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Forest Fantasies

Spring had fallen over the land of northern Saff'Rald, which made it the perfect time of year to reinvigorate old friendships and embrace new ones. Yakone - a male tundra wolf more commonly known as Yak - was eagerly awaiting the arrival of a friend that he hadn't seen since the prior spring. He remained eagerly waiting on his front deck with his tail wagging and maw open, tongue lolling out as his friend Lilfur - a female ash wolf more commonly known as Lilu - sprawled out on his porch beside him wearing a cute flower brooch to doll herself up for their guest.

"So when is she going to be here?" Asked Lilu, head upside down on the wood of the porch while her paws folded on her chest and hindpaws curled at the air. She hadn't met Yak's friend, so she was quite interested in seeing what she was like.

"Leila should be here very soon. Said that she found an inn on the lower part of the village and would be here soon after waking." Yak explained, head up high and ears perked to hear any noises he could catch. His dark fur was properly combed and cleaned that morning, in order to give the best first impression; he didn't want to look like a mangy mutt for his old friend.

The two friends were both waiting at Yak's property, a nice and small single story ranch home surrounded by trees on the edge of their village in the foothills of the Saff'Rald mountain range. Yak worked in town doing the sort of odd-jobs a quadruped wolf could do better than others - such as pest control and light security - while occasionally helping Lilu in her endeavors. He didn't much care for what Lilu did for a job as it was a bit too dangerous for him, a point she was sure to remind him every chance she was afforded. Yakone often dismissed her light teasing, as he was a retired military wolf, but it still hurt him a bit when she laughed at his relative lack of desire to get back into danger.

She was a hunter, using her keen senses and warrior's spirit to track and hunt down vermin and monsters alike in the wilds around town - hence Yak's reservation when accompanying her. The wolf's services were for hire, and she often dragged Yak along for the ride since a second pair of ears and nose could really help her. Mostly, the two accompanied biped hunting parties as the lead chaser and trackers, while also being used for their teeth and natural killing ability as wolves.

Given the nature of the surrounding area, they were never far from work, so they both kept pretty busy despite not really needing the money. As a veteran, Yakone was set for life and monster hunting was quite lucrative so Lilu was also doing quite well for herself. That's why both had the week off to host Yak's friend Leila - a female tundra wolf much like Yak.

"So how much longer must we wait. I have a life outside this porch, you know." Lilu jokingly complained, soaking in the irony.

"You're free to leave any time, but if you're worried that this gorgeous wolf is gonna steal me away, you might want to stick around. Can't say I won't trot away with the first bitch that entices me." Yak joked back.

Lilu was known to be possessive and a little aggressive with Yak, because she liked to be dominant and in some ways considered him hers even though she wasn't interested in him romantically. She was very interested in keeping him happy and doing the best for him, but he didn't know that. This made it easy for her to manipulate him and keep him close, since he had strong desires to be more than the close - and occasionally intimate friends - they already had become. Both Lilu and Yak knew this was a potentially harmful relationship, but had both been such good friends for so long that they had settled into a comfortable balance between ruthless teasing and sincere kindness towards each other, the kind of good-natured ribbing only the best of friends could get away with.

Yak was on the verge of continuing his gentle tease when he heard the sound of paw pads tapping lightly on the gravel walkway ahead of him. He immediately stood to all fours and Lilu hopped into position doing the same, both ready for their guest.

Out came Leila, a beautifully well trimmed wolf with tri-shaded fur: black down her spine, with brown on her back fading into the white of her belly. She wore a similar flower brooch on her ear to what Lilu was wearing, which made Yak smile. Given her colors and patterns, she could almost be the pup of Yak and Lil, as Yak's patterns were mostly black and dark gray while Lil's were many shades of auburn and rust leading to a white belly.

"Leila!" Yak yipped at her, his excitement bouncing all four paws off the ground at once.

Lilu wasn't nearly as excited to see this wolf, but she still smiled for her friend.

"Yak!" Leila called back as she broke into a run, maw open and tongue lolling out. When the to met, they nuzzled in for a hug with opposite arms on each others' shoulders. "How have you been?"

Yak pulled away and sat, tail wagging uncontrollably. "I've been quite good! The last year has been quite fun for me. Stressful at times, as life tends to be, but good!" He glanced over at Lilu with a sly flick of his ear. "What have you been doing all year? Please tell me it's a lot of fun, no matter what it is!"

"Oh you know, a little bit of this, a little bit of that. Trekked across the ocean to see my mate, saw the sights, rocked the world around me. The usual for an adventurer! No arrows in knees though. This bitch isn't tied down yet!" She paused to think about what she said. "Well, I get tied all the time, but that lasts an hour or two, tops." She laughed, smiling while the other two joined in.

Lilu kept herself a step back from the reuniting friends, keeping a close eye on Yak's body language and the slight scents that he was emitting. She could tell from the frequency of his tail wags and the ever-so-slight musky aroma that he was very much so into this Leila, so she leaned in and nuzzled up close to him during her introductions to Leila. "Hey darlin'! I'm Lilfur, but you can call me Lil or Lilu if you'd like! Yak here has told me all about you. He just doesn't shut up, does he?"

Leila looked a little confused as she glanced back and forth between Yak and Lilu. "Has he changed in the last year? Far as I remember he's more on the quiet side, doesn't talk that much. What I like about him!" She reached out with her paw to 'shake' his snout. "Less time talking means more time for him to tend to other duties, if you get my drift."

This comment made Lilu's more prideful personality traits flare up, so her expression changed. "Oh yes, I do." she then shook off her disdain and smiled, sure to minimize any risk of there being any conflict. "I think you and I are going to get along quite well." Lilu giggled as she winked.

Yak stepped in between the two ladies, having sensed from Lilu's subtle expression that this could either go very well or - more likely - very bad. He knew that both Lilu and Leila had strong personalities, and both had their own ways of dealing with Yak and controlling him, so he didn't want to let them get too aggressive with one another. As he liked to joke - exclusively to himself in his head - bitches be crazy sometimes. "Anyway, I was originally thinking I'd love to invite Leila in to have a chat and get caught up, but given the lovely weather and the turning of the seasons, I was thinking we could go for a walk! Could easily pack some food and maybe even hunt while we're out; gives us hours to reacquaint and enjoy the majesty of the cottonwood."

"Sounds wonderful!" Agreed Lilu.

"What's the cottonwood?" Leila asked, cocking her head to the side with a bit of a whimper.

