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Guardian of the Saurians

The volcano rumbled on its island in the distance, belching a pillar of smoke into the sky; though quite active, it was harmless, threatening an eruption for centuries now with little more than a flow of lava down its foothills and into the surrounding sea. The many saurians - dinos - of Red's territory knew better than to get too close to that thundering island, which was easy since it was surrounded by water and far more of a hassle to visit than it was worth, delicious fruit in the jungles that surrounded it or not.

Red was their protector, their keeper, and the link between them and the outside world. Though his people rarely needed his intervention or help in their daily lives, he was integral in ensuring that the outside world didn't encroach on their well-preserved prehistoric island, and he wanted to keep it that way. He feared, with good reason, that if the humans, felines, or canines discovered the islands that housed the saurians, they would ruin the culture that had been preserved over the centuries. There was a certain beauty in a land that retained its identity in the wake of evolution and Red made it his lifelong dream to keep that beauty pure.

The primary reason Red needed to protect his land and his people was because they didn't speak the common tongue, as he did. If explorers arrived on the islands and found the dino population, they would be mistaken for witless beasts, the carnivores slaughtered and the mighty herbivores enslaved for their powerful bodies or harvested for their meat. One way or another, the mighty saurian race was not safe from the masses beyond the ocean that surrounded the island.

Dinos of all shapes and sizes lived in and around the Scar of Sauria, from the theropods with sharp claws and teeth to the herds of sauropods with their long necks and equally long tails. There were Cerapods - armor plated types - as well as the two-legged herbivores with great noisy horns in their head. There were also flying types that soared the skies, which weren't actually dinos, but they were still Red's people; honorary saurians. Every single scaled and feathered beast on the island held a special place in Red's heart and he would do all he could to show the love he had for his people.

On this morning, he was woken not by the distant cries of the flyers, but from that deep, pervasive rumble of the volcano. It moaned and reverberated through the land early in the morning, every morning, for half an hour before tiring out and smoking for the rest of the day. It was like clockwork, a perfect way to wake without risking missing out on any of his day.

He rolled from his nest and let his legs sit over the side, his tail curled up behind him as he idly preened at his wing feathers, raking his teeth between them to straighten them out and make himself pretty. His tongue lapped at his teeth as he closed his eyes, ready to go back to sleep since he had such a busy night prior. Such is the life of a selfless protector, having stayed up late the night before to watch over a pregnant and gravid sauropod in the central village before returning to his den.

Red's home was high in the mountains of the southern bend of the island and he had the eyes of an avian raptor, so he could see virtually everywhere in the valley from his perch atop the cliffs. To the west, the great Rockwood, a massive forest made of gray stone-barked trees that housed the tiniest of theropods. To the far north, the Basin of the Stars - known for the many still lakes that dotted the thick rainforest, easily seen from the mountains surrounding it; The rex population was centered around this area.

The rest of the island was comprised of the prehistoric plains known as the Scar of Sauria, a vast open expanse in the foothills of the mountain range where all the races gathered - for better or for worse. Here, the landscape was a mosaic of bubbling springs, desolate wastes, bushland, and yellow-grassed fields, and it was the best place to glance northwest to the island where the Volcano rumbled in the distance. The Scar of Sauria was where all sub-races held equal share and life was free to take its toll, where raptors and rexes hunted herbivores, should the two groups meet. Red generally preferred to avoid the scar, for it was a dangerous place, and he didn't like to participate in any sort of inter-species conflict centered around the relationships between predator and prey.

His day started as any day did, with him going to his stash of fruits to grab a couple of mangoes, one in each front talon. He had adopted an omnivorous diet long ago, finding it to work quite well for him. Mostly he would enjoy fish, fruit, and the occasional prey item that he'd hunt down in the valley, but never any of his saurian people. Even if they were often predator and prey to one another, he could never hunt his own people. He would be a failure of a protector if he devoured those which he was life-tasked with guarding. Still, he would happily make a meal of a mammoth, should the opportunity arise.

The rumbling of the volcano persisted in the distance, its mighty quakes reverberating through the land, breaking him from his early morning daydreams. Red stood on the front perch of his home over the cliff, idly chewing at his mangoes while training his eyes on the valley below. He scanned the land laid out before him, looking for an excuse to leave his home, to help someone. Maybe he would spread his wings and fly to the gryphon valley to the west past the Rockwood. Maybe he would glide in a patrol up and down the island, scanning for any problems that might arise. Maybe he'd delve into the Rockwood itself to play with some of the raptors that lived there.

There was a lot he could do, and none of it was a bad idea; he had all day to decide and execute whatever plan he pursued. He took another big bite of the mango and chewed its pulpy flesh, savoring the flavor, before tilting his head down over the cliffs. His home was in a cave atop a plateau, but the edge of his front lawn shot directly downward before curving out into the mountainside, so one could only reach his den by wing. This allowed him to live mostly in solitude, but also made him a bit lonely, so he definitely wanted to socialize.

If not for the fact that Red had just visited the gryphon valley a few days prior, he would have visited Yasendra and her parents. He enjoyed visiting the gryphons, it was a nice way to keep in touch with the world outside of his island, and they were far more accepting than the felines of Koluma or the Dragons of The Bloche. Red liked to travel a lot, but today he wanted to stay home, frolick with his people.

He took another big bite of the second mango and spread his wings, catching the gentle updrafts that slid upwards along the mountainside. The feathers along his neck and shoulders filled out before he hopped off the cliff, angling himself down to dive across the foothills of his home.

The world blew past him, trees and waterfalls and rivers and desolate prehistoric plains whizzed by, his wings straining as he angled and dove around and between hills. The wind whipped at his face, feathers splaying out like a rudder for control. Though the flight took half an hour, it felt like he was at the treeline of the Rockwood within minutes. Once there, he quickly tucked his wings in tight, did a flip in midair, dropped heavy, then flared out seconds before landing softly on the yellow and green grasses.

"Another perfect landing. Red has proven once again that he is the grace of the skies!" He marveled to himself, complimenting his mid-air maneuver, laughing as he hopped into the thick jungle.

