" he accused his back rest.
Looking out over the waving lines of grass and dots of trees and rocks he decided to move to another hunting area now, while he wasn't hungry. That way he could set himself up in a new area and have time to disappear from the notice of the prey population. He knew if too many prey were mauled by him daily they would leave the area or all be eaten eventually, so he kept on the move between several places. Patting a low branch, he spoke again. "Alright Old One, I'll let someone else borrow your shade." He went off beyond the shade of the tree, squinting a bit at the brightness as his eyes adjusted. He was more comfortable being out at night. The herd near him skittishly backed away from him but did not break as he wasn't moving in a threatening manner. Soon it was all carried out of sight by his long strides as the tall grasses whispered around him.
The lion trekked on through the hot day, testing the wind for scents of various items that might become his dinner. Zebra, giraffe, elephant, gazelle... He'd eaten many, sometimes what he could off of them. He smiled, remembering the elephant. An anthro on that scale; the only thing he could do was bite and tear, but he'd talked the herbivore into it peacefully, and his name had peaked an interest as well, as it had heard it before. Mitch, the healing hunter. He'd never liked to leave his prey for dead the way others did, it was cruel and inhumane. He stubbed a toe of one of his paws againt a rock and cursed, a literal curse that shattered the offending stone into dust, which blew away on the wind.
He shook his maned head and walked on, his pudgy belly jiggling with each step. It was a good indicator of how much success he'd had with his meals. The lion stopped and sat to think for a minute. What exactly hadn't he eaten yet? Most of the common prey animals had found their way (or parts of them) into his paunch at one time or another. He could smell a strange scent on the breeze nearby, and instantly identified it as hyena. His face showed immediate contempt. Hmph. Most of them would try and steal your meals as soon as look at you. Something should be done, as many of them as there were around... Mitch jumped up, eyes lighting up and snapping his fingers. That was it; he'd help control them a bit. In a group, they could be fearsome, but he only smelled the one. Alone, the lion would be able to overpower it easily, especially with the tactics he had in mind. The lion began tracking the scent, heading off in the direction he'd caught it.
As Avereth moved through the rolling grasses and felt the heat of the ground under his paws he pondered his current situation. His tendency to do things his own way were to blame for his long period of being a loner. Most hyenas, though, were very different from him. They worked in groups to catch things to survive and often took from other predators if numbers permitted it. Most had difficulty surviving long on their own either and usually rogues became parts of wild bands that were fairly disreputable. He was alone because he was smarter and didn't want to act like that. He'd learned to act on his own a long time ago... He could catch what he needed on his own and liked not being bossed around by the females. A smile curled his muzzle. "Is it really me who is in a predicament? Or them? I'm doing better on my own than I ever was with them, and I still haven't been eaten by a lion!" His characteristic laugh rebounded off the nearby surroundings, making numerous small animals flatten themselves to the ground trying to avoid notice. The sun was beginning to feel rather hot upon his fur and he panted lightly. "Perhaps I should have waited to do this until later. It's getting uncomfortable out here. But if I had waited I would have been hungry when I did it... I will just find another place out of the sun for a bit." The heat was making him sweat profusely by now despite a breeze, so he headed over to a low area sheltered by some large clumpy bushes and settled into the grass tucked between them to cool off.
"It looks like I'm getting close." Mitch smiled to himself. The scent was rapidly growing stronger, indicating the hyena had not only gotten hotter, but settled down to rest as well. A few more minutes of walking, and he could see a stand of bushy shrubs, and a pair of hyena ears sticking above them. He smirked, as he was sure he'd found his target. The lion moved silently, stealthily. He checked every step, making sure he wasn't going to step on any kind of twig or dead grass, slowing his breathing to be controlled and inaudible. The feline looked behind him, making sure his shadow was unnoticeable, and that he was downwind. A hundred feet, fifty feet, ten feet... He was almost directly upon the bush stand now. Mitch could see that the hyena had a well-fed figure to him, probably from eating much off what a lion had killed. He frowned. Typical. It was odd he wasn't with the rest of his Clan though, as hyenas seldom traveled alone.
It didn't matter, as Mitch silently reached down, hands just out of the hyena's line of sight. With practiced reflexes, the lion darted his hands through the hyena's armpits, bringing them up to get him in a locked hold around him, so he couldn't use his arms to flail or turn his head to bite. In the moment of confusion he'd had on it, he pulled his prey over the bushes and to his body so he was under it, locking his legs around the other figure's so he wouldn't be able to kick back either. He intended on enjoying this, and taunted his catch. "Hahaha, looks like you're securely caught now. Mmm... And you do look rather tasty, much better than I thought one of your kind could be." Mitch was understating; the wild animal actually looked and smelled very appetizing.
Avereth was startled as he felt something slip under each armpit and thick paws with grey fur similar to his wrenched him backwards. He was able to let out a startled cry as he was bodily dragged through the bush behind him, flailing the entire way with no real sense of aim. As he came to a stop he winced, expecting to feel teeth tear into him, but instead found his legs trapped by the hindpaws of the attacker. He wriggled as best he could in the uncomfortable position. Then it spoke right into his ear, so close he could feel its hot breath and the whiskers tickling it. Whiskers!? Avereth let out a sudden whine in realization. A lion had caught him! This fueled a renewed round of writhing in the steel grip of the other predator. He was NOT going to let it end like this!
He continued to struggle but was expending far more energy than his captor needed to hold him down, being under him. His heart felt like it might burst in his heaving chest and his breathing became so ragged he nearly passed out. His straining arms and legs sagged hopelessly as sweat dampened his matted fur. A horrified thought drifted through his head. What could a lone hyena do against a lion? Suddenly he regretted the absence of his old Clan, however stupid and greedy they were sometimes. They had said a lion would get him on his own. Then he was confused. Why had the lion waited for him to tire himself out? Was it enjoying this? He growled and weakly tried to free himself again, the pitiful attempt barely noticeable as he collapsed back onto the lion, straining muscles too tired to resist any longer. The building up pain of overexertion made him gasp out and finally fall still. He whimpered, wondering what was going to happen to him and dreading it.
Mitch smiled, feeling the shock wearing off as the hyena begin to buck and struggle against his lock on him. Mitch knew what he was doing, enough scratches and gouges from failed attempts had taught him otherwise. He could feel the sweat from his prey's body begin to mat its fur down, mixing with his own. It felt good in an odd way, making the feline purr. What a novel way to cool off in the heat! He could feel the weakening struggles, knowing the hyena was almost completely weakened, having exerted its strength in trying to get away from him. He could feel the muscles tense up, hard and useless in both arms and legs of the hyena. He laughed a short burst, unable to help but feel sorry for him.
"Now that you're weakened, you won't be going anywhere. I'm going to let you up, and you're not going to try to fight or make a run for it, or I'll kill you on the spot." He was sure his gruff attitude would scare the hyena into obeying, making sure he wouldn't try anything funny. Mitch didn't feel like chasing him down either, though it'd definitely be a short one. He unhooked his arms and legs, and hauled the prey item upright by his arms, standing him up. Mitch had his claws out, pressing them into the fleshy skin of each arm to show he meant business. He released him carefully, seeing if he could stand, and stood a few feet away, looking the hyena up and down. Given the chance, he couldn't help but feel curiosity about learning more about one of his rivals. Right now he would probably answer anything Mitch asked! "What's your name?"
As if on queue, Avereth's thought was answered. His mind raced at this development. Foremost was the urge to flee or fight back, but that was what one of his lesser brethren would do, and it would be futile anyway. As he was released his exhausted body sagged uselessly against the lion as he extricated himself from under him. He was unceremoniously heaved back up as the lion's paws dug painfully against his hide. He nearly collapsed when it let go and just managed to keep himself from falling over as his legs nearly buckled under him. Flee or fight back indeed! He tensed when it spoke to him again. "My..my name?" he gasped out. What was going on here? The lion wanted his name...was there a chance he might get out of this? Just because he wasn't going to kill him now didn't mean he wasn't going to do it in the end, this game always went one way. He decided to go along with this for now though, because it might put off the inevitable for a while. He found he couldn't look his captor in the eyes and settled on looking at one of his own toes instead. "Avereth." he managed, his heavy breathing making him keep it short, hiding his despair for now. His reason for wanting his name could not be good, and was probably going to be used to further humiliate him in some way. He waited to see what the lion was going to do, tufted tail flicking with uncertainty.
Mitch watched as the hyena glanced at him, then away. He was uncertain what was going through Avereth's head, but he could tell that he was going to follow his directions. It was funny, the hyena didn't look like the type of animal who would go around stealing meals up close and alone, but Mitch knew that he must have done it at one time or another. "Where's the rest of your Clan? It's dangerous to be around here alone, as you've just found out." Mitch gave a toothy flash with his jaws as he spoke, attempting to reaffirm his authority on the situation. He was almost unsure of whether or not he wanted to eat the hyena now, but the breeze blew a whiff of the succulent smell back into his face and he could feel his mouth water with anticipation. But how to eat him though? So many decisions... Hmm, maybe he could have some fun with Avereth here. He always did enjoy exploration of certain parts of new prey. He walked closer, reaching out and putting a handpaw under Avereth's chin, forcing him to look Mitch in the eyes. The lion was interested, he found no malice, no trace of guilt in them, only pure fear.
The grey lion continued to talk to Avereth, asking more questions, the conversation seeming almost normal if it weren't for the circumstances that led to it. He still wasn't able to look him in the eyes, knowing his life was not in his hands right now. "I-...I left my Clan." He trailed off, trying to add something but needing to take a breath.. "I do things on my own. I'm better than they are and don't need them to hunt." He had almost said "to survive", but at the moment that was still in question. Then his sensitive ears heard the predator coming towards him and tensed when he felt a paw slip under his jaw to its vulnerable underside. It took sheer willpower and some coercion from the terror he was feeling to not jump away as his mind shrieked at him to defend himself.
Was this it? Had it only wondered why he was alone, and now, having sated that curiosity, decided it was time to kill him? The feeling of inevitability froze him from moving, a desperate thought crossing his mind. If he was about to die, wasn't it better to just let it happen quickly rather than resist? There was pressure, but rather than feeling his throat torn out as he had half expected, the lion raised his head. He offered no resistance, the realization settling on him that he had no say over his body right now. He was forced to do that which he had been trying to avoid the whole time: stare into the lion's eyes. He found himself unable to look away from that gaze, a shiver running down his frame as his heart began to race again. His ears laid back in distress as he tried to ignore the increasingly strong urge to run fo his life. It knew he didn't want to do this.
