Chapter Text
The creature's roar is still ringing in Naru's ears, the image of Ania pinned to the log by the mupitsl's weapon is still burned into her eyes, when it turns to look at her. It clicks and snarls at her, snorting in what she thinks is anger that she isn't yet dead, before yanking its spear back to its side and starting toward her.
A smarter warrior would have turned to run, get away and live to fight another day, but this beast seems to like the chase as much as the killing so she stands her ground.
She is a hunter, a warrior, of Comanche blood.
Naru will not be chased like a scared rabbit in a field.
She will fight this monster even if it means her death.
Her eyes stay trained on the creature as it approaches her, slow and deliberate, and she knows it is toying with her when it starts to circle her like a wolf. Not wanting the beast to get behind her, she turns and circles it in the opposite direction in return. Despite its size, Naru knows it to be a quick foe, knows it could've killed her a hundred different ways by now if really wanted to. The fact it takes its time shows she's either no threat or she is a plaything. Neither option provides much ease for the feelings she can't quite understand fully coiling in her gut and she squeezes her tomahawk to keep herself from shaking.
They circle for what feels like hours, neither daring to make the first move, until the beast stops suddenly. It clicks and growls at her again before tilting its head, grunting in amusement. Confusion fills her at this display until she sees Wasape behind the mupitsl, the field she had her back to when it was killing her people stretching past the treeline. She risks a quick look over her shoulder and dread coats her in a chilly blanket when she spots the bodies Ania and Huupi. She's saddened by the grief their deaths will bring to the tribe, to their families, but, as bad of a person as it may make her, she can't feel sympathy that they're gone. She tried to warn them time and time again and they wouldn't listen, instead choosing to belittle her as a hunter and a warrior.
She briefly wonders where Itsee is, suddenly remembering he wandered off to take a squat mere moments before, but can't ponder that thought much more before turning back to the other. Her head was turned for less than two heartbeats and in that time, the being had cleared half the space between them and was staring at her with a tilted head and low gurgling warbles. The confusing feeling in her belly returns, simmering hotly like she swallowed a thousand embers.
Naru takes an instinctive step back at the sight of the other so close but that must be all it needs.
In the blink of an eye, it has launched itself from its spot and tackled her, pinning Naru down on the damp, mossy ground with its hands on her shoulders and straddling her thighs. The wind is knocked from her lungs and her vision dances with black dots from the force but her arms are free. She swings her tomahawk blindly, hoping to at least graze the beast and get away while it's distracted but it simply catches her wrist and pulls the weapon from her grasp, tossing it to the side, masked gaze never leaving her. This close up, Naru can see four mandibles that twitch in time with its noises and a slim mouth of sharp teeth under its mask.
The sight should scare her but it doesn't.
Her heart pounds rapidly behind her ribs as the creature leans in, sniffing at her as if curious to what she is, unperturbed by her turning her face away, by her squirming, her struggling.
Before she understands what's even going on, bright green flashes briefly in her field of vision and her wrist is released as the mupitsl bellows in indignation, an arrow buried so deep in its forearm it juts out the other side and drips onto her neck. Her hands fly to cover her ears and her eyes squeeze shut, momentarily forgetting the danger she is in.
The sound was loud before but now it's deafening, pinned under the monster and so so close.
Feeling movement above her has her opening her eyes and she barely has time to register that she's free, that the muptisl is gone completely, when she hears her name being called through the faint roaring still echoing in her ears.
Lifting her head, she spots Itsee with his bow drawn and abandons the plan to die like a warrior. Dying won't do anything for her tribe other than bring more grief. She'd rather live another day and try to kill this thing when she's better prepared.
Naru scrambles to her feet and runs to Itsee just past the treeline, hardly noticing when he grabs her arm and pulls her ahead of him. They don't stop until they're deep in the tall grass and able to duck down and hide.
She doesn't dare peek her head up far enough to see if the creature has followed them but Itsee has no such reservations and slowly straightens until his head is level with the grass tips. Without a word, he reaches back and slowly removes an arrow from his quiver, notches it, and pulls it back. He whispers about having it in his sights just as three red dots appear on his forehead. She grabs Itsees arm and yanks him down just as three strange looking arrows whistle past overhead.