Red had to ensure he was very careful with his wings in the thick foliage, for fear of having the thorns and branches tug and tear at the feathers. Rather than risk that, he employed some of his limited magic to have them melt and absorb into his back, his form shifting to one without wings. In an effort to keep sleek and dainty, he shrunk his form to more conventional raptor size - the same mass of the pack he would be visiting. Usually, he was easily thrice the height of the raptors of the Rockwood, and that was a clumsy form to keep in the jungles.

With his transformation complete, he shook off the excess feathers and fluff to dart through the underbrush, kicking back and forth between the heavy, stone-like tree trunks as he searched and sniffed for his raptor kin. He fully expected his exploration to take hours before he was to find any dino buddies, but was pleasntly shocked when he caught the scent of a pack nearby.

He stopped and sniffed at the air, angling his head to catch hints of sound that would allow him to pinpoint their location. Once he had a good idea of the direction he had to go, he darted off again, leaves and branches whizzing past his head as he ducked and kept his torso low and his tail held flat out behind him, powerful leg muscles propelling him over roots and over rocks.

Suddenly, he was in a clearing, with a gaping gash in the world ahead of him! He skidded to a stop, nearly falling down the valley cliff before him. The steep inclines on either side of the basin were clear of trees, but covered in a green-gray vegetation, with a river running down the center. Near that river, a pack of raptors!

Red let out a loud call, a mixture of a bark, howl, and chirp to get their attention. He retained his colors, though he was small and lacked his wings, so the pack would certainly know him and recognize him.

Each of the pack members paused from their drink to look up at him, chirp-barking their response. That meant they were happy to see him and that he was free to join them. With that invitation, Red hopped over the edge of the gorge to slide down the incline, occasionally hopping over rocky outcroppings and bushes that got in his way. They all waited patiently for him, chirping happily every step of the way. When he made it to the bottom, they hopped over and through the stream to meet him, the nearest one wrapping his neck around Red's in a hug.

Their language wasn't like the common tongue, but made of simpler words and phrases comprised of chirps, churrs, hissing, growling, and clicking. So when the green and blue-scaled raptor known as Greatwater approached him with a growl and a hiss, it actually meant, "Greetings, Red! How is your day?"

To which Red replied, "It is well. Have you eaten? I am hungry." He backed away and looked at the others, smiling and chirping at each of them. He waved his talon to Stonetooth, the gray and green scaled raptor who didn't talk much but was a skilled hunter. Naturally, Stonetooth didn't respond, he simple bowed his head as a greeting before slumping down on his haunches.

Smallstar, the tiniest and youngest of the pack, hopped forward to lash her tail playfully at Red, chirping at him. "I have not seen you in a while! I miss you!" Their language was a bit simpler than the common tongue, but it worked fine for what they needed it for.

Red growled back with a smile. "I miss you, too! Where is the rest of the pack?"

"They are protecting the nursing grounds." Fireclaw - the dark crimson and black-scaled raptor female explained. She was the leader of the pack, the biggest and fiercest with scars to prove it. "We are out on a hunt. Do you wish to join us?" Her tone was, as it always was, quite serious.

"Of course! I'll join you!" Red was happy to hear that they wanted his help. He was hungry, so no harm in joining a hunt, as long as it wasn't one of the sauropods. That wasn't likely, since this area of the island was mostly filled with raptors, rexes, and mammoths. If the prey wasn't a smaller critter, it would likely be a mammoth.

Finally, the only feathered raptor of the bunch came forth to nuzzle at Red's neck. She was coated in red, blue, and yellow plumage, and due to her color and pattern she was known as Junglebird, after the parrots that lined the vines of the Stonewood. She nuzzled into his neck and turned to slap her tail against his flank, deliberately lifting it to give him a brief view of her cloaca before chirp-barking and running off. She must have been in season to flirt like that.

The others quickly chirp-barked in response and followed her. The hunt was on!

All six raptors dashed down the middle of the basin, southbound. They weren't the chattiest type, but few saurians were aside from the the long-winded, slow-talking sauropods. Red barely had time to comprehend the subtle flirt of Junglebird before they were off, and just as much time to put it out of his mind for fear of dwelling on it and allowing him to grow lonely and resentful of his status as the only one of the island who couldn't breed.

Rather than focus on that, Red was prepared for the hunt. He still had no idea what they were hunting, but he kept with them and decided that if it was anything other than a mammoth, he'd casually disappear into the foliage and emerge once the deed was done. Under certain circumstances, he could get away with hunting the sick or old of the sauropod herd, but only under extreme, irremediable conditions. He really didn't feel like being in that position, not today.

As they dashed together, chirping gently and idly nipping at one another, they came to a stop at the end of the valley where the upper ridge of jungle met with the creek that ran through the basin. Each of them laid themselves down low, belly nearly touching the foliage of the ground. Before them lie a single mammoth. Old, left behind from its herd. It limped and shook its long, hairy head as it stepped in a puddle of mud.

A deep sorrow overcame red as he spoke the common tongue to himself under his breath, ready to bless this unfortunate prey on its journey back to the land. Though his heart was heavy, he wouldn't dare put a stop to ending this creature's life. A raptor has to eat, just as a snake would or a dragon or gryphon. Though his passion rarely extended beyond the saurians of the island, no sentient creature could look at such a defenseless creature at the end of its life. Red wasn't cold, just a realist.

The raptors split into two groups on either side of the valley, flanking the mammoth. Fireclaw took Greatwater and Smallstar to one side while Stonetooth and Junglebird followed Red. Junglebird stepped ahead again, still low to the ground but with tail lifted. It was clear she was flirting with Red, but the hunt was on and neither could afford the distraction, so Red refused to reciprocate or nuzzle under her pelvic bone, like she was expecting.

It certainly didn't help that he didn't want to get caught up in the desire for a clutch, knowing that he wouldn't be able to breed with her.