Mitch nodded. He knew that Avereth was telling the truth, but he couldn't tell what the hyena had been eating to gain such a nicely fed belly. His paw reached down and rubbed it, wondering just how bad this animal was. "Mmm... You seem to be quite well-fed. Your hunts are successful I take it? Or has there been another source of your food lately?" He didn't know what to think, or what to do. The hyena could be trying to trick him, but he'd only smelled one. He would have known if others were in the area. His finger inadvertently slipped into the soft navel of the hyena, the lion finding it to be nicely furred on the way down, and softly lined on the bottom. He explored the folds inside it with a clawtip, not really thinking about what he was doing or what Avereth might be thinking at the moment. He was becoming increasingly distracted from his original quest to eat every hyena, more interested in the nicely-shaped bellybutton this one had. Mitch's drooling increased even more, thinking about what it might taste like in there.
The lion finally nodded after seeming to think about his answers for a few moments, finally looking away. Avereth's relief at this was instant, audibly releasing a breath he hadn't realized he was holding and his stiff posture relaxing. He noticed it was still looking at him, albeit lower, when it reached out and palmed the soft almost white fur lining his belly. His eyes widened as his full stomach was inspected thoroughly by the rough paw, shuddering as he felt like he was a piece of meat being inspected carefully. It would have felt good if it had been him doing it, but the paw running over his belly was not in any way under his control. Then he realized the lion was talking to him again, asking about how he was obtaining his food. He suddenly had a good idea that the lion was trying to figure out if he had been stealing food or actually hunting for himself. He was immdiately relieved that he had been doing all of the work himself, because he felt sure the lion would very quickly know if he was lying to it. And what it would do to him if he was caught doing that...
This time he found himself looking ahead as he spoke, once again avoiding looking at his captor. "I have trouble catching things just by chasing after them...I would starve eventually if I did that." Avereth was cut off as he was about to continue as he felt the lion's finger slip into his navel, panicking that it thought he was leading up to an excuse for kill stealing. Was it going to slit his guts open right now? One of his footpaws rose a few inches off the ground as he very nearly fled, but he managed to slowly bring it back down, his paws clenching at his sides in stress. The clawtip was feeling around inside of it now, and he tried to ignore it as he continued. "I have to set up my chases for tricking my prey long enough to bring it down...the others were never smart enough to do something like that and I saw no reason to keep sharing with them or wait for the females to gorge themselves on my kills...". His tail twitched as the claw continued to probe him. Finally bringing himself to look down he saw the lion was drooling and began to fear the worst, imagining the ivory teeth sinking into his flesh and tearing it away. It was going to start at his navel, use that point as its entry into his internal organs. It was too much, and he quickly looked back up and tried to stare straight ahead again, attempting to ignore that he couldn't do anything about it and slow his breathing.
He listened to the first part of the testimony, and almost froze as the testimony began to sound like the hyena had been stealing his meat from lone predators, but then his claw resumed its relaxed course, the finger going back to just a padded digit rather than with clawtip. It prodded and twisted in the entrance to the bellybutton, the lion giving a very low purr, almost inaudible. He loved the feel of the fleshy inside, breathing slowly as he listened to the hyena. Mitch was convinced now, that the hyena was telling the truth. Perhaps this one was an esception, if such a thing was even possible with hyenas. Still... he was hungry, and craving this new flavor. And he had taken him as prey already.
"Well then, that's good for you... You see, I was going to devour you where you stood if you had been thieving from other predators. Though I can tell you're truthful about it, others of your kind anger me because they do that. I was looking for an example, however, it seems I found someone almost exactly like me. Prideless and a clever hunter. You can relax your stomach as well, I'm not going to tear it up." He gave and emphatic prod with his finger, laughing. He wasn't going to tear it out, but he was going to taste it! He blushed and removed the digit, sitting down near Avereth and motioning for him to do the same. "Sorry about that, my hand wanders whenever I see a nice belly. Have some revenge if you like." He laughed as the breeze blew at his belly, and a flock of birds flitted about in the blue sky overhead.
As the lion responded to his answers Avereth sighed in relief, his ears immediately perking back up and a small smile forming on his muzzle, even looking down at the lion. He hadn't really taken notice of the fact the lion was alone before...but it was a loner too...just like him. They were both a strange color for their kind too...how interesting... He almost said "So you aren't going to eat me?", but decided not to push his luck at this moment. It hadn't said it was going to let him go, either. What that could mean he couldn't even begin to consider. For the moment though, he decided to stop thinking ahead and think only about the present, and that he wasn't going to be eaten right now. The subdued terror that had been threatening to make him do something stupid was finally dissipating from his chest and he felt like he could breathe again. He could begin to hope that maybe, just maybe, the lion did not intend to hurt him.
The lion moved away from him and sat down, and he was surprised when it beckoned for him to do the same. Someone who was planning on eating you didn't do that, did they? When it said to have some revenge if he liked he wasn't sure to take that as an option or an order, and decided it was in his best interest to keep doing what the lion said. He would surely release him later... No longer fearing for his life, Avereth sat down right across from the lion, arranging his tufted tail next to him. Until now he hadn't really looked at him. Like Avereth, it seemed to have been doing well for itself, a paunch on its belly testifying that it wasn't hungry often. He reached out slowly, half expecting the lion to do something, almost not believing it would let him get his claws this close to such a vulnerable area. His paw came to a stop an inch away, uncertain. The lion himself almost seemed eager for this...so he closed the last inch, his pads spreading over the soft flesh of the lion's stomach. There was muscle hidden under that fat, and he had no doubt this lion could overpower him with enough effort on even his best day. But what was the purpose of this activity?
In feeling at its belly he realized that even if he didn't know what a lion's stomach normally felt like when rubbed, this one seemed quite empty and he could only hope it didn't get the better of him. He couldn't help but recall the lion complimenting how his belly looked and the implications that could have. The lion seemed to be emitting a strange rumbling sound...it definitely wasn't a growl...was it a happy sound of some kind? His paw worked lower and the sound only increased. He was fairly sure what the lion wanted him to do and with uncertainty slowly slipped a digit into its navel, blushing slightly at the strange act. It was one thing to do this to himself occasionally... Imitating the lion he pressed inward and touched all along the sides and back. Strangely it seemed like it kept stretching with his finger, but that was probably his imagination. As he had thought, the rumbling sound grew louder at his probings, so Avereth used his other paw to rub at its stomach again, seeing that pleasuring his unusual captor might be the fastest way to securing his own freedom. One thing he had missed was how Clan members freely petted and stroked one another when relaxing, he had done so to others and had it done to him every day, bonding with other Clan members. This was sort of the same. It became less awkward as he continued, becoming more confident.
Mitch not only purred at the touch, he outright panted at it, loving the way it felt. His pink tongue hung out, dripping wet saliva off the end and onto his chest fur. He wondered if Avereth had secretly been looking towards probing his button, but mentally shook off the notion. The hyena was probably more afraid for his life at the moment. His navel had folds a plenty, and he could barely stop from squirming around as the claw tip of the wild creature worked through them, bit by bit. Mitch reached over and put an arm around Avereth's shoulders as his finger sank in deeper. The paw rubbed them, a smile on the lion's face of kindness and joy. "Do you like that? I'm interested to know..." He laughed, rubbing his seemingly new friend's belly with his other paw again, also feeling it to be somewhat empty, whatever had been inside pushed to the bowels of the creature. Mitch let out a whistle, and a buzzard floated down to perch on his arm.
"P'reta, please go find my friend something to fill his belly with, I'd really appreciate it if it was still alive." The bird nodded and flapped off, as Mitch massaged the tense gut. The hyena was muscular as well, though not quite so much as he was. His paw circled around, brushing through Avereth's soft belly fur. It felt good against his leathery pads as his fingers ran rings against the spots, and traced the roundness of the gut. It was wonderful, Mitch just couldn't help himself. Minutes later, a meerkat was deposited into his paw by the bird, who calmly perched on the bush. A glance, and the little animal beamed, looking at Mitch with a respect and glad recognition. "How would you like to feed this hyena? I'm sure he's at least a little hungry." With that, the meerkat smiled wryly, and stood in front of Avereth's jaws on Mitch's paw.
Avereth had been right in thinking the lion wanted him to do it. It was all but panting at the stimulation! He was a bit surprised when it reached over and slid an arm around his shoulders, but with each scritch of the paw on him he felt more and more sure that he was going to walk away from this unharmed. Another question was directed at him then. Did he...like doing it? Admittedly he found himself enjoying causing the lion to make the strange rumbling sound. He had always had a thing for his own belly... It felt good to rub over it, especially after eating. There was definitely something he liked about doing it to this lion too though... It had a..."nice belly", as it had put it. Perhaps he had less to worry about regarding that comment earlier than he had thought? He felt its other paw upon his gut again, and not being afraid of it this time was willingly enjoying it. "Umm..." he started, face heating a bit. "I...I do like it. My old Clan did things kind of like this all the time and I sort of missed it..."
The lion let out a whistle then, and Avereth watched in disbelief as a vulture actually flew down and landed on its upraised arm, his paws falling away from its belly. Not only that, he was actually talking to it! It was being sent to catch him something to eat...and alive. But why alive? That was it, there was no way it was going to hurt him if it was feeding him! "Huh? You're actually feeding me?" Avereth realized he might be becoming friends with the grey furred predator. Was that actually possible? A lion and a hyena befriending one another? The lion seemed to ignore the question, instead continuing to feel his belly. He started to reach to do the same with both paws to the lion, but ended up having only one reach him and start to explore the soft furred flesh. The other ended up behind Avereth helping support him as the lion felt at his belly, feeling at its softess and curves and tracing the spots dotting his sides. It felt good, agonizingly so. His eyes ended up closing as he openly panted, his other hand falling away to support him as he resisted the increasingly strong urge to roll onto his side or back and completely surrender himself to this. Even so he slumped backwards slightly, groaning. It was quite obvious he was savoring the feelings but trying to resist showing it.
It seemed like an eternity, but then he heard wings flapping and the lion's ministrations stopped. He opened his eyes to see the large bird drop a squirming meerkat into the lion's open paw. The moment it saw who was holding it it calmed down and actually looked like it was smiling in happiness! Like with the vulture, the lion talked to the meerkat, actually asking it if it wanted to feed Avereth. The hyena's jaw fell open when it turned around and smiled at him, seemingly waiting for him to eat it. This was too much for Avereth, his brain overloading in confusion as several basic concepts that weren't supposed to change were shattered. Prey didn't ever give itself up willingly. He wasn't even sure he wanted to eat it if it was willing...the concept was too frightening to him. It was supposed to run and its life had to be taken forcefully. When killing prey there was not supposed to be any emotion attached with it. There was only the hunt. He chased it down and killed it to eat, there was no time for emotion or guilt, he would starve if there was.
