This is a short work of erotic fiction containing furry, or anthropomorphic, characters, which are animals that either demonstrate human intelligence or walk on two legs, for the purposes of these tales. It is a thriving and growing fandom in which creators are prevalent in art and writing especially.
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The Last Hydra
Xigfeldo mused before the portal, the shimmering oval of green and blue highlighting the silver tones in his scales more than the black, turning him from darkness to light as the level of subtle illumination increased. Starting at his maw, the trickle of light followed the lines between his scales, startling them into silver, slowly spreading down the entire length of his body as he languished in it, approaching with the knowledge that his magic would hold the portal open for as long as he needed it to be held. That was one of the benefits, after all, to being one of his species.
Strong muscles defined his scales, the silver accentuating a glittering delight along with the more pliable lines of spines down the back of his neck, meshed together and waving like a fluff of a mane, although it was much tougher than that even if it was a type of fur. Two horns pointing straight back with a gentle undulation on either side of his raised, dominant crest completed the ensemble of his physical being, although there was so much more to the dragon than mere physicality.
Sighing lightly, he eyed the portal, dubious on the edge of his homeland forest, the lake sparkling in the distance as if filled with a thousand rare gems of the finest cut and quality. Lush grass poked up through his claws and he growled lightly, snaking his head back and forth as if he had become a serpent too, paying tribute to the basest form of draconic heritage, times long gone by. Flowers and sensuality were, by far, not his thing, but that was all fine when it came to a little exploration, the mage shifting from one world to the next at will and with speed, although he always returned to his own at the end of a day to rest in his lair.
And the portal was so exciting, so enticing, the shimmering flicker inciting him to adventure. It was one thing to hunt and live a life as well as a dragon should but Xigfeldo was so much more than just a dragon, a drake that pushed the limits of all that presented itself to him, lies twisting together with the truth as was the mating dance of another type of dragons in his world. He could make his own world, if he so wished, but there were so many others to explore that he could take up lifetime after lifetime simply chasing each and every one of them down across the aeons of time and the fabric of it too.
Xigfeldo's eyes glittered. He wasn't looking for trouble, just a little excitement, maybe someone to talk to. And there were few that would turn down a drake like him on stepping through a portal into another world and realm.
Baring his teeth in a feral grin at the portal, he lifted his head high and tucked in his large wings to his back, tail swinging lightly and merrily. He stepped through without a second thought, leaving his world behind in a haze of brilliant light, colours flashing and sucking him away. For a moment, he floated even with his wings held in so close, the sensation of weightlessness proving not all that different to what a freefall may call to the forefront of one's mind at the depth of a fall.
The world that he took a path to, however, was more than a little strange. Gone were the meadows and the blue skies of where he had departed from as he entered a world of grey rocks and crags, caverns and canyons carved through a harsh and unforgiving landscape. The sky above roiled and writhed in stormy grey, clouds twisting together as if they were formed by some mighty beast that even a dragon would be wise to fear, thunder snarling in the distance, although he could be grateful that there was no lightning to be seen. Loose grit bunched up beneath his feet and he clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth in brief annoyance, shaking it off only to have more, near enough instantly, cling to his paws as if that was simply the way of the world into which he had come.
Maybe he wouldn't stay there for too long, after all.
"As if there's much here," he said aloud, voice hollow with the hint of a hiss; it was always such a disappointment when an adventure did not quite pan out as expected. "It's deserted."
His voice echoed hollowly, eerily, off the face of the rocks and he slashed a paw along them experimentally, hissing when his claws caught and screeched. Even to his ears, the sound was obnoxious and he shook his head, backing off from rock that was so hard that his icy breath would not do much at all to it and, really, it was not worth the effort to experiment with testing the tenacity of the rock for the sake of mere curiosity. His claws had not even left a mark.
And leaving was just what he was about to do, with only his voice and bearing for company, when something caught his eye. It was not much, a subtle twitch of motion like a body that had worn itself down to the limit of quiet immobility, unable to remain quiet for even a moment longer. In a flash, he whipped around, a growl ripping itself from his lips as he put on his most dominantly ferocious glare, lips curling back from his teeth in a draconic snarl.
"Who goes there? Show yourself!"
Of course, it was an arrogant demand for one who had stepped into another's world but a dragon could only be held accountable to the laws and culture of his realm, the world that he knew more intimately than any other. When no answer was immediately forthcoming, the rocks staring forlornly, accusingly, back at him, he hunkered down, wings lifted over his shoulders and back as if he was trying to make himself seem larger and even more intimidating than he already was. There was little that could take down a dragon, in all fairness, but Xigfeldo hadn't gotten so far in life from underestimating opponents, however potential or imaginary they may or may not have been.
And then he saw her, even though he did not know she was such until her voice rose in a long, roiling hiss that rang through with a feminine air that could not be denied: stay away. The hydra had, somehow, become trapped under a fall of rocks with the bulk of the stones pinning down her thick, wieldy tail, her body boa-like and shimmering with green like the rarest emeralds in the tunnels of his home world. It was a wonder that he hadn't noticed her before but the scales that were on show were scuffed and dirtied with dust, even if that could not hide the true beauty beneath.
What could not be hidden, however, was her nine heads as they all reared threateningly, long, snake-like tongues flickering out to scent the air, although the lick of fear hung between them, tangible in its heaviness.
For several long moments, they paused there, staring at one another, neither beast willing to make the first move. Confident in himself -- she was only a hydra, hardly a type that was any threat to dragon-kind or him -- Xigfeldo folded his wings in down to his back, an eyebrow raised.
"What's happened to you to get stuck in there?"
Despite himself, he just couldn't keep the note of humour out of his voice, a warm chuckle rising up. Truly, she must have had some trick played on her by one of her kind or maybe even another dragon -- were there even dragons in this world? That was something he'd have to ask her but now his adventure had a little bit of a quest in it too, which was almost better than the sweetly intoxicating allure of good conversation.
But she didn't seem to consider it that way, pulling her head back and letting out an ear-splitting hiss, bobbing and weaving viciously, his eyes unable to focus on any one head. Hesitating for the first time, Xigfeldo held his step, one front foot raised, hovering in mid-air as he waited, a little perplexed, on her to make the next move. Not that she could go anywhere, stuck as she was, but it was the meaning behind it that counted.
"Why aren't you attacking me?" She hissed, heads weaving back and forth, his eyes flicking from one to the other to the next -- over and over. "You can do it... Get it over with, you brute!"
