Windrider, Healing the Heart
#3 of Windrider
As before, comments are appreciated and requested.
Hope you enjoy it.
Continued from "The Escape..."
Aldaz looked up from his companion's feathers with bleary eyes, finding the sky lightening before him. Gradis was still flying eastward as fast as she could, every breath coming as a ragged gasp. They had been flying for far longer than they ever had before, hours uncounted, at top speed no less. The dragons pursuing them were still there, though they had finally started to fall behind, as if they were giving up. The violet feathered avian had long since passed over the mainland, and on into the wild places that Aldaz had never seen before. He was now thankful that they had spent so much time flying everyday. The daily flights had kept Gradis strong, lending her the endurance to keep at this. They were also lucky, because he was not yet fully grown, and thus did not provide as big of a burden to her as a fully grown rider might have, giving them an edge that the dragons did not have. But despite all of those advantages, Gradis was tired, her strength flagging swiftly. Even she could not keep up this fast paced flight for much longer. Already, she was more tired than he had ever seen her, her head down, her wings starting to falter as she flew. It was clear to him that soon she would need to land, and when they did, the dragons would inevitably catch up with them. But now, as the sky lightened with the coming dawn, she finally spoke to him, her voice labored and weak.
"Aldaz, when the sun rises, hold tight to me and shut your eyes." She commanded. He nodded his ascent, wondering just what she had in mind.
A second later, he did as she had ordered, holding tight to her and closing his eyes, burying his face against her feathery back. He had no sooner tucked his head away when he felt the sudden heat of the sunrise on his head and neck. And then, Gradis tucked her wings into her sides and dove out of the sky, dropping like a stone. A moment later, Aldaz could feel much cooler air around him, then he was surprised to find water spraying up around him. The rushing wind threatened to rip him from her back, but he clung to her feathers tightly, refusing to be torn away. Moments later, the water was gone and he felt Gradis' feet hit earth once more. And suddenly, the heat of the sun was cut off and he at last opened his eyes. They were underneath a thick growing wood, the leafy canopy above shielding them from sight. Looking back, Aldaz saw the reason why Gradis had told him to shut his eyes. The trees they were under were near to the shoreline of a deep lake. From the wide ripples upon the water, he guessed that she had used the water to slow them down, rather than back flapping as she usually did, which had allowed them to get under cover quickly. Just as he was wondering whether the dragons would spot their trail in the water and on the shore, the sunlight hit the surface of the lake, raising a thick mist that obscured everything around them.
Aldaz slid from Gradis' back as she slumped to the earth, utterly spent. Peering up through one of the only gaps in the trees, he held his breath, watching for the dragons. To his surprise, they passed overhead barely a minute later without even slowing down, completely ignorant to their whereabouts. It took him several heartbeats to realize why, but when he did, he smiled. The suddenly rising sun had blinded them to her sudden dive. As far as they knew, the Windrider and his companion had simply vanished. Smiling, Aldaz looked over at Gradis and spoke.
"It worked," he said. "They are gone."
Gradis smiled tiredly at him and lay down on her side, her eyes closing slowly as she breathed in several deep breaths, her entire body trembling with exhaustion. Suddenly, all the fear and all the confusion of the night caught up with Aldaz. He was exhausted as he had never been before, the surge of adrenalin taking its toll on him as it faded, spent in the escape from his home. Aldaz lay down beside Gradis, slumping gratefully to the cool earth, curling up beside her beneath the hanging boughs of the dark green trees above them. As he lay there, he realized that, for the moment at least, they were safe from harm. Even his white robes could not be seen in the dark space where they lay. They could relax. The realization finally loosened the band of fear that had been clenched around his heart from the moment Urlidor had awakened him, hours and hours ago. But then, he shivered, for the ground was wet with the morning dew and the night had been cold, the rushing wind chilling him. He shivered once again, his teeth chattering, and then jumped a moment later when one of Gradis' great wings covered him like a blanket, drawing him over against her side. Despite her own exhaustion, she still did all she could to make him comfortable. Smiling, Aldaz closed his eyes and, nestled within the warm, feathery embrace of his mount, drifted off into peaceful sleep...