Yak smiled and patted her on the shoulder as if he was shaking paws. "I'll tell you on the way. Come on, let's go!" He dove into the house to get a saddlebag for himself - he was going to carry the food instead of burdening the two ladies - before the three of them trotted off the property to go to the cottonwood.

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

As Yak explained to Leila, The cottonwood was a large forest lining the west foothills of the Saff'Rald mountain range. Its tree line borders wrapped around his village in a crescent moon shape while the rest of it covered the rolling hills and cliffs that housed the many monsters that Lilu was often tasked with hunting. The cottonwood itself was characterized by the crystal bark and white leaves of the trees and ferns there, while still having green grasses and flowers of every color of the rainbow dotted within. From a distance, this region looked like the snow-capped mountaintops simply extended down to sea level, but those snowy-looking trees were actually the white leaves of the cottonwood.

The entire region was absolutely beautiful given the reflective surfaces of the bark and the white leaves, but the cottonwood was not to be taken lightly. Many monsters were known to dwell in the deep woods, with many of them being magical in some form or another. In fact, the cottonwood was home to the highest concentration of magical creatures in the entire world.

It was the bark of the trees themselves that both attracted and created the magical creatures in the area. The bark that covered much of the tree trunks was partially composed of crystallized ademane - the fluid that was the source of all magic - which also supplied the rest of the tree with the life energy it needed to survive. White leaves would normally never work, because a tree needs to absorb sunlight and convert that into energy to fuel itself, but the cottonwood siphoned the ademane from the soil and used that for energy instead.

As such, the local creatures would chew on the bark or eat the leaves, which would then act like a potion for whatever consumed it. This meant that the cottonwood was filled with species and subspecies that had the ability to instinctively cast spells, both unique to the region and adaptations of common animals. Creatures like stags that could create arcs of lightning from one antler to the next, or snakes that could fly, or leopards who's patterns would shift and alter their fur for camouflage or insects that could turn their shells to iron in a self defense mechanism all populated the cottonwood. Some of the more dangerous monsters that made the area their home were seen as threats not just to the people of the village, but also the ecosystem, so they needed to be culled.

"Wait, so you're telling me that your job is to hunt magical monsters?" Leila asked, trotting alongside Yak and Lilu. Though she was a world-weary traveler, she wasn't familiar with this region and wanted to know more. "And you don't have any scars that tell your tales?"

The group of all three of them had left the village, heading east along the pathways and trails that formed a web all over the half of the cottonwood closest to their home. The other half that climbed up the mountains and dotted the cliffs, was devoid of any hospitality but rich with the monsters that Lilu hunted. "I get cut up pretty bad, but that's what potions are for. Grind up some bark, enchant it with a light healing spell, and rub it into the wound. It takes a while to do its work, but once the magic has been absorbed, the wound heals and regenerates any lost fur. This keeps me from having any permanent, long-term scarring."

Yak winced as he thought about Lilu getting hurt, his mind conjuring one of the memories of her breaking her hind leg while on a hunt that he didn't attend; this was an injury he felt responsible for. He should have been there to help.

But this wasn't a time for sorrow or dour memories, this was to be a wonderful week with friends together in the mountains. Yak wanted to give Leila a wonderful vacation away from the stresses of modern, daily life, surrounded by the most beautiful trees and majestic wildlife. They were in one of the less dangerous areas, where the cottonwood trees were intermingled with normal green and brown ones that weren't able to absorb the ademane in the soil, which meant that the creatures farther west lacked the magic and danger of the ones farther east and up the mountain slopes.

"We do our best to keep all our hunters completely safe." Lilu continued, barely even realizing that the conversation was upsetting Yak. "It can get dangerous, but we never go in without all the preparation we need to take down our mark. We get paid pretty well, so we have the tools and the time to be thorough; the worst thing any of us would do would be to dive headfirst into a hunt without properly scouting ahead and learning everything we can."

"Also, the hunt often lasts days, with the first few just being reconnaissance, tracking the monster's movements, discovering its favorite places, and checking to see if it has a den. Sometimes they're able to destroy the creature without so much as a fight." Yak added, trying to convey the confidence and bravado needed to paint Lilu in the best light.

But Lilu liked the hunt. She liked the fight, and her favorite part was when the monster would fight back and give her a real challenge. In her mind, there was no glory in a kill not earned, which is why she grinned and puffed out her chest fur. "But there's no fun in that, is there. I like it when we get to match our wits and our skills against a beast that knows we're there and takes us to our limit. They - the rest of my team - use enchanted spears or bows with enchanted tips that would nullify monster magic. Sometimes, if that doesn't work, we enlist mages to help, or trappers to help tie them down! It's a thrill, a rush!" She flashed her teeth, eyes intense as she practically drooled with excitement at the prospect of clenching her jaws into the neck of some rogue beast.

Her bragging and aggression were making Leila somewhat uneasy. "Why do you feel the need to kill, though? I mean, don't most animals have zero interest in harming agens of any kind? And why do you call them monsters? They're just beasts with magic, aren't they? Don't you think they're just misunderstood?" Though usually pretty brash and aggressive herself, Leila wasn't an abusive or violent type, usually just pushy with her friends.

"Well, that's just it, isn't it?" Yak interjected before Lilu could answer in what he assumed would be a dismissive fashion. "An animal that does possess magic is a monster; that is the very definition of it. The ademane that feeds them also twists their minds and turns them into an abomination, giving them aggression and rage well beyond what is considered normal. If these creatures - these monsters - were to mingle with the civilized world, they would wreak havoc. We know because that used to happen a lot."

"But, people are afraid of snakes and spiders and other potentially harmful animals, but that doesn't mean they're actually dangerous. Couldn't that same logic be applied here?" Leila asked Yak, not really wanting to talk to Lilu.

"Perhaps, but it's not a risk we're willing to take. Once a creature starts chewing on the bark of the cottonwood trees, it slowly morphs and mutates into something else entirely. The more it eats, the more powerful it gets, and the more powerful it gets the stronger its desire. In time, what was once a harmless deer or raccoon turns into a ravenous, aggressive little monster that can and will kill anything it comes in contact with, up to and including people. Agens. Children. Pets. Crops. Long ago, the entire cottonwood was flooded with monsters like that, but the perfect formation of the region meant that people were going to settle at our village. That's when monster hunters became pertinent to our survival, and why Lilu is so important to me. To us." He blushed a bit as he corrected himself, accidentally letting slip his affections.