Fireclaw let out a gentle series of clicks, and all of the raptors jumped out of the foliage at once and bounded at the mammoth. Red lunged forward to distract it, hissing and splaying feathers out, acting like he was about to lunge as the others pounced. The massive, furred beast cried out and swung its head around, knocking Stonetooth to the side, only to have Greatwater and Fireclaw land on its head, clawing with feet and foretalons, biting with teeth. Junglebird bit down on its flank and used her hind claw to tear at the flesh, slicing its side open as Smallstar danced around underfoot, biting and clawing at its tendons and ankles.

Red stayed back as Stonetooth got back to his feet and lunged, granting the killing blow to the prey's neck. The other five made short work of the mammoth, spilling blood from throat to drop it to its knees, followed by a tearing mess as they each bit down on fur and flesh. There was a hesitation in Red as he stayed back, waiting for the mammoth's body to stop moving and its eyes to glaze over.

Unlike most raptors, Red didn't share in the euphoria of the hunt. As an omnivore, he was able to mostly sustain himself on berries and fruits and nuts with the occasional slab of meat as a treat. He never liked having to kill, personally, but was happy to aid his people in their hunt. The mammoth would have passed if he was there or not, so there was no reason to waste the meat.

He whispered a sacrament to the fallen beast, thanking it for its sacrifice before lowering his head and ripping out a few coils of its guts, feasting until his belly was full. He may have not made the killing blow, but he still earned his meal, and this meat would feed him for a week, if subsidized with fruits once a day and fish at least once within the following days.

Like always, the raptors ate in silence until they had enjoyed their fill. Once they had taken much of the guts and some of the flank, Greatwater chirped and headed back to the nesting grounds to alert the new mothers that there was meat to be had south of the valley. He would be back within the hour with others to feed.

Having 'helped' the pack, and further his bond with them, Red felt it was time to leave and go help someone else on the island. He offered a churr to say goodbye followed by a gentle burp that they all got a chuckle out of. He was turning tail to have a drink at the stream before leaving when Junglebird pranced up next to him and nuzzled into his side, feathers splaying out as she trilled.

Red smiled, a deep rumble escaping his lips as he preened at her feathers. He didn't speak to her, for there was nothing that he could say that she would properly understand. Though their people were not simple or stupid, they didn't have a word for infertility, and the concept of not being able to breed with her or offer her a clutch of eggs was not something she would understand. He was about to tell her he had to leave when Fireclaw bark-chirped at him.

"Don't disappoint her!" Fireclaw warned with a laugh.

He looked down at Junglebird, then back to Fireclaw, then back to Junglebird as she nibbled at his shoulder, still trilling cutely at him. There was no way he could say no to that face. Before he could say anything, she hopped out in front of him and lifted her tail, exposing herself to him as she lowered her chest to the ground. She knew he'd relented to her invitation.

As Red stepped forward to lay a talon on her hip, she hopped away, darting a few meters forward, hiding partially behind a bush with only her tail poking out one end and her snout poking out the other.

Stonetooth, Fireclaw, and Smallstar all started hooting at Red, urging him on and chanting encouragement at him. They wanted him to mate with Junglebird. No romance, just mating. They took on lovers, but still bred with the strongest and biggest raptors, and Red was definitely the biggest and strongest, so he had to reciprocate or face the ire of the pack.

He smiled and pounced at her, crouching down low and raising his claws and tail before jumping at her. She was deft, nimble, and quick, easily bounding out from his aim and disappearing into the underbrush of the Stonewood with him giving chase.

Both emerged into the wooded jungle, creating lines of rustling foliage wherever they ran. Red had to keep his snout keen and his eyes peeled to see if he could detect her. After a few moments, he stopped giving chase, having no idea where she ended up. The Stonewood was silent, save the gentle buzzing of the insects. No fern shifted, nothing. Red's head poked up out of the flora, and saw nothing.

Nothing until a sudden burst of color emerged from behind the nearest tree, pouncing him and biting down on his neck. It was Junglebird, playfully tackling him to the ground!

He fell along with her, laying on his back as she nibbled at his neck. He faked clawing at her in mock self defense as she bit and kicked at him, her tail rubbing against his as both were straight out behind them, cloaca nearly touching. She trilled at him as she leaned in for another playful nibble, her body slowly pressing to his, feather to feather, bellyscale to bellyscale.

Red sniffed at the air, sensing a powerful hint of her being in season. She must have been in the dead of estrus if she was so aggressive with him. He was saddened to remember that, even if he mated her, she'd not be blessed with a clutch. Though the moral quandary bubbled up in his mind, whether to disappoint her now or later, She made the decision for him as she angled her hips and pressed her slit to his, grinding against him until he felt his cock tip poke out.

She cooed and trilled, feeling his flesh slip out of his slit and into hers. "Big Red." She growled at him, gyrating her hips, tail still stiff for balance and laying flat against his as they cuddled, belly to belly. "Big Red in little Junglebird."

Red couldn't really respond, he had absolutely no idea what to say. Instead, he playfully clawed at her and smiled, a trill reverberating through his chest, feathers flaring out gently as he nipped and pecked back at her. He enjoyed himself, and couldn't help but tense his pelvic muscles as she pushed down against him, every inch of his long, thick-ridged raptor cock slipping into her deep to her oviduct.

"Big Red." She repeated, arching her neck upwards and bucking her hips down against his. Her cloaca kissed his, her muscles twitching in pleasure from opening to her depths, sucking on Red's length.

"Little Junglebird." Red cooed at her, eyes rolling backwards and toes curling against the foliage. He could feel himself edging towards climax, so he quickly rolled out from under her, his member slipping from her depths to leave her gaping and drooling lubricating fluids against the leaves and dirt of the Stonewood. He hopped to his feet and ducked his head low, licking at her opening, cleaning her of the mess that was there, a gooey mess of his and her lubricating fluids.

She lifted her hind leg up and rested it on Red's head as he licked and nuzzled at her pelvic region, tongue lapping at her juices and parting her ventral scales to get in deeper. She grunted and pushed back against him, lifting her tail high as she grasped at a nearby branch for balance, leaning back into him to catch a glimpse of his eyes as he enjoyed her taste.

