Mirror, Mirror... - And a Beast

Story by KitFox on SoFurry

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#9 of Mirror, Mirror...

Our budding druid finds out more about himself and starts to get in with the fold.


Okay, took a while to get this done. When this gets far enough linearly, it will potentially become episodic, giving glimpses of various interesting events in his looooong life. But for now, it's still linear.

Mirror, Mirror...

And a Beast

"It's just..." I shook my head. "It's hard to get my mind off the whole thing."

A week ago I'd been instrumental in saving a young woman. Daniel's girlfriend. Elara assured me that normally the woman would have been killed. I wasn't sure if losing the use of her legs and living in a coma was really saved, but the Kitsune assured me it was for a greater good.

My team at work noticed the stress too. I was letting them down and I couldn't afford to do that. Other lives were on the line. It was literally to the point where it was more productive for my team to work without me and that was bad. I was put on administrative leave and would be evaluated by a psychologist next week.

Shad looked up from where she was grooming her paw, currently just being a normal-looking black cat. She stared at me intently, then sighed and jumped over to my lap. "I think you should go visit the fold," she said. "It'll do you good to start focusing on your new life more than on your old one."

I got a happy cheek rub from her and smiled. "Okay. Are you sure it's the best idea so soon?"

"It's better than admitting that I'm not successfully keeping you bright and cheery. It's better than going down a spiral into true darkness." She put her paws on my chest so she could look into my eyes. "I really do love you deeply."

"Heh... Yeah, you did. First time when we met Elara, and several times this week," I teased lightly.

"Not what I meant!" she pouted, though she grinned. "You loved me deeply more often though," she pointed out. Then she squinted. "Seriously, even with that you're still fretting and can't get over it. You're losing connections with people around you in the real world and the last thing you want is to have them think poorly of you. Negative energy is bad in all cases. If you can't get yourself together, you'll fade from the world with bad thoughts of you and they will follow you forever."

I thought for a moment about Elara. I remembered what she showed was going to happen in the future and sighed. The lovely Kitsune had been instrumental in making Shad and I very much happier. It was her machinations that first broke the squick I had about personal time with people who were not human. Since last week broke the normalcy, Shadow and I took the newfound mindset to a good level in the free time we had.

"I'm almost tempted to turn bigger and do that more," she said sultrily, "but I really do worry about you. The biggest problem is that I still don't have a good plan for fading for us." She sat back down in my lap. "So I think meeting the fold would be the best bet."

She looked more thoughtful. "Though with the fact that so many of them are earthkin, and you'll be able to tell, I wonder if even that is a good idea." She cast her amber gaze up at him again. "How well can you deal with the idea that over half the fold will be gone within the next 500 or so years or less? I mean, literally just gone. No bodies or anything, they'll just dissolve one day with no warning."

I had to make a face. "Shad," I said softly, "remember I'm used to the idea that people won't last more than fifty or sixty years. And I've seen a lot of people die in my line of work. I've also had people I know die." I took a deep breath. "The idea that these people will still live for five hundred or so, and that I'll live much longer, is completely new to me."

"Oh, hey. Good point! Well, maybe it won't be an issue then." She got up and stretched. "Well, you should call Ashley and let her know you're ready to meet the fold."

"She didn't leave me a phone number," I pointed out. "No email, nothing."

"Will call. Or will summon. Same thing."

"And how exactly do I do that?"

"That was the contact she offered you when she first arrived. Think about her and specifically think about trying to reach her and she'll get the thoughts and be able to respond." Shad pursed her lips. "Just be aware that the nature and detail of your thoughts are there too."

I considered this. "Soooo... don't think about her ass unless I want her to know I am?" I asked jokingly.

"Precisely," Shadow said smugly. She was serious too.

Worse, given the relaxation I'd found since the fun with Elara, it was nearly as difficult to not think of doing things with Ashley as it was to not think of The Game. Ah... shit.

"You lost," Shadow said with a bounce. "I wouldn't worry if you can't keep those thoughts away though. They're common enough for druids so she probably gets them on contacts pretty often."

"I'll ask her after I don't think those thoughts," I said. "Okay... Ashley... Ashley..." I worked to focus on who she was, but my memory was not being kind.

"Think of the most distinctive things you remember that make it definitely her."

I took this to heart and thought more clearly. Hmmm... The presence outside. The little kitten in the box maybe? But that reminded me of other kittens in boxes. Ah! The griffin. I remember the massive paw on my shoulder. I could easily think of the admiration and wonder I had, and I used that to reach out with my mind and energies.

"Oh, yeah, the griffin," Shad said softly, as if thinking she was the only one who could hear herself. "Wow, she was lovely in that form. I'd so love to be male and wrap my paws around her waist, driving myself into her with wild abandon."

That thought took hold before I could push it aside. First the vision of a massive black cat with the griffin in a tight hold. Then, for the worse, it joined the memory I had of being deep inside Elara and a distinct curiosity for what it would feel like to be in Ashley in her griffin form came up.

"Ooooo... That sounds like a nice idea. Now you definitely have my attention," Ashley's thoughts came into my awareness.

Great. Definitely wasn't my intent to have that go out. I threw a sad look at Shadow, but she just grinned merrily. She succeeded quite well in what she was doing.

"May I enter your domain?" Ashley sent.