But this animal had no fear of him, it was not going to run. It was willing prey, and with that came guilt because he felt like he was cheating. If he chased it it was one thing, but to eat it without any resistance at all? His gaze darted between the lion and the meerkat repeatedly. Who was this strange lion that other creatures trusted so much, to the point of giving their lives willingly? "Who...who are you?" he asked, the shock clearly evident in his voice and wide eyes. He realized that to refuse to eat would be an insult to the lion, to the vulture that had caught it, and to the willing meerkat who was now turning its head sideways and poking his nose in impatience. What it came down to was that once again he didn't really have any choice in the matter. "I'm sorry...it's just...I can't believe it actually wants me to eat it. Something seems wrong about it." Face heating in embarrassment, Avereth gingerly placed his paws around the meerkat's chest and lifted it under the arms from the lion's outstretched paw. There was only one way he ate meerkats.
The feline laughed, continuing to rub Avereth's belly hide with his free paw, then his other joining it as the meerkat was taken. "You've never heard the name Mitch? The Healing Hunter? Hahaha... I find that amusing. This creature will be perfectly happy to put some substance into your stomach, so long as you swallow him whole. You're a predator, and you shouldn't worry too much about it." Mitch pushed a finger between Avereth's jaws, prying them open for the meerkat to work his head inside, the little guy forcing his way in, oddly enough. The smooth, almost oily pelt of the meerkat allowed it to slip between Avereth's black, rubbery lips effortlessly. It was an interesting sight to behold, the back end of it sticking out from between the hyena's lips, as the lion and bird watched him. Mitch's fingers went to the navel of the hyena again, this time stretching the rim to test its flexibility. Two of his fingers simultaneously worked down the side, pressing into the hard bottom knot as hard as they could, driving it into the fairly empty stomach and puckering Avereth's belly.
He let off the pressure, wiggling both fingers inside to try and tickle the predator, feeling soft flesh and fur both dampening with sweat from the heat and the exertion being placed upon it. Mitch withdrew both his fingers, inserting one of his other paw to continue to wiggle about and massage the walls. When he saw the hyena close his eyes to take a gulp of the meerkat, he licked both digits, getting his first taste of hyena. It was both a musky and a heavy flavor, smelling of the Savannah's grasses but tasting of a new type of belly meat. Mitch had to taste more of it... But how, without being too obvious? He thought and in a split second, the idea came. He bent close to Avereth's face and pressed his nose against the backside of the meerkat, helping to force it into the muzzle. He had to wonder what was going on inside its head, because he'd known it since it was little... He had always liked how it had tasted. He knew Avereth was confused at the whole prospect, but Mitch would explain it to him shortly, after he asked more.
Meerkats were fairly large animals, and Avereth was sure he could bolt its long thin body down but he would be comfortably full with its bulk afterwards. Not that he wouldn't enjoy that... The lion answered him, calling itself Mitch the...Healing Hunter. Avereth had no idea what that was suposed to mean. He hadn't been sure what the lion would think of his odd eating habit when it came to small animals, but apparently that was how he was supposed to do it anyway. Enforcing that he had no choice over the matter, Mitch actually pried the hyena's jaws open. The furred head entered his muzzle and went deeper as the meerkat eagerly went in, past the rows of ivory teeth and to the soft, quivering flesh beyond. Avereth was very aware of being watched as he did this, feeling the blood rush to his face. He was not used to being watched as he ate and it was a bit uncomfortable. He couldn't believe he was actually having food forced down his throat though. He suddenly felt Mitch at his belly again, the lion driving two of his fingers deep into his navel's rim and pressing against the inside. It was most definitely examining him now. The fingers moved back and forth then, Avereth gasping around the meerkat. He moved his paws down the meerkat's body, one supporting it under the belly and the other holding up its hind feet as he leaned back a bit more, starting to get into position to send it down his throat, albeit hesitantly.
The meerkat chittered and used its little hands to pull itself inward by pulling on his teeth. Its hind legs skittered part of the way up his wrist and he felt its fuzzy face pushing against his tensed, unwilling throat. Then Mitch was there, pushing the meerkat deeper with his nose. Avereth was surprised at this action and took a deep breath, knowing he wouldn't be able to breathe much when it stretched his gullet. Chest expanded with air, Avereth relaxed his throat, giving in. The meerkat immediately succeeded in entering his throat and started working its way down, its thin neck and shoulders quickly disappearing from his yawning maw down into his neck. Avereth couldn't believe the meerkat's eagerness. It was actually crawling down his throat with all the expertise of a tunnel dwelling animal. The tickling little hands inside of his neck made him swallow, and more of the animal was sucked down as its tubular form easily pulled itself further. Avereth's jaws were salivating heavily now, strands of drool being secreted prodigiously in an effort to lubricate the animal in his throat.
His throat fur was now swollen around its squirming contents, the swell moving slowly closer and closer to disappearing into his chest. So far Avereth had been too shocked to consciously swallow, but then he realized that he should probably help the meerkat down so it didn't have to drag itself all the way into his stomach on its own. He leaned back a bit more and tilted his head again, his long hyena tongue working more of the animal's long belly down his throat. The next swallow finally got a grip on its body, and he felt its form as it began to slide into his chest, eyes closing in satisfaction. There were few things that felt so good as something stretching his throat wide and slowly descending. He had thought it was going to go all the way, but its hind legs and stubby tail were still sticking out when it stopped slithering down, kicking for something to push on as he even felt the meerkat's hands somewhere deep inside of him not quite at his stomach.
His jaws closed with finality and he swallowed one last time, throat muscles rippling slowly around the meerkat and pulling it down, head tipping all the way up and giving a perfect view of his last swallow. As he felt it sliding entirely into his body Avereth slowly laid back, eyes still closed as he was lost in the feeling as he released his held breath. It felt so good, he felt the need to relax back and savor the sensations. Now on his back he felt the round head press into his stomach and then the rest of the perfectly shaped animal quickly push in behind it. His paw cupped his bulging stomach, feeling the meerkat curling itself up inside of him, perfectly content to be feeding him. He couldn't help but groan at such stimulation inside of him at once. Avereth rested his hands at his sides then and sighed, lying there content. He was sure the strange lion probably wanted to feel his belly again, and found he didn't mind that thought at all. All that mattered was what was going on between he and the meerkat who would soon become part of him.
Mitch intently watched as bit by bit, swallow by swallow, the whole body of the meerkat disappeared into the jaws in front of him. Mitch's nose pressed against Avereth's lips, sniffing the breath of the predator. It was only slightly rancid, much cleaner than he'd expect it to be, carrying the musk of hyena on each warm blast. It stopped as the meerkat began to work its way down the actual throat, and Mitch could hear its muffled squeaks and chitters as it grabbed and pawed its way down. After a few moments, it stopped, still wriggling about inside in its own position. Mitch moved his nose from the lips to the neck of the hyena, feeling the soft body of the meerkat within as well as the more coarse neckfur of the hyena. He found he much more preferred Avereth's belly fur, softer and lighter than the rest of his coat. He couldn't help but breathe a sigh as Avereth tipped his head back, and gave several strong swallows, moving the body inside down bit by bit, the final ones sending him down into Avereth's chest.
Mitch traced the movement, small thumps and vibrations of pounding on the throat and belly walls guiding Mitch's face. He sniffed and snorted his way from the throat, down into the soft chest fur, and rubbing his entire cheek against it. He finally came to rest above the hyena's navel, still rubbing the softness with his face. He adored it, the scent of the predator much greater, and even so far as wafting from the open hole beneath him. Mitch opened his lips and gave a testing lick to the gut in order to be able to jump away should the hyena dislike it and try to attack, feeling the meerkat pressed and balled up on the other side, likely against some partially digested meal from earlier. He couldn't help but giggle at the sensation, it was so nice to be able to enjoy this kind of thing... When he didn't get any bad reaction from the lick, Mitch gave a longer one, brushing his rough tongue through the fur as if to groom it. Each of his licks became longer and longer, moving strands and locks of velvety hair out of the way and closer to Avereth's skin. He deliberately worked his way around the tempting navel, trying not to seem too overly eager to taste it. However, when he reached the initially wet point, he couldn't help it anymore.
The flavor and the musk were saturating his senses now, and his muzzle reached the rim of that bellybutton. Musk, sweat... They were in his face as he pursed his lips to give a small kiss to the rim, feeling the suction inside the little hole bring the walls momentarily closer together, before he broke the suction and dove his long tongue into it. The sensation almost exploded into his brain, every nerve screaming out of pleasure. He saw his tongue go into his favorite hole, stretching and contracting as he moved it about inside. It lengthened and shortened, muscles rippling inside of the flesh as it tasted and rubbed. Mitch could feel the walls even better, his tongue a near second pair of eyes and fingers. The wall was smooth with fur, while the bottom had only short hairs on it, the knot of his new friend full of bumps and interesting folds. It explored each, feeling their warmth and softness against his soft but rough tongue, little barbs on it pulling at and stroking the skin. It was taking the saliva that had drooled inside and moving it back up and into Mitch's mouth, the lion sucking it out.
Behind all the wetness, Mitch could feel the movement of the meerkat as it felt him press in on the belly, the meerkat actually pressing against Avereth's spine to give him a firmer lick at the navel knot. He knew the drill by now. Smelling, Mitch's nose was just inundated. He could tell that the hyena enjoyed playing with his belly, the leathery scent of pawpads not belonging to the lion was all over the surface, as well as the musk he had been enjoying. It was a spicy smell, a mix of plants native to the African soil, most recently the bushes nearby. Amazing, blissful, and joy were a few words that were going through his mind. He could hear the stomach functions of Avereth by now, the sounds of digesting he'd grown to know and hear many a time in his life, either listening to his belly or that of another.
He was fairly certain he heard Avereth pant once or twice as his tongue twisted around, cleaning and tasting the succulent bellybutton in front of the lion. Heartbeat and breathing were other sounds he could make out with his sharp ears, almost pressed to the stomach. Finally, the taste. His tongue was inundated with the meaty flavor of Avereth's innie bellybutton, there were no words to describe it. Or maybe how much he was enjoying it, because this was the first time in his life he'd been assailed with such a feeling. His tongue tingled as his brain was fed information about the saltiness and the amount of mellowness the flesh had to counter it, the oils and greases that the hyena body had put out, how much of it had built up... There was just too much, and Mitch closed his eyes, mouth locked to the belly in front of him, not even caring what the hyena might think of him now.
Sure enough, the lion was there, probably having made him do this for its own strange pleasure in playing with his own body. Avereth felt a lick to his gut, and then of all strange things he felt the meerkat pressing his belly outward. Not as if it was struggling however...but directed to where the lion's pleasant tongue had predictably gone to. It felt wonderful as Mitch went over his belly thoroughly, grooming the fur. Avereth's head tilted sideways into the bristly grass, panting lightly as the lion's tongue circled its obvious target, grinning and taking a breath as it finally went into his navel after a brief suction around its entrance. Avereth's long tongue lolled out of the side of his mouth, head tipping back as it was thoroughly tasted by the invading tongue.