After only a few moments, he slipped out from under the raptor lass and stood tall behind her, leaning into the underside of her tail and pushing against the soft belly scales that were parted for him, nearly knocking her off balance. He grabbed the tail near the base and angled his hips into hers, bucking forth to slip his cock into her sex.

Junglebird let out a long, wailing cry of pleasure that rocked the forests, scaring the avians in the canopy to fly off. Red matched her as his cock throbbed and pulsed inside her, spewing stream after stream of seed deep into her.

Both panted and huffed in the post coitus bliss. Their encounter together was brisk, but it served its purpose, at least as far as Junglebird was concerned. Their cloaca were still together, tied by Red's knot growing to tie in her sex, as she leaned back to give him a gentle kiss, pressing her snout to his chin and licking at his lips. Her depths squeezed at him gentle before she stepped away, lips sealing his seed inside her before hopping away to return to her pack.

Red was left, alone, with his cock dribbling remnants of seed into the dirt and onto the long-leaved ferns of the Rockwood. The solitude gave him the serenity needed to remind himself that he still couldn't breed. Though he was normally bubbly and chipper, always happy to help and eager to play, he just wanted to go back and curl up in his den and sleep the day away.

He turned from the clearing where the raptors gathered around the mammoth meal, and he quickly sprinted out of the Rockwood until he hit the Scar of Sauria - the massive, prehistoric plain in the valley between the mountains that made up the majority of his island. Once there, he let out a chirp to himself as his form morphed and transformed, the wing flesh forming again, a series of feathers sprouting out in waves until he was air-ready again. He tested both wings and flapped gently before hopping up, catching a gentle draft and rising into the sky on a thermal.

He didn't immediately go home. Instead, he soared the skies up and down along the ridge of the valley, watching as herds of sauropods lumbered below him. There were plate-backs, armor-shelled, and two-legged herbivores of all shapes and sizes littering the valley. Flying saurians and birds joined him in position, following him before breaking off and returning to whatever it was they were doing.

Eventually, he angled his wings and went back south, gliding on the thermals to stay afloat until he returned to his den. He landed comfortably on his plateau that led to his home, and simply curled up around himself, glancing over the edge of the cliff to watch the dinos of his island. It was still only midday, but he was full of meat and fruit, and he wanted to be alone, at least for now.

Red didn't move from that spot overlooking the valley until the sun had set and the moon had risen. When the day was finally over, he sniffled to himself and disappeared into his den, curling up in his nest to sleep the night away, trying to clear his mind of the thoughts of raising a clutch of chicks.

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Against his best efforts, Red's dreams were filled with the type of imagery he was trying to avoid. As he laid in his bed, idly kicking at the wall with his powerful hind legs, his mind was filled with fantasies of meeting a fellow raptor that he could breed with. One of blue and green - like Greatwater - only female and feathered with wings. She spoke as he did, a blend of the common tongue and saurian language.

But then, as he was ready to take her to his nest, he was interrupted by Junglebird, only this time her feathers leant themselves to beautiful, graceful wings. She was still smaller than he was, but when she lifted her tail to him, she was already pushing out an egg in his honor. He licked at her opening, helping her, until she was grabbed by a giant, black-fleshed talon! She disappeared out the cave opening, leaving that single egg in the mound of mud behind her.

Red nuzzled at it, protecting it from the attacker. As he sat down on it to offer warmth, he was attacked by that same avian that plucked Junglebird from his den. He dodged, he rolled, but was heartbroken when he saw that the giant talon - which was almost as big as he was, attached to a beast easily ten times his size - had crushed the egg, leaving the remnants of shell and fluid in the mud.

A powerful wailing cry erupted from his throat as the talon wrapped around him, pinning him to the wall as the avian stabbed its beak into his den. It was a gryphon of white and black, with rusty speckles on her chest. She yanked Red from his nest, and that's when he jerked himself awake.

The raptor huffed and kicked at his makeshift nest, wings ruffled and swear forming under his feathers. His dream had been terrifying to him, even though it was clearly just a dream. Still, sometimes the images seen while under influence by subconscious could be more powerful than anything witnessed int he waking world. To Red, this was one of those moments.

Visibly shaken, he crawled from his bed and stepped out onto the plateau that overlooked the valley, taking in a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself. The moon was high and the skies clear, the cool blue light illuminating his valley and the volcano island in the distance. It was, to him, a gorgeous sight and a reminder of all he held dear. This island was the last bastion of Saurian kind, since most of the Dinos had been bred into more generic saurossins as his life went on.

Though his life was long and there was many years ahead of him, he knew that he couldn't protect the island forever. He would have to breed. He would have to reproduce. He would need to get offspring of some sort, and he knew that unless he had an heir or a dozen to follow him, he would not be able to secure the legacy of the Scar of Sauria.

After many hours of introspective thought, Red noticed a dark figure streaking across the skies. It wasn't one of the fliers of the island. No, this was something else. Something feathered. He trained his eyes on the shadowy figure before realizing it was the shape of a gryphon!

This worried Red a little. The Gryphons to the east had agreed to not come to Red's island without first asking. As allies, they knew that being seen on the island without Red's accompaniment or endorsement would almost instantly treat them as prey. The language barrier between bird and dino would undoubtedly lead to conflict without a translator. Yet here was a gryphon, gliding over the valley in the middle of the night. Peculiar, indeed.

Red wasn't the type to jump on any sort of conclusions, so he wasn't going to get angry or assume the worst. For all he knew, this avian had simply veered off course and was travelling, his route taking him over the saurian land. Maybe they were lost and needed help finding the Valley of the Gryphons to the east. No, they were heading west. More likely they were heading away from the Valley of the Gryphons to Bloche or Sosemma.

He did face a bit of a moral quandry, though. Did he approach this travelling avian and ask information, or should he stay back and let the bird be on its way? Many questions swirled through his mind as he kept his eyes trained on the flying feathered creature, only to have the decision made for him when the gryphon angled its wings and turned to fly directly at Red. At first it looked like it might have been a result of a sudden gust of wind, but it soon became evident that they were flying for Red's plateau den.

