Questing Beast

 

The lake boiled. Its surface bubbled and hissed, steam rising from the surface and rising towards the sky. Fish surfaced, bodies no longer moving. Birds flew from the lake’s edge, fleeing the scene of such horror. The local deer stood, staring, ears perked forward as they tried to understand.

I stood on the opposite shore, arms folded, eyes suspicious. The knight stood beside me, brows raised quizzically and one hand caressing his beard. His grey eyes narrowed when the water levels began to drop. The lake was boiling itself out of existence. 

“And the beast went in there?” I asked, brow raised as one hand gestured to the superheated water. 

The knight gave a nod.

“And you want me to… in there?”

“Well, I…” He trailed off and grimaced. Then his head tilted. “But if you could?”

“No, I can’t. That’s boiling water, sir knight. Boiling. Water. Does water normally boil itself in your lands?”

He shook his head. “Nay.”

I pursed my lips. “Then it’s likely because…?”

“I hadn’t the slightest idea, my dear. I had assumed a creature and were told you were the best hunter to hire for such a problem.” 

An angry sigh slid past my lips before I could stop myself. “I’m not a hunter.”

“Whatever you prefer to be called. A monster lurks in the lake and now it boils. You must stop it.”

“Oh, must I? I feel bad for the fish but that is the extent of my sympathy for this situation.”

I waved a hand and unfolded my arms, beginning to walk back towards the road and the horse I had recently been gifted 

“Where are you going?”

“Anywhere else, my lord.”

“No. You must help. Get back here. I command it.”

My jaw tensed. I heard him tromping through the long grass after me. “I am not your subject. And even if I was, I would not care to obey you.”

“I am on a quest, girl. You must understand. I hunt a great beast. She ran, fast and sure from our last battle to this damnable lake. If she’s in there, you will go in and you will fetch her.”

I turned, looking at him as he approached. “If she’s your damn quest, you walk into the water and boil to death. If she ran from you, it was because she was afraid. If you think I’m going to go into the water after a creature you’ve hunted until she hid in a boiling lake, you deeply mistake me.”

He rose a hand to chide me. “And if you continue to speak to me as though you hold rank above me or touch me, I will remove your hand and feed it to her. Do you understand me?”

We stared at each other before the knight raised his hands. “You’re a difficult woman.”

“No. You’re an entitled man.”

He sighed, gesturing in quiet acknowledgment. “Well. That may be true. Forgive me for my rude demeanor. The monster…”

“Is your quest. I know.” 

“No,” he said. “Yes, I mean. But also… I have chased her for a long time.”

I attached my bag to the horse who snorted, ears flicking backward as the deer took off. Her head lifted, glancing at the lake. My hands pulled out the riding cloak, unfolding it to wear.

“Such a long time one might assume that she was a part of my life. One may even say, vital to it.” 

The cloak was old, threadbare, but fit snugly on my shoulders. I clasped it and pulled the reigns of the horse so that she turned, following me. 

“Are you listening to me?” he asked. 

I blinked, turning to look at him. “No. Not particularly.”

“How can I make you care?”

“Tell me something real, your grace. You’ve said nothing but empty words and told me a tale of you harassing this creature until she may be boiling herself alive to avoid you. At this point, you are the monster who needs slaying.”

He sighed, deflating. “Forgive me. The beast… she... “ He made a frustrated noise and turned, sitting on an old stump as he watched the water bubble. 

I took a step away, sighed, then turned back and walked to him. “I’m worried about her,” he finally said.

“Now that is something real,” I replied. “Why are you worried?”

The knight looked out at the lake, his face filled with lines of concern. “She’s never done this before. I worry she’s ill, or whelping, or worse, dead.”

“Was she pregnant?”

He shrugged. “They say the noise she makes is from the unborn kits that rest in her womb. I say any child of the devil would make a bleating noise, like a dozen hunting dogs, on account of such parentage.”

“She’s the devil’s daughter?”

He turned, looking at me. “Do you know him, the devil?”

My brows furrowed. “I know a few. Don’t be daft.” 

“How do I talk to her? Get her out of that lake?”

I pursed my lips. “You may want to start by telling her you’re worried.” My hand went out to him. “Come.”

