It was the
end of the cycle, the time of fertility. For ten full revolutions, in the olden days called a year, the Dead
Moon had been in ascendancy, the ground frozen, the People burrowed in the
deepest of caves as close to the heat of the planet’s core as they could get.
For ten revolutions,
the Animate Sun reined in all its glory, bathing the People with nourishing
warmth, and providing rich, fertile soil to grow crops. The People called it
the time of fertility, when new life sprang into existence, plant, animal and
human. It was a wondrous time, something most people only experienced for a
maximum of ten times in their lifetimes.
The
counterpoint to the joy of the Animate Sun was the Dead Moon. For five revolutions
the People basked in the glory of the sun and on the sixth, their toil began, in
preparation for the Dead Moon rising.
The harsh
existence of their world kept their numbers low. There were less than two
hundred thousand of the People spanning the planet, each Tribe consisting of no
more than one hundred individuals, their regions mapped out to exactness. It
had always been that way, the amount of growing land required to sustain each
Tribe the most important factor of their governance.
It was the
only way they could survive extinction. Too many people on one region of land
would spell the end of that Tribe. The quantity of food supplies they were able
to harvest could only feed a set number to last the Dead Moon cycle. Anymore
and they doomed the entire Tribe.
Their world
did take pity on them though. For all they lived and loved close to the earth’s
core, no woman ever conceived during the Dead Moon cycle. Some speculated that
was why it had been assigned that name, because all life was barren under the
dark sky. No crops grew. Neither animals nor children were born. Life stagnated
as the People cowered from the freezing temperatures above.
Takareena
bubbled with excitement as she made her way through the dark caverns lit by
fortified reed torches. In one more turn, the People would begin making their
way up towards the openness above, towards the Animate Sun. This would be her
second exposure to its beauty and she retained enough memories of when she last
saw it as a child. She had been born the first revolution of the last cycle and
had been old enough to truly enjoy its splendour.
Some of
friends had been born later in the cycle and their memories were not as vibrant
as hers were so they had some trepidation about the coming changes, living
within the caves being all they had known. She did her best to reassure them
about how wonderful it would be but she could see some lingering doubt in their
eyes. They would soon see how wondrous it was and know the sadness that would
come when they had to return to the caves at the cycle’s end.
Takareena
didn’t want to think about that though. That was ten revolutions away. All she
wanted to think about was what was awaiting her and the rest of the Tribe;
Life!
She hurried
to the upper cavern, the one so vast the entire Tribe could fit in. Most of
them where already there, kneeling on the rough stone floor, their heads
tilting at various angles. Those who had been acclimatising longer could raise
their eyes up to the pale stream of light shining through the chimney opening
up high in the ceiling. They consisted mostly of the elders, people who had
seen multiple Animate Sun cycles.
It was
harder for them to become accustomed to the darkness of the caves but easier to
greet the new sun. As it was harder for the younger ones to absorb the new wonder
of light being introduced into their lives.
Takareena
found a spot to kneel in a ray of sunlight, her head bent, and her arms resting
gracefully on her thighs. The light illuminated the intricate tattoos dancing
down her arms and back, most of her long dark hair pinned atop her head with
long strands partially concealing elements of her tattoos on her bare back.
She had
decided to stay within the cavern until the next turn and had imitated her
tattoos, skilfully creating the designs beneath her eyes and down her cheeks
with paint. Others in the cavern had done the same, applying the traditional fertility
symbols to welcome the Animate Sun. Takareena had also adorned her hair with
two ceremonial silver daggers and a silver butterfly pin, along with her silver
coin circlet around her brow and pinned to cascade through her hair.
She had
carried her gossamer white blouse, leaving her breasts bare to the warm air
within the room, though she had remained clad in her dark breeches to protect
her skin from the roughness of the stone floor. Around her small waist, she had
clipped on her specially made skirt, a thick dark band with wide swathes of
material flowing downwards.
She was
ready to greet the sun as was befitting the customs of the Tribe and her excitement
was boundless at what was so come. When
the call to go above came, she would strip off the last of the Dead Moon and
walk into the light clad only in her skirt.