Lilu didn't seem to notice, she just kept going on about the glory of monster hunting. "And in time, we've driven the worst of the worst farther back into the mountains, far away from our village. The farther west we go in the cottonwood, the smaller and weaker the monsters. However, the farther east we go, reaching for the summit, the monsters grow in strength. Since they're so far away from the village, they have had an entire lifetime to consume and grow, which means more glory for us the farther east we go. It's like a game, now."

Yak felt the need to interject. "Well, not a game, but it is definitely challenging."

"No, I make a game out of it. Depending on how far east we go, I give myself points based off-"

"Come on, Lilu, why do you have to be like that?" Yak challenged, fur standing on end as he scowled at her. He didn't want to offend her, but she was making light of a potentially serious situation and it always irked him when she made jokes or a game out of something so dangerous. Usually he liked to go with the flow and play along, but he didn't want his two friends to dislike one another, and it seemed like they weren't quite getting along. "Why not-"

Leila interrupted him with a smile. "Oh, don't be so uptight, Yak. It's fine. I just like to learn and know things; I didn't know that the magic that these monsters had in their possession could be so dangerous or alter them so deeply. I still don't like the idea of harming animals, but it seems like, far as I can tell, it's necessary in this case. I understand the law of the wilds. Honestly, if I had the skills I'd like to observe one of these hunts. Would that be okay with you two?" Her ears perked up and her eyes widened, tail wagging.

"Probably not." Lilu said, taking a few steps forward to lead the pack. "It can be really dangerous, and I wouldn't want to risk the life of an outsider. Plus, if I'm defending you, then that compromises myself and the rest of the team." She wagged her tail lightly, blowing her scent back at both Yak and Leila as she looked over her shoulder at them.

Yak shook his head lightly as he caught the aroma of heat before him. Lilu was in season and teasing him again, giving him a good look under that tail of hers while she walked ahead, but Yak didn't want to let her know or realize that he noticed, so he added to the conversation about the hunts. "Plus, we both took the week off while you were visiting. There won't be any hunts for the next few days unless something drastic happens."

"A shame." Leila opined, then trotted forth ahead of Yak to join up with Lilu, the two of them shoulder to shoulder and hip to hip with both tails up high. She was very aggressively flirty with Yak, and must have seen and sensed Lilu's pose, so she was trying to match her; at least that's what Yak theorized. Years of knowing them both gave him insight to their personalities and the way they each would treat him. He dared not say anything for fear of them shooting him down or acting indignant, so he didn't bother stirring the pot.

"Not really a shame, I don't think, I just-" He paused to scrunch up his muzzle. "I think this is in the best interest for everyone. Honestly, I just want to enjoy the beautiful landscape." Yak smiled and turned away from the two ladies, heading out to the steep clifftop that went from beside the trail they were walking to the valley below. Behind them, another steep cliff heading up into the mountains. "The cottonwood. I love the way it glistens in the valley, with the sunlight reflecting off the white leaves and the crystallized bark. I wonder what creatures out there we have yet to see." It was a pleasant distraction for him, as he was able to sniff the air and enjoy the scent of spring mountains.

Leila and Lilu both stepped up next to him, sitting on their haunches as they looked over the valley together. All of them wagged their tails and panted as a light breeze washed over them.

"What a gorgeous view. I agree." Leila observed as she leaned into Yak, nuzzling at his black fur. "I'm already in heat, but the season makes it even more intense. I mean, I'd have a really hard time saying no to anyone right now." She laughed, feigning her sincerity. "And I admit that this view is definitely not something I've been privy to enjoy while tied in my time."

Lilu narrowed her eyes and glanced past Yak to her, keen to see her boy Yak go under the tail of only her, as nobody could please him as she could. That was how she kept her paw on him, and ti was efective. "Well, the season will do that, won't it? I'm sure Yak here could have anyone if he really wanted to, right? I mean, I know he's had me before and, well, he knows how to handle a knot."

"Oh, so do I!" Leila giggled. "All that time I spent travelling, I've learned a few things. If you want, I can teach you." She winked and nuzzled in even deeper against Yak, licking his cheek.

This made Lilu narrow her gaze just a little more. Nobody could pleasure her boy Yak as well as she could. "I'm sure you learned a lot, and I am curious to see what you've got, but I know Yak better than anyone. I know exactly where to squeeze and exactly when to tug, you know?"

A grin slowly spread across Leila's face as the fur down her spine stood on end and her tail started to wag. "Well I wouldn't be against a friendly little competition, if you're up for it. See who's skills can bring Yak here to his climax." She playfully slipped her head under his chin, panting heavily and staring up at Lilu. Her eyes narrowed as her brow furrowed, issuing a challenge.

Lilu did the same, staring down at Leila as her brow furrowed.

Meanwhile, Yak stood in place, eyes wide and staring out over the cottonwood valley not knowing what to do next or how to react. He gulped, not wanting to dissuade the two ladies from their budding friendly rivalry, but he also knew both participants were quite competitive and a bit of a sensual rivalry could escalate to something more serious. Still, he just couldn't bring himself to convince two sexy bitches not to fight over him. "Girls. Ladies. Come on, there's plenty of Yak to go around." He assured them, yipping at one then the other.

Leila pulled out from under his chin and cocked his head to the side, one ear down. "Oh, I know, but you're a sire. You can only tie with one of us and I think it's only fair that we fight for who gets that knot. What do you think?" She cooed at him as she brushed past his chest, rubbing her spine against him like a cat and finishing by lightly caressing his snout with her tail.

"We'll see about that." Sneered Lilu as she leaned in to nuzzle up at Yak's belly, brushing her snout along his sheath, coaxing him to rise to all fours with his back arched. She gave a gentle lick at the moist tip as she prodded with her nose, peeling the skin back to expose a bit of red, which she lapped at.

"Going right in, are we?" Leila growled while smiling. She leapt around to Yak's other side and copied Lilu, burrowing her snout up under his belly while trying to push her away while giving herself all the room. Lilu did pull out from under him, giving Leila room to gently push her snout down along his belly and peel back the sheath, every inch of his member sliding into her open mouth sans the still soft knot. She tried to push forward, swallowing the tip as it slid down her gullet, but was stabbed by Yak as he instinctively thrust, thus making her gag a bit.