"My domain?" I looked at Shadow for clarification.

"Well, you have protective spells up. They'll work to keep her out unless you grant her permission to come in. Remember, in your home or your domain, you are the gatekeeper. Magical things generally cannot get in unless you allow or invite them in."

"Oh," I said softly. I let Ashley know she could come in and she just appeared suddenly in the living room. A long time ago that would have freaked me out. Now, I could sense the energies as they came in and the transfer of her into place. I didn't even bother to blink in surprise.

"Hi!" she exclaimed, looking around. "Still in this apartment? Well, it's not a bad one. It's been a while since I saw you. How have you held out?"

"I've done decently," I admitted. "Still learning a lot."

"You're under five hundred years old, so you still have a lot to learn," she replied with a grin. "Are you enjoying it at least?"

I smiled. "Well, yeah, for the most part."

Ashley squinted at me and frowned. "Hmm. True, but you're not telling everything." Her face turned worried. "What's wrong?"

My smile faded. "That obvious?"

"It's a thing we do," she said softly, sitting on the couch and patting the seat beside her. "Come on. Tell me what's up. I've been around a long time. I've heard a lot. I'm here for you. The whole fold will be too. They're chomping at the bit to get to meet you."

I sighed and sat beside her and jumped slightly as she put an affectionate arm around me and leaned against me. The action made me squirm, very aware of her presence and warmth.

"Helps though, doesn't it?" she asked with a coo, noticing my squirming.

"It... it does," I finally had to admit. Then a deep breath. "I helped a Kitsune with something last week. It's supposed to be good overall, but the bad parts of it still haunt me. It's affected my normal life and Shadow says I need to be in good graces when I fade, but people are starting to direct negative energy at me."

Ashley sighed and gave me a squeeze. "Well, okay. Wow. Helping a Kitsune when you're so new and so old in the human world too. They can be tear jerkers even to highly seasoned folk." She looked at Shad. "Good results?"

"Yes, very good," Shadow confirmed.

"Then there's no energy giving you problems. Just your own mind."

"That's what I told him. I figured a good distraction is what he needs. Show him that other magic people besides me still care. You're his future, but he doesn't know it yet," Shadow said softly.

"You have a wonderful famulus," Ashley said with a smile. "Gwynn is the only other one in the fold with a famulus, so you're already impressive. Even more so since you and your famulus have so much energy to be able to keep it corporeal all the time. Gwynn's famulus sometimes bemoans its lack of interaction."

"Shadow is the best thing that's ever happened to me," I said fondly. "It was a rough start, but Shad's been invaluable in keeping me together and helping me learn things."

"You also like it when I hump the stuffing out of you," Shad said with a purr. I almost blushed, aware of Ashley's presence. If she'd not been there, it would have just been banter I was used to.

"Oh? He's gotten used to being female already?" Ashley asked curiously.

"Nope. I wrap my paws around him when he's male. He hasn't even tried a female form yet."

Now I did blush, which elicited a merry laugh from the druidess.

"Oh, so cute! You're still a little shy. Not too bad though. You're just turning pink, but not getting cross or trying to pull away. It's adorable!" She gave my cheek a kiss, then looked at me, measuring me up. "You know... Kinda makes me want to help you with a female form, and then I could be male. Get a good grip on your hips and give you a good pounding. That'd definitely get your mind off the worries."

Her eyes widened. "Oooo! Even more red! I love it!"

"He's intrigued by it though and curious," Shadow said, betraying my thoughts. I was though, I had to admit.

"Well, it's a moot point anyway," Ashley said with a small sigh. "Cray gets his first time as a female, and Gwynn is second. I'll see if I can be third though." She brightened. "Cray'll be thrilled though about you catching as a male. Even druids that are found young still tend to take a while to warm up to it. Spirits, Sentin wouldn't let any of us under his tail as a male for nearly a decade."

She paused to consider. "Though he had a bad encounter on his first shift with that. But still..." Some mental work later, she nodded. "Yep. Of all of us there - even the earthkin - no male tails were lifted in less than two years and change. But then again gender shifting wasn't quick for any of us either." A huge grin crossed her face. "So the fact that we'll get to jump your ass without having to wait years is going to make pretty much everybody really happy. It'll also help us all bond much stronger and faster."

I didn't even get to open my mouth to ask before Shadow answered.

"Just like we could have formed our link faster with lots of sex," she pointed out. "You won't be linking to them like you do to me. More of a pack bond..."

"Fold bond," Ashley said. "We're not just werewolves."

"Okay, fold bond of trust and companionship and cooperation," Shad finished. "Either way, the energy sharing and spirit bonding is very good for you all."

Ashley stroked my hair. "Druids take great comfort in each other because we are the only ones who really have an understanding of what we go through and who support each other through our needs and desires. We work together a lot and are a very tight-knit group. Being able to bring you into the fold by hopping on you will be a great boon."

"Sooo... the others did what?" I asked.

"Mostly just humping against their bodies," she said with a pout. "Not the best, but it at least formed the basis."

"Why exactly is being able to..." I made a face. "...'jump my ass' first better?"

"First time is important and fold hierarchy is involved to a small degree. It's gotta be us giving to you, not asking things of you to start. The closeness and involvement of actually being in you instead of just unloading on your body is untold measures better."