A sound
startled her from her thoughts and her lips tilted in a shy smile as Kainan came
to kneel beside her. She had observed him watching her for the last revolution
though he had never approached her before. Kainan was the very epitome of
virility, and everything the younger males aspired to be.
This would
be his third sun cycle and the stories told by the Tribal Historians stated he
had been instrumental in the boosted harvest for the Dead Moon cycle. The Tribe
had fed well and there was still food in reserves. He had also fathered four
strong sons and two daughters during the last cycle. His chosen mate, Blarana,
was now past the fertility stage having been two cycles older. She had joined
the ranks of the Tribal Histories now, teaching the children all they required
to know of tribal life.
The
excitement among the girls eligible for their first fertility cycle had been at
fever pitch since they’d heard that Kainan would be seeking a new mate.
Takareena hadn’t hoped to aspire to being the one he selected despite the fact
he had been watching her so closely. Now he was kneeling beside her, staring up
towards the sun and she was spellbound.
Kainan
didn’t require the sun to colour his body. His skin was already a deep bronze
in hue, the only clothing he wore being dark breeches similar to hers. His
angular face appeared chiselled from granite, his dark hair cut so short she
wanted to run her hand over his head to feel her palm tickle at the experience.
His gaze was turned upward, steel grey eyes narrowing as he battled with the
light, resolutely refusing to surrender to the glare.
Takareena
took the opportunity to run her eyes down his thick neck, over shoulders so
wide and strong she had to fight the continuing urge to trace the muscles with
her hand. He was the strongest of the males and all could see that by evidence
of his stature. His skin stretched over the hard muscles of his lightly haired
chest, down over his taut stomach. It was as if it was there merely to enhance
the muscles beneath and it screamed at his virility.
Her perusal
was cut short as his head turned in her direction. He examined her as languidly
as she had him, his all-seeing eyes tracing every feature on her face before
they moved downwards. His gaze lingered on her rounded breasts, heat entering
his eyes as their tips hardened at his scrutiny and they began to swell and
feel heavy as he continued to look. Soundlessly he reached beside him to
retrieve an object. Remaining silent, he placed the leather cloth pouch before
her and moved until they were facing each other.
Takareena
could feel many eyes watching them, a murmur of approval radiating within the
cavern. Her heart began to thump as she unlaced the pouch and slowly unwrapped
it. As the paint tubes became visible, her heart beat a little faster and she
tried to control the shaking of her hands as she delicately drew them out.
Kainan had chosen her out of all the available girls of the Tribe. He had
bestowed such honour to her family and cemented her place in the Tribe.
Carefully
she opened the paint, her gaze meeting his as he held still and she began to apply
the fertility tattoos to his cheeks. No words were spoken between them as she
concentrated on achieving perfection, accepting Kainan as her mate by
performing the ritual decoration.
For the
most part, he behaved but she nearly faltered towards the end when he boldly
reached out and cupped her breast in his big hand. It was but a fleeting moment
though, his thumb scraping over the hard peak lightly before he dropped his
hand and allowed her to continue unhindered.
However, in
that moment he lit such a fire in her veins, engendering a need that staggered
her. How could one touch evoke such emotion? And what would it feel like when
they went above and he took her body in the sun dance? Takareena thrilled at
the thought, and when their eyes met the next time, there was a promise in his
and anticipation in hers.
~~~~~
The Tribe
moved slowly out of the darkness, blinking in the early morning light of the
new sun. Some of the younger ones wore thin veils over their eyes to protect
them though the histories said that within a few days the People would adapt to
their new environment. They were a resilient species, attuned to the vagaries
of their world.
Old mates
and new alike peeled off into different directions eager to begin the fertility
cycle. Of the one hundred people to enter the caves at the end of the last
cycle, the Gods had taken twenty-nine of them to their hearth and the Tribe
needed to be replenished. Others moved to begin checking the habitability of
the wooden structures left standing from the last cycle.
The Tribe
spread out over the land, each section taking on the responsibilities required
to benefit the tribe. The elder males moved to tend the land, carrying the
precious seeds they’d stored from before. The elder women herded the remaining
animals into rough pens, seeing to their needs so they could begin their own fertility
cycle. The unmated and Historians began the clearing of buildings as the
children tentatively greeted the sun with awe and skittish giggles.