Lilu laughed. "So much for all your worldly experience. Now watch, I'll show you what he likes." She nibbled her way down his haunches to bury her muzzle under his tail, sniffing gently before lightly lapping at his twin orbs, the sensation making him shudder in delight, spine tingling and fur standing on end. She vigorously kept at him, slathering his flesh and matting his fur until they were all interrupted by a booming voice from above.

"You know, there are plenty of ways to please a drake, you two. No reason to turn it into a battle of sensuality, and I have to say that escalated from a gentle conversation to a sexual competition quite quickly." When they all looked up, they saw a black and white gryphon staring down at them from atop a cliff with his chin on his folded talons and tail whipping about behind them. He had brown highlights around the feathers on his neck, accenting the black splotches that dotted him. "There are lots of more productive things you can do to appease the ones you love, starting by eradicating the monsters of the cottonwood, or so it would seem."

All three canines jumped in surprise and hopped away from each other, growling and backing away from the gryphon, prepared for a fight as Yak's cock deflated and returned to its sheath.

Lilu composed herself and stood up, feigning bravado. "And who do you think you are, watching us? How dare you!"

The gryphon smiled, unfazed by their aggressive show. "Who do I dare to be? What do I think as I watch you? Well, allow me to introduce myself." He stood tall atop the cliffs and spread his wings, feathered tips nearly touching two trees on either side as his chest pushed out, giving him a majestic look to match the cottonwood. "My name is Ceylon, and I am the guardian of both this forest and the magical creatures therein. I recognize two of you, hunters. So I really should flip this back and reverse it on you; tell me, who do you think you are to mercilessly hunt those innocent creatures?"

Yak and Lilu both glanced at each other, a sense of dread overcoming the both of them as they came to realize what sort of situation they may have put themselves into. Making matters worse, neither were prepared for a hunt or a fight given the fact that they were in the relatively tame western branch of the cottonwood and hadn't anticipated a problem that their jaws couldn't handle. Now, they were only two wolves, naked and vulnerable against a dangerous gryphon many times their size.

While the two hunters were both reasonably concerned, Leila seemed excited at the prospect of getting to join in on an impromptu hunt, not understanding the danger involved. She leapt forward and growled at Ceylon, taking the initiative while glancing over her shoulder to make sure both Yak and Lilu had her back. "They're hunters, is what they are, and you will fall to them if you-"

"Silly pup." Ceylon interrupted, slowly shaking his head. "It's truly cute that you think that, but I can assure you they fear me. As they should. However, if I wanted them dead, I wouldn't have announced myself and you'd all be corpses dotting the land with red. No, I'm not here for that, though it's admirable that you think that way." He hopped down from his perch on the cliff to land before all three of them, folding his wings tight to his flank. "But I do feel the need to advise you on your quest to eradicate this land of the magical creatures that reside here."

Yak stepped forward and grabbed Leila by the nape of the neck, tugging her away from the gryphon drake, stopping only when all three were shoulder to shoulder in solidarity against the potential threat. "And tell me, bird, what is it you feel the need to tell us? What could you possibly know about our livelihood?"

In response, Lilu looked over to Yak and went to add to the taunt, but thought better of herself since she was still surveying the situation before she made any brash statements or foolish threats.

Ceylon took note of this, lightly nodding his approval towards her and her intelligent responses to his presence. "Well, as I said I am the guardian of this forest, and it is my job to maintain the integrity of the ecosystem. You hunters have been slowly edging towards the eastern cliffs, devastating the natural way of things and sucking the life from the cottonwood itself. If you continue, you will-"

"We are doing what we need to do in order to keep our village safe!" Lilu growled, halting her silence to defend her way of life.

"Indeed." Ceylon said as he stepped forward, feathers pressed tight to his neck and chest. "Indeed you feel that way, but you are indeed a fool if you think that you speak the truth."

Yak lowered himself to the ground and flattened his ears to his skull. "We are no fools, how dare you insult us!"

"You are fools, the both of you. Tell me, Yakone; tell me, Lilfur, when is the last time your village was attacked by any monsters? When was the last time someone's life or livelihood was destroyed n the name of the ademane that gives life to these trees?"

They glanced at each other, both confused that Ceylon knew their names but also in an attempt to think about his query, to perhaps conjure up a witty barb back, only to be distracted when Leila hopped forward to boast again. "It happens all the time! Or they wouldn't be hunting! You can't be so foolish!"

Ceylon chuckled and grinned, beak agape and ears flat. "Wrong again. You might want to keep your muzzle shut in regards to issues you know nothing about. I know you are foreign to this land, but that doesn't excuse ignorance. No, it has been years since anyone has been harmed by a creature in the village or near to it, correct?" He paused to wait for Yak and Lilu to answer, but saw their expressions shift to shame and acceptance so he continued. "No monster or magical creature has been a threat to the village ever since Lilu's hunting crew started systematically eradicating anything that had been mutated by the power of ademane. As a result, the forest has been dying. If you look around, you see a lot more green and brown to the west, and the cottonwood is losing its life to the natural way."

"Exactly. Isn't that a good thing? The ademane in the bark is creating monstrosities and creating one abomination after another. The world cannot strive when the cottonwood thrives. Surely you understand that." Lilu accused Ceylon, her tone growing increasingly indignant.

"I understand that to an ignorant mind it seems that way, but what you don't understand is that as your culture thrives, you are throwing off the balance. The cottonwood is a self-regulating ecosystem, when a creature gets too strong it attracts the others to take it down and take it out, thus maintaining the balance. Plus, once a 'monster' absorbs too much ademane through its diet, its rage will sabotage its body, and it will die soon thereafter. Everything is in equilibrium and the more you hunt the more it is compromised. For the longest while I chose not to intervene, since you operated well within the zone where the cottonwood itself could right its equilibrium. However, I feel that in the past few months, your hunts have overstepped their bounds."

Yak glanced sidelong to Lilu, while also urging Leila back to their ranks. "But we need to protect our village! Surely you understand that-"

Ceylon shot a glance at Yak, his blue eyes flashing with a teal mist. "Stop questioning what I do and don't understand. Know that you and your village were both erected in the cotton meadows, so there are no arguments you can possibly make that validate your existence on my land. You will forever be an invader here, and if a monster was to wreak havoc on your population, it would be your own fault." He stepped in close, standing tall over all three canines. "But I know that you three - well, the two of you, your foreign friend is not one of the populous - are not responsible for the place of your birth. So, with that in mind I offer a truce. An agreement. Will you convey my communication to your superiors?"