Shad bunted her head against my side. "You'll like it more too. It'll help distract you better. Both of those above and beyond the better results for you and the fold," she said.

"Not asking things of me except asking me to let you in?" I asked wryly. Then I thought about it. "It's about the cumming part, isn't it? That is where giving happens? Spirit sharing and such?"

"Exactly!" Ashley exclaimed. "That's why certain creatures take on a female form. They prey on men's souls by getting the man to fuck them and then steal some or all of his soul when it's loosened by him cumming."

"Always be aware of what you hop on," Shadow advised. "It's an act of trust and giving a small portion of yourself every time. You don't run out, but you don't want that part to be abused." She considered. "Also keep in mind that some things will remain in control of that portion of themselves and can use the act to get inside you and try to corrupt you. You're pretty resistant to things like that thankfully, but still a good idea to be aware of so you can deal with it in the unlikely event something like it crops up."

That was good to know. I still had a concern though. "Soooo... eight other druids and eighteen earthkin... Are you saying I'm going to be chain gang-banged by twenty-six people?"

"Oh, goodness, no! You'd get tired of that in short order," Ashley exclaimed. "I don't think anybody would even want to read about that in detail if it was some fiction story or something. That would be nuts. Also we're rarely ever at the fold itself. Usually just the alphas and one or two others at a time. We have our own lives to live and important things to do after all. We don't want it to be overwhelming, so you do it slowly over time. Maybe the alphas and a few others the first time at most. Sometimes even only the alphas on the initiation, since they are the critical ones, then other folks at your pace."

"Good to know," I said, mildly relieved. I had to agree. Even amongst the most kinky fandoms out there, trying to slog through reading the sordid details of that much humping by that many people would be a drudge.

"I can always do you twenty-six times in a row if you feel unsatisfied," Shadow offered.

"Ah, no, not necessary."

"Or I could," Ashley said mischievously.

I just facepalmed and they both laughed merrily. I had to admit it was not disturbing me as an idea. It just sounded exceptionally boring.

"Male lions will mate hundreds of times in a day," Ashley said beside me and my couch suddenly creaked under the weight of a massive lion with his paw around me in place of her arm.

"You'll upset the fold alphas if you get too far into this idea," I said, seeing if the new lion was ticklish. He wasn't but he purred anyway. "You said they would need to be first."

"I'm proud of you for taking this all in stride though," the lion said before changing back to his human form. She smiled and kissed my cheek. "I know you've been through a lot and I know that the few we've ever found who got this far in a normal life without changing go through a lot of stress when they discover the new them. You're doing very well."

I felt a happy sense of accomplishment, but I had to glance at Shad and smile. "I give credit to my wonderful Shadow," I said. She purred, pleased with the acknowledgement.

"Well, shall we go?" Ashley asked, standing up and turning to offer me her hand.

"Yes!" Shadow exclaimed, hopping onto my shoulder.

I smiled and took the hand, standing with her help. As I did, she transported us to where we were going, the couch and my apartment vanishing from around me. It was very like when Robin took me to Harv's inner sanctum before.

The difference was that this time I was fully aware of the spell. I could sense it forming. I could feel it asking me permission to affect me and my innate skills granting that. I could tell how it worked and what it did and where it went. It was a huge change from before when I was left reeling in surprise as a result.

The cave was nice, but small. The crystals in the ceiling glowed brightly, making plenty of light for plants to grow and thrive. But the whole space was only about ten feet across in any given direction. I'd expected something bigger.

"This is an atrium," Shadow advised me. "It's not the inner sanctum of the fold. It's more of a meeting place to see outsiders. Good protection, kept away from important things, and safer in case of an attack."

"Welcome to the entrance," Ashley said. "Do no harm and none will come to you." She looked at me to see if I responded, but I had no idea what response was right. She smiled. "The official response to that is 'I seek no harm be done', though some people don't like form and just say okay. But when you agree to it, you place yourself under a geis to not intentionally mess things up or hurt anybody or anything."

I ahh'ed softly and repeated her formula. I could indeed feel the power binding me to not do something dumb. If I punched somebody for example, I'd regret it as the magic would punish me.

"We're all still under it," Ashley told me. "Not that we need it anymore. It's just not something that can be undone and it doesn't hurt anything. If we need to fight with each other, we take it outside. But we haven't had any fights in millennia."

She took my hand and walked forward into the vines against the solid stone wall. "Welcome to the fold," she said as she pulled me to the vines. At that moment, the small cave dissolved and a much larger cave was the new surrounding.

"No, you couldn't have done that just by walking without being bound," Shad told me. "You'd've just bounced off the wall. That and anything that tries to get in here directly without being bound and welcome is forcibly and usually very painfully evicted."

It was hard to tell I was in a cave really. Only the fact that I stood with a solid wall behind me and the sky overhead through the trees was stone gave any indication of it. It was a massive forest here, crystal light filtering down as bright as the sun.

A squirrel chattered in the tree above me and leaped down onto my shoulder, making shooing motions at Shadow, who bluntly disregarded them. The squirrel gave up and started inspecting my hair and my ear and pretty much climbing all abound my head and shoulders before perching atop my head triumphantly.

"No, that's a squirrel, not a druid," Ashley told me in response to my question since it didn't show up as a magical creature to my senses. "It's an enhanced squirrel, but still a squirrel."