He didn't care if what Mitch was doing to him was strange anymore. There was no one to see it and this felt better than anything he had ever managed on his own. His final inhibitions fell away as his trust in the lion became complete, wondering if he would ever really be alone out there as long as this lion had chances to catch him. The meerkat was moving inside of his stomach again, with a definite purpose this time. It was pushing very hard, pressing his lower abdominal muscles outward in order to, apparently, push his navel outward from behind. Avereth's eyes opened for a moment at this realization. Who was this Mitch that he had gone to the trouble to somehow teach the animal to do this if it was going to be gone afterwards? Had he been saving it for a very special catch...like him? Avereth was a bit flattered by the thought that he might look appealing enough for such a thing to the lion. His eyes closed again as he decided to stop thinking so much and enjoy this. Thinking could come later.
All of the attention and stimulation from inside and out was causing his guts to churn their contents from earlier, resulting in a pleasurable, content feeling spreading through his belly even as Mitch continued tasting him. Avereth could only pant, completely lost in the sensations. He had nearly fallen asleep his body was so relaxed when he suddenly felt teeth seemingly begin to clamp to his lower belly. He whined as his head shot up and his paws clenched a his sides, expecting to see his belly ripped out and trailing entrails hanging from the lion's mouth. But instead he saw the lion's muzzle was merely gripping his belly trying to get closer to his navel, seemingly having become so obsessed it had stopped having coherent thought. The sensations with the teeth added felt good and scary. He was sure Mitch wasn't going to bite down on something he liked so much...but the teeth made the threat impossible to ignore. Avereth trusted Mitch completely though, and laid his head back and closed his eyes, enjoying the feeling as Mitch sucked and nibbled on his belly. He could feel his stomach beginning to actively work on the meerkat, a powerful muscular process that would eventually press and grind its body into a nutrient broth. The acids secreted would leave nothing, not even bones. The lion's grooming was very relaxing and he finally did fall lightly asleep, feeling perfectly safe doing so.
The large feline used his sharp teeth to nibble at the fleshy rim of Avereth's bellybutton, removing his tongue to suck on the entire hole some more while doing his best to keep his friend pleasured. As the sucking power increased, the tasty knot quickly rose up, dragging the muscle wall away from the meerkat inside. The little meerkat let out a small series of muffled chitters and settled into the squishy churning of the hyena stomach. He felt the walls crush about him, pressing him into their nearly spongy softness, with viscous waves of acid washing over him. He knew in these conditions it wouldn't take long for him to digest into nothing, as the pool of liquid he sat in bubbled up all around his body. The meerkat ran a paw up around the inside of the hyena stomach, feeling the fur falling out and dissolving away to let the acids directly begin attacking his skin.
It didn't burn for but a second, a sensation that the meerkat had come to relish in years of knowing Mitch. Soon after, there was a pleasurable tingling that spread from his skin and worked its way inwards. It was comfortable, not at all unpleasant. This feeling was the relaxation of knowing that he would be coming back sometime, even if he had been eaten. The lion would make a new body for him, guiding his soul back into it. Thus, the meerkat no longer fought for his life as he had the first time, but enjoyed the seeping of the acids through his muscle layers, feeling them numb and relax him more every second. Soon, he could barely keep his eyes open from the lack of blood to carry oxygen to his mind. He peacefully slipped into a content slumber as the waves of acid and the smooth walls continually massaged him to his temporary death. A final breath, and he was still inside of Avereth, his body now meat to fuel Mitch's latest friend. The lion could feel it happening in his mind, linked to the creature inside. He was glad that his friend had been able to be so peaceful and helpful at the same time, a quality that Mitch relished.
His attention turned to the bellybutton once again, his suckling mouth working on drawing the rubbery knot out from its depths. Bit by bit, it bulged up and out, inverting the skin shape to become a nice outie bellybutton. Mitch's teeth clamped around it as he broke the suction, and then the feline gripped it between a thumb and forefinger. He could study the navel much better like this, and explore its features. He found a nice valley running through the middle, with a few lumps of umbilical flesh knotted up around it. Slowly, he ran a free claw on his other hand through the line, scratching against sensitive flesh deep within. Pulling it open a little bit, he smiled to see the stark color contrast. The interior of the ravine was a stark white, never having had any exposure to the sunlight before. It was a reverse to the dark skin of the hyena's flesh that had gotten exposure, mostly every day of his life living on these plains. Mitch smiled as he watched and prodded deep into it, watching and listening to Avereth panting in bliss. He giggled, getting an idea. He slowly moved to a kneeling position, and placed his bellybutton over Avereth's. In a smooth motion, he placed his belly against the hyena's, putting his innie over the bulging outie. There was a small popping sound as the air was forced out from between them, and a perfect vacuum formed.
Mitch laughed, rubbing Avereth's belly with both paws now as he felt his navel suck onto the hyena's, his fuzzy belly joined with his friend's.
Even half asleep, the hyena could still feel as Mitch continued to taste him. It was feeling really good as the lion seemed to suck harder and harder on his belly. Avereth kept is eyes closed and let the sensations wash over him, savoring the experience. Mitch was sucking really hard now, he could feel a strange loosening feeling in his lower gut from it. He also noticed the meerkat was no longer pushing out from inside and seemed to be weakly rubbing his stomach walls. Poor little guy, he still felt like he had cheated somehow, but at least it wouldn't last much longer in there. Eventually he didn't feel it moving anymore. It had never struggled, not once. He could not comprehend such passiveness and trust. It had to have known it was going to die, what they hyena's belly would do. Nothing could live long once inside of his body. How had Mitch trained it so well? It was just so strange.
The hyena's focus went back to his navel. Whatever Mitch was doing, it was feeling increasingly good! The pulling, loose feeling grew stronger, and it felt so good he started panting again. It suddenly stopped, and Avereth felt the lion's paw suddenly gripping his navel. Avereth almost opened his eyes, feeling now what it had done.. How had he done that to him!? However he had done it, the lion was now exploring and prodding the now exposed navel with his clawtip, and it felt rather nice. He kept it up for a while and then stopped. Avereth could hear Mitch moving, and then he felt the lion's weight on top of him. Its soft belly was against his and Avereth felt his navel going into Mitch's own. Of all things, it felt like it was actually pulling it in. The hyena's head came back up and tilted to the side quizzically as he tried to see what Mitch was doing and how. Looking failed to answer that quesion as all he saw was Mitch rubbing his belly again. Between that and whatever the lion's navel was doing it felt quite pleasurable, so he rested his arms behind his head and just watched in curiosity and enjoyed it. The question lingered in his eyes as he did so.
Mitch's nose dipped and nuzzled in Avereth's fur. He flexed his muscles around the hyena's bellybutton, fitting the orb of flesh in more snugly to his. The lion let out a deep purr, finding that the flavor was almost better through there, as he could taste the heat mixed in with the hyena's body this way. "Well, well, you've been quite the enjoyable new friend today. I get the feeling you've rather been liking this attention?" He pointed down to their joined navels, and Mitch's began giving Avereth's a slow, full-button massage. The walls of the lion's were furred and ridged occasionally, more scars than anything from playful sessions the feline and other creatures had had in the past. It wiggled about and constricted around the nub inside it, pulling on the flesh as if to welcome it to Mitch's belly.
Avereth watched as the lion nuzzled at his fur. The rumbling sound that he had been making was vibrating through the hyena's body now, and it had a soothing quality to it. His eyes started lidding as the sound eased him towards drifting off. He almost missed that Mitch was talking to him again, even though his face was only inches away. "Huh? Oh..." He felt his face heating being asked about it. "Yes. This is nothing like any of the bonding we used to do when I was part of a Clan. It's...wonderful." His face heated even more and he looked away before quietly adding "I'm glad you caught me." He looked back again. "It's been so lonely since I left my Clan, in a way I really needed this." Then the lion's navel pulled on Avereth's again, and he let out a yip at the sensation. What was the lion doing?
Mitch sighed in enjoyment, contentment resonating in the wave of air escaping his throat. The air blew through the hyena's chestfur warmly, tingling on Avereth's skin beneath. His words were like honey to Mitch's ears, especially when he told him he was glad that Mitch had caught him! He slowly pushed away from Avereth's belly with his paws on either side of the hyena, his navel pulling on avereth's while the suction lasted, Mitch's puckered bellybutton unwilling to let the nub of the hyena's navel free. He twisted, wrenching both umbilicii this way and that before they popped free of each other, Avereth's marginally swollen and dark on the end with thick blood accumulation from the lack of air pressure. Mitch sent waves of pleasure to the hyena, as he fingered his own soft bellybutton for a moment.
"I can hear you loud and clear. It gets pretty lonely out here, and I'll tell you, not many furs really and truly enjoy attention in this fashion... So, I really count myself lucky when I find someone who does!" He smiled and licked his friend on the spotted cheekfur, leaving a streak that glistened in the sunlight before it dried moments later. "And to be honest, you taste extremely good... Through some natural quirk, I have an extra set of taste buds in my bellybutton!" Mitch blushed and giggled at that. It wasn't really natural, but a magical enhancement he'd learned over the years. He watched Avereth's blissfully dreamy face and gripped the bulging navel before him in his pawpads gently. "Um... It might sound really strange Avereth, but if you don't mind, I'd like to kinda fix that swelling for you." In case Avereth hadn't gotten the point, Mitch bent down and playfully bit at the navel's tip, only hard enough to dent the blood collection there, and then made some suckling motions, indicating that he wanted to drain some blood to help the swelling.
Avereth's words seemed to immensely please the grey lion, a happy sigh escaping his lips. He started to get up off of the hyena, and then Avereth saw exactly the cause of the strange pulling sensations earlier. The lion's navel really had been sucking on his own! He had somehow even managed to invert it, the knotted flesh bulging out of the rim. It seemed to be firmly planted into the lion as he tried to pull away. After a good amount of pulling this way and that it finally plopped free. The hyena was actually a bit concerned now, it was really, really swollen looking. How many more surprises could this lion have in store? It had been one jaw dropping thing after another. What made this lion so unique? He looked quite pleased at the moment, speaking back to Avereth. He explained that it was often lonely, and that he didn't find others that liked this very often. That explained a lot, and why he was so happy at the hyena's response.
Avereth smiled as the feline tongue brushed across his cheek. Then Mitch said how good he tasted and explained how he had tasted him. Now that was very strange... An intriuged look came over the hyena's muzzle as he thought about how interesting it would be to be able to taste things there. It was clear Mitch wouldn't admit that to just anyone. Then Mich grabbed his swollen knot between his pawpads. He indicated to Avereth he wanted to fix it-by biting it. Avereth was a bit unsure about this, generally he had spent the entire time hoping to avoid the lion's teeth in any manner whatsoever. Still...it did need to be fixed... Avereth managed to quietly respond "If that would fix it then...I-I trust you." He hoped his trust was well founded. The hyena's body was trembling slightly as he waited.