***
Arman strode at an easy pace through the bustling streets, ignoring the soldiers that hurried on around him, his team trailing him a step behind with a chest held between two of them. His mission was done, and he had no fear of attack. All meaningful resistance had died off hours ago, soon after the first troops had been landed, and the citizens that remained were hiding in their houses, terrified of the invaders that had conquered them. The street was strewn with the bodies of Heliopolan soldiers and civilians, but the slaves that had accompanied the second wave of troops were already beginning to clear them. Stepping over a corpse dressed in bronze highlighted armor, the officer stepped out into the Great Square. The many thousands of crystalline shards caught the early morning sunlight like countless prisms, throwing rainbows of light all over the buildings that surrounded it. The dome must truly have been magnificent when it was intact. Already a flight of dragons were clearing a space towards the center of the square, a space wide enough for a very special airship to set down. Arman grinned to himself as he walked through the debris field, the soldiers who had cleared the convenient path through it saluting him as he walked.
Thanks to his assassins and the monstrous soldiers that they had unleashed, the army of Heliopolis, complete with its legions of dragons and airships, never assembled and was defeated before the first airships touched down. Arman was more than pleased with the outcome of the battle. His soldiers had performed better than anyone had expected, accomplishing their missions with ease, without losing a single member of the team. Still smiling, he waited, watching as the dragons worked, clearing the rest of the makeshift landing pad. As he waited, another officer walked up to him, a man he recognized as Captain Varnil, dressed in the scale armor of a dragon rider. He saluted Arman and the assassin turned toward him, giving him his attention.
"Sir, early prisoner report." The officer said, holding out a roll of parchment. Arman nodded and unrolled it carefully, scanning the list quickly. A few dozen soldiers had surrendered when it became clear that the battle was lost, along with most of the dragons and their riders, who had never gotten airborne, to say nothing of fighting. A few of them were as of yet unaccounted for, but they were so few that it hardly mattered. All of it was as he expected, all except one thing. Down at the bottom of the list was one anomaly that caught his eye. 'One Avian and rider.'
"Captain, I don't recall Avians and their riders being a part of the Heliopolis military." Arman said, forming an insult with which to lash the man for his incompetence.
"Normally, we wouldn't consider such a pair to be prisoners, but this pair, and another that we lost track of over the mainland, each killed a dragon." The captain replied, standing at attention. Arman raised his eyes from the list, surprised. He had never heard of such an occurrence before.
"Really?" he questioned and the captain nodded once, sharply. "Well, when we are done here, I will have to see this pair for myself."
"As you wish sir." The captain replied, stepping so he stood off to the side, out of the way. A few moments later, both officers looked up, the whine of an airship's engines filling the air. The airship coming down to land was painted all black, with light blue tracery spread out across it. It was sleek, brand new, and protected by spells upon spells. Arman held up an arm to shield his eyes as the ship set down, blocking out the dust that threatened to blind him. When the dust cleared and he was able to lower his arm, the ramp of the airship was already most of the way down. The moment it was fully extended, a score of the Emperor's personal guards stormed down the ramp, lining it to either side, their sable armor polished to an almost mirror shine. When they had fully deployed, Arman and Varnil bowed low, the common soldiers around them kneeling on one knee. For a short time, the square was utterly silent, then the sounds of quiet footsteps could be heard. Arman and his men did not so much as look up as the man on board the dropship walked up, for to do so was a death sentence. If he had moved in the slightest way beyond bowing lower, he would have been cut down by the royal guardsmen in an instant. But finally, the footsteps stopped and a voice rang out in the silence.