A what?

"Oh. Most of the normal animals in the fold are enhanced," she replied. "I guess technically not normal anymore, but still normal compared to magical creatures. Slightly better intellect, more tolerance. That sort of thing. Not like they can talk to normal folks, but they know that anybody who comes in is safe, for example, so they're anything but shy and they know enough not to hurt anybody or anything since the geis binds them too."

"How could you trim a tree's branches if it needed it? That would hurt it. And what about predators and prey?" I asked.

"For the tree, it's net result the geis looks at. That applies to all of it. If you got a splinter, it would hurt to pull out, but the net is positive and no extra pain is intended, so it's not bad. Trimming the tree helps its health. As for predators, there is an entire region of golem animals and the predators know not to waste."

Golem animals... I couldn't come up with anything at all on that.

"Fake animal bodies that are alive but have no spirits. They're technically undead, but they didn't die to begin with. Tasty meat, a bit of a chase for exercise, but no soul to hurt and no mind of their own."

Ah. That honestly sounded weird.

"It is," Shadow agreed, "but that's magic for you."

Ashley gave a long stretch and her clothing quickly vanished as she did, leaving me admiring her form. It was probably intentional, and she was definitely aware of my gaze.

"I don't look too bad for being over five thousand years old, do I?" she asked with a coy tilt of her hips. "The idea of what looks good changes over the years, so I try to accommodate society at the time. Nowadays there is a lot of different ideas too."

Her body melted slightly and changed to an Asian lass, then to a gaunt-faced Siberian beauty, then again into a cushy-tushed redhead with buxom curves. I lifted an eyebrow. Impressive.

"We druids don't always spend as much time in human forms though," she observed, her form melting as she spoke to drop her to four massive wolf paws, then another shift to the male lion she'd been before, and finally a substantial change into a massive python.

"Go ahead and disrobe," she told me. "No reason to bother with clothing here." She shifted into a female lion form.

I saw no reason to disagree, so I unformed my clothing. I'd gotten very good at making pretty much any clothing I owned in an instant after having the hassle of work clothing when I did the work for the Kitsune. Since I'd been put on leave, Shadow had me practice more clothing, so I was getting even better at making well-detailed and interesting magical clothing.

The squirrel tired of being kind of the head and leaped back into a nearby tree. I watched it go, then looked around to see what else was about. It was a very nice forest. The temperature was balmy and the plants healthy. There were insects about, but none of them bothered me. I could protect my feet magically from harsh surfaces, but the loamy floor was not a problem at all. It really felt like a magical place. A perfect forest from a fairy tale.

A chuff and a questioning sound came from my left and I glanced over. A leopard stood there, tail up and looking at me curiously.

Ashley responded in a similar rowrl and walked over to rub her cheek against me. "He's a friend. He's a new druid," she said in English. "Mind you I'm saying that for your benefit, since you can't understand us I don't think."

"I've been with a druid before, looooong ago," Shadow said, hopping to the ground. "I'll fix that for him."

The leopard padded closer and sniffed the air with his mouth open. With the direction of Shad in my mind, I was soon making sense of his communication. It was an eye-opener. It wasn't all noises. His ears said "I'm curious about you" while his sniffing and tasting the air said "I want to know who you are." Tail up and body language said "I'm a friend and I don't want to hurt you."

Soon he walked right up to me and rubbed his cheek against my hip. "I like you, I consider you a friend," that meant. Then he turned behind me and promptly stuck his nose against my ass, sniffing furiously. "I want to know who you are better."

I'm pretty sure I got a little bit reddish at this treatment, but soon he was satisfied and bunted his head against the small of my back, nearly knocking me over. "I want to play!" He reared up and put his paws on my shoulders, knocking me onto hands and knees, then pushing at my side and nearly knocking me onto my other side. "I like you!" he indicated with a chuff as he rawrawred and wrapped his paws around my waist.

Then a lick on the back of my neck, and another, and his grip tightened on my waist as the motions translated to, "I'd like to mount you." Well, that escalated fast.

"No," Ashley said to the jaguar by bounding over and headbunting him in the side to interrupt him. "Alphas first," she said in English.

With Shadow's prompting I told him no as well by backing to sit on my heels, making myself inaccessible to his advances.

"Awww, please?" was what came of his letting go and licking rapidly at my lower back, chuffing insistently. "I really like you."

I straightened up and got to my feet, much to the feline's disappointment. "Are all the animals here this forward?" I asked.

"Eh, most of them, yes. They know we like to do that and the feeling is very much a positive reinforcement for them. Senjah here is a bit more friendly than most in that respect though."

Senjah went through a lot of posturing and rubbing against me and in the end it translated to "I really like you and I will be a good male and impress you so I can mount you." Then he chirped and bounded off "I'm gonna go play somewhere else!"

"See? You've got suitors already," Ashley said cheerily. "Come on. Let's head to the central glade."

She turned and started leading the way, tail high. I'd be damned if she didn't somehow make her rear look extremely inviting with the way she moved. That was saying something given that in my prior life, such thoughts would have disgusted me.