The raptor got to his feet and cocked his head to the side. Curious and confused about the situation. All he wanted was to relax, overlooking the valley under the steely moonlight. Was this gryphon looking for him in particular? Was it a friend from the valley? So many questions were in his head that he failed to notice as the gryphon's silhouette gave way to show its patterns and colors. It was the gryphon from his dream. White with black spots and stripes, Black flesh, black beak, and cold blue eyes.

His heartbeat quickened as a sense of fear wormed its way up his spine. Something didn't feel right, and the gryphon was getting closer. He needed to make a decision quickly. Was this gryphon a threat? Was this an attack? No, it couldn't have been, or they would have went a different direction. The logistics of a head on attack wouldn't work, when Red was looking right at them.

They locked eyes as the gryphon closed the distance. Red braced himself for an attack without making it clear he was growing nervous. At the last second, the gryphon dipped one wing, barrel-rolled in the air, and landed gracefully on the other end of the plateau next to Red, who casually turned and watched, his golden yellow eyes glinting reflections of the moon light.

"Night flying is just not my thing." The gryphon muttered to herself, voice a gentle and calm cooing. She ruffled her wings to straighten the feathers as she turned to Red. "You're not an easy raptor to find, especially at night."

"You were looking for me? Curious, what brings you to the island here with the moon high in the sky?" Red asked, head gently tilted and wings partially extended just in case. He sensed no ill will from the lady gryphon, but as he concentrated he found he couldn't read her emotions like he could others.

She nodded enthusiastically and slumped down onto her haunches, tail flicking out behind her as she smiled, using her talon to slick back the long feathers and fur on her head and down her back. "Yeah. I've wanted to see you for a long while now, and in the past few weeks I finally gathered enough reasons to visit, and now here I am!" She shuffled forward and extended her talon to shake. "The name's Ceylon. Ceylon A'Merone. If you know your history you might recognize the name. And You go simply by Red, if I am not mistaken."

Red happily took her talon and shook it, nodding. "Your name, it sounds familiar, yes. But that can't be right. Who are you really? You don't look familiar at all." If Red's gut instincts were correct, he was definitely with someone that was more than she appeared to be.

"Well I should be familiar, I've been visiting your dreams for a while now." She said, her voice and tone leaving no room for facetiousness. "Maybe you're the kind who doesn't remember his dreams when he wakes." She offered a gentle shake of the talon before stepping back and flicking her ear, playfully.

Though normally bubbly, Red was just confused and a little starstruck. Ceylon was one of the Dalonian Gods, the mother of transformation magic, if Red's memories served. Most didn't believe the tales to be any more than myth, but Red was one in a long line of long-lived saurian protectors, his mother was alive when the legends were made and written, and she had always assured Red that the gods were real, not just stories for young.

"Everything alright? You seem like you're having some trouble with the situation." Ceylon smiled and leaned into him, nuzzling her beak up against his powerful neck muscles and using the curved tip to preen at his feathers. "There's no reason to be shy. I knew your mother, she was as wonderful as you remember. Maybe even better."

Red smiled and purred, leaning back into the gryphon's affections. Her touch was plenty to alleviate his worry, and he was somewhat humbled in her presence. "Well I'm glad you liked her. She was wonderful to me and all the other dinos of the island. But, I have to ask, how do you get into one's dreams? I've never heard of that! Oh, I know, can you teach me how to do that? Maybe I can speak to my people at night in their dreams! Is that-" He was getting excited, his voice growing increasingly chipper before he was cut off.

"Slow down, Raptor." Ceylon intervened. "I'm not here to teach you how to go in people's dreams. I'm here to-"

"Wait, are you actually here? Is this just a dream? Is this like, one of those dual-layer dreams where I wake up, but I've not really woken up, and you're not really there?" He hopped forward and patted Ceylon on the head between her ears, making her splay them out and nuzzle into his touch. No, she wasn't his imagination, she was definitely here in the flesh and feathers.

"No, Red. This isn't a dream. I'm real and I'm here to help you." She pushed forward under his touch to rub her flank to his, sliding past him and around under his tail to emerge on his other side, her own long thin tail cradling his before she turned to face him, chest to the ground and rump raised in the air. She looked like she was ready to pounce. "Any idea how I might do that?"

Red's tail began to sway gently, slowly speeding into a wag. "I do not know, but I am sure you're about to tell me!" A smile was curling on his face. He wasn't sure what i was that she was offering him, but he was ready to play along, since she was being so flirty.

"I could tell you, but I think I'd rather show you." She turned and lifted her tail, giving Red a good clear view of her ebony-fleshed lady parts. They were glistening in the moonlight as she walked away, swaying her hips wide with her tail swishing her scent at him.

Normally, he'd have only been partially sensitive to avian scent, but today he was picking up on her heat quite easily. He happily followed, tongue lolling out his mouth as he smiled, hopping back and forth from leg to leg until both were inside his den. "So, what did you have in mind?" Red asked, his tail curling up around his side, maw open in a gaping grin. His desires were swelling in him quickly.

Ceylon flexed her pelvic muscles, folding her clitoris outward with a tiny dribble of gryphon hen fluids moistening the fur between her legs. She glanced over her shoulder and gently splayed her wings out in a bracing position. "Well, I know what you want more than anything, Red. I can give it to you."

Red nodded and stepped forward with his member slipping and dropping from his slit, only to have her tail cradle his chest and hold him back. He whimpered in disappointment as he started stroking the feathers down her tail to the floofy tip.

"Now now, Red. We both know that's not what you want more than anything else." She hopped away and lowered her tail. The gryphon turned and looked at him, her blue eyes matching his. "You're a smart raptor, a very clever boy. If I have the ability to invade your dreams, then I know what your deepest, darkest desire is. If I know that, and I am here because of your dream last night, then...what am I here for?" She urged him on, leaning in to nuzzle under his chin as he thought. She sidled up next to him and used the tip of her tail to cradle his member, teasing and distracting him.

Red's mind was quite preoccupied with thoughts of mounting the gryphoness, but as he thought back to his dreams, he was snapped back to reality. His member deflated and was tugged back into its slit as he closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. "I want to raise a clutch of chicks. Yes?"