Still holding his arm, Naru pulls the warrior to his feet and tugs him along, both running for the opposite treeline. Away from the mupitsl that has now begun to chase them. Itsee lags behind, if only barely, and pays the ultimate price. She tries not to think about the sounds he makes when he screams or the victorious shrieking that follows. The beast roars again and she can almost feel its thundering footsteps as it races after her.
Naru is nearing the treeline and some semblance of safety when a weight hits her back and forces her to the ground. She bites her tongue as her face is shoved into the dirt and claws desperately at the long grass, trying to get out from under the weight of the beast above her as bitter blood streams from the corners of her mouth. The hair at the nape of her neck is grabbed tightly, long and sharp claws scratching her skin, and jerked back, forcing her to look up at the sky with a hiss. She spits dark, bloody dirt out and her hands fly back to grab at the brute's fist. Digging her nails into its hand does nothing to loosen the grip it has on her, in fact it seems to amuse the lumbering figure.
The beast clicks and trills above her, sniffing softly. Those same mandibles she had seen earlier dance lightly across her fingers, nipping, in a way that reminds her distantly of Sarii.
Curious.
Playful.
Two words she never would've associated with a creature that she knows killed four warriors and a ten foot tall grizzly.
Her head is released suddenly and she barely manages to keep herself from eating dirt once more but the weight pinning her down stays in place. She starts struggling once more, trying to throw it off of her, but all it does is lean forward and press a hand between her shoulder blades, forcing her to be flat in the dirt with a grunt.
Fear tingles along Naru's spine as she glances over her shoulder at it. Not fear at what she knows it's capable of and can do to her, fear at what she wants it to do to her. She's felt this only a few times for some of the warriors of her tribe but at least then her desire wasn't so confusing.
Is it because the creature has shown itself to be formidable in combat and that's a trait her mother has always pushed for when seeking a husband for her? Or is the beast radiating something to mess with her, force her to fall into its trap and be more compliant to kill her more easily? Naru's more willing to believe that than the idea that she might be attracted to a monster simply because of its prowess in a fight.
She stops struggling when one wrist is grabbed, then the other, not expecting nor understanding the gesture until she feels both being dragged to the same point, stretched in front of her and pinned down by one of the mupitsls large hands.
Her hair is grabbed once more, this time far gentler than the last, and the idea of getting her head ripped back and cut off keeps her from struggling. Cool air rushes to fill the space her hair leaves as it brushes the strands to the side.
Naru's heart is threatening to rupture out of her ribcage when she doesn't feel any movement for nearly sixty beats. With how her arms are being held down in front of her body and with the creatures weight pinning her down, her cheek is pressed into the dirt and grass to the point of being uncomfortable so she simply watches the creature out of the corner of her eye, holding her breath when it leans forward until it's nearly blanketing her body with its own.
She feels those mandibles twitching against the nape of her neck and swallows. Is it going to try and bite her, kill her by breaking her neck? Perhaps it will skin her like it did to the buffalo and this is just how it starts? Will it suck the blood from her body like the monsters in the stories the elders would tell her as a child?
Naru hopes not.
As loath as she is to admit it, those stories frightened her until she was old enough to know better.
When something slimy and wet touches her just under the collar of her shirt and slowly slides forward until it hits her pounding heartbeat on the side of her throat, Naru shakily releases the breath she'd been holding. Is it…. Is it licking her? The thought barely enters her head before the brute above her gurgles in approval, mandibles twitching and softly grabbing at her hair, and repeats the action.
In spite of her better judgment, her eyes flutter shut and she whines softly into her arm. After a few moments of it gently licking at her neck, she turns her head almost hesitantly so the other side is easier to access, opening her eyes to watch the creature once more. Once more, it moves her hair to expose her skin though this time, it doesn't hesitate to start lapping at her. Naru whimpers softly, not understanding but also not caring about the strange feelings she's having. She whispers soft curses against the heated skin of her bicep every time its tongue hits her pulse point.
When she feels hands on her hips, one on each, she shifts her gaze to look forward. Sure enough her hands are free. For how long they have been, she's not sure. She has no time to dwell on the matter as she feels large, calloused hands sliding under her shirt, pushing the material upwards to skim over her ribs as the creature continues to nip and lap at her skin. Only when her shirt is far enough up to cover her neck does the brute stop its incessant attack on her skin.