"Even before we consolidated into one fold, this was the largest druid cave," Ashley said conversationally. "Even so, some of its environs require magic to maintain. It's not near the sea, but we have an ocean lagoon. It's definitely not big enough to naturally contain everything from snowy tundra to desert, so we had to partition the environments off magically so the heat of the sands wouldn't melt the snow or leak to other things. For the most part our main area is this temperate forest."

She hopped over a log that I had to climb over.

"Most of the normal animals have preferred climates, but most of them are also happy going where they are comfortable in others." She paused to give a looong, rear-up stretch, showing off to me again and easily getting a twinge of a reaction.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, pausing to look back at me. "I just realized. You've spent so long as a human that you're less likely to instinctively understand submission. Young druids pick it up naturally, but at your age your mind might try to fight it or shy away from it. That definitely won't do with the alphas."

"Oh, yeah..." Shadow said, becoming a little saddened. "Completely forgot about that. It's been a long time since my last druid." She perked up instantly. "I can help you squelch any fighting against your submissive instincts though," she told me.

Submission? Did I always have to be submissive? Did I have to fight my way up the totem?

"No, no..." Ashley said, trying to assuage my concern. "Just have to be submissive when a ranking druid demands it, especially initiation. Also some animals, both here and elsewhere, are better to just be submitted to. Beats having to beat them up and upset them. Otherwise you'll be invited to be dominant just as frequently as you're asked to submit, and you'll be equals more often than either. Anyway, submitting is often really fun. The dominant is in charge, but has a lot more work to do because of it."

Shadow laughed at my thoughts. "No, silly. It's not like that human thing. Not 'Yes master' and eyes down and everything. It's just a matter of letting them do what they do and trusting them. You'll see. It's a natural instinct for you when it's called for. Just because you were human so long you might have that mindset trying to say it's not right somehow. You know we got over that well with me for example." She winked.

I smiled and my eyes were drawn to Ashley's leonine haunches again as she turned and continued walking. The past week had made Shadow ecstatic and I'd really loosened up. Maybe entirely. Well, maybe not. I still blushed sometimes for real instead of just for show. I wondered as we walked whether I should be any specific form. I didn't have a lot I knew yet and it took me a bit to become new ones, though Shad was a great help with that.

"You're fine. Just stay human for the initiation stuff and when you first meet other druids like this," Ashley told me when I asked. I could do that. I'd done human and cat with Shadow a lot so I was okay with it.

I could sense the magical beings up ahead before I could see them. Ashley bounced some as she entered a clear area that was still overhung with branches, though the far edge met the shore of a lake. It was a moment of pause as I took in what was there.

A griffin lounged on a rock talking to a fox and a wolf who were lying partly atop each other. I squinted as I tried to figure out what my magic senses were telling me. All three were magic in nature, but their flavors differed, so to speak.

"I brought our new foundling," Ashley said as she approached.

"Fortuitous timing," the fox said to the griffin offhandedly. Then she jumped down from where she was lounging on the wolf and padded over.

"Welcome to the fold. I've heard much about you and Ashley has been keeping us up to date as she led you here. I'm Gwynn, one of the two fold alphas. The wolf is Cray, the other alpha." She was very large for a fox, though she still had to look up to grin at me.

"I already know you've been informed on what your welcome will be and from what I understand it's something to help distract you from the mundane world for the moment as well." Another feral grin from her and the subtle change as she shifted to male. "Your timing is good, and I'll start off welcoming you. Do be a dear and come down here so you're not looming over me."

The words were more of a demand than a request. I could suddenly see what Shadow and Ashley meant by being submissive as I felt an urge to comply that was questioned by my mind for a moment before Shad gave a nudge to that mind and I willingly dropped to sit on my heels.

"Mmm... you have a good energy about you," the fox said as he sniffed at my face and neck. "The fold will benefit greatly from your presence and you from ours." He began to rub against me firmly, causing me to lose my balance and fall to my side. When I started to try to get up, I found his nose against my throat gently.

By instinct I lifted my chin and uncurled my legs. The vulpine was pleased by this, licking at my throat and giving a gentle nip that caused my breath to draw in. His licks traveled down my front and by the time they reached my groin I was already quite at attention.

"A handsome druid even in your native form," he said after gracing my shaft with the softness of his tongue. He stepped back and stood onto two feet, becoming a humanoid fox. With me on the ground I could quite easily see his flesh poking from his sheath. He held a hand down to me and I took it, pulled quickly to my feet.

The griffin was watching this all with interest and after a quiet discussion with the wolf, he got up and stretched, then moved over until his flank was in front of me. The fox on the other hand had moved around behind, his arms encircling me and rubbing at my belly.

"Let's give you a good first welcome," the fox said, nibbling on my earlobe. "The welcomes are quick, but important. You'll have time to tarry later, but right now..."

His body moved in behind me and pressed me against the griffin, using the mythical creature almost as a table to push me over. My very attentive shaft had a hip to press against, the play of the muscular leg apparent as the griffin supported my increased weight on his rump. My ankles were nudged by feet from the inside of them and I obediently spread my stance.

A ruffle of wings as the griffin got his near one more comfortable. It had to be held forward to allow me to be against his body. But with that small distraction I was almost unaware of the fox moving suddenly close behind me. His furred hand on my hip was the only warning I got before his hot, slick tip found my hole and without asking or hesitating, he pushed several inches of himself in.