"Rise." The single word echoed slightly, as if it were filled with power and Arman at last raised his head. Before him stood the Mani Emperor Archadius, dressed in sable velvet and silk, long white hair in stark contrast to his clothing, every inch a monarch. He wore finely knit chainmail that even a stiletto dagger wouldn't pierce beneath his cloak, a beautiful hand and a half sword bound at his side, capped and bound about with jewels. The man, though aging, was still hale and strong, and he looked upon Arman with expectant eyes. After pausing for a few moments longer, the assassin spoke to him at last.
"Your majesty," He began, turning to the side as his men brought the chest forward. Reverently, Arman lifted the lid of the chest and stepped back. "I present to you the crown of Heliopolis." Smiling eagerly, the Emperor reached into the chest and lifted the golden crown from it. Stones of brilliant Amber stood out among the pale gold of the circlet and his smile grew wider as he lifted it in his hands, setting it upon his own head.
"Ah." He said, sighing in satisfaction. "At last. Another crown for my collection, and the one that I most desired. You have done well Kandris. Kneel and receive your reward." Arman did so, going down on one knee and bowing his head. Archadius drew his sword and then laid its flat first upon one shoulder of the kneeling assassin, then the other. "I dub you, Lord Arman Kandris, steward of Heliopolis." Arman looked up at the Emperor in surprise and the monarch smiled at him, turning to a servant that had come down from the ship, carrying a velvet lined box. The Emperor reached into the box and lifted an ornate chain from it. It seemed to have been made for this occasion alone, for it was light blue, made from many interlinking copies of the Mani insignia, but set into the center of the chain, a medallion hung, a golden sunburst on it. The Emperor settled the chain about Arman's neck, marking him as a Mani Lord. While he had expected some sort of reward, he hadn't expected this
"Thank you, my liege." Arman replied, still surprised.
"I know you will do a fine job ruling this city." The Emperor replied, returning his sword to its sheath. "Now, go about your duties Lord Kandris."
"Yes, your majesty." He said, rising to his feet as his liegelord passed him, his royal guard following close behind, halberds held at the ready. When the new ruler of the conquered land had passed him, Arman turned to the captain of the dragon riders. "Now then, about that prisoner of yours."
"Right this way, my lord." The captain said, bowing and leading the way off towards the south side of the city, where the prison had once stood. All the criminals that had once been held there had been executed by the Maniites during the assault, their cells now filled with prisoners of war. It was a good twenty minute walk to the jail, and while they walked, Arman contemplated why the Emperor had given him so much responsibility. Arman knew nothing about politics, and even less about ruling a province. And yet, perhaps that was the point. Arman was a safe choice. He could, in theory at least, be counted on not to use the post for his own advantage, unlike the other nobles of Mani, who were a bunch of squabbling, immoral fops, utterly greedy and corrupt.
But a smile worked its way onto his lips. He had his own plans, plans that didn't include being a toady to the Emperor, nor one of his innumerable pawns. A far reaching and ambitious plan had formed long ago in Arman's mind, when he had learned that the Emperor's ambitions knew no bounds, a plan that becoming a lord advanced considerably. The Mani ruler didn't care in the slightest for the soldiers that served him, and regularly sacrificed them seemingly at a whim. The Emperor had just unknowingly put the ruthless assassin within reach of his ultimate goal. Smiling to himself at the Emperor's foolishness, he put his plan out of his mind as the small group of soldiers passed through the guarded archway of the prison. Returning his thoughts to the present, he looked up as the captain led him to one of the larger cells in the courtyard.
The cell itself was made all of stone, even its door, which was taller than he was. Unlike much of the architecture of the city, the stone was not inlaid with bronze or gold, nor inset with crystal. It was wholly dark and depressing, which he assumed was the point. Walking up to the bars of the cage, he was surprised to find that its human occupant was a boy, not even fully grown to manhood. His hair was light blonde, his skin tan, and his white robe had been ripped by the claws of a dragon when he had been caught. The other occupant of the cell was a violet feathered avian, which would have been quite pretty to the eye if it hadn't been so dusty. Both were secured with heavy iron chains and Arman turned to the Captain.