He gripped my hand and I tied the horse up, walking down with the knight to the lake’s edge.  We moved along the shore until we reached the closest point to the deepest part. He glanced at me again, uncertain and nervous. 

I gave a soft nod and gestured at the water. “Tell her.”

The knight swallowed. “My beast! Dear beast! I beseech you! Come hither!”

My eyes rolled. “Tell her why she ought to. Promise her that yu won’t hurt her.”

“She knows I would never hurt her.”

“Then why did she run into a lake?” I snapped.

He groaned in irritation and then looked back at the sizzling water. “I beg you forgive me, dear beast, for our former encounter. I…” he paused, stumbling. “I miss you. It has been too long since last we entangled.”

I tilted my head, raising a brow, but said nothing.

“I worry you have fallen ill or some other misfortune has found you. Please come to mee, let me see your wondrous face once more!”

His voice grew more exuberant as he went on. I worried poetry would spring from his lips if he carried on too much longer, given any knight’s propensity for loving their own voice. My hand touched his shoulder,  stopping him from continuing the words.

“Give her a moment.”

Only the bubbling water made noise as we waited. Then slowly a yellow head arose from the water, strange horns on the top. The fur was patterned, spotted in dark browns. Reptilian eyes and teeth showed as she turned her head and looked towards the knight, bright eyes blinking suspiciously. 

“Oh!” he cried, waving to her and then bowing. “It is so pleasant to see you! I am so glad you are alive!”

From her several strange barking noises emanated, despite her mouth not opening. The creature shifted, turning towards us and beginning to swim through the water. Its boiling ended, leaving the water still and calm while the beast moved towards land.

She was part feline and other animals, cat-like haunches and bear front paws, a long serpentine tail save with fur, and a long thick neck that stretched several feet. I stepped back, my brain struggling to correlate the various parts of her into one creature. 

It took me a moment to realize she was thin, as a creature starved might be. I moved forward, offering a hand to her. “Hello, my darling,” I whispered. 

Her lips quirked, smiling faintly. “You brought a guest,” she said to the knight. 

“Ah yes. She, ah…”

“It’s good to meet you. You’re stunning. I’ve never seen anyone quite like you before,” I smiled at her as she nuzzled my hand. I slid my fingers over her furry back, gently massaging the wet skin and bony angles. “What happened to you?”

The barking happened again, coming from her body more than her throat or mouth. “He was questing, seeking a treasure.”

“And?” I asked. “That’s what knights do, do they not? War and quests?”

The knight flushed. 

Her head lowered, almost nuzzling the knight’s cheek, though she stopped a few inches away. “I was lonely. I thought he--you--had given up on catching me.”

“Oh, bless your heart,” he whispered, moving a hand to touch her strange face. “I was engaged by our king. I must obey. But I would come back. I will always come back.”

I moved, walking behind the knight, touching his shoulder gently. “Kiss her,” I whispered. 

His red face deepened. “Try a new way to fight her… kiss her.”

The knight leaned forward, placing chaste lips against the cheek of the monster. The barking grew louder, suddenly excited. Her head turned, looking at him suddenly curiously. 

I touched his shoulder, urging him forward. The knight’s lips touched the creature once more, tongue touching the reptilian lips. Her tongue moved out, meeting his in gentle curiosity. Their tongues met, dancing with each other as the knight deepened the kiss. A barking moan escaped the beast as the knight groaned, wrapping his arms around her head to hold her against his lips. 

Her body shuddered, lowering to the ground so that she was more close to his height. I moved behind him, gently removing the cloak that he wore as he explored her mouth and teeth with his, tasting her. I reached around them, unfastening his trousers and letting them fall to his ankles.

His head turned, looking at him, eyes confused yet understanding. I nodded, tilting my head towards her. Touch her I mouthed, gesturing with my own hands to massage and caress. 

The knight turned back to the beast, letting his hands wander down her neck t her back, exploring her skin as he never had. She half purred half chirped and shuddered, skin twitching as his hands kneaded and caressed. 

The beast shifted, leaning against him, tail flicking. I followed the knight as he moved along her back to her hips, pulling his shirt over his head so that he stood naked save his boots beside her. My hands slid over his shoulders, lips touching his ear as I whispered.