Mitch raised his head, and upon his face was a gentle gaze. He could feel the quiver in Avereth's voice, and he could tell the hyena was quite afraid of him, even if he had let him touch and play with his belly. He raised up to a kneeling position and gave Avereth the biggest bear hug he could muster. "You don't know how much that trust means to me. Thank you." Mitch gave him another long, slow slurp up his chin, leaving a cool trail of saliva for the sun to evaporate and cool the hyena. Mitch's smile chainged back to his gleeful self as he bent down to the dark knob in front of him. He smiled, taking the very tip between his teeth.
As he closed his eyes, he got ready to inject the same enchantment that he had on the meerkat. It was his way of thanking the animal world for their sacrifices, for willingly becoming his food -- and his friend. The feline teeth gripped the tip of the swollen skin between them, gently pushing down on it with the sharp tips, feeling it squish and buckle, dimpling in deeper and deeper between the mighty white stalactites of the cavernous mouth. There was the gentlest of popping feelings as the rubbery flesh gave way, and dark blood oozed out. Mitch's lips locked around the tip of it, sucking on the swollen bellybutton.
He could feel the rich liquid ooze out, seeping from the Hyena's body into his mouth. His purring increased an octave, as the coppery, salty flavor mixed with the rich hyena taste in his jaws. It was amazing what Avereth's bellybutton had held in store, and what wonders it could continue to give. He closed his eyes, imagining what the hyena would see. He'd likely be unnerved by the sight of the lion biting, and then sucking on his navel. But then, he would also see it shrinking from an oversized blood balloon back to a more normal size, and healthier color.
Mitch gave a short swallow, draining the collected blood and juices from his mouth. It was delicious bliss, as his tongue lapped at the raw layer on the tip. It would possibly be a little painful... But Mitch was about to change that. He clenched both his eyes and his jaws together, his teeth tightly through the tiny amount of skin he'd bitten. In what might have been a half a second, or a half a year, what felt like lightning passed from Mitch's mouth and into Avereth's navel, spreading through his entire body. The lion quickly let go and flopped back, thoroughly exhausted and drained from that expenditure of so much energy... But it would be worth it, he smirked to himself.
The lion looked up at him, a soft gaze that showed no predatory glint in it. The hug was unexpected but calmed Avereth a bit, and he was able to breathe a little easier. That his trust was so important to Mitch spoke volumes of how rare a find he must have been to the lion. It gave him an affectionate lick under the chin before smiling and bending his maned head over the hyena's belly again. Avereth cringed inwardly as the lion's teeth enveloped his navel and began to slowly close, keenly feeling the teeth as they pressured his flesh more and more. Inevitably, the sharp tips pierced his skin and pressed in. He managed to restrain a yelp, though tears formed at the corners of his eyes as he squinted. The tingling sting didn't feel all bad though, and as Mitch happily sucked on it the swelling was going down. The lion started to lap at his navel after a while, but once again the stinging was only partially unpleasant...it felt good at the same time.
Without warning, Mitch suddenly clenched his teeth tightly around the skin in his jaws. Avereth felt like the whole world flipped upside down, the hyena's body writhing from the jolt. After several seconds he shook his had to clear it, trying to blink the stars out of his vision. Mitch had done something, what he had just felt could not have just been from the bite. His attention went to what state his navel was in after being bitten. To his relief it seemed fine, the puncture marks mostly closed simply because it was mostly no longer swollen anymore. Out of curiosity, the hyena dipped a finger into the hole and bushed some of his own blood off. He inserted the digit into his mouth, seeing what he had tasted like to the lion. Then he noticed Mitch, sitting on the ground looking thoroughly tired out. He had definitely done something to him, then. He was also smirking about something. "Mitch? Are you okay?" The hyena came over and kneeled next to him, putting an arm around his shoulders to offer support, concern in his eyes.
Mitch panted with exhaustion, electrical tingles still jumping around on the end of his tongue invisibly. He watched Avereth taste his own navel and giggled silently. He knew it wouldn't be anything near what it was like if the feline hadn't been licking it out in the first place! As Avereth came over to help him back to a sitting position, Mitch gave him a large hug, slopping a lick all over the tasty hyena's face. He murred as the streaks quickly disappeared, leaving rumpled fur in their wake when they dried. "Oh... that was just amazing! I hope it didn't hurt much... If it did, I'll give you a free chomp on mine sometime to make up for it."
Mitch smiled, but then suddenly drooped his head, letting out a very drained sigh. "Nnng, sorry... That last bit really drained me. You're probably wondering what it was though." He leaned into the other furry body, ear to Avereth's chest. He could hear the strong heart pumping that tasty blood all over the hyena's body, making him comfortably warm to snuggle up against even in the heat of the sun. His head rubbed gently against the furred chest, Mitch's fur brushing in and mixing with Avereth's own in a silly pattern of lion and hyena, until he moved again. "Maybe it would be easier to explain if I showed you, instead..." It would tire him faster, but possibly save time so he didn't have to explain some things...
The lion seemed to welcome the support, hugging Avereth to him as he helped him up. He received another lick and nuzzled into it slightly, enjoying the attention immensely. When Mitch's head hung from weariness Avereth responded to what he had said, paws scritching through his headfur gently. "It didn't hurt very much, but thank you for the concern." Mitch relaxed against the hyena then, head against his chest. "I have been wondering exactly what it is that you did... I was sure you did something because it felt like something surged through my entire body. There were even flashing lights in my vision afterwards! I kept thinking there is something special about you, but I still don't know what it is. Mitch was rubbing his head against his chestfur now, seeminly having become very cuddly. "You're going to...show me? Show me what? If whatever you just did made you so tired are you sure that you're up to it? The lion was looking cute enough at this point that Avereth started to rub under his chin. He could feel the rumbling sound there as he did so.
Mitch laughed weakly at the cuddling attention and imagined what a sight it must have been. Natural enemies cuddling like two brothers, giving and receiving wonderful attention and affection to and from each other. Mitch could tell Avereth was liking the licks, so he gave a few more, enough this time to leave his face fur sopping wet. He reached around the hyena with his arms, giving him a big hug. "You know, when I met you, I thought you'd be another thief like the rest of your kind... In fact, I was even going to eat you to make an example. But I can tell you're different from the rest of them. You give off a positive energy, and your touch is gentle."
"What I gave you was a gift... But it used up a great deal of my energy. I don't have time to say much about it, other than if you trust me... If you really and truly trust me, I would like to eat you. I promise you won't have to worry about a thing, and you will be safe." Mitch closed his eyes, waiting for what he knew would come next. But it had to be done. He'd used up a good portion of his actual life energy to pass on that power to Avereth... But it could be replenished. He continued to rub his cheeks against Avereth, bumping his chin with his broad head and shaggy mane, looking almost like a large housecat giving affection to his master.
Rubbing under his chin had produced a happy laugh from the lion, and then Avereth felt the feline tongue grooming his face thoroughly, more of the rumbling purring escaping the lion's lips as he did so. Mitch hugged him again and Avereth felt a smile forming on his jaws that showed the tips of some of his sharp teeth. There was a happy, content look in his eyes. He had definitely found a friend for life, and who cared if it was a lion! He listened as Mitch talked to him again, ears perking forward. "When you grabbed me I was sure I was dead... I was expecting my throat to be torn out and to bleed to death while you watched. But it's not all of my kind that steal like that, it's more complicated then that." The hyena's eyes drifted for a moment, watching a solitary cloud drift by as he figured out what to say. "You can't truly understand it without having been a hyena, lived as a hyena, and seen the world as a hyena. But I will try to make you see."
He nodded to himself then. "It is true that our Clans sometimes steal your kills. But when we do we outnumber you, and in a way it gives us the right to the kill. Your own kind do no less, do they? Just as often we lose kills when there are more of you. Perhaps when you take one of our kills you think of it as justice. Neither side is right or wrong in this. It is simply how it is. Also, just because a Clan takes your kill does not mean all are fully at fault. When the Matriarch tells you to do something, you must do it. Anything else would be a challenge of her position, and that would mean a fight or being forced out of the Clan. Where the Clan goes, you must follow. And so for this reason I have actually eaten the kills of lions many times. I spoke truly when you asked me if I had been stealing kills. In that I am innocent. It was necessary to avoid starving, or being injured by the Matriarch, or being forced out of the Clan. The Matriarch herself does so for her own reasons. She has many children to feed, and many Clanmates to keep fed as well. If you give her a chance to feed everyone without having to take the risks of hunting, you cannot really blame her. I'm sure your kind do so as well, and it is as it should be. There is no right or wrong, only strength."
He decided to let Mitch take all of that in and make of it what he would, but Mitch still had something else to say, which Avereth listened to. His eyes widened and ears laid back as the smile vanished from his face and his jaw hung open in shock. His mind was in a blur of confusion, unable to take it in, and he blinked and shook his head. "What! Eat me? But...but after...after all of this...and...and you..." He stopped, unable to continue as his heart raced and he took quick, jerking breaths. He had asked if he trusted him...did he? He had earlier... His head dropped as he looked down and tried to make sense of it all, the lion's head rubbing not even noticed. And not worry about a thing? How could he not worry! What had Mitch done to him...what was this "gift" that he had spoken of? He hoped he really would be safe, that somehow everything was going to be ok. He took a deep breath, gathering the resolve to respond to the waiting lion. "You said others know you as The Healing Hunter... Whatever you did to me might have something to do with that. I trust you." He paused a moment before quietly asking "Will it...hurt?" and wincing. He shivered slightly, the heat suddenly seeming cold as he imagined the lion tearing into his flesh. He sounded small then, and afraid. This wasn't the first time in his life he had felt this way.
Mitch had been thinking about everything Avereth had said while he'd been cuddling with him. He really enjoyed being with him, moreso than any of the other creatures he'd met over the years. All the things he'd told Mitch... It was astounding how much a world of knowledge could open up your perspective. Lions and hyenas were so similar... He'd had no idea! And to hear that even his own kind had stolen the kills of the hyenas made Mitch's ears droop as he only hugged Avereth harder. He couldn't bear to think that he'd been so prejudiced all this time only to realize he'd been nearly a hundred percent wrong.
Avereth's sudden stiffening brought him back to the present, and he could tell that he'd landed a blow to the hyena's comfort. He knew he'd had to work to build up his trust, and hoped it would pay off. However, it was music to his ears, and relief washed over him when he heard his new friend agree. "Avereth, trust is a very important thing. Some might say it's more important than eating, or drinking water. More important than almost life itself... Because without it, you are lonely. If you can't trust anyone, your life will be hard. We both know this, being so similar, out on our own. Your trust means I have you as a friend, and can count on you. In return, I trust you completely. With that, I can promise that this may turn out to be one of the best decisions of your life. It won't hurt a bit, in fact, you may even enjoy it... Just think about the meerkat you ate. Think about him well... Close your eyes, and imagine him cuddled between us right now." Mitch could feel Avereth doing as he was told, and some of the hyena's life force drained back to Mitch, just enough for him to close his eyes and blow a breath into his paws. The air changed shape, became more solid.