Ceylon cooed and nodded at him, rubbing her tail between his legs. "There we go. I can help you with that."

The raptor's eyes went wide as he chirped at the gryphon. "You can? How?" He leaned into her and nuzzled at her neck, nearly knocking her over. He was just trying to be affectionate and grateful, even if he was a little overzealous, a big dumb grin on his face. The concept of being able to breed was one he'd been struggling with most of his life, but especially in the past few years. This goddess was here with him, offering him the gift of fertility. He didn't really know how to respond other than to be overly enthusiastic.

She flutter-hopped to the side and lashed her tail at him playfully, her fur and feathers caressing him under the cheek. Her body shifted and she turned so that her rump was facing him as she glanced over her shoulder. "Well, first, I want you in me. Then we can discuss the details later." She waggled her rump at Red and clenched her pelvic muscles again, giving the raptor a view of her cherry pink slit.

Naturally, Red didn't hold back. The gryphoness was about the same size as he was, but she was down on all fours, so he was quite a bit taller than she was. He used this to his advantage as he hopped up onto her, holding her rump down with one large talon as he leaned into her.

Ceylon's tail bent and curled up until it was resting on Red's belly and over his thigh, exposing her pussy to him. "Come on Red, don't leave me waiting. A goddess needs to be treated like one." She shuffled backwards and arched her back so her rump end was angled high and her belly was pressed to the wooden slats of Red's den.

"Rurr!" The raptor growled to himself as he hopped forward on the leg that was still down on the ground. He leaned back to get a good, long look under her tail as the moonlight streamed into his den through the round opening and windows, bathing her deep red inner flesh with the steely blue of the night sky. The image made him hungry, like he could eat that up. The scene felt like a dream, still, but that didn't stop him from bucking his hips to peel back his ventral slit, exposing every bit of his ridged length.

She cooed and trilled at him, her wings vibrating and feathers fluffing out. A grunt rumbled through her as she pushed back, waiting eagerly for his thick member. "Come on Red, you don't want me to-"

Red cut her off as he arched his back and buried himself in her, every textured ridge of his member roughly plunging into her, parting her lips with a series of wet smacks. He felt his swelling knot pressing to her soft and tender vulva and stretching wide as it invaded her depths. His hind foot pressed to her back, claws digging into her fur to keep her in place.

"That's more like it!" She cooed at him as she pushed back, her muscles relaxing as she gyrated her hips against his knot.

Red was pleasantly surprised that she was so happily swallowing his length and even sucking on his knot. With this knowledge in his hormone-addled mind, he leaned as hard as he could into her, feeling his knot slip between her folds to slowly expand, stretching her flesh a bit wider with every heartbeat. His every ridge pulsated and grew increasingly firm, tickling at her depths. He wasn't much into thrusting, so once his knot slipped past her lips, he let out a long, powerful roar in his tiny den, relishing her soft walls snugly tugging at his cock.

"There we go!" Ceylon chirped at him, her muscles suddenly clenching and clamping down, the engorged nub of her clit rubbing on the underside of his slit as she used her muscle control to grip and tug at his length, using the bulbs of his knot for grip. "Now give me all you have to give, Red. You don't mind if we, you know, stay together for the night, do you?"

Red leaned down and pressed his snout to the back of her neck, huffing hot breath into her feathers before gently biting down. He was being playful, but he was also quite careful, for those sharp teeth of his could easily rend flesh from bone.

"I take it that's a yes, then?" Ceylon giggled at him, shifting her weight under his foot and pushing back into his jaws. Tiny beads of his saliva drooled over either side of her neck, but she didn't mind. In fact, she liked it. "So, let's make our way to your nest, shall we? I don't intend to let you go until I've taken in every last drop of your seed."

Red laughed a bit and smiled as he peeled his jaws from her neck. His hips bucked and made Ceylon lose her balance, her movement tugging on his knot like a hand gripping at the base. To his surprise, she really did have quite a grip on him with her lady parts. Only dolphins had comparable muscle strength in their pelvic region, a fact that made Red laugh a bit. "With that kind of control, I wouldn't be surprised if you were part 'phin!"

Ceylon looked back over her shoulder and winked her eyes at him as she made a squeaking chirp, much like a dolphin's call. "How's that? I can imitate any voice with this beak of mine!" Once again, she leaned forward to pull on his member, guiding him around the room.

He had to re-balance himself as he took his foot from her back, waddling along behind her, both front talons resting on her hips for balance. "My nest is this way, come, come." He tried to turn and guide her, but she squeezed especially tight, sucking a powerful spurt of his essence into her. He curled his toes and roared gently before continuing to guide her back towards his nest.

The two of them awkwardly shuffled around the room until they disappeared past the moonlit den and into his nesting zone. She gently got up to the side of the bed and had him follow, both of their genitals locked together in a tight, hot embrace. Her lady parts just wouldn't let go of his knot, and every slight shift sent a small bolt of pleasure down his tail and back up his spine to the back of his neck as spurt after spurt of his seed was shot deep within her.

Once they were both curled up together on his nest with Red's wing cradling her, Ceylon managed to fall asleep. Red, however, couldn't submit to the dream world. His mind was racing with ideas. What was Ceylon going to do for him? They hadn't talked much about the logistics of how she'd help him breed, but like before his mind was swirling with possibilities. Was she going to lay an egg for him? Alter his seed and deposit it in others? Maybe she'd use her transformation powers to alter Red's form. Maybe this was just a normal mating and his unique physiology had already been manipulated and she would give him a clutch tomorrow!

So many options that Red's mind didn't stop until sleep forcefully took him. This time he had no dreams, good or bad. Perhaps his mind was too preoccupied by the by the gryphon Goddess that he was snuggling up to. Surreal, transcendent encounters like that were apt to leave one rendered frazzled.