“There, beneath her tail, gently caress. You’ll feel this little nub there. And a hole.”

His eyes widened and he turned to me. “Trust me.”

“I can’t… I’ve never.” 

I glanced up at her. “Can I touch you, friend? Show your knight what he needs?”

Her purring continued and she gave a gentle nod. I sucked on my tongue, spitting onto my fingers and hand. Gently I explored the back of her, feeling for the wet entranced and finding it. The beast quivered, hips rising slightly in wanton lust.

My two fingers slid in, testing the side of her and coming out soaked. I moved my thumb around, finding the little bit of flesh I had told him about, and began to press and play with it. She made a new exciting bleating sound, mixed with a grumbling roar, body shuddering with my touch. 

I grabbed his hand, guiding his thumb and fingers to where I had been stroking. “There,” I whispered. His thumb felt the bit of skin, then began to push on it in a slow pattern. “Good, now move in a circle, a bit faster…”

The knight followed my instruction, sending a series of mewls and purrs out of the creature’s mouth while the barking escalated. I pushed three fingers in and then four, my hand working in and out of her with slow deliberate strokes.  

“Can I touch you?” I asked him, eyes glancing to his length that was hard and ready. 

His mouth opened, but no words came out. Instead, he nodded, moving his other hand to replace mine. His fingers slid inward, exploring inside of her tight wetness. I pulled back, letting him take the reigns. He moved to four fingers and then slowly began to slip his hand inside, giving her time to expand around him.

The beast squealed, rocking back against his hand to encourage his movements, hips gyrating and quivering. His hand began to plunge within, then pull out, his hips rocking with each thrust he made. 

“Close your hand,” I said. “Make a fist.”

The knight obeyed and the creature wailed in delight. He grew flush with his efforts and I watched, entranced as he punched inside of her, driving her wild with every stroke and playful pinch his fingers gave her slit. 

I reached down, using my wet hand to stroke his length, pulling him to full hardness. The beast turned her head, watching us behind her, a glassy look of ecstasy in her eyes. My head tilted, brow raised as I looked at her. “Is this what you want?”

She panted an affirmation, breath coming in short spurts as the ecstasy built within her. I moved behind the knight, pressing against him and gently guiding him forward. “Grasp her hips.”

His hands moved away, stroking her large feline hips. The knight naturally aligned himself, hands caressing her body in reverence. “Are you sure, beast?”

The beast clicked, a sound I hadn’t heard yet. It was vaguely like a sound some lizards and dragons made, yet entirely different. He grinned at her sound, speaking her language in a way I couldn’t. A smile touched my lips at their shared familiarity before he looked at me and I gave a nod.

The knight moved forward, the tip of his length hovering at her entrance before he pulled in a breath and gently pushed inside. It was slow and tender, moving gently rather than roughly as I had expected. Her hips pushed back against him as he waited inside of her, slowly penetrating inch by inch until he was fully within.

She cried out, lustful and hungry in one breath. A growling lust that sounded feline rolled out of her throat. The knight began to thrust, slowly and steadily, hands gripping her hips and pulling her back against him so that they moved together in sacred rutting. His face grew red with exertion, body sweating in the morning light. 

Soft groans escaped him as he grew harder and more engorged, thrusting within her with renewed speed. The controlled gentle lover began to transform,  meeting his beast with vigor and lust. He slammed into her, wet slapping echoing around the lake from each time their hips met. 

The beast shuddered, hard and suddenly, clawed feet digging great furrows into the earth as she released. He cried out, gripping the hair of her hips and pulling her back against him as he paused, body twitching and shuddering. His body grew rigid, holding still with small twitches while he released, seed spilling deep inside of her.

The two of them held still, basking in the afterglow of rutting. I glanced down, quietly walking away from their intimate moment, and sat on the old stump. The water had calmed, though the dead fish floated and the birds returned, feasting on their remains. Soft sounds of moaning and whimpering were all that remained of the released pleasure from the knight and his beast. 

I waited a short time before he approached me, wearing nothing but his trousers loosely bound. At first, he flushed, then nodded. “Here I thought you would set her straight.”

“She doesn’t love me.”

“Oh,” he blushed. “I love her, though.” 

I smiled. “I know. And now so do you.”