As the gryphon walked in a circle around the group of them, the all fanned out with rumps touching and faces pointing out in a defensive semicircle, all with snouts pointing towards Ceylon as Lilu spoke. "I can't...I can't promise they will listen, and I don't think it's smart to suggest a group of revered hunters that they should just give up on their lucrative jobs. I'm not sure if a guardian spirit has need for coin, but we do and that's our livelihood."

His long, snakelike tail whipped around to cradle under Lilu's chin, angering her to the point it was clear she was prompted to bite but had held back. "I'm not saying that you completely give up on your job, this is a truce and not a command. No, I simply request that you not take your hunting parties past the western cliff face of the opal fjord. If any magical creatures - monsters, if you prefer that terminology - breach the valleys there, then you are free to hunt them. Terminate with extreme prejudice. That give you and your people command of just over half of the cottonwood's land, leaving the most powerfully enchanted fauna and flora to the east. Does that sound like a good trade to you?"

"What if they don't listen?" Yak inquired. "What happens if a hunting party goes beyond the opal fjord?"

Ceylon scoffed and leaned in close as he continued his silky motion around the group, rubbing his massive beak across the male wolf's cheek. "Well, I will be guarding past that border, so may the skies have mercy on you. If I catch you or any of your kind on the eastern shores of the opal fjord, I will kill you, and I will feed you to some crystal-scaled-serpent or a carnivorous arc-elope to be digested and turned into a literal pile of magical shit." He laughed a bit before stepping back across the cleared path, facing the three wolves. "Of course, I don't actually expect you to listen, and I don't need you. I guess this isn't a truce, it's a warning. Look at that. Heed it at your own risk."

Lilu gulped heavily, knowing full well that her pack would not be keen on limiting their hunting, especially not considering how much money they made from their trade. "But what about our livelihood?"

"I'm sure you'll find plenty use for your talents beyond hunting the monsters of the cottonwood. Yak has done so with aplomb, so it's clearly possible to do so without sacrificing one's personal happiness. Be more like Yakone here." Ceylon suggested, tone shifting to be less aggressive and more sincerely friendly. It felt, to the others, like he was genuinely eager to come to an accord by making friends instead of enemies.

This assuaged Yak's concern, but he still had to ask. "Wait, how do you know our names? We haven't told you that, so how could you possibly know us and our lives?"

"I'm a guardian spirit. I can peer inside your mind if the situation calls for it." Ceylon explained nonchalantly as though it was just a natural, common thing. "But I have to tell you, I can see some pretty lewd thoughts in all of your minds. I don't suppose that's something that could allow me to take advantage of you, is it?" He leaned in close, his expression morphing from a dominant but stern protector to an aroused, needy drake. "Is it?"

Each of the three canines glanced at each other with a hint of unease until Leila responded. "That depends, do you possess a knot?"

"Leila!" Both Yak and Lilu barked at her, shocked at their friend's shamelessness.

"What? He's a guardian spirit of the forest! You're only one male and there are two of us bitches! It's clear this Ceylon drake isn't going to hurt us and, well, if he's tied to the seasons, then he'll be tied to me while in season, right?"

Ceylon grinned and did all he could to hold back a hearty chuckle. "Indeed, not a single thing you said is incorrect." He turned to Yak and Lilu over Leila's shoulders. "Like the forest itself and the creatures that inhabit it, I do change with the seasons and could use some affection. I know you might not like what I have to say, but there are few more thorough ways to appease the guardian spirit of the forest than to do so physically." His invitation was clear.

But neither hunter felt right accepting his invitation, fearing it to be a trap of some sort. Yak was especially cautious. "What need does a spirit have for the more carnal desires of us terrestrial folk? Furthermore, if you are male, then how do you go into season? Only females do that."

"It's cute that you think that, and under most circumstances you would be quite right, but I do not adhere to the natural law of the land for I merely enforce it. If you must know, I am greatly in tune with the world around me, so my moods and needs change with the season. In this world, when spring comes, I feel the same sense of carnal desire that the creatures around me do. By simply being near creatures in heat, I go into my own form of it." He sniffed at the air as he got in close to Leila. "And I can sense it on you. So here I am, with an offer for a mutually beneficial exchange. What say you?"

Lilu growled a bit, glancing sidelong over at Yak. "I'm really not sure what to make of this all. I think we can both agree that everything about this moment reeks of oddity."

"And yet I hold you to no obligation. I understand my request is peculiar, especially given my lecture of you for your actions, but I hold no ire. I know that you must do what you feel necessary to support yourself, so with that in mind I humbly offer my body to you for this chance meeting." Ceylon lowered his chest to the ground in a deep and powerful bow as his wings spread, the colorful sheen of his white fur and feathers reflecting the midday light. While in that position, he gently nuzzled at Leila's shoulder, raking his beak through her fur as he stared at both Yak and Lilu.

"Come on you two, don't be so boring!" Leila sighed at her hosts before turning to Ceylon and getting into a pounce-ready position with chest down and rump up. "I can't speak on behalf of them, but I'm not missing out on an opportunity to enjoy the pleasures of a forest guardian!" She panted heavily, nipping playfully at Ceylon's neck and shoulder plumage.

In response, the gryphon fluffed out his chest and purred gently, still not taking his eyes off the two hunters even as he buried his beak under Leila's belly to tease at her between the legs from there. "Listen to your friend. She seems to be okay with me." His long, tapered tongue slipped up between her legs to curl up and lightly tease at her plump canine folds, barely reaching despite the fact that his head was nearly as big as half her torso.

Her tail came right up as she spread her hind legs and squatted down a bit, back arching and loins angled as close as they would go. She hopped from one front paw to the next, chanting quietly to herself. "Gonna knot a gryphon, gonna knot a gryphon..." On repeat, pausing only when she felt his tongue tasting her flesh.

Yak still felt quite uneasy given the circumstances, but still didn't quite feel right saying no when his guest was so enthusiastically taking the initiative. He was about to make a move on Lilu when she turned to him, shrugging her shoulders.

"Well, it looks like we don't have a choice in the matter, do we?" Before Yak could respond, she had tackled him to the ground and pinned his shoulders down, her chest pressed tight to his to ensure he didn't move. "And I've been looking for an excuse to have you take me for a few days now."

Ceylon pulled his head out from under Lilu to step on her head without using much force, pinning her there. "That's the spirit! Don't be shy, just the spirit of the Cottonwood and your foreign friend here to witness you." He leaned down with his large body hovering over Leila to gently hook his beak tip into her loins, prying her lips to the side in order to prod with his tongue, like a bee or hummingbird probing a flower.