Gradually, it took on a shape, a clear one that distorted the view through it. And it became more realistic, it became more and more opaque, taking on the shape of the creature in question. Skin, and then fur appeared on the shape, until there was a small squeak in the air. He could see the hyena's eyes shoot open as the meerkat yawned, then hopped up the hyena's fur and have him a nuzzle on the end of his nose before hopping to the ground. "You see, that's what the power of trust can do. And I'm glad that we can share it. Now, I promised you earlier that if my bite hurt, you would get one back. However hard is up to you, consider it a small punishment for me. Really, I won't mind a bit you know." Mitch's body shuddered. He'd drained himself more than he'd thought. The meerkat hopped up on this belly, rubbing at the edge of the lion's navel rim and motioning Avereth over, almost gleefully. There was a broad smile on the tiny face as Mitch watched Avereth walk over and kneel before his stomach.
Though Avereth was terrified at the moment, Mitch was immediately there to encourage him. He spoke to him of trust, of how important it was. The hyena found himself nodding slightly. He had ended up alone because he had lost his trust in his Clan. At being told it would not be painful his tenseness relaxed a bit, and he even tilted his head questioningly at being told it might be enjoyable. Still, even if none of this was true, perhaps he didn't even want to live alone anymore. If he died today, trust would still have found a way to end his loneliness. Then he thought about the meerkat as told. It wasn't very hard, he had looked at it quite a bit. He would like nothing more than to get it back somehow, since its death had seemed unfair to him. He felt a strange sensation, as if a small part of himself left with a purpose, but kept concenrating as Mitch had said. There had to be a point to this, so he kept at it. The meerkat in Avereth's mind seemed to look more and more real to him the more he concentrated. However he did not expect to hear a squeak that unmistakably came from directly in front of him. He completely lost his concentration, opening his eyes quickly to see the very meerkat he had been thinking about crawl up his arm and nuzzle his black nose.
"The power of trust..." he murmured in response to Mitch in wonder at the miracle. The very meerkat that was churning in his belly was there, looking right at him. Had he helped do that? He must have in some way... Then he recalled the strange feeling, as if a bit of himself had left to go do something. He looked up at Mitch suddenly at the realization. "I...I helped to do this! You needed my help to...bring it back. I felt part of myself go out as if to do something... You needed it to bring him back, didn't you?" Avereth gasped in sudden realization, eyes widening. "The Healing Hunter! I get it now! It must be that whenever you eat something, you can bring it back to life again in a new body! That's...that's amazing." Mitch then mentioned his earlier promise to the hyena, and Avereth came over and kneeled in front of him as the meerkat excitedly waved him over. It was almost as if it knew something that he didn't. That was a silly thought though, surely there could't be any more surprises left in the lion! He didn't really want to hurt Mitch, he wasn't angry at him about it at all, for that matter. A grin half formed on his muzzle. Perhaps Mitch already knew that.
"Oh I'm going to give you just what you deserve for all of this!" Avereth plunged his face forward and started licking the inside of Mitch's navel with his broad tongue. The taste of the lion was strong there and the hyena's tongue probed for every bit of it that he could. The soft flesh yielded before the muscle very easily and he couldn't really get at it though. He kept trying to reach it better harder and harder and was a bit surprised when his broad muzzle softly slipped into the rim, the sides easily stretching to hold it. Avereth shrugged it off and finally got a hold of the soft flesh with his jaws. His tongue worked over the captured skin much more strongly now that it was held gently in his jaws, and he started to slowly kneed it between his many teeth, grinding the flesh just short of being too rough with it. Oh he was biting the lion's navel, but it probably had not expected it to be enjoyable like this!
Mitch nodded at Avereth's realization. He knew the hyena had finally gotten it, had really come to trust him through that. He reached out to give the meerkat's slightly chubby little belly a poke, eliciting a squeak of laughter from it. "Welcome back, Jeremy!" The meerkat just stood straight up on his back legs and nodded, before bending down to the feline navel rim again and giving it a nibble with his sharp snake-eating teeth. Mitch murred slowly, he loved it when Jer did that! He saw Avereth walking over and positioned himself comfortably, having newfound energy from his final reserves he always saved for this kind of occasion... It was electrifying as Avereth began to lick his bellybutton, getting an instant moan from him.
The supple flesh moved with the strong tongue easily, the hole completely filled by Avereth's taster! His toes curled with pleasure as he arched his back towards the hyena face. His friend had gotten a good taste of his feline flavor now and was hooked; most who were fortunate enough to be predatory and get to taste him did! His licks quickly changed to bites, as he was sure Avereth could feel the wriggling, squishy bellybutton flesh, almost like a tasty bit of prey in a tunnel. The teeth could get no purchase, however, easily sliding over his fleshy navel rim. Now the fun started... Mitch nodded to Jeremy, who tugged at his bellybutton rim before Avereth's next bite.
The hyena's muzzle plunged into the tight hole, this time easily grabbing the soft flesh at the bottom between powerful teeth. Mitch had expected them to penetrate his tight umbilicus, but not even close! Instead, the flesh-rending spikes grabbed the knot of flesh between them, gnawing over it gently, squishing it thin between all of them, especially nibbling on the end with the small front ones. Mitch almost died from pleasure, as he rubbed the back of Avereth's head. The meerkat had crawled up onto Avereth's back now, squeaking a laugh at the lion.
"This is something new, eh Mitch?" he managed to squeak before Avereth's entire head forced its way into the hole, leaving his neck to stick out, bristly mane ticking.. Mitch could feel the inside coated with drool and sweat, plenty nice and warm in there, but a cozy warm. His rim burped as the hyena made his way in, air being let in and out of the hole with every movement, keeping Avereth plenty alive inside. He felt that tickling tongue press up against the very center of his umbilical knot, running deep into a groove that was inside it, causing Mitch to claw the ground with his handpaws, leaving deep ruts in the baked earth, and letting out a yowl of pleasure. He scratched and tickled the furry sides of the hyena gleefully, at the same time pulling him closer to that hole, which was already widening to take in the broad shoulders of the hyena. He could feel the rim like some kind of odd sphincter muscle, not only doing the job of pulling and holding Avereth, but sending small waves around its sides to massage the predator as it was pulled through. The lion sighed through his purrs, and sat back to fully enjoy his meal and let his body do the rest. He closed his eyes, settling his head in the grass as he felt Jeremy massaging his rim while riding Avereth's back, skittering up it an inch or two every time he slipped farther in.
The soft muzzle was buried deep into his navel flesh, biting and chewing away at the delicious nub. In fact, Mitch knew well the cycle it was going through from descriptions before... Avereth would have started tasting the rich flavor of the lion meat in the navel, and after that, much like a mouthwatering bowl of greens. He wasn't sure how many of those that Avereth had eaten in his life, but even he could envision crispy, water-filled leaves of the plant in it. As more and more drool built up, it was back to the lion flavoring this time, but tangy, like it was covered in a sauce, which was the effect of the sweat buildup in the saliva. After enough sweat and saliva had built up, it would eventually become the grand finale, the dessert! The feline's navel would taste incredibly sweet, like a soft, everlasting lollipop, something for his prey to lick and suckle until the process was completely finished. It had taken him a number of years to perfect that, he thought. He let his mind wander as his belly worked over the fuzzy shoulders, giving him another chuckle as the fur tickled his button for the short time it was dry.
Avereth's attentions seemed to indeed please Mitch immensely, a paw rubbing along the back of the hyena's head pleasantly. He then felt small footclaws moving up his back and guessed the meerkat must have crawled on top on him. The hyena felt the paw on his head give a gentle push, and he was surprised as the rest of his still damp head slipped inward, enfolded in the warmth of the lion's navel. The sounds of the outside world faded away as all he could hear was the rush of blood all around him, as well as the sounds of his mouth and tongue and the snuffling of his nose. Sure, he had no idea how his entire head fit in, but evidently Mitch was enjoying it quite a bit, so his tongue explored all the deeper now that he could reach all the way with it easily. Head surrounded by the lion's body, he heard and felt the lion's reaction to that.
In response Mitch was attacking his sides with his paws, Avereth letting out a hysterical hyena chuckle whenever a ticklish spot was found and squirming. When that finally stopped he had to blink tears out of his eyes he had been laughing so hard. It was then he noticed that his entire neck had was inside now as well. In fact, he noted with a start, he could feel the opening slowly spreading over his shoulders too! Suddenly the reference to being able to taste things with his navel from earlier made sense to Avereth, the lion was somehow eating him this way! For a few seconds he tensed, unsure, instinct telling him to tear free. But hadn't Mitch said to trust him, that there would be no pain? He further tensed, realizing it he surrendered his body to the pushes, he was going to die. But he relaxed a moment later, moving with Mitch as he leaned back and partially resting on top of the lion's belly. He trusted Mitch after his display, and resolved to just let this happen. Thus when he relaxed, he finally noticed the clenching of the rim of the navel and the gentle but firm suction that was gradually pulling his body in to be a meal for the lion. He shivered slightly, unable to help but be afraid, wondering what it would be like. The lion had been gentle, but its body would treat him just as his own had treated the meerkat.
In reality, only a few moments had passed, though it seemed longer. His pause may or may not have been noticed by Mitch. He didn't want to seem unwilling, so he started to lick again nervously. On the first stroke he paused, noticing something odd. He tasted again. Definitely different, it didn't even taste like something from an animal! Then he figured it out. It tasted like plants... That didn't really make any sense to Avereth, but then it seemed not much about Mitch did. As he experienced this strange new flavor, his arms came up and massaged over the belly and chest of the lion. Avereth had certainly enjoyed it, so the feline probably would as well. It was meant to say "I understand what's happening to me now. My fear is overcome by my trust in you. Thank you for everything. Take my body as yours." The inside of the navel eventually seemed to be warming up inside, and there actually seemed to be sweat coming out. He had only been able to taste it in the plant flavored mouthful for a moment before the taste suddenly changed. He definitely tasted lion again...but better!
It had an interesting flavor added in, one that had him gently chewing at the flesh again and trying to extract the delicious flavor. He felt his arms begin to be forced to the side and knew this was meant as a distraction, to make it easier for him. He could appreciate that, it helped him to stop being afraid for as long as he concentrated on it. Mitch must have understood the terror others must have felt faced with death, even if only temporary. Inevitably the rim of the navel kneaded over his shoulders and pinned his arms to his sides, beginning to work at his chest. He was truly trapped now, he would make the rest of the trip into the lion's body unable to do anything about it. It had claimed him now. He was starting to panic again and went back to savoring the taste of lion in denial of his situation, his saliva beginning to coat much of the flesh around him.