"You expect me to believe that this boy and his pet killed one of your dragons?" He sneered and the captain nodded, his face wholly serious. "Pathetic."
"That may be sir, but they are not like others of their kind I have met." The captain replied defensively, obviously irritated at the insult.
Arman shook his head and looked inside the cell once more. To his surprise, the boy was staring at him and he was intrigued. The youth's stare was intense, hot with anger and hatred, filled with defiance. Arman stared right back at the boy for a few moments, meeting the intense stare evenly before turning his back and walking away. He would certainly remember the young prisoner. If such a young man could be that defiant, then he would have to be on guard for the other Heliopolans. Of course, that could also work to his advantage...
***
Aldaz awoke to a fuzzy kind of warmth around him, feeling groggy and disoriented. For a few moments, just when the fog of sleep lifted from his mind, freeing it from its comfortable embrace, he couldn't remember what had happened. For a moment, he wondered why he felt so stiff and sore, and why he wasn't under the clean sheets of his bed. And then, as he smelled the familiar scent of feathers and the smells of earth and grass, everything came rushing back. Awakening to the panic and destruction of a surprise attack washed through him once more as he relived the memory. Then, the sights and sounds of the terrifyingly close escape from the city made his mind reel. And then, the scent of copper that had filled the air of the great square, painting the shards of the great crystalline dome with crimson slashes invaded his nostrils once more. It was the scent of panic, of hopeless fear; the scent of death. All at once, he felt sick, his mind reeling around and around in circles. Hurriedly, he pushed at the wing that covered him, crawling from the warm pocket and out into open air. But the fresh air did not help. The stench of death was all around him, he couldn't get away from it. His mind was spinning, the world was getting blurry. It was too much to bear.
He could feel the sick feeling welling up inside him and he paused, bent over near the shoreline. Then, squeezing his eyes shut to the spinning world, he retched. Again and again he retched, though he had nothing to bring up. Shaking his head, he drew in a deep breath, but that didn't help. His stomach clenched again and he gagged, trying to hold back the sick feeling. After another moment of breathless torment, he forced another deep breath into his lungs and at last the spinning subsided, allowing him to focus a bit. Gradually, the nausea faded, gradually, his mind and the world around him settled back into the way they were supposed to be. Finally, he sat back, looking up at the powder blue sky above him. Judging by the color, it must have been past noon, but on which day? How long had he been out? Shaking his head, he drew in several deep breaths, the sweet air calming his racing heart. Grimacing, he pushed the bad memories to the back of his mind as best he could, crawling to the edge of the water to take his mind off what had happened. Finally, on the shore of golden sand, he cupped his hands in the cool water of the lake and sipped it, washing the sour taste out of his mouth. Then, he stooped lower and took a deep draft of water, soothing his burning throat. While he was bent over, he splashed his face and the back of his neck with water. Finally, everything was back to normal, or at least as close as he could get it being in the unknown wilderness. His immediate needs sated, he sat back on his haunches and began to take stock of the world around him to take his mind off of his troubles.
The lakeside was very picturesque, and if the situation had been different, he would have enjoyed being here. Above him, the sky was clear for many miles, not even a bird to be seen, which meant that the dragons that had pursued them were probably long gone. Beside the trees where they had slept, a few meters away from him, there was a wide grassy knoll, populated by sweet wild grass just beginning to show seeds. And, as he sat, considering the place he found himself in, he heard a rustling behind him and then the footsteps of Gradis. The great avian made her way a little unsteadily down to the side of the lake, sitting beside him and dipping her beak into the water, drinking several deep drafts of cold water. He couldn't think of anything to say to her at the moment, the memories still too overwhelming, although his heart burned with sympathy for her. She must have been aching after such a strain.
