Jahaliya Ch. 01

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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Mistress of the Bow

Knowing eyes turned to follow the freshly made citizen of Jahaliya as he strode confidently into the hall with the hint of a highly satisfied swagger in his step. Wearing a long, sweeping cape and one of the elaborate harnesses constructed from supple, dark brown leather, he looked every part the strapping Jahaliyan stud, sizable cock in shameless and comfortable view. The mouse had a foolish grin plastered across his muzzle and he warmly returned the greetings in the breakfast hall as he made his way over to the girls, saving a cocky wink for Lydra, who only smiled slightly, relaxing back in her chair.

John has changed so much, she thought absentmindedly, her sinuous tail curling and uncurling like a charmed snake. He is one of us now.

And, indeed, she considered John to have become a Jahaliyan in every sense of the word. Why, she might even be so blatant as to claim that the once withdrawn mouse was revelling in every second of his new found sexual freedom!

If he had been aware of her thoughts, John would have agreed with her, likely with an adoringly cocky but good-natured tilt of his head. His boots tapped lightly as he walked, prompting attention to be drawn to his naked figure. And he was coming to enjoy the looks, truth be told, he mused. It was liberating, in a way that had to be experienced personally to be believed. The mouse's ears pricked and he grinned at a wonderfully curvaceous leopard who winked to him, running one paw down her voluptuous figure as she eyed his package appreciatively.

It was good. Who could complain about being comfortable in their own skin and fur?

"Morning, ladies," John called out, sliding into a seat beside Robin, who twitched her tail and leaned in to give his cheek a friendly lick. From the pleased smirk playing seductively on her lips, she was more than simply content to have his company at the table.

"Good morning, John," she replied far too innocently once the others and Sylvia had chorused their welcomes, a wicked gleam to her gaze. "Did you have an enjoyable time yesterday?"

"What? Me?" He glanced about, feigning confusion. "You don't happen to be referring to the incredible orgy I had with Ryoga, Lydra and some devastatingly alluring bunnies by any chance, do you?"

Sylvia, who had been enjoying her own rare treat of a cooked breakfast, choked on a large mouthful of sausage, covering her mouth in an unnecessarily ladylike manner, eyes wide with shock: How could he say such a thing before the girls? Not John! Robin, on the other hand, barely succeeded in suppressing a loud, uncharacteristic yelp of delight, lashing her tail furiously against bench legs.

"John! I just knew you had disappeared off somewhere for a wild time without us! What happened? Tell us! Besides the obvious, we want all the details!"

"All the details, are you sure?" He teased mischievously, pulling a bowl of limes towards him as if he was not planning to divulge even a scrap of information. "It was certainly an experience in itself, I'll tell you that much!"

Stroking the fur on the back of her hands, the lioness found it a struggle not to speak out. It was one thing to have the knowledge that the girls were becoming increasingly intimate and sexual as they flourished...but was it really so wise to have temptation flaunted blatantly by someone they...well...lusted for? What effect would this have upon her girls? What if... Sylvia shuddered. What if one of them became pregnant or diseased as a result of frequent couplings with furs that they barely knew? It would destroy them.

With a start, Sylvia came to her senses, the conversation moving on swiftly without her; John was giving more and more details and the girls were hanging on to his every word, sweet little Natasha with a faint blush colouring her feminine muzzle. She had to intervene, steer the conversation back into safer waters. She could not have the girls ruining their lives for the sake of sexual liaisons, however enjoyable and intoxicating they may be . . .

"Oh, that sounds very pleasant indeed - how did it come about?" Sylvia attempetd to integrate, leaning forward and doing her best to look genuinely interested. Even she had to admit that she was somewhat curious about what had taken place, despite not approving whole heartedly.

"It was my initiation to become a citizen of Jahaliya," he answered proudly. "I am now Ryoga's aide-de-camp, trusted adviser."

"Oh, yes?" Robin teased, not allowing Sylvia the opportunity to reply and smiling coyly from behind a soft curtain of hair. "Does the job have any perks that you can take advantage of? Any...advice you can share with us?"

"Perks? Only fucking the vast majority of females in sight when off-duty."