It was a wonderful bliss for Mitch. It felt like his whole bellybutton was being devoured from deep inside, but instead of the ripping and tearing sensation, there was only perpetual biting on his navel knob. He imagined that if he let it, it COULD bleed and Avereth might get a taste of Mitch's blood just as he'd done to Avereth. He wriggled about, repositioning himself so Avereth's body would work in even easier. The effect was immediate, as the broad chest of the hyena increased its descent into his widely stretched navel. Jeremy was leaping around it at the moment, until he suddenly got an evil grin on his face. He raced down to Avereth's own belly, slightly propped up as Mitch had his legs raised to give his suckling navel some leverage. As the hyena's dark furred chest worked its way yet farther into Mitch, the meerkat was poised for a leap...then sprang! He landed dead center into Avereth's navel, still just slightly sensitive from Mitch's attentions. Tiny handpaws scrabbled and scratched over the surface, digging themselves down into lines and folds of umbilical flesh so he could hold on. Ever so slowly, his head worked into the biggest, deepest crease he could get into, and he brought his own body to coil up in the large hole.
His form balled up sideways inside, stretching Avereth's bellybutton rim quite a bit, the flesh taut from the pressure against it. To finish off his position, Jeremy's head turned inside, his nose pressing dead center into the crevice, and licking his lips (as well as a bunch of the navel flesh) His tiny jaws clamped down onto a bulge, sharp teeth digging into it easily. The tough hide buckled and miniature pops were heard as Jeremy's teeth penetrated through it. The same rich blood that Mitch had gotten to taste was now flowing into the meerkat's mouth, his tongue lapping against the trapped bit of flesh much as Avereth was doing to Mitch. As Mitch watched the whole thing, he laughed. This time, any bite like that wouldn't be painful in the least for the hyena. On the contrary, it would feel extremely good to the hyena. He watched Avereth's paws and clawtips wriggle about from the shock, trying to grab and pull the meerkat out, but too pinned to his sides to do anything about it.
Mitch relished the feeling as his already stretched bellybutton bulged even more with those squirms. It felt like a pleasant itching feeling to him as he murred incredibly deeply, both from the attack on his navel and the spectacle before him. He felt his stomach shift again, his navel pouch widening once more to accommodate the slightly well-fed hyena gut with passenger in tow. Before he passed in, Jeremy gave a cute little growl and yanked on the flesh, making Avereth twist and wrench around to try to get at the crazy meerkat. Deep within, he could feel the teeth and tongue continuing to chew upon his tasty flesh, an especially hard bite making him moan with pleasure. It was like a burning happiness that welled from the center of his navel, and slowly spread to his body. Painful and relaxing at the same time! With another pull, both belly and parasite were gone. He could feel the bulge stretching his guts out more, the sweating in his navel increasing. It wouldn't be long now, he thought as Avereth's tail flicked against his bellybutton rim.
Avereth closed his eyes, trying to ignore the feeling of the walls of the chamber rubbing every part of his face with a gentle insistence. It wasn't that it was uncomfortable-it was actually rather relaxing to the hyena. It was just his idea of why he thought it was doing so. Sooner or later it would begin to actively work to make him a part of the lion, and it worried him no matter what reassurances that he had. He realized that he was savoring the feel of the light breeze flowing across his still exposed portions, and even the burning heat of the sun on his hide. Such trivial things seemed so much more important right now, little things that added flavor to life that were so easily ignored most of the time. He relished the feel of the bristly grass beneath him and the hard packed earth beneath his hind claws. All so precious to him right now, when they were soon to be taken away.
Then he noticed the feel of the meerkat jumping all over him and smiled. Even that was welcome. He could feel himself shifting a bit as Mitch moved, and then he felt his chest begin to steadily enter the lion. It was then he felt something grab at his belly, and he began to assume Mitch wanted to feel it before it was gone. It quickly became apparent that Mitch was not doing it when the noted the tiny claws, and the feel of a small, cold nose burrowing into his navel. The hyena gasped as the meerkat's head determinedly forced itself deeper and deeper up into the opening. He only had a moment to ponder about this before, to his shock, he began to feel the rest of the fuzzy body working inside as well. Avereth's navel stretched to a capacity he had never known was even possible as the meerkat's entire form impossibly wriggled into the center of his belly and curled up within. It felt...good. If it felt that good to him, he could only imagine how it felt to- He lost his train of thought as he felt the meerkat's small, pointy teeth punctured into the flesh of his navel.
It sent a burning sting that felt unbearably good coursing through his frame. He squirmed and wriggled nonetheless, the sensation so powerful he tried to somehow get an arm free to pry the meerkat's jaws free of his flesh. When that didn't work the rest of him wriggled helplessly, hind paws scrabbling at the earth and muscled belly clenching in spasms. There was a last, firm tug that had his handpaws clenching at his sides before he felt his now somewhat rounded belly begin to be consumed. The tight ring of flesh slowly passed over and enfolded it, the warm pressure feeling very good to his full stomach. He kept trying to curl around his belly but at the moment that was not possible. He ended up chewing at the navel flesh around him again and clenching his eyes tighter, enduring the sensations. An especially hard tug from the meerkat caused Avereth's jaws to stiffen, and he felt the tips of a few fangs pierce what was in his jaws. He didn't notice until he tasted blood, and ended up prodding at the holes with his tongue tasting it.
Mitch's eyes fluttered open again, a few sharp pricks in the center of his swelled up bellybutton that Avereth had been chewing on brought him some searingly wonderful pain. The lion moaned out, caressing his swollen gut as well as Avereth's legs. He realized then that the hyena didn't have much farther to go, and his strength was draining fast. His body was literally starving for energy. Mitch's plan had never failed him to get both a friend and a meal (Though this one was by far his favorite!) but it was quite risky all the same. If he didn't have the chance to get the meal, it was likely that his body would starve to death, killing him. However, he would rather die than eat another resentful, hateful meal... Or at least be eating one without having the chance to make up for it again. The less anguish and sadness he put into others, the happier his life was. He wriggled comfortably once more as he felt Avereth's lumpy tongue sliding over his furry navel flesh, tasting the feline's own blood.
He grinned, as his navel should be changing in flavor again. It would be a lollipop, but one filled with tasty filling! To taste it, nobody would know it was his blood. However, Mitch knew Avereth would probably like a taste of it normally, and let him get a few laps of the warm, almost creamy red fluid as it was unaltered. It would be like a rich soup, salty, but not overpoweringly so, and thick. The feline sighed in happiness as he continued to let his navel get suckled and chewed by Avereth. It was wonderful, pleasure and pain mixed into a powerful emotion he just couldn't put a name to. To compound it, Jeremy uncurled from the center of Avereth's navel and squirmed down between the hyena's belly and his navel wall, tickling them both madly as he was made for moving in such tight quarters. Mitch felt his claws dig into him as the meerkat scrambled up to beneath Avereth's chin, cuddling affectionately against him. The tiny head rubbed up under Avereth, nestling into his fur as the little creature licked and nibbled through his fur, grooming him.
At the same time, he felt the small tail poke at his swollen navel core, making him giggle like a hyena! As he did so, Avereth's legs easily began to get snapped up by the hungry bellybutton. His umbilicus slid up over thighs, knees, calves... Mitch could taste every bit of it. Sweaty, meaty, blissful hyena he was... The lion stopped pulling at Avereth's footpaws, and raised his tail up. He smiled as he rested it on both footpaws sticking out of his belly, and saw the effect was immediate. Both started wriggling furiously, and Mitch could hear, no, feel Avereth laughing away inside. The toes were his favorite, as the hairy tuft would simply touch the pads of one, and all of them would squirm and try to pull away. He forced it down between them, twirling it around to make Avereth writhe around. The way the hyena was gnashing and gritting his teeth, he wondered if he'd be losing the middle of his navel!
Mitch was eating it up though, just like he was eating Avereth. With one final push of his tail directly in the middle of each large footpad, a sucking sound signaled the disappearance of the entire hyena into Mitch's bellybutton. He looked at his gut, swollen and lumpy from the hyena and the passenger in tow. His belly was forming around them, navel changing shape to allow Avereth to curl about fetally inside the navel. It also gave his arms freedom, though only enough to reach the meerkat still snuggling up to him, this time laying across the bridge of his nose as he still clenched the lion's navel between his teeth. It was numb now, Mitch actually couldn't tell if it was still attached or not! It didn't matter to him, if it wasn't, he'd hoped Avereth had gotten a nice last meal. The lion patted his full navel, looking directly at it. "Comfy in there?"
Avereth could feel the handpaws of the lion upon his legs as well as through the flesh encasing most of his form. He was glad he hadn't caused him distress by biting like that as he hadn't been able to control his reaction to the obtrusive meerkat. He didn't really mind the taste of he blood, and besides, Mitch was eating him entirely anyway! A little taste like this seemed fair game enough. To his relief, he felt Jeremy emerge from his current burrow and the pressure fell away. A least until he started moving up towards his head. The hyena just managed to stifle his laughs as the furred body squeezed its way along him. The meerkat ended up curled under his chin, and he found its presence comforting. He would not have to go through this alone, and it made it somewhat easier on his mind for some reason. Perhaps it even knew that, the way it was grooming his fur and helping him to relax.
This just went beyond the possibility of a trained skill. Was Jeremy smarter than he had let on? He wasn't sure he would even be surprised if it talked or something at this point. More of the hyena was being drawn in now, he could feel very little of the outside any longer. He couldn't help but shiver at this. No amount of reassurance could really prepare him for this, and he was still afraid deep down inside. He noted a sudden change in the taste of his mouthfull. Avereth had never had anything sweet before, so he did not know what to call the taste he encountered. But he did know he really liked it. It was easily more distracting than the previous flavors. He shook his head at this. Mitch really had all of this down to the last detail didn't he? He must have done this so many times... And with his reputation with others, perhaps whatever was going to happen to the hyena in here wasn't so bad as he was dreading...
Of all things, he was not expecting Mitch to use his similarly tufted lion tail to tickle his footpaws! He was immediately writhing at the feeling, unable to get away from the bristles no matter how he squirmed. He had been able to restrain it when Jeremy had decided to move, but this time he let loose with high pitched hyena giggles uncontrollably. He was quite tired out and out of breath when it finally stopped, and he felt the navel close over the clawtips of his feet and draw them inward. The muscles around him seemed to shift and he ended up comfortably curled with his knees drawn up to his chest. Jeremy had moved to perch on his snout at some point, probably to avoid being squished earlier when his footpaws had come under attack. He left him there and idly stroked and scritched at the fur along its back, helping to calm him some more. The warm air smelled strongly of lion in here, growing stonger as he perspired in the humid heat.