After she had drunk her fill of the cool water, Gradis sat back for a few minutes beside him, allowing him his thoughts. After a long time of sitting in silence, he looked at her and found her preening her plumage. Much of it was windblown and matted from lying on the wet earth for so long. She seemed to be preening in a halfhearted manner, and he felt sorry for her. Preening alone wouldn't do it, and she finally seemed to come to the same conclusion. Heaving a slight sigh, she rose to her feet and waded forward into the cold waters of the lake. When the water was as high as her hips, she dunked herself out of sight, setting loose a battalion of ripples that spread through the water around her. A few moments later, she reappeared above the water, exhaling in an exhilarated trill, water droplets spraying everywhere, catching the sunlight. Aldaz sat and watched her as she proceeded to clean her body in the water, her feathers dripping. He began to feel the temptation to join her, and finally, he rose to his feet, thinking that if nothing else, it might clear his head. Unabashedly slipping off his robe and his loincloth, he waded into the water after her. For a few minutes, he dunked himself beneath the chill waters of the lake, soaking in the cold, finding it to surprisingly enjoyable. Something in the fresh and clear water seemed to bathe away the stiffness his brief bout of sickness had brought, banishing the last of his exhaustion. But, he had not the endurance Gradis had. Soon, he was freezing cold, and strode from the water and back onto land. Shivering, he stood for a little while in the sunlight, warming himself back up.
Refreshed, he nodded to himself, beginning to review the events of the night before, trying to piece the jumbled memories into a cohesive picture. While some events were frighteningly clear, others he could only vaguely recall, and the spaces between them were missing altogether from his recollection. While he was so occupied, Gradis walked from the water and out into the grassy knoll beside the lake. Fluffing out her feathers all at once, shaking loose a cascade of twinkling droplets, she sat upon the ground, basking in the sunlight. Wanting a little companionship while he thought, Aldaz followed her, stretching his limbs as he went, working some of the residual stiffness from them, leaving his robe and undergarment on the shore of the lake. One detail that seemed clear enough was that whoever the man had been that he had seen on the airship early that morning must have been part of the same group that attacked Heliopolis. The color schemes of the insignia and armor seemed to match at any rate. And it did make sense, since the attack had come swiftly and without any warning. As he sat down beside Gradis once more, he tried to match the insignia to those he had learned while under the tutelage of Urlidor. But, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't remember enough heraldry to piece it all together. Silently he wished Falk were there, since he had always been a better student of that sort of thing than he had ever been.
And, as he made that wish, he suddenly remembered the dragons chasing his sibling, remembered the frantic maneuvers that he had seen him make, trying to get away from them. For all he knew, his brother and Aerin were dead now, their bodies sinking deep into the sea beneath the floating island. And then, all at once and without any warning, a wave of crushing sorrow washed into him, bringing with it images. His brother was gone, and probably dead. His parents were likely dead as well, the airship brought down by dragons. Even Urlidor was dead, the old man the first to fall, buying time for him to escape. And more, an endless parade of faces, all the people he had ever known. Who could tell how many were dead now? And on the heels of that wave came another, filling him to the brink with hopelessness. Not only had he lost his home and everyone he had known, he was now lost in the wild places, with no food or supplies of any kind, and with nowhere to go. He began to cry, sobs wracking him.
And then, as he cried, he felt the sensation of a warm body beside him, and a warm wing of soft feathers descended around him, drawing him close. Sobbing, he pressed himself into Gradis' side. He was alone, well and truly on his own, and that scared him. He didn't know what to do now, didn't even know where he could go. He had always thought that his home would be there, waiting for him, no matter where he went in his life. His father had always had a plan for the future. But now, he had none of that. Finally, he spoke, unable to hold himself back any longer.
"I'm scared Gradis." He whispered, huddling against her. "Everyone is gone. I am alone."
"No. You aren't alone." She replied, whispering her words as well. "I am here, and I will never leave you Aldaz."