John chuckled and shot a glance at Sylvia, disconcerted to realise that her expression was a far cry from those of the happy girls chattering about the table. She peering over her tall cup of cold spring water when he tried to direct her attention to him.

"Sylvia, I - "

"Did you fuck any more on the table last night, John? I was a little occupied!"

Ryoga's jovial interruption could not have been more untimely or arrived at a worse moment in conversation as, with a grinning Horace at his side, Sylvia's reaction proved. The lioness' fur bristled and she took a sudden, sharp breath - whether from John's antics or Ryoga's particular word choice, onlookers could not be sure. She spluttered madly into her water, succumbing to a harsh coughing fit as Horace, ever the gentleman, rushed forward to pound upon her back until the flustered, flushed lioness had forced the last drop of unruly liquid from her lungs.

"Sylvia! Are you okay?" Ryoga asked, sliding into a seat beside John, touching her shoulder lightly. "I'm sorry I surprised you but you really must understand that it is perfectly acceptable to say this normally. Do you need something to drink?"

"No...no," She panted, struggling to regain both her breath and composure as the girls tittered. "I think I've had quite enough water, thank you!"

Laughter rippled around the table, the atmosphere relaxing into the friendly banter that could so often be heard at breakfast times. Tina, her eyes alight with curiosity, returned to questioning John, her eyes focusing between his thighs for a brief second while she allowed herself the private wish that she had been in the place of the blessedly lucky doe he spoke of.

"So what is it like to be a Jahaliyan man now?" She asked, wondering if her friends and herself would be in for a similar "trial", for want of a better word... She would not have minded in the slightest really.

"It's the best feeling," John responded certainly. "It's better than anything I've experienced before. I finally feel like a true part of this world. And I am proud to be a citizen of Jahaliya."

"That's very good to hear, John," Ryoga broke in, helping himself to a sizeable bowl of mixed fruits. "Lydra is preparing a list of duties for your orientation and will meet with us shortly so I hope you are prepared and eager to get to work."

"It's a wonder that anyone manages to get anything productive done around here," Natasha mused, pursing her lips softly. "With so much pleasure to be had, I mean. It must be challenging."

"Not at all, Natasha," Ryoga smiled, gesturing at the many furs gathered within the hall, busily preparing for the working day. "Of course, Jahaliyans use their free time wisely and often partake in sexual pleasure with one another, but we have a strict policy of work before pleasure here. Even if one did decide to go against this, he or she could not possible enjoy a romp with the knowledge that they are shirking their duties as a citizen. Work is of utmost importance at all times."

Fascinated by the turn in conversation and eager for new information, Sylvia inched forward, resting her muzzle upon her paw, curling her fingers up to cup her lower jaw.

"So there is a subliminal structure here that must be followed?" She asked, hoping to make a gentle point of its importance to the girls; Ryoga nodded in confirmation. "Like rules?"

"Work first, pleasure second," he said firmly. "If pleasure is to be had, it is worth waiting for. It is only fortunate that we are able to enjoy so much of our sexuality without the concerns faced by other nations. For instance, we do not have the worry of unwanted pregnancies in Jahaliya."

Sylvia felt herself relax, only then realising the severity of her concern that the girls could become pregnant. She had not had the nerve to approach the topic before and was glad that the girls were also listening, so any worries that they might have had would be laid to rest. If they had been thinking about that sort of thing, of course.

"How does that work? And...ah... What about diseases?" She asked delicately, the hint of a blush creeping back into her cheeks. Horace laughed and drew her to him in an affectionate one-armed hug.

"My dear, Sylvia, do you really believe that we would be encouraging you to explore your sexuality without the appropriate precautions if there was any risk that you may become pregnant or diseased? All Jahaliyan females - and you, of course - can control their fertility and. We have such strong immune systems that our bodies are more than capable of fighting off any infections transmitted during intercourse, although infections are rare to begin with. You are stronger than most, as repeatedly proven, so have absolutely nothing to fear."

"I did wonder about that," Natasha admitted. "I don't want to have a cub yet - it is still strange to be a slut in this world."

"Natasha!" Sylvia reprimanded sternly. "You know better than to use that word."