She exhales once more when it shifts off of her body and she realizes she's completely free for the first time in well over half an hour.
Within a second, Naru makes a decision to try and escape. She may die but she has to try.
Naru moves slowly and brings her arms in, wincing as her muscles cramp from the sudden shift of position but pushing through the twitching, and leveraging them to push herself to her hands and knees, bringing one leg forward to rest her foot between her hands. The mupitsl makes a soft noise of curiosity at her movements but it has let its guard down and doesn't stop her moves so she takes her chance while she's able.
She drops and rolls her body in a move she knows she'd never be able to replicate if asked and throws her leg out, striking just under its jaw. Without waiting to see how much she affected the other, but judging from the outraged shrieking it isn't happy, Naru rolls to her belly and clambers to her feet, rushing through the long grass to try and reach the treeline. If she can reach the forest, she knows she can get away.
Has to believe she can, to keep herself from collapsing.
The beast gives a screech of disdain when it realizes she has escaped and she feels more than hears its pursuit of her.
Within seconds, she's back on the ground. Her arms are pinned under her body as the mupitsl bellows at her. When it's satisfied she won't be trying that again, it continues where it left off as if she hadn't just kicked it across the face. Her shirt is pushed back up to its previous position as it nuzzles at her skin.
The heated breath of the creature forces chilled bumps across her lower back as it licks a long stripe up her spine, stopping only when it hits the bunched up cloth of her shirt at her shoulders. One hand slides down her body to her hip and drags her back a few inches, forcing her onto her knees and causing her back to arch slightly as her chest stays pressed to the ground, and cups her unbound chest. It hisses in satisfaction when her face darkens and her heartbeat picks up again at the action.
Her chest is released once more only for its hands to slide back under her shirt, pawing at her skin near greedily, and she takes the opportunity to shakily push herself up until she's kneeling between the creature's thighs, back mere inches from its chest. Naru looks up at it from the corner of her eye once more, surprised at how much taller than she it truly is and shivering at the feel of its cool hands on her heated skin. It snorts at her then grips the sides of her shirt, tugging it over her head in one quick motion. Her hands instinctively jump to cover her modesty, eyes dropping to stare at her discarded top in embarrassment, and the creature simply dips down to lick at her skin, alternating between her shoulders, her neck, and anywhere else it can reach, its own hands settling on her hips.
To think she had been running away in fear from this creature less than an hour ago.
When the creature pulls back and growls softly at her, she barely has time to react before an arm coils around her middle and she's bodily spun around. Her back hits the ground softly and a mouth is suddenly on her chest, mandibles tickling the soft skin of her chest. Naru grunts in surprise at the new feeling, her cheeks reddening once more, but the creature doesn't seem to care about her inexperience. Its hands knead her hips while hers bury in the thick strands at the nape of its neck, soft noises of encouragement leaving her the longer it stays on her breast. It switches from one soft mound to the other and Naru tugs at its hair softly in pleasure. It warbles against her as she pulls on its hair and she blinks, surprised to find something she can do to it that gets a reaction.
She'd just gotten used to the feeling of having her breasts touched, let alone licked and nipped, when it pulls off and starts making its way further down her body. It laps at the dips of her ribs through her skin, at freckles and scars, on its journey down until it reaches her hips where her pants and half-skirt stay stubbornly tied. It gurgles at her and tugs on the tie under her belly button, clawed finger catching the knot. It takes her foggy brain a moment to catch on and when it does, she's shakily untying the knot.
She doesn't dare remove anything herself, which the creature seems to know, for it makes quick work of tugging her pants off itself, leaving the half-skirt splayed out under them in a makeshift barrier from the dirt and grass below. Her shoes are pulled off with her pants and both are thrown to the side, abandoned alongside her shirt.
Once more, embarrassment overtakes her and she draws her legs up and squeezes her legs shut, heat flushing across her face and down her chest. The creature purrs at her, hands settling on her knees and slowly prying her legs back open, settling her feet back down on either side of its knees. It isn't forceful, she's sure she could keep them shut if she really wanted to, but she lets her legs fall open to expose herself fully to her strange lover. It tilts its head at her, snorting, then dips down to nip and lick at the newly exposed skin of her hips and thighs. It seems to purposefully avoid where she needs to be touched the most, messing with her until she's squirming under it once more but for very different reasons than before. Naru stares unseeingly at the sky as she whimpers and twitches as it nibbles at her sensitive skin then suddenly, there's a large calloused thumb delicately pressing against her, making her jump then exhale sharply.