This was distinctly different than the way Shad felt and deliciously good. I bit back a moan as he started to rock in and out, using his bone to get depth at first but with his arousal growing to drive in an extra half inch with each delightful push.

His pace was slow at first but it rapidly quickened and I was just along for the ride. I originally had thought maybe there would be talking, maybe questions, seeing if I was a good person or whatnot. This had just gone straight to boning me. Not that I was objecting, mind you.

It was only a few more thrusts before his knot was stretching my opening, pressing to get in. It was no longer in his sheath, so only my tightness was keeping it from my depths, and given the pleased growls and strengthening grip on my hips I could tell he was quite happy with the tightness.

The thrusts soon grew strong enough to force the griffin to widen his stance for stability and I was absolutely loving the feeling when I felt him strain at the end of a push instead of pulling back. The pressure and the sensation was immense as his knot slowly slid in with the inexorable pressure and got pulled in deeply when it passed the outer ring of muscles.

My delighted yelp was overshadowed by his as he gifted me first with a rapid series of short, jackhammer thrusts with his knot staying inside. Then he pressed me hard against the magnificent creature I was bent over and I felt his balls draw up along the back of mine before his flesh began to buck and grace my depths with his seed.

Moreso, I could sense the truth in the magic considerations. I could feel his giving. His juices and his energy both, welcoming me to be a part of his family.

His tongue drew across the back of my neck tenderly and he throbbed within me. "I would absolutely love to stay tied with you," he murmured huskily, "but sadly this is not the opportunity for it. Mmmm... The first druid I have welcomed deeply... You're a special one."

The words left me wondering until I remembered that the other druids were welcomed by people humping outside them. Then his body left me wanting when he vanished from behind me and from within me.

I shivered in delight. This was quick, but welcome. I was already shaking a little as I looked over to where the wolf had been, not seeing him there.

Something wrapped around my legs, suddenly binding them together with a snakelike body nearly the size of my waist. At the same time, two clawed forefeet grasped my shoulders gently, pulling me up off the griffin before the same lithe, scaled body wrapped around my torso and a distinctly non-snake head curled around to gaze at me.

It took some getting over the surprise and finally using my magical senses to get a better understanding of what I was being lifted into the air by. I shivered again as it finally made sense. Long, snake-like body, frilled ears and legs, large scales... It was like an Eastern dragon. He had me tightly in his coils and my feet were completely off the ground as he held me suspended in the air, not needing to touch the ground himself.

"I can feel you sssshiver in antici..." he said softly, forcing me to bend and exposing my rear to a loop of his coils. Cliche to stop there, but it still made me give a desirous whimper before he got his body aligned and his tip touched my puckered hole.

"...pation," he finished, pressing himself in with delightful slowness. Every muscle in his body tensed around me as each ridge along his length made me voice a little squeak when it slid in. Oh wow, this was intense.

I didn't realize I'd been mostly holding my breath until his body met mine as he hilted himself. The ridges meant he didn't need much movement for us both to enjoy him immensely, but that didn't stop him from making use of his full length anyway. Even as he drove into me, letting his ridges give the majority of the fun amidst slow, steady thrusts, he was slowly getting me wrapped in his coils more.

Soon my vision was filled with dragon body only as he held me literally bent over double, my legs flat against my front as he enjoyed delving into me. I knew I wasn't supposed to cum, but at the rate this was going it might be hard not to.

I was saved by keeping my mind off the astounding feelings as best I could though I was sweating from the fun as his whole body tensed, squeezing me delightfully tightly before he unloaded deep inside me. Once more the sharing, the unconditional welcoming and camaraderie. Both alphas had seen to me and welcomed me. They got a taste for me, but more they gave a small bit of themselves to show me that I belonged.

He slid out of me, leaving me wanting but still quite happy. Rearranging his body he slowly let me to the ground on my hands and knees, panting softly and still rock hard. I looked up and swallowed, seeing Gwynn just finishing talking softly to the griffin. That massive one nodded and looked at me, his beak falling open a little.

Was this one of the true druids, or one of the earthkin? I couldn't really tell. He felt different than the two alphas, but that might be because they were the alphas. He felt different than Ashley too though, so maybe he was an earthkin. I knew he wouldn't know if he was and so now was not the time to ask.

He padded over and preened my hair a little, moving around behind me. I wondered what form he'd take. Gwynn started as a feral fox form, but then changed to humanoid fox like the Kitsune had been. Cray's form had both surprised and amazed me. He said nothing though as he came closer, and as his massive forepaws first fell to either side of my body and then one curled beneath my tummy, I realized he was not going to change into anything else.

His feathers and belly fur were warm against my back as his paw needfully lifted my body against his belly. His haunches tilted several times as he moved to position himself and his first poke hit the base of my balls where they met my body. I sucked in a breath at the warmth he carried. He was much hotter in body than the fox or the dragon had been.

I helpfully pulled my hips forward as he pressed, trying to find his place. The tilt slid his slick tip into position and soon he was delighted to meet my tight hole and start to slide in.

His shaft was an entirely new sensation, the tapered tip flaring at its base into a rigid mushroom shape, even with the cupped area behind it. This was quickly followed by a firm ridge that circled most of his shaft, turning to a flap of skin, also angled down his shaft, at the front. The rigid portions must be cartilage or something more firm, and the feeling of them inside was delightful. Then a third, bulkier ridge that was just the same, but almost like a knot in its size, pressed in as he pressed hard, delighted to slide into my silken body.

