Sumdecra (SOOM-DEH-CRUH) : n. a fleeting romance
* * * * * * * * *
Barrels of wine and beer filled a dark stone undercroft, dimly lit by candlelight. In the corner of the subterranean room, a sweaty raven-haired woman lay naked on a bed of hay, her large breasts hanging to either side of two small newborn children which she held fondly. She breathed forcefully, then she suddenly grunted as her eyes went wide.
Adalla woke with a start from the dream, sitting up quickly. Her breathing gradually slowed from its elevated state. On the other bench seat inside of the carriage Allora tossed and turned. Adalla put her hand to her sister's shoulder causing her to gasp when she woke.
"Are you alright?" Adalla asked with concern in her voice.
"I... I was dreaming," Allora said. "It was about a woman having babies."
"Me as well."
"The same? What does it mean?"
"I don't know." Adalla hugged her sister and then pulled back the fabric curtains to the carriage. As the horses plodded along they passed tall trees lining the road. Ahead of them, their father, Viscount Deinmag rode his horse, leading the way with some of his men. Adalla and Allora sat next to each other, holding hands as they drifted back to a peaceful sleep.
Less than a mile ahead, in the shadows of the forest, was a dilapidated stone temple. Under the portico entrance that gave a bit of shelter, a female Kahzri (taur creature with short fur covering a trim gazelle-like body, long ridged horns and a humanoid torso and head) with twigs in her hair, stood holding her child and picking at its curly hair. This Kahzri was naked, with ochre-colored skin and long messy brown hair. She was holding the child against her breast as she picked bugs from his scalp. There were several other younglings around her and another adult female Kahzri feeding them chunks of meat from a stained leather satchel onto the stone ground of the portico.
The thudding of hooves broke the relative calm of the woods as a small herd of eight Khazri females galloped by them and towards the South. They were similarly undressed, only garbed with straps of leather or scavenged human jewelry. A short bow and quiver was fastened with leather straps across the waist of one near the back. The female with twigs in her hair called after them in a fierce tone. The trailing Kahzri with the bow slowed and spoke to the shouting female in a strange guttural language. They spoke back and forth for a minute before the armed female waved her hand dismissively, then turned and galloped back towards her troupe.
The two adult females, seemingly in charge of the children, spoke in harsh tones together and then the one with the leather satchel threw a large handful of meat into the broken stone temple with a shout, the children ravenously chasing the food, before she trotted off after the Kahzri herd. The Kahzri with twigs in her hair uttered a single guttural word before setting down their child inside with the others. She leaned down and spoke in hushed tones indicating with her hands that he should stay inside. She did this several times before she looked over her shoulder and raced after the herd. The child cried and wrung its small fists in anger. It left the temple, looking for its caretaker.
The Kahzri with twigs in her hair caught up to the herd, all huddled together near a copse of trees. Their caprine eyes, with dark oblong irises darted back and forth between two males of their same species who were grappling in a clearing about ten yards away, their horns locked together, with muscular arms struggling against each other. They growled when they opened their mouths, baring sharp teeth. One male with tan stripes across his backside seemed slightly more muscular and his horns longer. The other had black spots across his shoulders and down his spine. They fought for nearly ten minutes, horns clashing and arms pushing back and forth to find an advantage.
Then the smaller spotted male pulled back and struck with one of his horns against the shoulder of the striped male. He howled in pain and pushed the spotted male roughly away. Crimson flowed from the striped male's wound and down his wide pectoral. Then he dropped his head as he charged forward, driving his long horns into the spotted male's chest. The Kahzri bled out quickly, expiring with a gasp that spattered red from his lips. The victor appeared exasperated, but when he looked towards the females he seemed suddenly energized. With his head held high, fresh blood dripping down his horns, he trotted forward. As he approached they retreated, all except for three which he quickly cut off from the rest of the group.
One of three females had large ears and tan stripes across her buxom body. On a leather strap around her neck, hung the skull of a small bird. She smiled, without showing her teeth, looking at the striped male with desire. The second was characterized by a wide nose, full lips and long lashes over large slate-colored eyes. Her back legs and butt were thick, but her humanoid torso was very trim with chiseled abdominals beneath a thin layer of brown fur. Around her neck was a dark leather band choker. She looked at him briefly and then down as she smiled. The third of the three was the tallest with light brown fur, and a few white feathers in the curly brown hair on her head. She had stronger arms and legs in comparison to the other two.
The male stared at them, licking his lips as he moved. He urged the large eared female away and circled around the remaining two prospects. He grasped the thick backside of the Kahzri with the leather choker and she shuddered. He held fast and leaned down, his nose inches from her tail as he sniffed deeply. His eyes almost rolled back in his head and smirked with sharp teeth as he stood up straight. He inspected her from horn to hoof. Her long clean hair fell across her back and she held her arms still at her side. Her small chest jutted out with her expression forced into something neutral as she breathed deep and heavy with nervous energy. His eyes caught hers and they held for several seconds until looking down respectfully as her cheeks turned rosy. Then he turned to the Kahzri with white feathers in her hair. He looked at her briefly, clawed hand beginning to reach out towards her rump, but his gaze turned back to the Kahzri with the leather choker. They caught eyes again and after she fluttered her long lashes, he growled, pushing the backside of the Kahzri with white feathers, who immediately moved a few feet away.