Inside, Lilu may have been concocting a ploy to get herself out of this situation and kept her eye trained on Ceylon just in case - since her mind was always in ready mode - but she also was keen on the opportunity to relieve a little tension. The arrival of Leila made her a little uneasy, but that was mostly because she was also going into heat and hadn't had the chance to take advantage of Yak just yet.

One would be foolish to not take such a clearly given opportunity.

She leaned in to gently nuzzle at his snout before playfully nomming him, her maw wrapped around his. "Boop!" She giggled, only to be thrown off him and onto her side in a huff. She was a little sad at first, until he pounced on top of her and pinned her to the ground, nomming her snout in the exact same way.

"Boop back!" He joked.

Ceylon pulled away from Leila and stood up tall, shuffling back on his haunches as he watched both of the hunters frolic. He glanced down at the wolf with a smile. "So tell me, are they always like this? Hard as claws and teeth one moment, and then soft and gooey the next?" As he spoke, the glistening crimson tip of his cock poked out from his white furred sheath, each ring of barbs splashing out with his lubricating fluids.

Leila tried to respond, even as she crept forth with her maw open, tongue out and ready to capture as much of his essence as she could. "Not familiar with Lilu, but Yak...." She paused to idly drag her tongue along the underside of Ceylon's emerging shaft, pausing when she felt his barb catch on her flesh before she was able to pull away, gulp down the mess, and finish her statement. "But Yak, yeah, he's like that. Just kinda goes with whatever happens to him. He's a lot of fun, that way." She leaned in and cradled his member with her soft and malleable cock.

"Hhngph, nice. Well I hope they don't mind if we leave them be for now, let them get it out of their system." Ceylon bucked his hips, lightly prodding at Leila's maw before he reared up and leaned back, coming to rest comfortably against a tree on his back with legs up and cock glistening on his belly. "And I really need to get some pent up winter desires out of my system. I hope I've not imposed on you too thoroughly."

"Not at all!" Leila hopped up onto his belly, wagging her tail gently over his sheath and balls as she crawled up him to whisper in his ear. "Honestly, this walk in the woods was getting a little boring. I thought it was about to get fun when you arrived."

Ceylon patted the wolf between her shoulders, gape-grinning at her as her belly fur tickled the underside of his shaft. "And what was so boring about it all? Is this landscape not unique to this region? Could you not find beauty in the cottonwood?" As he spoke, he lightly tensed his pelvic muscles to aim his member up, having its barbs catch lightly on her folds.

Leila grunted and pushed back, wincing a bit as she felt the satisfying lurch of his shaft parting her lips, sliding into her, and throbbing against her depths. Her toes curled gently before she was able to answer. "It's n-not that, I don't think it's boring, but I was hoping to actually DO something." She leaned back, wagging her hips a bit to slowly envelop more of his length. "Walking is boring. Hunting is fun; thrill seeking is fun. Maybe if we jumped off a cliff into that opal fjord you were talking about or something, that would be fun. Or, you know, this!"

"Well that's always fun to hear." He said as he wrapped both his ebony talons around her haunches, holding her in place as he slowly pushed himself in as deep as he could go, his tapered yet thick member sliding effortlessly through her plump lips to rest heavy within her. His knot came to press against her vulva, threatening to spread her wide beyond her comfort. "And I want you to know that, though I may be the guardian of this region, I do not wish to be revered, so if ever you feel the need to be formal with me, please do avoid the temptation and-"

Laila cut him off by pecking at his beak with her snout, giggling gently even as she felt the pressure of his member teasing at her opening. "Shush you. Don't over think it, just enjoy the moment, like I am." She winked at him and wagged her hips, slowly descending upon his length even as his cock tip prodded at her cervix. The mild discomfort of the added pressure and taut-stretched flesh was but a mere footnote compared to the immeasurable pleasure she felt having been properly filled.

Her one concern, at this point, was his barbed tip. She had never been with a gryphon before to this point and had no idea if that was going to hurt coming out, but her mind was able to focus more on the pleasure and less on the theoreticals involved, which meant she was able to brush her concerns away in lieu of the slick burning that came from his massive member stretching her pussy.

Meanwhile, however, the two hunters were still rolling around in the green grass of the clearing, struggling to see who was stronger and who was better at wrestling. Of course, Lilu was the better trained fighter, so she remained in the dominant position for much of their scuffle.

"I booped you, and thus you shall remain booped!" She said, quickly touching her snout to Yak's, both of her front pas extended to press out against his slate-black chest fur. As she did so, she glanced down between the two of them to see that his canine cock had slowly been exposed, a glistening beacon of color amidst his dark fur colors. His tip was drooling a clear and viscous looking fluid, so she backpedaled a few steps in order to give him a lick, her tongue dragging up from his sheath opening right to his tip. "And thus you will remain clean."

"What was that?" He asked, ears down and paws folded on his chest. Yak was eagerly hoping for her to go ahead and let him knot her, but he knew better than to push or demand, for she got to be in charge when the two were together.

She shook her head and gave him another brisk lick, soft and malleable tongue fitting the shape of his shaft to taste every bit of him. "Nothing. Don't worry about it." In an attempt to avoid eye contact, at least for a moment, she looked down at his belly and crotch as she started idly kneading at his fur with both her front paws, slowly pulling back his sheath and caressing his balls with the faintest touch. The more she kneaded, the more of him came to be exposed, so she gently pulled back and wrapped her lips around his tip, smiling up at him as she took every bit of him sans the knot in her maw.

Yak growled in approval as he threw his head back with his maw open and tongue lolling out, hind legs spread and front paws folded on his chest. His tail wagged against the grass as he felt his cock swell and grow within her maw, knot and all.

Lilu gave a few tentative suckles, using her tongue to press his member up against the roof of her maw amidst a series of gulping motions, but then pulled back upon noticing that Yak's girth was throbbing in the familiar throes of pre-orgasm. She immediately spat him out and crawled over him, ignoring his member aside from the gentle tickles of her belly fur. "Now now dear, you don't want to finish that quickly, do you? Take your time, enjoy yourself."

He smiled and nodded back, lips peeled back in a gaping grin. "Of course! I wouldn't dare dream of finishing before you!" As he spoke, his knot remained thick but grew soft, the blood draining from it as he relaxed.