A jerk of his haunches and his massive balls bounced below mine as he hilted himself in a sudden motion. He let out a growing cawww, humping just twice as if trying to get deeper, then a startled squawk. His body shuddered and his balls pulled up quickly before he bucked inside me more strongly than I could imagine something doing.

His spray of hot fluids was powerful enough for me to feel within and the tight grip of his forepaw held me firmly as he unloaded with delight, making cute little sounds and awks. There was definitely a lot for him to give, and he let out a satisfied but defeated-sounding squaww when his flesh finally stopped bucking and he was able to relax again.

"Hmm. Yes, I can see the problem," Gwynn said from behind me. The griffin tensed his paw against my tummy and slowly pulled out, leaving me feeling quite full and actually pretty happy with it, though confused now and wondering what was happening. This majestic creature had shared less, and his spirit didn't feel like a druid.

"So with all the seed you make, popping so soon like that just forces the other male's in further," Gwynn said thoughtfully.

The griffin was silent.

"Yes, that makes sense," Gwynn said.

The griffin was silent again.

"Oh? Well, yes, but after forcing his in like that, it doesn't sound like it would help much."

The griffin huffed sadly.

The burning curiosity was finally getting the best of me and I opened my mouth, but Ashley spoke up first.

"Our poor foundling isn't on the local ether," she said, amused. "He must be terribly confused."

"Oh!" Gwynn exclaimed. "You didn't show him how to listen?" she scolded Ashley.

"We normally aren't able to teach them that for several weeks," Ashley pointed out meekly.

"Oh, yes..." Gwynn deflated a little. "It's been a long time, I'm sorry." She turned her attention to me and sounded mildly upset. "You're not on the ether, so you can't hear his side of the conversation through all of this. He even asked you if he could mount and took your silence as approval. Oh, spirits, you didn't even know!"

"It's fine," I assured her with a smile. "I wouldn't object if I had heard. What's this all about?"

"He came to us for help because he has yet to sire a clutch," she said. "You can see he pops too soon, so he isn't able to extract the prior males' seed. He's a great protector and can keep any others from following him, but it doesn't matter since he can't undo the work of the male before him."

It took some brief questioning and finding out that griffin anatomy was made specifically to squeegee out the cum of any prior males before they dropped their own inside. It didn't help as much to get to a hen first if the male couldn't ward off other males after.

This male was good at getting hens after the others, and protecting them from others. But getting the seed of the other male out of the female required a good bit of thrusting so the cupped shape behind his cock head and the firm ridges worked together to make one-way valves that pulled the copious cum out.

I also found out that while normal animals spoke a language of body and action and sound and scent, magical creatures like the griffin just put their thoughts onto the local ether. It was an effective way for magical creatures to communicate at a higher level. Shadow took the reins and soon enough I was able to listen in, much to the surprise of the other three druids.

"I unload so fast, always on the first thrust. I just can't help myself, it feels so good," the poor griffin explained. "I'm a strong male and should be a good mate, but no clutch that's mine still. I can go a second time and last so much longer and feel so much better. But it's no good, because my seed pushes the other seed deeper and then it's too late."

I considered this and rolled back onto my knees, then leaned forward onto my hands. "Show me the second time," I said. One teensy remnant of my past in my mind tried to scream "WHAT?!" in shocked reaction, but Shadow didn't even need to squelch it. I myself took the dissenting thought and strangled it quite quickly.

He looked to the alphas and Gwynn shrugged and nodded. "Go ahead. It's been some minutes. We'll see if you perform well this time." She seemed impressed that I offered though.

The griffin gave a happy little squawk and got into position quickly. Sex was fun after all and the druids were trying to help him. The fact that he was being helped beyond the 'Sorry, there's nothing we can do' possibility -and- he got to hump a druid again was quite a nice thing for him.

I sucked in a happy breath as his other forepaw wrapped around my tummy and lifted me up against his again. My own shaft was reawakening after the interlude of relaxation. I remembered the tilt my hips needed and when he got his own hips forward enough to find my skin with his tip, there was only a half inch to adjust myself to let him slip in with a satisfied groan.

This time the urgency was not there. The frantic need to get in before he popped was defused and he slid in with a measured delight, the ridges sliding effortlessly in this direction. His copious cum that was already inside me from his last go flowed easily past the mushroom cup at his tip and the soft flesh flap at the front of the ridges.

Then, without full depth, he reversed, the cupped head and the ridges sluicing out the cum they had let by on the way in when the flaps flared firmly against my insides, making a tight seal. Not only did it feel almost overwhelmingly wonderful to me, but as the first ridge came out and the higher one quickly pulled out a hot, juicy load to let it slowly dribble down my balls and fall to the ground, he let out a triumphant squawwww.

I closed my eyes and delighted in the feel as he gained confidence, his thrusts slowly becoming deeper so they wouldn't force anything further in. But they were quickly extracting the majority of the cum from inside me, the back of my balls soaked and a puddle of hot griffin juice... and fox and dragon now that I thought about it... forming on the ground beneath me.