Her hands grasp desperately at the ground as its digit moves, hips stuttering against its flattened palm in time with the slow rolling of its thumb. Naru's eyes shift from looking at the sky to looking down her body at the bone mask of the creature from where it's perched over her, head tilted and clicking softly.
It shifts on its knees and leans over her, pinning its hand to her body and forcing her legs open wider, until it's close enough to nip and suck at her jawline and neck. Naru's hands tangle in its hair once more, panting softly as she grinds harder against its wrist, and arches her back to press herself more tightly to the creature. Its hand increases in speed and pressure against her, mindful of its sharp claws as deep growls bubbling out that send vibrations down her body. She buries her face against its shoulder, careful to avoid the sharp black spines she knows are there, pressing sloppy open mouth kisses against its rough skin as she nears release.
Heat builds between her legs and deep in her belly, sending tingles up and down her spine, until it ruptures in a toe curling burst that has her panting and whimpering heavily.
Its hand pulls away slowly after a few moments as she comes down from her orgasm, gurgling in satisfaction at how she lays boneless and sated under it. She watches, pleasantly twitchy and warm, as the creature sits back and lifts its hand to its face, giving her fluids gathered on its skin a long, slow lick. Its mandibles flare and it gives a short, deep bellow of approval that brings both a light blush and a small smile to her face.
After it finishes lapping at its skin and cleaning itself of her essence, it grabs her under the knees and pulls her toward it. Her mid to lower back and butt are now settled between the large beings thighs, the hard, rigid skin of its belly meets her labia and clit and she shudders at the feeling, with her thighs on either side of its torso, her hands gripping her half skirt under their bodies. The other gives the air a deep sniff, warbling at the heady scent of sex in the air as it releases her legs to press a series of buttons on its gauntlet.
She is lifted away mere inches and hears more than sees the metal and fabric tatters around its waist fall away, leaving both of them fully exposed to one another, and is suddenly confronted with the realization that she's about to give herself to this being wholly and completely. It's not that Naru didn't think or know they'd get here, she's just more surprised at how calm she is about the idea.
Naru can't find it in herself to argue against her decision at this point. Whatever consequences come of these actions, she will face them.
She jumps when she feels movement against the back of her thighs and along where her spine ends, and swallows thickly at the contact. Naru is grabbed by her mid-thighs as the other rocks its hips back just long enough to free itself from under the space below her body and she gets her first look at the shaft as it rubs against the still sensitive bundle of nerves between her legs.
He's big, larger than any of the quick, accidental glances of a man she's seen in the past. It is the length of her arm from wrist to elbow, at least, with ridges along the sides and short, rounded spine-like protrusions - and she realizes idly, they're similar to the ones on his shoulders - down the center from tip to where they disappear inside its body. If she's right, she's feeling the same spines rubbing against her on the bottom.
Before Naru can think more on it, her large yet gentle lover slides a hand along her leg to grab her ankle and slowly lifts it so her heel is resting against his chest just below his collarbone. A deep rumbling emits from the other as he slowly pulls back and rocks forward again, gathering fluids from her center onto the bottom of his member. Everytime one of the bumps along the bottom goes over her clit, Narus legs jump sharply and she has to bite her lip to keep from moaning. He leans forward slightly and she watches curiously as large strings of saliva drip from his mouth to cover the top of his cock with quick, excited chitters. He releases her leg to grab himself and gives a couple long, slow strokes as he purrs deeply.
Naru's heart is beating erratically as he grips himself at the base and rocks back just enough to settle the tip against her. He waits a beat before rolling forward slowly, hissing softly as her vagina seems to suck him in. Naru lets out a small curse at the feeling of her body getting stretched in a way she's never experienced before.
The other moves steadily, stopping when she hisses in pain and only continuing when she relaxes. The leg that is against his chest flexes and straightens as more and more of him is buried deep inside her body and she whimpers with pleasure at the feeling of being filled so completely. Her sex is throbbing in a delightfully painful way by the time he is pressed flat to her hips, similar to how she feels after a long day of running through the forest and hunting. The whole process of getting fully seated in her feels as if it took both an hour and less than a second.