At her words, Aldaz felt an immense warmth well up in his heart, a soothing feeling that doused his fears, quieted his worries. Turning, he looked up at Gradis, seeing the warmth within her as well. The caring expression on her face drew him in like a moth to a flame. He pressed himself against her, embracing her tightly. She returned the embrace, holding him tightly to her. And, as their bodies pressed together, the boy felt an incredible new urge welling up inside him. And, as he stared into her eyes, eyes that were alien, eyes that were as intense as a hawk's, and yet so soft, he gave in. Before he realized he had done it, he was kissing her. And too his surprise, she held him tighter, not allowing him to pull back. And, as he kissed her, his reasoning mind washed away in the intense taste of that intimate embrace, he could feel her shifting, as if she were moving. But, when he at last came up for air and pulled back enough to see her, he realized that she had not been moving at all. Instead she had been shrinking. Where once she had been an animal large enough for a full grown human to ride, now she was his size, and more human shaped than he remembered. Most telling of all, her wings had become arms and hands, though still covered in fine violet down. And, even as part of him wondered how that was possible, and feared such a change, he realized he didn't care how this was possible. All that mattered to him suddenly, with his emotions scattered all over the spectrum, was that she was as she was.
Moving forward once more, he pressed himself against her warm feathers, breathing deep her scent and smiling at the comfort it gave him. Then, he kissed her again, gently tipping her back so she lay flat. She went willingly, laying in the soft, warm grass and he lay beside her, running his fingers through her feathers gently, caressing her delightful curves. Gradis reciprocated, brushing her feathered hands across her rider's flesh, tickling and teasing him until goose bumps rose from his skin. They kissed more and more passionately as they gently aroused each other, and it took Aldaz a few moments to realize that his member had grown stiffer and stiffer and now it was rock hard. He was young, and had never had anything more than a passing friendship with any girl in the past. His chosen partner's feathers kept gently teasing his equipment, making him shiver with delight with every slight motion of her body.
But finally, as they drew back from one another, panting with desire, he decided to take the next step himself. Gently, he began to explore her body, starting at her chest. There, one change brought on by the shift in size and shape became readily apparent. She had human-like breasts, a decidedly un-avian feature. But, what surprised him more was that they were large, plump, and rather sensitive it seemed, since the moment his fingers touched them, she gasped, a shiver running through her. Grinning to himself, he softly stroked her chest with his fingers once more. Tenderly cupping her breasts, he gave them a gentle squeeze, then continued to stroke his fingers lower, caressing the feathers of her abdomen, making her arch her back against his fingers. Then, slowly, inexorably, his trembling hand found its way to its target.
Gradis let out a pleased trill when his fingers touched between her legs, pressing herself against him. Aldaz was surprised, for her crevice was giving off an astonishing amount of heat, but, as he stroked her with his fingertips, gently spreading her labia to tease her more, he found that it was also very wet, his friend eager for him to continue. Grinning, he pushed his fingers a little further down, outlining her passage with his fingertips, making her shiver and trill once more. And then, slowly, he moved lower still, his fingers searching her, outlining her contours. It was not long until he noted her rear, his fingers teasing her tailhole, coating it in her own fluids. Gradis looked at him with a look of utmost desire in her eyes and he got an idea, a way to heighten the sensations, his instinct guiding him. He grinned at her, kissing her gently once more before lowering himself a little.
Then, moving with gentle motions to make sure he did not hurt her, he lowered his lips to her right breast, gently kissing the nipple. She shivered and trilled once more, and he could not help but do it again. She tasted so strange, so enticing that he had to go on. Then, gently, he began to suck, intending only to arouse her further. But, after only a moment, he got a surprise, a trickle of creamy fluid leaking into his mouth from the nub of flesh he held in his mouth. Drawing back in surprise, Aldaz paused, rolling the fluid around in his mouth, considering the flavor. It was tangy, and, truth be told, delicious. Grinning, he swallowed and moved forward once more, beginning to suck eagerly. Gradis hummed a moan, putting one feathery wing on his head, pulling him down against her and he sucked a little harder, slowly drinking in her milk.