If felt good though...like it was a nice place to take a nap during the mid-day heat. He wished it was as simple as going to sleep and peacefully sleeping as he became part of the lion. He finally released the navel flesh from his jaws and relaxed. His spare paw felt along the wall next to him, could Mitch feel that? Probably. He managed to make out that the lion has asked him if it felt good in there, but only because his voice vibrated down into his body. Avereth doubted he would hear anything he said, so instead he just patted the inside of the lion's navel a few times. "Well Jeremy...I guess it's done now. It's kind of embarrassing to have ended up eaten by a lion when I had been laughing at my old Clan that it would never happen to me." He grinned then. "But I'm sure you'll never tell, it's not like you can even talk anyway! Too bad too, since I'm more than a little worried that this is going to hurt and you seem to have some experience with it." The hyena shivered again, taking slow and deep breaths in an effort to calm himself.
There was a murring from above, resonating throughout the navel as Mitch could feel Avereth's pats reassuringly. He could still hear everything going on inside there, the button enhanced drastically by all of Mitch's encounters throughout the years. He chose to keep quiet this time as Avereth began talking to Jeremy, finding it almost melted his heart how he could open up to the meerkat. It twinged at him that Avereth still thought it might hurt, and he hugged the belly as best he could, trying to give the hyena more comfort... Boy, would he be surprised in a second though! Mitch grinned as he heard Jeremy within him. "You can count on me not to tell anyone, Mitch too. Right Mitch?" A purr from the outside confirmed it. "Sorry, I've never been much of a talker, Avereth. To properly introduce myself, I'm Jeremy, and I've known Mitch almost since his young adult years."
He squeaked a bit and hung himself from the end of Avereth's nose, letting the hyena blow warm air into his bellyfur. Darn if it didn't feel good when preds did that! "I can promise you, this isn't going to hurt a bit. I don't wanna really spoil it for you though... It's better when you don't know what's going to happen! Just know I'm going to be with you through this, so you don't have to be afraid at all." With that, Jeremy gave the bridge of the muzzle a slow lick and patted Avereth's cheek with a soft paw. He even let Avereth take him off the end of his nose and hold him in his paws, stroking through his short but soft fur. The meerkat enjoyed it immensely, sighing against Avereth's bellyfur, and then opened his eyes again, remembering something. "Oh yeah, you have a really tasty bellybutton too. I'm looking forward to getting to spend more time in there later!"
He hoped that final inference to them being able to spend time together would ease the last of the hyena's fears. And it was none too soon, as once again, the muscles began to shift about them... He knew what was coming, and let out a squeak of delight as the two of them were tumbled forward into a viscous, glowing green liquid. It was a lighter spectrum of green, about a sea green color, a much more healthy shade than the toxic waste lake he'd once seen. Squirming right out of Avereth's grasp, he immediately dove into it, surfacing seconds later, letting out a keen of immense enjoyment. The liquid had instantly permeated his fur and went right for his skin, attacking it. But it worked slowly, and had a very nice effect... It sent waves of pleasure through his body, like every square inch of his skin was being massaged perfectly by skilled fingers and claws, tiny pricks wherever the nerves were being deadened in preparation for dissolving him.
The painkiller acid worked down into his skin, turning the very top layer to a jelly-like substance, that sloughed off when he moved. He saw Avereth watching him, and used his tail to splash a tiny wave up onto the hyena. "Come on, cover yourself! This is the second best part!" He knew that Avereth was probably in shock at how good his lower half was feeling right now, not even thinking about being digested. Jeremy knew otherwise though, he knew he was being turned to energy for Mitch, and he loved it. There was something about knowing you were going to help someone in need, and being able to give your body, or your soul if needed, to bring them back from the brink. However, Jeremy felt a strange wave run though the acid. He knew Mitch was failing fast, and turned to Avereth. He climbed up to the hyena's arm and gave his shoulder a quick hug.
"Sorry Avereth, but Mitch needs to eat as fast as possible right now. Don't worry, I'll see you shortly." With those words, he did a perfect swan dive into the thick acid, landing in it with a glooping sound. He swam to the bottom and hung onto the stomach lining there. His body was feeling light now, but better than he had any time when it was whole. His frame was dissolving, muscles and bones all at once. He watched his extremities dissolve away, saw his nose removed to the bone, and then the bone disintegrate before him. He knew it'd only be a moment more as he felt the liquids pour through his stomach walls and into his insides. Oh, he'd meant to show Avereth his navel as well, but perhaps it was best that he hadn't. Poor guy had probably had enough for one day! He smiled and closed what was left of his eyes. A few seconds more, and he was gone, dissolved to a nutritious energy soup for Mitch.
The walls glowed where he'd touched them and absorbed the mixture up, breathing new life into the lion. Mitch felt himself waking up again, able to sustain his strength for a short while more. It was a good feeling, and he could feel Avereth beginning to splash his fur with the liquid. Mitch rubbed his gut tenderly as Avereth grew weaker and weaker, and Mitch grew stronger. Before long, he could feel Avereth's body begin to float, the hyena's lower half having been dissolved away. He sent comforting thoughts to the hyena as he heard another whimper, and felt the paws caress his belly walls in gratitude. He smiled. If only he had enough time to tell Avereth about what was coming next! He knew he'd find out soon enough as the rest of the meaty body slipped beneath the waves of acid, putting silence in the belly. Mitch closed his eyes, letting the rest of the bulk inside digest, and then entered into meditation... with two others.
Avereth blinked rapidly twice when the meerkat began speaking to him, his only outward indication of the surprise he felt within himself. So it was even smarter that even he had realized! The first thing it did was indicate it wouldn't tell anyone, seeming to address Mitch as well for cofirmation as if he could hear him. The rumbling purr that responded made the hyena realize that once again, he did not quite know all of the facts... "I...told myself I wouldn't be surprised if you actually were able to talk, but nevertheless this was unexpected." Jeremy wrapped his small paws around Avereth's muzzle and held onto the front of it, hanging down as the hyena's snout couldn't help but take in his scent. The meerkat promised him it wasn't going to hurt as well.
"That's what Mitch said. It's not that I don't trust him..." The hyena's ears drooped a bit. "I just can't prevent many of the thoughts and emotions I'm having about it. This isn't something I'm able to readily accept." He looked up. "I really do trust you Mitch. But I'm scared. I just don't feel ready, you know?" He paused a few moments, seeming to look into himself for more to say, finding nothing. "It's probably silly anyway, I know. I'm sorry." Talking seemed to help a bit. He pulled Jeremy to him and stroked through his soft fur nervously, releasing some tension. The meerkat started making suggestions about things they should do together later, and Avereth just smiled lightly and scatched under Jeremy's chin. He was going to die, and Jeremy was talking about things to do later. A sudden lurch drew the hyena's attention.
Avereth found himself being guided by muscular contractions towards a glowing green liquid that had suddenly become present. Jeremy all but hurled himself from Avereth into it, to his surprise. "What is that!?" he all but shrieked as his lower half was all but forced down into it. All Jeremy had to say when he emerged was a shrill happy sound of enjoyment. Avereth was about to ask again but managed only a groaned out "Oooohhh." Every part of him submerged in the liquid was tingling pleasurably in the strangest way, and feeling it all over so much of him at once was overwhelming his senses. When Jeremy told him to cover himself he started to immediately. Why did it feel so good! Everything from his footpaws to his-well, this probably wasn't an appropriate time to be thinking about how that place was reacting, but he'd never felt this amazing sensation in his life, the burning pleasure seemed to literally be sinking inside of his skin!
The meerkat suddenly crawled onto his shoulder and hugged it before saying something about Mitch needing to eat faster. It was then that Avereth noticed what the fluids had done to it. His eyes became very, very wide. "Jeremy...your fur...your..." There were only a few patches left, sloughing off even as he watched, exposing skin and muscle beneath. The meerkat did not seem to even notice or care, diving headfirst back into the glowing mass. Avereth watched as the blurred form shrank and then vanished completely with a flash against the walls near it. Terror filled the hyena as the wonderful tingling gradually strengthened and he realized what was happening to him now. He experimentally flexed a footpaw, and began whimpering in fear when he felt the claws in the foot actually drift free. "Oh no..." He had not realized he would be very much alive for the entire thing, and it had already started.
He tried to stand, wanting to get away from the juices before they ate him away, but it was no good. He could feel the meat falling away from his legs, the muscles needed to stand sloughing off and degrading so he couldn't even try to rise. He he wasn't even sure if he had feet anymore, and he lost all sensation of having legs entirely, all the while the deceptively, unbearable feeling of pleasure burned deeper and deeper into him.. The walls pressed in on him, forcing his belly and chest down into it as well. "Unggh...uuhh..." It was a sound that was part effort, part terror, and part groan of pleasure. Inside his head however, he was still trying to deny the reality of the situation. It was his only defense against knowing his body was being eaten away before his eyes. He watched with a morbid fascination as the spotted fur of his chest and stomach faded away, and moments later the dark skin was gone as well, exposing the muscle beneath. He closed his eyes then, he didn't want to see anymore as his ribs began to appear. His abdominal muscles began to feel loose as his entrails were exposed to the acid. He tried to loose himself in the warm bliss that was kneading through each and every layer of his being before it was taken from him.
The hyena was unable to for long however, as he felt the glowing liquids begin pouring into his entrails, and begin swamping his lungs. His ravaged arms lost the ability to move...they were dropping off, out of their sockets now. He knew he had only moments left... He was dimly aware that his head was beginning to slide under, and a wheezing whimper escaped his lips before his head was surrounded by warmth. His hearing was gone in moments, his closed eyelids going as well, forcing him to look upon his own free floating organs and emptying ribcage a moment before his vision was gone. The fluids burned his facial skin away and began pouring between exposed teeth to attack tongue and throat. A moment more and he felt an odd sort of detachment from his body, and realized it was telling him it was time to go. He could have held on for a few more moments through sheer willpower if he wanted to, but if he let go he would be freed from the terrible knowledge of what was happening to him. The tense, eroding features of his face softened and his exposed jaws fell open, the last few bits of air in him bubbling out as what might have been a small smile twitched briefly. His last desperate thought was clear and strong, fading away toward the end: "I trust you...friend". Then a blackness rose up within and pulled his awareness away as the last of the hyena known as Avereth left the world.
It was unexpected when he suddenly had a sense of self again. Where he was, he did not know. This was because Avereth's eyes were closed. The hyena was also curled into a tight defensive ball. If he had been able to earlier, this might have been the position he would have been in, and he certainly had been in his mind. He rose slowly to his feet, eyes still closed. He was afraid to open them, he had no idea what he would see. The hyena knew he had died just a moment ago, his body utterly and completely erased from existence. For a few moments he just took slow breaths. Strangely, he didn't feel as if he even needed to breath, but the action helped calm his mind and strengthen his resolve. He was done being afraid. He was going to face this bravely, no matter what he saw. Determination filling him, Avereth opened his eyes.