He croons at her lightly after several minutes of sitting pressed to one another before slowly pulling back out a few inches. A gasp is pulled from Naru as he rolls his hips forward again, and she reaches blindly for his hand gripping her hip and clenches his fingers. He seems to understand and grabs her hand more firmly, locking his fingers between her own and settling their joined hands out to her side with curious little noises.
He thrusts against her slowly and shallowly at first, surprisingly careful as to not to hurt or go too fast for her, but slowly builds up speed with small trills and chitters. After a moment of adjusting to the feeling, Naru tentatively meets his thrusts with hip rolls, gasping each time their bodies meet. Her toes curl and flex with each push and pull of his body. She throws her head back and arches her body when he grabs her hip with his free hand, his thrusts getting long and slow. The feeling of him thrusting fully into her slowly after pulling out to just the tip then repeating the motion has her quivering under his hand and she's soon babbling incoherently to him, near begging him to give her more.
In an instant, he is obeying her demands.
He slams into her hard, bellowing into the air above them. Naru gives whimpered curses as he continues the almost brutal pace but she doesn't regret it. The punishing nature of his thrusting has her legs shaking and she reaches up to grasp at her chest. She squeezes her breast, tweaking and twisting the peak of her nipple as she quickly draws toward her climax. The feeling of his hand, large and rough and so much cooler against the soft, hot skin of her other breast has her ready to start sobbing out of over stimulation. His thrusting goes from smooth and rhythmic to stuttering and harsh, and he lets out small near whimpers. Naru squeezes his hand and cries out that she's close. The words, and she's still surprised he can understand her in the first place, must have been what he needs because he gives four more sharp thrusts before slamming into her with a final warble as he spills inside her, panting heavily as his mandibles twitch independently of each other and in time with the fiery spurts she feels deep in her belly.
Naru clenches around him at the same time he slams into her the final time and releases herself, back arching as she cries out once more and rocking against his now still body. He dips his head and licks at her calf after a moment as she rides out her own high, his free hand kneading her chest in time with her.
When she finally stops moving against him, he removes his hand from its place on her chest and slides it back up her leg, gently grabbing her under her knee and setting her leg down so her foot is flat once more. She sighs softly when he pulls out of her, shivering lightly as air rushes to fill the heated space that his body has just vacated. Delicately, he untangles their fingers and reaches forward, brushing her hand aside to cup her chest once more. He doesn't do more than just hold her for a couple minutes, content to feel Naru's fluttering heartbeat under his palms, before leaning back and reattaching the strap around his waist to cover himself once more.
Naru sits up slowly, wincing at the tenderness in her back from being fucked so hard against rough, uneven ground, and feels herself getting self conscious after a few minutes of the other staring at her from his place on his haunches, not making a single sound. The silence between them stretches for an eternity before she suddenly speaks.
"Thank you, Black Spine."
Her voice comes out as a sharp, uncertain squeak that has her face flaming with heat. They aren't the words she meant to say, she's not even sure where the name comes from but it's fitting, she doesn't even know why she's saying anything in the first place, but before she can even sort her thoughts, he stands.
Shame fills her suddenly and she reaches for her discarded clothes.
Of course, he got what he wanted out of her and now he's done. She's sure the next time they meet won't be so civil, they'll probably be fighting. Assuming he lets her live, of course.
Naru tugs her shirt on quickly, not wanting the brute beside her to see her so vulnerable anymore, and stands to hurriedly shove her legs into her pants. She hasn't even managed to attempt to tie them when movement forces her eyes up. She has barely lifted her head when a hand slides along her neck to the back of her head, sharp claws making her hiss softly as they scratch her and tangle in her knotted hair, and she's suddenly being kissed by a rough, flat mouth. Her eyes are wide open in surprise at the action so she sees how deep he has to bend to initiate this gesture.
Once more, against her better judgment, her eyes shut and she grabs his forearm tightly as she returns the kiss to her lover, uncaring that theres no lips. Seconds pass and his other hand copies the first to tangle in the hair at the back of her head and she, too, repeats the move of grabbing his other forearm, rising to her tippy toes to get closer. They stay like this for she's not even sure how long before he pulls away, clicking softly into the space between their faces.
Then Black Spine is gone.