"Good. I would be very disappointed if you didn't get to enjoy all I had to offer." She crawled off him and took a few low steps away from him, keeping her chest close to the ground with her tail curled up over her lower back, exposing her dark-fleshed vulva, a stark contrast to the brightness of her fur. She wagged her hind end back and forth a few times, urging him to get up and follow suit.

So he did. Up he rolled to all fours, shaking the sticks and dust from his black fur before eagerly burrowing under that tail of hers, his tongue hungrily lapping at the gooey and tangy concoction that she'd been secreting. That mess was the same scent as the faint bit of heat that she'd been emanating all day, the aroma that was slowly driving him wild as he tried his best to remain dignified and professional around her. He still felt a might bit uneasy so aggressively pushing his tongue into her, but he wasn't one to say no and absolutely nobody pleasured him as she did.

Lilu rumbled contentedly as her ears flopped to her head and her hind legs instinctively parted from one another, each one digging into the soft grass for balance and stability while she leaned back into him. After glancing over her shoulder, she tipped her head to the side, yipping at him. "Well? What's holding you back, darlin'?" She winked and nodded, eager to see what he did next as she tensed up her pelvic muscles to part her plump lips.

Yak knew what this meant, he was no fool. Before the thought had completed its percolation in his mind, he had already hopped up onto her hindquarters with his front paws wrapped around her hips and his back tensing to buck his hips forward. His member remained mostly firm and fully exposed, so his tip stabbed idly at her rump end as he thrust, growling in her ear as she did so.

She kept her snout to the ground, her own back arched to perfectly angle herself towards his prodding member, at least until she felt his rod stab at her tailhole, coaxing a snap and a growl from her. "H-hey! Careful!" She warned, teeth bared and ears flat.

"Sorry!" He briskly apologized, halting his own seemingly automated hip motions. Eventually, he did work his way back up until he was ramming himself up against her. With one lucky thrust, his member found the soft folds of her pussy and he immediately shuffled forward to plunge every bit of himself into her.

However, as he went to fill her with his length, she arched her back and twisted in such a way that his knot didn't pop in with the rest of it, leaving him half in and half out. She wasn't ready to have him knotted within her just yet, she knew that his climax would be far more explosive if he had to wait for it and earn it. Still, he kept thrusting as if he were about to tie, slapping her lips with the bulges of his expanding knot, bits of mess splashing out in every direction against the inflating bulbs.

"Wh-why?" He whimpered, cock tensing and throbbing to full girth within her as his knot pressed against her vulva. With his member so close to having locked into her, he couldn't help but idly grind and push, trying his best to part her lips and force himself inside her pussy.

She growled with a grin and wagged her hips back at him, forcing his length to swish back and forth within her depths, stirring her loins and coaxing more of her gooey arousal from her walls. "Come on, Yak, you know me better than that, don't you?" Still, she pushed back and flashed her teeth at him while turning the both of them around to glance over at Ceylon and Leila, who were still fooling around together with Ceylon on his back and Leila on his belly.

Yak whined again, whimpering into her ear as he watched Ceylon's cock ease deeper and deeper into Leila's depths. "Why cant we-"

"Shhh." Lilu interrupted him, slowly inching the two of them closer to the wolfess-gryphon combo, her tail still folded up flat around her flank and Yak's cock buried in her depths, sans the knot of course.

Ceylon grinned and looked down at the two hunters, both of his massive ebony-fleshed talons on Leila's shoulders as he whispered into her ear. "Do you mind it being a little rough?"

She shook her head with a visible grin on her face. "Not one bit! I'm quite experienced with larger partners, so I'm quite adept at adaptation, if you get me."

"I do." He said in a gruff tone before rolling over himself to slam her onto her back in one fluid motion, his member never leaving her even as his knot slipped and twisted against her vulva. The gryphon kept his talon down tight against her abdomen to hold her in place as he hissed and forced himself into her. His knot lobes squished and twisted, shifting just right as her lips stretched to their maximum width to swallow him in one lurching gulp.

She gasped aloud, maw open as wide as it would go as if she were yawning, tongue out and every strand of fur on her body standing on end. Though she enjoyed the taut yet slick sensation of his knot lobes compressing and slipping through her depths to rest within her, she had to internally remind herself that she'd not only allowed but encouraged this forest guardian to do this to her. There was pain deep within her accompanied by a permeating discomfort, yet all of that was drowned out by the screaming of pleasure that had erupted within her. The pressure was just making her more sensitive to the pleasure of a massive knot within her, and the gentle tickle of barbs in her womb coaxed a giggle.

"You okay?" Ceylon asked, lightly arching his back to nibble at her neck and chest fur, one talon still on her belly as he began to lightly grind and shift his hips against hers, ensuring the best and most comfortable position for her.

The pressure within her kept her from speaking back, but she was able to idly nod in approval.

"Glad to hear it." He said as he gingerly took his talon from her lower abdomen, releasing her from the pinning position she had been held within. "Just, let me have my fun, okay?" He winked down at her and leaned back, rolling over his spine to once again rest against the tree with the two of them going rump to rump, both on their backs.

Leila wasn't all that comfortable there, so she tried her best to roll to her feet, struggling every step of the way given the anchor that had tied her down, twisting and shifting inside her alongside every attempt. After finding just the right angle and leverage, she was able to twist her body and get all four feet beneath her, but she couldn't fully get up given the weight and pressure that tugged on her vulva from deep within her. His knot resisted the turn at first, but once she was in position and relaxed, its lobes twisted and shifted to find their most comfortable angle.

A long and satisfied moan escaped her lips as she felt his knot tugging at her, its length pulsing and throbbing as gryphon seed got pumped deep within her. The fluid seemed to be numbing her, internally, as she was quickly losing the ability to feel his barbs tickling at her womb. "So...so big..."

"I am a guardian spirit." Ceylon commented with a chuckle, his heaving body tugging just a bit harder every lurch. "But poor Yak over there, he might need to focus more on his lady friend if he wants to get what he needs."

While both Ceylon and Leila had been tying themselves together, Yak and Leila remained in the mounting position, with him holding tightly onto her haunches while she kept her body angled just right to ensure that he couldn't push his mostly-firm knot into her.

"Come on, Lilu! Don't make me wait!" He whimpered, still idly grinding his lobes against her pussy lips, her copious and viscous arousal dribbling down the underside of his shaft and soaking his sheath. He tried his best to slip himself as fully into her as he could, but found no angle or amount of force would pop that knot into her depths. That didn't stop himself from trying even as his arousal started to peak at an incoming climax.