It wasn't until he was running me dry and the friction got a good bit firmer in my tight hole that his body was signaled that I was cleared out and ready for his load. He gripped me more firmly and drove himself with no concern now to his full depth.

I felt the flare of his tip firm up and invert itself, reversing the direction of the seal inside me, then his balls slid up along mine as he hunched his back and unabashedly rocked into my depths in quick, jackhammer-like motions before that astounding buck within me again and the heated feel of his cum filling me once more.

The wonderful creature was left panting, his wings mantled around me in satisfaction and possessive pleasure this time. This was how things were supposed to work for him and the result for him was that much more powerful. He was a fully-satisfied griffin, despite me not being a female of his kind.

"See? I'm fine the second time," he said with an air of pride and happiness. But then he wilted a little. "But it doesn't matter because the first time after another griffin pushes his seed so deep that I can't get it all out, so the second time is useless anyway." He climbed off me in defeat and I was deep in thought, seeking a solution.

Shadow fell over laughing and everybody looked at her. She giggled for a while as I slowly considered turning slightly embarrassed. Then she finally admitted what she was laughing about. "He was just thinking about asking for a second griffin just to check this theory and see if some really stayed in after the second and then a quick pop from this one," she said, giggling. "I'm so proud of you!" she told me.

"Well, if it is all getting pulled out anyway, then we'd have to explore other possible problems," I said in my defense.

"That makes complete sense," Cray said, surprising me with his agreement.

"I don't have time," the griffin said sullenly. "I have plenty of friends who would swoop at a chance to help because they get to pounce a druid, but my favorite hen will be breedable in just a few hours and it would take me longer than that to find my male friends."

"Why don't you mount another hen before your favorite one? Then when you mount her, you'll be able to do well," Ashley observed.

"Far too long a flight between hens and the hen I left would be offended. Even if she understood, I'd be fully relaxed and cumming too soon by the time I reach my favorite hen. I only stay good for a few minutes like here."

Ashley considered, then she grinned a sly feline smile and her tailtip twitched. "Well then you should take a druid along to your favorite hen and mount him just before. Then you can immediately hop on her and do a good job. And heck, just so you feel extra good, you can hop on him again afterward."

The griffin perked up immensely. "A druid would do that for me? That would be wonderful!"

I lifted my head and looked at him admiringly. "Absolutely! I'd be honored to," I said happily.

"You're so wonderful!" the griffin exclaimed, pouncing over and hugging around my body with his forepaws while he mantled his wings around me protectively and possessively, crooning and preening my hair.

"I..." Ashley started, then she took a breath. "I was actually going to offer, but..."

"Go ahead and let our new foundling do it," Cray decided, smiling. "You go along to help him just in case."

Ashley looked at him as the griffin let me go with a happy chirr and moved aside to preen his wings. "Oh?"

"Yes. You have time to welcome him now before you go. When he's done with his helping, you can take him in you and let the poor guy get some release."

"Oh!" Ashley exclaimed, immediately brightening and casting her gaze at me, her form quickly shifting to male and a mane growing in. I was still on hands and knees, griffin cum polled below my groin and still dripping from my balls, but I was fine with this.

Then I spotted spots beside Ashley. Senjah padded up to him and rubbed against him, then padded over to me and gave my bottom a lick. "I mount you?" he asked with his movements, already excited at the prospect because of my position.

"Aww," Ashley said with a grin. "If you deny him again, he'll head off again and you might not see him before we leave. I'm okay with him having a first go so he doesn't go away sad."

She thought she was teasing me lightly and was obviously startled when I smiled and nodded. "Yes, that sounds like a good idea. Good relations are hard to come by these days."

She watched in amazement as I dropped my upper body to my elbows and lowered my bottom towards my ankles, but tilted my hips back at Senjah's nosing and licking, giving him a clear access to my body. Originally she thought I'd decline. Then she hadn't realized I'd know the proper way to tell him and that it would be the poor kitty being unsure but taking a lack of no as a slow okay.

My clear signal elicited a delighted chuff from the cat. "I like you!" Needing no extra encouragement, he quickly loomed over me and got a grip on my hips. He was well-experienced with druids in all forms and knew I was male even, so there was no missing on the first poke. Educated Senjah was educated.

I closed my eyes and just reveled in the feelings as he found his mark spot on and pushed in. I wasn't worried about what the others thought, though it was obvious they were surprised and pleased. I also wasn't worried about what my prior life's mind thought. It gave up in frustration a while ago. I just enjoyed being gripped so nicely and fucked by the big feline. As a cat, he would finish quickly. Of course he might just go at it again, but I wouldn't mind if he did.

I was feeling good. I was going to help a real griffin, not just a druid in the shape of one. I'd gotten past my human-trained squeamishness. Shadow was proud of me and loving me - I could tell that unerringly through the link. Not to mention she was horny as all hell herself, since she got my positive sensations too. When she got a chance to, she'd be jumping my bones in a heartbeat.

Being a druid was all about mastering being an animal. Sure, there was life and death and violence and illness and territory and fights and posturing and all manner of other things. But there was also sensuality and lust and a good dose of carnal humping.

It might take me a while before I learned the other parts, but I had the carnal lust down pretty well and was quite enjoying the freedom. This was one part of being a druid I definitely liked.

For this part alone, I could handle the other parts.

I was a person. I was a druid. And I would be a beast.

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