The Kahzri with the leather choker turned coyly away from the dominant male, trotting forward slowly. He pursued, catching her and rearing up on his back legs while his front legs pressed against her body, moving up towards her torso. His shiny red penis slid from a sheath between his back legs and plunged easily into her opening. He grit his sharp teeth and growled fiercely, aggressively thrusting. Her brow furrowed with eyes shut as she grunted in throaty, deep bursts of heavy breathing.
The group of females moved closer. Only a few at first, but then all of them, watching the wanton pair as their bodies thrust together with loud cries. They looked on intently with wide eyes. When the male leaned his head back he panted heavily. Then he grabbed his sexual partner's long hair, growling and pulled her head back as his thrusts became more fierce.
His muscular hips smashed against her back legs, pulling his phallus back and forth into her dripping wet pussy. He held her hair tighter and she gave a deep shout, scattering the birds from the upper branches of the forest. He grunted and ground against her briefly before releasing her hair with a satiated sigh. Viscous cream-colored fluid oozed from between her hind legs as she rose from the ground, stumbling forward a few yards. Meanwhile the other females crowded around. Several turned facing away from him, including the one with white feathers, and looked back over their shoulders enticingly. He surveyed the bevy of females vying for his seed and grinned a broad toothy smile.
*
The twins slept peacefully, until suddenly the carriage lurched to a stop.
"What happened?" Allora exclaimed.
The twins each chose a window to stick out their head. In front of the carriage the lost male Kahzri child, only a year old, sat in the middle of the road crying. Deinmag got off his horse to investigate. He tapped the Kahzri with his boot and the youngling looked at him with shock before covering his eyes in fear.
"Where is your mother?" the Viscount asked. The Kahzri only cried in response. "Better to put it out of its misery," he said under his breath.
"What is it father?" Adalla asked.
"Stay inside," he insisted sharply. He drew a short sword with a ringing sound. There was a cry from the hill above.
The female Kahzri with twigs in her hair stood there, her clawed hand pointing at Viscount Deinmag. Her face was lined with concern for the child. She opened her mouth and snarled, showing pearl white teeth much sharper than any human's.
"Look," Allora said with wonder. Adalla pushed her head next to her sister. They saw the Kahzri poised there ready to pounce at their father and behind her several similar creatures.
"Is this some trap?" Deinmag said under his breath. Then he spoke in a stentorian voice. "Alright Kabrate, I'll put away my sword if you take your youngling and leave." The Kahzri made no sign that she understood. When he moved his sword to the side she immediately took a sharp breath and her eyes opened wide. Her clawed hands clenched as she readied herself to charge. Deinmag slowly lowered his blade to the ground.
She said something in her native tongue and a few of the other Kahzri nodded. Then one with dark hair tied back and wearing only a thin leather armband, slowly trotted down a slight grade of the hill towards him, while the large female at the top still leered heavily at the Viscount. The Kahzri's dark brown nipples were hard in the late autumn air. Her gazelle-like legs knelt as she put her arms out to the child. He crawled toward her and hugged her firmly. She said something softly in their own language when looking up to Deinmag. He was silent. She trotted back slowly and when all reunited they turned sharply and galloped away. Deinmag grabbed his sword from the ground and slid it into its sheath. After getting back up onto his horse, he frowned.
"Damn Kabrate," he swore. "Let's go Gerbe," he ordered. The carriage continued along.
"I hope the baby man-horse is ok," Allora said to her sister.
"That's not what they're called."
"Sorry, Kabrates."
"That's not what I meant," replied Adalla. "It's a boy-horse, not a baby man-horse."
"Right," Allora nodded in assurance, but her expression was quickly replaced with confusion. "Horses don't have horns though."
"Boy-horse-goat then."
The rest of the trip through the forest was uneventful. They reached Meikell Manor just as the sun began to set. Their mother greeted them in their room soon after they arrived. The twins ate a late dinner with their mother and father, then they retired upstairs.
"Goodnight my dears," Lady Farnei said.
"Goodnight mother," the twins replied together.
"Karaon, Lock the door and give me the key after they're in their room," Viscountess Farnei said, handing a tall female servant a key from a pocket at her waist. The servant wore a plain white wimple over her pinned back hair. Her dress was simple undyed linen with a gray smock. She closed her large brown eyes and tilted her head down in deference.
"Yes m'lady."
Karaon followed them with a candle into their bed chamber. She set it on the mantle and went back to the door.
"Could you light the fire Karaon?"