Shamefaced, Natasha ducked her head, casting her gaze down and allowing her hair to fall over her muzzle in a futile but instinctive attempt to conceal her embarrassment from view. She hated being told off; it had not had cause to happen in such a long while that the unconscious reactions to it were intensified tenfold.

"Please excuse my ignorance, Sylvia," Ryoga began, appearing puzzled by the exchange and distressed over the effect upon Natasha. "What is the definition of the word 'slut', if you would be so kind as to explain?"

Gulping audibly, Sylvia knew that her response, if to be accurate would insult Ryoga greatly even if it was not directed at him, but the ladies in general that he associated and worked with. And yet, how could she not give the truth? She could not lie.

Damnit...

"It is a word to describe a sexually active woman, namely one who enjoys sex or has more of it than society expects of her," she weakly admitted after an agonisingly lengthy pause, averting her eyes as her unease mounted.

The prince remained as motionless as one of the stone statues in the hall for such a period of time that Sylvia had the sudden ludicrous notion of poking him to see if he had not turned to stone, although she fidgeted anxiously, not succumbing to the childlike thought. Ryoga's face was impassive as he considered exactly what had been said and, when he eventually spoke, his words were far from what she had expected.

"Did I hear you correctly, Sylvia? That word is an insult aimed only at women?" Ryoga's expression had darkened severely and Sylvia swallowed, anxious that she had upset him. He glanced about as if looking for others who shared his opinion and found it in the shocked, furious faces of the Jahaliyans seated close by.

"That is correct," Sylvia continued nervously. "There is no equivalent word for men in our world."

"But that is outrageous!" Ryoga growled loudly, thumping a tightly clenched fist on to the table so hard that the plates rattled and drew the attention of other diners. "Women have every right to enjoy this as men do! We are no different to you, so why should any woman - let alone such beautiful, intelligent ones - be insulted for taking pleasure in what only comes naturally?"

A badger lady sitting nearby snarled her disapproval, fighting to contain her anger while her friend, a normally even-tempered lynx who was well known to the girls, shook with lividness, barely able to spit her words out coherently.

"That is utterly obscene! How could a society let this happen? Men - men! What have they done that we have not? How does this make it just fine for them to take pleasure and not women? I'd like to tear out the - "

"Enough, Kayla," Horace broke in levelly, although his eyes were dark. "We feel as you do."

The girls were unusually silent, having no words leap to their lips as was the norm. His words had struck a deep set chord of truth within each and every one of them. They knew in their hearts and in their minds that there was no fairness in the double standard that had prevailed in their world. And yet...they allowed themselves to be ruled by it.

"It is absurd," Horace said vehemently, breaking the silence. "As any other Jahaliyan would tell you."

His words were echoed by the Jahaliyans, with the ladies voicing loud opinions alongside, to Sylvia's surprise, the males of the group, many appearing even more horrified than the ladies, shaking their heads in disbelief. As her keen gaze swept across them, she realised how truly obscene the restraints placed upon women were, in her own world. All in all...it was preventing her girls from developing and discovering themselves while they conformed to silly social ideas implemented many years ago.

It was heartbreaking.

"Ladies, please, let me assure you that you are not in the wrong and that I am not angry with you," Ryoga said, taking a steadying breath as his demeanour became calmer, even if a line of tension still drew his muscles taught with constrained anger. "But please, allow me to ask you one thing: does the word 'slut' bother you?"

"I suppose," Robin began hesitantly, her eyes cast to one side as she considered the question. "It seems rather mean...but we have gotten used to it. The way you put it to us...it sounds awful! Disgusting!" She made a face as if she had suddenly acquired a sour taste in her mouth.

"It's not the word, it's the attitude!" Jessica cut in, eyes flashing with a long contained anger. "Women where we came from - years ago they would put them in prison or far worse for sexual things, like being raped or having a child out of wedlock. They could face a lifetime of slavery and abuse in an asylum for an offence as severe as looking pretty and flirting with men. No man would have been treated like that for outright harassing or abusing women, let alone flirting!"

Her words were echoed by every other girl seated at the table with even Sylvia inclining her head just one time to give silent voice to her assent. Horace squeezed Sylvia gently against his side, locking his gaze with Ryoga in his own unspoken agreement of the situation.