Kainan
pulled Takareena down towards the river to the west of the village, his
movements hurried. He stopped when they reached the shore turning to face her.
“I would look upon you, Takareena.”
His deep
voice sent a shiver of pleasure dancing across her skin and she hastened to do
as he bade, unlacing her breeches with shaky fingers. His hands covered hers as
she inadvertently knotted the lace in her attempt and she emitted a startled
gasp when, without a word, he raised her up by her hips and laid her gently on
a high moss-covered rock beside the water. Her legs dangled over the edge and
she held her breath as his hands returned to the lace.
Fire raced
through her blood as Kainan’s fingers brushed her most vulnerable area, the
lace parting to leave her open for his perusal. His sharp intake of breath was
enough to tell her that he enjoyed the view and made her heart race to a
staccato beat.
“Exquisite,”
he sighed softly, peeling down the soft material, kneeling to pull it from her
body leaving her clad in her ceremonial skirt. “Turn around, mate.”
Takareena
did as he asked, her feet touching the ground, the swatches of the skirt
parting to display her bottom to the warm air. It felt invigorating and her
excitement escalated as strong hands cupped her bottom and stroked lightly over
her flesh and down the back of her thighs. He was kneeling once more, his
breath whispering against her skin before a wet tongue stroked boldly up her
left thigh, laving against her rounded flesh.
His mouth
caressed her bottom intimately, his tongue sliding slowly down her right thigh
to the back of her knee, his long fingers following in its wake. Takareena’s
knees tremble and she was glad she had the rock to support her body, the moss
tickling her swollen breasts as her body moved, pressing back towards Kainan’s
mouth. Her sex was damp, pulsing to the beat of her heart as his fingers grazed
the inside of her thighs but didn’t quite touch her core.
He was
teasing her, stoking a fire of need with deliberate intent, and knowing that
only served to fuel Takareena’s desire. Kainan was going to be a strong, virile
lover and he would give her much pleasure as well as many fine sons and
daughters. Together they would enhance the Tribe until it was strongest it had
ever been. Together they would ensure the survival of the People.
“Kainan, I
ache,” she whispered as the heat within built unbearably.
His teasing
fingers brushed over her sex, pressing through her folds to slide intimately
against her dampness. She gasped aloud, pressing into his hand, shuddering as
he began to stroke rhythmically against her, pushing her further towards the
pleasure that awaited her. She cried out when he stopped, and moved to press
his hard body against her bottom, covering her and holding her arms down as his
still clad body pressed her against the mossy rock.
His
breathing was harsh as he began to grind against her, his hardness a steel rod
against her bottom, his body forcing her sex to be ground against the soft
covering beneath her. The sensation was astounding, tickling her tender skin
but also sending sparks of pleasure rushing through her.
Takareena
was climbing higher and higher, reaching for the release that was just out of
reach, her heart racing as her body ground against the rock. Her breath caught,
the world exploded around her, and she cried out as her climax rode over her in
a pulsing wave.
She had
never experienced anything like it before. Her male friends had pleasured her
many times in the last revolution, though being one of the newly fertile she
hadn’t completed the act of love with them, wanting to experience it for the
first time as being part of the sun dance.
None of the others had ever pulled such emotion from her and it was
taking some time for her breath to resume a more even cadence.
“It is good
that you enjoy my touch, Takareena,” Kainan said quietly. “I have been waiting
for this for a full revolution. We will do this many times and create many fine
babies together.”
As he
finished speaking she felt the touch of his naked legs against the back of her
thighs and realised he had removed his breeches while she was gathering her
breath. She tried to turn to have a view of him but he was pressing her against
the rock once more, his erection a steel rod against her bottom.
“We will
have time for more later,” he whispered in her ear. “For now I have a revolution
of need to appease.” His knees pressed her thighs apart and he held her hands
pinned above her head with one of his while the other slid under her abdomen to
raise her up slightly. “May my seed find a home in your womb, mate, and the
Gods bless us on this first day of the fertility cycle.”
Takareena
moaned at his words, as he pressed against the opening of her body, his
thickness slowly easing into her tightness. He felt so big, filling her completely
as he thrust into her, holding her still so he could control their joining. It
hurt a little at first but that was soon replaced by the most incredible
feeling of being complete.