====================================

Red's eager mind had him woken up moments before the rumbling of the volcano to find that his gryphon goddess was still asleep. She was resting next to him, head laid down on her talons with wings folded up on her back. He smiled as he shifted around, looking down at her form. He was somewhat surprised to see that her lady parts had released him, and he was fully back within his slit. Still in bed, he curled up and cleaned himself off before idly nuzzling under her tail to do the same to her.

She shifted in place, moaning gently. "Mmmm, I like that, don't stop." She insisted, tail pulling upwards to expose her moist, gooey vulva that was splattered in a combination of his and her fluids.

He kept at her, rubbing and licking her folds until all traced of his mess had been cleaned up. As his snout pushed against the underside of her tail, he had to pause a moment to assure himself this was certainly not a dream, and he had the Goddess of transformation here, in his nest, with her tail lifted for him to clean the mess he'd deposited in her. Red wasn't often lucky enough to have this kind of affection, so it was something he definitely needed.

Even after she'd been cleaned, Red kept at her, nuzzling at her folds and licking into her depths. She tasted wonderful to him, a sweet tartiness that was unlike the more bitter taste of other dinos. Red never considered himself subservient to anyone - he was a guardian and a protector, not a guard or mercenary - but he felt like he had to please Ceylon. As the moments passed with his snout under her tail, the realization of the presence of his legendary gryphon overcame him. She deserved his attention and his affection. She deserved to be cleaned and cared for as if she was one of his own.

Ceylon shifted in the bed, rolling to the side a bit before going to hop off the side of the nest, only to stop with her front talons on the floor and rump still high in the air aimed at Red. Her tail was lifted high and curled upwards over her back as she splayed her legs out. "I really should go, but....I won't stop you." She joked as she purred, rocking herself back into Red's eager muzzle.

Rather than protest, the raptor just kept on licking, his tongue parting her folds and prodding at her depths, tasting her flesh and fluid as he swallowed every bit. He shifted in his nest as his member stirred to life again. To get better access at her folds, he laid a talon on each of her rump cheeks and used one claw on either hand to part her lips, spreading her lips wide to create a pair of soft pink pillows on either side of the slit in the middle, dotted by her meaty clit.

"Actually, I think we really should be going." Ceylon interrupted as she kicked off the bed and lowered her tail, turning to face him. "I have your seed. For now, that should be enough for the change, and I really shouldn't take advantage of you."

"You can take advantage of me." Red assured her, shifting in his bed until he was sitting on the rim of the nest. "I don't mind."

Ceylon chuckled to herself and used her front talon to stroke the feathers down her head and neck. "Actually, I'm sure you would. I played a bit of a trick on you last night to get you to mate with me. You didn't think it was at all odd that a random gryphon - not a saurian - invaded your home and flirted with you until you mounted her?"

Red paused a moment, scratching his head a bit as he blinked. "Well, I suppose, now that I think about it. But, you know who you are, and so do I. I don't suppose it's at all uncommon for dieties of your stature to do odd things. I know that the gods work in mysterious ways; I'm sure you have a reason. As I'm sure you know, I could go for some intimacy; so I didn't mind."

"You say that now, but I still played a little bit of a trick. Concentrated pheromones. They cloud one's judgment, and with my transformation abilities I can alter my body to imitate the pheromones of any species. Including yours, no matter how rare or unique you are. Much more deviant way to control people without actually controlling them. You...you don't mind, do you?" Ceylon lowered her head and splayed her ears out, remorseful of her deceit.

The raptor trilled at her. "Oh, skies above, no I don't mind! If you can do for me what you say you can do, then I'll be your noble steed and carry you around on my back! There are far worse things you can do to me than coerce me into mounting you. Seriously, have you ever met someone who didn't appreciate what you had to offer?" He squatted his rump down as he preened at his wing feathers. "Trust me, if I didn't want it, I wouldn't have done it. You have...you have wonderful gryphon...parts."

Ceylon perked her ears up and smiled, ears lifting up again. "Good, I'm glad to hear it! I'm very forthright, you know. I'm not the type to play around the edges of an issue or waste time. I can sense it in you, your kindness. You are a gentle soul, and I want to help. The first step of my plan is complete, now that I've harvested your seed. Next, I think we need to go on a bit of a stroll throughout the valley. In order for me to give you what I came here to offer, you will need to go away for a bit."

Red was smiling and nodding his head in agreement as she spoke. "Yes, that's fine for me. I often go weeks away from the island, visiting the neighboring lands of the avians, dragons, and felines. My people don't need me, I can leave for a while if that is what is necessary in the long run. Why, what did you have in mind?"

The gryphon goddess shook her head and ruffled her feathers before trotting out of his nesting room and through onto the plateau of his front yard. "Come, come. We will go visit your peoples, and tell them who I am so they don't see me as a threat in your absence." Before Red could ask any further questions, she spread her wings and hopped over the cliff to glide away over the foothills of the mountainside.

Red raised an eyebrow and ruffled his own feathers before bounding forward after her, jumping high into the sky to follow her down into the valley where the herbivores had built their village.

Ceylon didn't know where they were headed at first, but Red pulled forward to guide the way. The trip down to the sauropod village took only a few minutes, as the sun was high and the sky was clear of clouds. The thermals were billowing off the hot rocks, sand, and yellow vegetation of the desolate prehistoric valley, meaning that both fliers could glide with minimal flapping. Neither could speak on the flight, for the wind was whipping over their feathers too much and would have drowned out their speech.

Eventually, both landed with grace in the middle of the village. It was a simple place, with large huts in every direction for the young. This is where they laid their eggs and raised their offspring until they grew out of the tiny huts that fit them when still hatchlings. Eventually, they would hit puberty, sprout up in height, and be too tall for the trees or any structure, and they would live their lives on the plains and in the lakes, eating there. Long-necked creatures had an interesting life cycle, but it made sense when thoroughly investigated.

Sauropods of young and old walked out from the jungle treeline and from the lakes nearby as Red introduced Ceylon with a series of chirps, grunts, growls, and trills. The Saurian language. "People of Sauria, I bring you Lady Ceylon!" He extended a wing to her as he called out her introduction. Then, he paused and looked over to her. "Uh, I'm not really sure what to say. What do you want me to say?"