"It would seem, ladies, that you remain tethered by a double standard that has absolutely no place on Jahaliya. A rather hurtful double standard, I might add," he added thoughtfully.

Ryoga took a slow, calming breath, struggling with the mind-numbing injustices that these women had had to endure. If a Jahaliyan committed such a crime against another...he shuddered to think of the possible consequences. It was plainly wrong, no more to be said. He growled deep in his throat, making a sweeping gesture with his paw, his eyes narrowing in the extreme effort of will he had to exert to maintain his control.

"Too much in your world is fraught with double standards," he said shortly through tightly clenched teeth. "I should not like to go to such a place."

"Maybe we can do as others have with words like this," Corsi spoke up, playing with a strand of hair as she contemplated the idea. "Others have reclaimed hurtful words for themselves - perhaps we can do the same with," she paused, "'slut'. We can keep the word and associated feelings safe from those who would use it with malice."

"That is an option to bear in mind," Ryoga agreed, the seed of an idea appearing in the glint of his eye. "Horace, please come with me - we must confer."

"If this is over what I said, I really must insist that I join you," Sylva said hurriedly, half-rising before Horace placed a gentle paw upon her shoulder, preventing her intervention.

"No, Sylvia," he said softly. "You are chained as securely as your charges; we must speak alone this time."

Leaving hastily, Ryoga and Horace joined Lydra, who rose to meet them, an expression of concern overshadowing her sleek, ebony muzzle as they relayed the conversation. Feeling rather lost, Sylvia glanced surreptitiously around, taking a small jug of cream and making what she hoped was a convincing pretence of busying herself with breakfast, even if her appetite had quite disappeared. Eleanor shifted anxiously in her seat, twisting her paws back and for beneath the table, thoughts racing as she strived to come to some rational conclusion - were they really living within the chains of their old world? - although none was to be found by her.

The surreal, subdued atmosphere at the usually conversation-driven, friendly breakfast table encompassed every member, including the Jahaliyans, some of which were muttering angrily to each other. They were utterly unable to comprehend why a woman might be condemned for enjoying a natural act when men were not seen negatively for the very same occurrence. It was more than inhumane - it was vile.

Robin bit her lip as she twisted round awkwardly, unable to hear what Ryoga and Horace were saying but assured that it was nothing positive. They were not going to let the mishap of a silly, little word go unattended if they thought it was restricting the girls' freedom and development in the slightest possible way, she knew that much. She had to admit, however, that they had a very valid point. It was wrong, but did it need to be pointed out to every Jahaliyan within earshot?

"Look!" She hissed through clenched teeth, jabbing Tina in the ribs. "They're coming back."

Surprisingly, the pair were already returning with Lydra in step, seemingly far better spirits. A big grin was fixed upon Horace's face and he dropped a knowing yet somehow joyous wink at Natasha, who could only blink back in confusion. Ryoga stepped forward, smiling with such genuine warmth that even Sylvia could not help but relax: he was not angry at them.

"Ladies," he announced. "I have been thinking about your citizenship trials. We have seen for ourselves that your combat skills and natural intelligence sit well without question, but we are also certain in the belief that true comfort in your sexuality is just as important, if not more important. No, don't interrupt," he said, shaking his head at Sylvia, who had tried to voice a protest. "To be comfortable in your own skin and happy to enjoy all of the pleasures that life has to offer is the greatest gift that we can give you, it is decided. Therefore, your trials will be, in part, sexual. The aim of them will be to confront your fears and meet the challenges presented to you, becoming stronger and happier for it."

The prince did not allow a pause for this information to sink in before padding around to face Natasha, sliding his large paw beneath her chin to get the shy bunny to look to him while they conversed.

"Natasha," he continued, nodding kindly to her. "I must ask before we go on - is your shyness still present? Are you concerned?"

Bobbing her head briefly, Natasha felt the slow burn of a blush flare up over her muzzle, so fierce in its intensity that she could have later sworn that the heat of it was radiating from her fur. It was difficult for her to remain facing Ryoga, though she willed herself to not avert her eyes, while he calmly and patiently held her gaze.