Gradis herself was in heaven, a haze of wonderful pleasure covering her as he sucked. She had been attracted to him for quite some time, harboring the feeling in secret, knowing it would likely never find expression. But now, somehow, some deep magic had given her this wonderful gift, a more human-like body, allowing them to be together for a time. She smiled, cooing softly while her rider nursed from her, an entirely unfamiliar and totally pleasurable sensation. A few moments later, licking his lips, Aldaz moved over to her other breast and began again, sinking her deeper into a sea of pleasure. But then, suddenly, she trilled in pleased surprise, for his fingers once again began to caress her nethers, gently trailing again and again along her sensitive flesh. She trilled again, caressing his back with her hands, smiling to herself as the goose bumps rose all over his skin once again. And then, a sudden new sensation almost jolted her out of the trance she was in. One of Aldaz's fingers was pressing against her tailhole, the pressure increasing. And then suddenly, she felt it penetrate, stroking the inside of her passage. For a moment, she considered making him remove it, but then, as the stroking continued, and his first two fingers started stroking her labia once more, the probing finger started to feel exciting, good even.
This assault of sensations carried on for a few minutes, Aldaz alternating his attentions on her breasts, then Gradis decided that she wanted to fulfill the deepest desire she had had for him. Gently, she pushed him back, drawing his hand and his lips away from her. He looked concerned for a moment, but she did not let him go, did not shove him away. Instead, she sat up beside him, then turned over, kneeling with her rear towards him, presenting herself to her chosen mate. Looking back over her shoulder, she smiled at him and trilled invitingly. Her young lover took the hint at once. Moving up behind her, he caressed her back, stroking her gently, and gradually, his fingers trailed back down her towards her legs, the sensation exciting. And soon, they were at her hips. And then, she forgot all about his hands. The tip of his member nudged her flesh, a little too high to enter. Cheeping eagerly like a hatchling, she leaned forward a bit, bringing her sopping crevice in line with his member. And then, he began to press forward into her. The moment his tip entered her, she felt a wild desire break loose within her, a desire that had only one cure.
Before he could react, she shoved herself backward, forcing him to hilt himself within her. She felt a moment of pain as his member stretched her for the first time, but it lasted only the briefest instant before the pleasure returned five fold. For a brief moment, they held that pose, linked together. And then, Gradis moved forward even as he moved back, withdrawing almost all the way from her. After a moment's hesitation, they moved as one, thrusting together. Gradis let out a trilling gasp of delight as he began to mate her. They thrust together again and again, pressing into each other hard, each motion loosing a gasp or a trill of delight from them, though who was making what noise got lost in the shuffle rather swiftly. And then, after a few more moments, Aldaz began to speed up, the added force bringing new waves of pleasure to her. And then, all at once, the tempest that had been building within her broke upon her. Wave after wave of pleasure assaulted her, and she let out a keening cry like a bird of prey, her muscles clenching up as she came. A half second later, Aldaz let out a cry of exaltation as well, burying himself within her and Gradis felt a new sensation fill her. Hot fluid squirted into her body, each jet bringing a new wave of pleasure to her, making her shiver and shake as she knelt there, eagerly receiving her lover's seed.
And then, it was over. Both rider and mount began to shake, trembling in the aftermath of the intense climax. Aldaz pulled out of her gently, and sat back, gasping, his face bright red, the expression half exertion, half pleased blush. Looking back at him once more, Gradis smiled a content smile, her feathers becoming all the more vibrant as blood flowed strongly within her, her heart beating swiftly even though they were finished.
Aldaz grinned at her, nothing in his heart and mind but warmth. He realized then why their bond had been so strong all along, why he had ran off to insure her safety, giving no heed to his own. He had loved her with all his heart for a long time, never recognizing the feeling for what it was. And what was more, she loved him in return. But then, as he looked at her in a new light, he realized that her breathing wasn't slowing down. She was still incredibly aroused. And then, suddenly, he remembered a tiny fact from his studies, the tidbit returning from where it had been filed within his mind. When Avians mated, they mated several times, insuring that a coupling produced offspring. And then, horny as all hell, he smiled at her, moving forward, positioning himself for sex once more...