She knew this, so she pulled out from under him, once again denying him the orgasm that he was so desperate for. A squelching sound emanated from under the both of them as the bulge of his member popped out, leaving her slightly agape with a drooly mess of precum and her lubrication trickling out over the crook of her triangular vulva. He tried to leap forth and clean up the mess, but she lowered her tail to stop him from doing that as she spun around, facing him. "What do we say?"

Rather than answer with his plead, he simply rolled onto his side with one leg up, member spewing tiny strands of precum all over his belly. However, before he could say anything, Lilu pounced on him to start sensually licking along the underside of his shaft, cleaning him of their combined fluids. He was of course taken aback, and further shocked when he felt Leila gently prodding at his flank from behind him.

As he glanced over, he saw Leila descending upon his cock tip, cradling it with her tongue before giving it a gentle suckle. Behind her, Ceylon was squinting and grinning, with beak agape and wings spread behind him. Clearly he was enjoying himself - as any forest spirit should.

In that moment, he once again found himself on the verge of climax. Lilu was expertly tonguing his knot lobes and cleaning his every inch as her nuzzling made his member flop around on his belly, while Leila was keeping her lips on him to hold him in place. Their combined efforts were just enough to give him the combined sensations of friction and pressure to edge him towards that explosive first ejaculation.

His muscles tensed up and his tail curled in delight as what was to be his final spurt of precum burst out over his chest, but then in that split second Lilu pulled away and nuzzled Leila away as well.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Asked Leila with an indignant grunt, the sound accented by the pressure Ceylon's idle knot put on her lungs.

Lilu watched Yak writhe on the ground, a gooey mess of precum mucking up his fur. "No, he can't finish like this."

"And why not?"

Yak whimpered heavily and slammed his head gently against the ground, knot slowly deflating from its fully engorged state. He wanted to act indignant of her withdrawal, but he knew precisely why she was making him wait and work for it. She liked to tease, to hold off until the last possible second. In the heat of the moment it frustrated him to no end, but he was always thankful for it when she did finally allow him to climax - usually deep within her.

"You'll see." She said, once again toeing herself nearer Yak's prone form. Then, in a tantalizing display, she turned and started making out with Leila, rump end hovering over Yak as her tongue started to dance with her female companion. At this point, Ceylon was mostly in a state of bliss, casually relaxing as his member pumped more and more seed into Leila's depths. He seemed to be dormant, having already locked and tied with a relatively tight little bitch.

Regardless of Ceylon's presence, Yak cared considerably more for the two ladies that were teasing him, as they were both his close friends and he had no active interest in other males, even if he was happy to oblige Lilu's desires if she felt so inclined to make him watch. This scenario made him realize that, given his single cock, he would not have been able to please both his friends no matter how talented he may have been with his tongue; it just wasn't the same. Given the presence of the forest guardian, he was able to let Ceylon take care of Leila while he was more focused on Lilu.

And focus he did, as he quickly rolled to all fours and pounced her from behind. His member had mostly shrunk back to a manageable girth with his knot almost entirely deflated, so he knew that he would be able to tie her this time, as long as he was fast enough.

Lilu remained focused on Leila with their jaws locked and tongues caressing one another even as Yak pounced her, covering her form with his own and clamping his paws around her waist. She did glance back at him for a split second, only to offer a sly grin and return to Leila, as if to give the impression that she was merely allowing him his pleasure after making him wait and work for it in the preceding hours of drawn out teasing.

This time, she didn't angle her hips away to deny him entry; instead, she kept her back properly arched and her pelvic muscles tensed just right to part her lips and give him the access he needed.

Unlike the prior time, Yak was able to find the softness of her flesh within a few idle bucks, his cock tip prodding at her inner thighs only a few times before hitting its mark. The split second he felt her lips give him a kiss and her depths smother his tip, he slammed his hips flush to hers and buried every bit of himself within her folds, partially inflated knot popping into her with ease. Before she could pull away or deny him his tie, he bit down on her neck to hold her in place as his knot swelled within her, locking them together after only a few rapid heartbeats.

Once he was certain of their tie, he gently let go of her neck and started to lick the matted fur that he'd soaked with his saliva, the throbbing of his cock tensing up against the tightness of her pussy. Within seconds, he'd quickly gone from idle squirts of precum to his escalated climax as her lips closed up around the base of his knot, tugging and applying the proper pressure on him. His expression changed from compassionate to contorted as he felt his release get deposited directly into Lilu's warm depths.

Amidst a rumble, Ceylon rolled back onto all fours to stand over Leila, smiling as his partner's hind end dangled from his member. Slowly, he bent his knees to smother her in place, his feathers wrapping around her to leave only her head sticking out from between his front legs, knot still tugging on her flesh. "Tell me, Yak, did this trip go the way you expected it to?"

The wolf shook his head with a smile, his body still resting all his weight down on Lilu's back as his pleasure peaked once again in another mini orgasm - only the second of what could be dozens over the next hour or so.

"And was it better than you had initially planned?"

Yak nodded and was about to speak, but was interrupted when Lilu twisted her head around and started idly kissing his cheek.

Beneath Ceylon, Leila shuffled in place to get comfortable underneath his fluffy weight. She grinned broadly and started panting in delight. "A lot better than I expected!" She admitted. "I just thought we were going for a boring old walk! This is much more fun!"

"I am glad to hear that from all of you. Now, I do hope that my request will root itself in your minds and anchor itself there, as I do not wish to have to offer you to the creatures of the cottonwood. Just know that, as long as you do not further disrupt the integrity of the land, you will always be welcome here." With those final words, a teal glowing cloud emanated from Ceylon's body, wrapping the clearing up in a mist that obscured vision from beyond the cliff side the four of them had taken a break upon. Then, as if made of smoke, Ceylon's form dissipated into the cloud, leaving the three canines alone, with Leila's pussy walls slowly closing itself from the gape he'd left her with.

All three of them had to blink in disbelief, and in that moment the veil of teal mist evaporated into thin air, as if Ceylon had never been there.

For a brief moment, Lilu considered the possibility that all they had seen had been an illusion, at least until Leila turned around to lap at the gooey fluid that the gryphon had left in her, a silken mess that trickled out of her, one drop at a time.

"Well, I guess that's the nature of the cottonwood, isn't it?" Lilu joked as she gave Yak one more gentle kiss on the cheek. "Let's finish up and go home. I believe we have a lot to talk about."