“Perfection,”
Kainan murmured against the back of her neck, holding still to savour the
moment of joining and the warmth of the rising sun on their skin. He had known
she was his from the moment he’d seen her proudly displaying her newly acquired
fertility tattoos. It had always been just a matter of time before he would be sinking
deep within her body as he was now. And it surpassed every single erotic dream
he’d ever had.
She
enclosed him so tightly, trapping him in her wet heat, squeezing him until he
groaned and had to move, had to pull slowly from her heat and rock back inside
in one fluid movement. Her muttered cry stirred his blood, his mouth bending to
the sacred tattoos on her back, his lips caressing each one as he pulled out
and thrust again.
For each
symbol on her skin, he blessed her body with his, taking his time to savour her
heat, to maximise his pleasure as well as hers. He knew his movements were
pressing her sex into the moss-covered rock, caressing the tiny bundle of
nerves as her passion built higher.
Another time he would lie at her mercy and let her use his body as she
saw fit, but this first time was his to show she belonged to him.
He had to
love her to the point that no one could vie for her affections during this
Animate Sun. He had to show her that he would worship her body as the strongest
male of the Tribe, give her untold pleasure whenever she desired. She was his
to lose and he had no intention of that happening. He had ached for this moment
and now it was in his grasp he was never letting her go.
“Tell me
what you desire, Takareena.” His lips brushed her shoulder, his teeth nibbling
at her soft flesh.
“More.” Her
gasped plea set his heart soaring, his blood rushing to his groan and making
him harden more than he could remember. His next thrust was deep and hard,
causing her to cry out loudly.
“Do you
want my seed in you, mate? Do you want to feel me flowing within you, creating
new life within this beautiful body? Will you accept me, surrender to me, stay
with me?”
“Yes! Oh,
yes, Kainan, I want you,” she whispered, her breath rushing out in short pants
as he plundered her body over and over again, stamping his possession on her
even as she possessed him. She was
soaring once more, pleasure dancing through each nerve ending as her mate loved
her to the point of sending her mindless with sensation. She cried out,
exploding once more in climax as Kainan called out his release, filling her
with his life giving seed as they danced in the sun.
Long
moments passed, their harsh breath on the air as he slowly released his hold on
her body, turning her until she lay curled on her side on the rock. Kainan
smiled, as he looked into her flushed face, his gaze enjoying her body for a
moment before he climbed up to lay on his side facing her.
“Forgive my
impatience, Takareena. I have waited a long time for you.” His hand caressed
her cheek, his touch gentle.
His words
surprised her and made her smile. He thought he required forgiveness for loving
her so thoroughly? She hoped he would love her that way many times in the
future. “No forgiveness is required, my mate. Our sun dance was perfection.”
He smiled
at her for the first time, pleasure dancing in his eyes as he pulled her close,
enfolding her in his protective embrace. “I know we must learn to know each
other and the future isn’t certain, Takareena, but I want you to know that I am
committed to being mated with you. This first time with you has only hardened
my resolve.”
A giggle
escaped her at his choice of words and he frowned before he laughed softly.
“Yes, it hardened that too,” he conceded with another laugh.
Takareena
ran a hand over his chest, feeling his muscles tighten under her fingertips,
hearing his sharp intake of breath. He was an exceptional lover and enjoyed
humour too. He was strong and healthy, and would give her many strong children.
The Gods had indeed blessed her.
“I am
committed to being mated with you too, Kainan, and look forward to this Animate
Sun cycle.” She boldly leaned up and pressed her lips against his, sighing with
pleasure when he opened his mouth to allow her access. It was delicious and
heady and it made her feel lightheaded.
It was he
who broke the kiss, stroking her back as he grazed her neck with his lips and
then nibbled at her ear. “As much as I would like to get to know you a bit
better, there is the village to get up and running again, mate. Fear not
though, tonight I will show you once again just how committed I am.”
His promise
made her shiver with delight as they rose and quickly cleaned up in the river.
In silence, they dressed and turned back towards the village hand in hand,
joining with the other mates making their way back. The Dead Moon had waned and
the Animate Sun was in ascendancy. The People would thrive as they always had, the
cycle of life marching on.
The End