Ceylon nuzzled up into him under his wing and preened his feathers a bit. "Don't worry about it. I am familiar with the Saurian language. Let me say my piece." She coughed and stepped forward to address the few that had emerged, preparing herself to speak in their language to the best of her ability with the handicap of a beak. "Yes, I am an ally of Red the Raptor. I must bestow upon him a gift, but to do so, I must take him from you for a while. If that is okay with you, I would be honored to return him to you in a week or so."

The sauropods just kind of looked at each other, then bellowed back in a gruff rendition of their own language. They were confused, not completely understanding why there was a need for Ceylon to introduce herself. Red was confused as well, but he opted not to question the gryphon's plan. As a raptor with the ability to sense a person's emotions or purity, he could sense and feel Ceylon's sincerity. There wasn't an ounce of deception in her, so he vouched for her.

In Red's absense, Ceylon would be visiting, and should be treated as a saurian, not an enemy or foreigner. Ceylon wanted Red to explain that she'd be taking over his duties, but he made a point to never outwardly declare himself the protector of the island. He felt it would be insulting to the dinos if the island to proclaim them to need a protector. Instead, he did what he did in the shadows. The raptor was well known as a helpful soul across the many variants of saurian, and every tribe admired him equally, but none of them considered him the protector.

As such, he simply wanted them to extend their courtesy to the gryphon goddess while he was away. That's all that needed to be said. "Ceylon here is a friend and an ally. I will hope you will treat her with the same affection and respect you offer me."

After a half hour of chatting, with Ceylon getting to know the individuals in the sauropod village, they took off into the skies, flying west to the raptor packs that lived in and around the Rockwood. They took to Ceylon better than the long-necked dinos did, since she had feathers like they did. Fireclaw wasn't too keen on him replacing Red, but the raptor guardian assured them he would be gone only for a short while.

Junglebird flirted with Ceylon a bit before realizing that the gryphon was female. That got a laugh out of the pack before they departed, travelling northeast up the Scar of Sauria - the vast prehistoric plains in the valley of the island.

Together, they visited the two-legged saurians, the armor plated ones, the raptors, the rexes, and the fliers in the mountain. Ceylon made an effort to get to know as many of them as she could, assuring each and every one she came in contact with of her sincerity and desire to help them as Red did.

The day wore on, and both Ceylon and Red visited the shores between the sauropod and armored dino villages. There, they decided to enjoy a meal together as the sun set in over the ocean horizon. Both raptors enjoyed a bounty of the sea.

"It has been quite a day, hasn't it Red?" Ceylon mused as she laid on the beach, a meal of three large fish on a bark weave. Red laid next to her, having already enjoyed his fill. "Your people are quite nice, and I'm amazed that they live together in harmony as well as they do. You have truly kept your oath as a protector, and I want you to know that whatever happens tonight, that you have my respect."

If Red was capable of blushing, he would have. Instead, the feathers on his neck spread and floofed out as he lowered his chin to his chest, a gentle trill sneaking out. "Thank you, m'lady. That means a lot, coming from you." He smiled and let out a gentle burp, having enjoyed his meal. "So, um, if you don't mind me asking, could you please tell me what you have in mind for your solution to my situation? We've been flying around the island all day, and you haven't let me know about your plan. I trust you, I do, but I am still curious."

Ceylon grabbed a fish in her beak and tossed her head back, gulping it down in one swallow. "Well, it's kind of complicated. You know who I am. You know what I can do. You know that it wouldn't take much for me to help you in your desire to raise a family."

Red nodded, tail swishing in the sand behind him as the surf massaged the shore.

"Well, I can transform you. I can help you change your body to be more compatible with the people of this island. I can do that, but the magics aren't fully developed yet. It would take a long time to do it without pain. I would need constant contact with you to gradually alter your physiology to something that can reproduce." She tossed her head back and enjoyed a second fish, her own tail snaking its way over to rub at the base of Red's. "And with the help of my mate, I've learned a way to maintain that contact for the week or so it will take to change you. Do you understand?"

"I am not sure I do. I'm curious and excited, but I'm not sure I understand."

"I need you inside me. Fully. You must entirely submit yourself to me; I will take you in my womb, and in a week's time you will be reborn, your form altered to suit your needs. While inside me, we can communicate, but you will be at the mercy of my body; but you will be safe, you will be warm, and you will be in my care, but you will not be able to leave until the transformation is complete."

Red blinked as his breaths grew ragged and brisk. His heart was throbbing in his chest and there was a swelling between his legs. He wasn't sure how to respond to her offer, but he was quite eager and excited if it meant what he thought he meant. "H-how will I-"

"Breathe? Don't worry, once you are inside, you will partially revert back to the status of a hatchling. You will have no need for air in the conditional sense, for my body will nourish you."

He shifted on his hind legs a bit, his slit growing moist at the thought of disappearing under her tail. "Your body is...it's barely larger than mine. I'm not sure if...I don't think I would fit." He raised both front talons to size her up.

"Don't worry about that. I created transformation magic, growth was one of my first tricks." She grabbed the final bite of fish and gulped it down as she got to all fours, her feathers standing on end. "Now, it's time for you to submit to me, and in return I will grant your deepest wishes."

Red watched with intent as she turned and lifted her tail, limbs lengthening and body bulking up before his eyes. He gulped heavily as she grew, muscles bulging, skin stretching, and fur growing in waves around her form from beak to tail. He jumped up and shook the sand from his belly as he buried his snout between her bulging rump cheeks, smearing his lips to hers as she continued to grow. Before long, her hind legs had raised her rump as high as his snout when he stood up straight, and her body had shifted and grown to match.

"When you are ready..." Ceylon started, her voice booming and low now that she was so much larger. She squatted down and looked around her body to smile at Red, tail high to expose her droopy, pouty vulva and slick flesh; a gooey spatter of her pink-hued fluids sprayed from between her lips to soak his snout and chest, as clear an invitation as Red had ever tasted. "I am yours to explore, Red. Don't be shy. Enter me, and you will emerge a new raptor."