[i]Deep in the jungles of the thick Z’moni Rainforest, there is a primitive tribe of anthro-leopards known as the K’tengu. The world and time they live in is a much simpler one than our own. It is a small tribe, numbering no more than 50, and for generations they have managed to stay hidden, secluded – living off the land in their small village. However, the once harmonious relationship that the K’tengu had with nature is about to be put to the test…[/i]

“Where are you guys going?” Kimari squeaked, peeking out from behind a tree. She looked up at her big brother and his friend, her tail wrapped around her as she fiddled with it.

“We’re just going for a little run, okay?” Akimbe replied, his paws on his hips. His best friend, Musa, stood beside him stretching his legs, obviously eager to get going.

“Can I come?” she asked sheepishly. Akimbe had already figured the question was coming, otherwise she wouldn’t have been there.

He sighed and rolled his eyes skyward. For as long as he could remember, his little sister of 12 summers, Kimari, had [i]always[/i] wanted to do whatever he was doing. It was fine when they were younger, but now that Akimbe was getting older, hanging out with his little sister wasn’t exactly on the top of his list.

She brushed the black tip of her tail gently with her fingers, nervously awaiting his response.

“No, you can’t come. Why don’t you go play with Ria or something? We’re going to be going really fast and I don’t want to have to wait for you or hear you whining.”

“I won’t whine! Promise!”

Before Akimbe had a chance to reply, Musa chimed in. “Where we’re going there’s gonna be lots of danger! Way too dangerous for a cub like you!” Kimari pursed her lips and looked over to Musa, annoyed. He continued, “All sorts of snakes and bugs and maybe even some Z’moni!” He put on a scary face, exposing his fangs and held up his arms, extending his claws like he was about to pounce. He was really trying to hype up the peril of the run they would be taking.

Kimari seemed to shrink in front of them, drawing up her shoulders and bringing her paws up to her chin, her fluffy tail still held between them. Musa grinned at Akimbe, his ruse appearing to pay off.

“Oh hush, Musa,” a female’s voice called out.

Musa’s twin sister, Ashka, walked up behind Kimari, gently placing her hands on the young leopard girl’s shoulders. Kimari looked up at Ashka and smiled. Ashka looked back down at her with kind eyes and smiled back. “They’re just trying to scare you Kimari. Because, sometimes, boys can be jerks like that.” She looked up and glared at her brother and Akimbe.

Akimbe looked away, feeling a tad guilty. Musa just stuck out his tongue.

The twins had been close with Akimbe his entire life. They were all 16 summers old and had grown up together. As cubs, the three were practically inseparable - always playing, chasing each other, and getting into mischief together. Even then Kimari had always tried to involve herself with the trio as much as she could. 

And while the three were good friends, for as long as he could remember, Akimbe had always had an extra special place for Ashka in his heart. Her piercing golden eyes were the most beautiful he had ever seen, and had captivated him the moment he saw them. His crush on her was something he had managed to keep hidden from Musa, even after all these years. Ashka, however, was well aware of his feelings for her. In fact, she shared them.

Neither of them would ever forget the day down by the river, when they were eight summers old; Akimbe “accidentally” placed his paw on Ashka’s for the first time as they sat on the river bank. Or the time when they were ten and Ashka sneakily kissed Akimbe on the cheek when her brother wasn’t looking. There was the time when they were eleven, playing hide-and-seek with Musa; they had both chosen the same hiding spot - behind some shelves in the back of the storage hut. While Musa was out looking for them, Ashka and Akimbe were busy lifting up their loincloths, looking at what the other had hidden behind it.

But, despite their feelings for each other, they had never gone beyond these covert, childish displays of affection and curiosity. They were both too afraid that allowing their crush to develop into something more would hurt Musa, ruining their wonderful trio.

Akimbe finally looked up, catching Ashka’s eyes for a moment before looking away again.

“C’mon Kimari, let’s go play with Ria and Neela,” Ashka suggested warmly. “We’ll have way more fun without them anyway!”

“Okay!”

The girls turned to walk away, with Ashka taking Kimari’s paw in her own. Akimbe couldn’t help but stare at Ashka’s backside as she sauntered away. Her hips swayed and her long spotted tail swung gingerly behind her. The flap of leather covering her ass shifted back and forth with every step, giving a tantalizing peek of each round cheek that lay hidden beneath. She turned her head to the side, glancing back at Akimbe with a single, golden eye. She had a smirk on her face, as if she knew just how much he was enjoying the view.

“Well, now that they’re finally gone, wanna get going?” Musa asked, nudging his friend with his elbow.

Akimbe, pulled from his daze, quickly looked at Musa and nodded. He hoped that Musa hadn’t noticed him checking out his sister’s hindquarters. Luckily, his friend seemed more interested in heading out than paying any attention to what Akimbe was doing. Musa took off at a run into the woods, with Akimbe following closely behind. 

After about ten minutes, they had run quite a ways from the village. Musa bounded up a large rubber tree and started leaping from treetop to treetop, balancing on the branches in a way that only a cat could. Akimbe was following, but struggling to keep up with his speedy friend. As Akimbe lept for the next branch, his paws landed where water had been dripping down from above, forming a kind of wet slime. He was instantly thrown off balance as his paws slipped out from under him. His sharp claws tore gashes in the wood as he desperately tried to catch himself.

The last thing he remembered was seeing the branches pull away from him as he plummeted towards the earth, his arms still outstretched, trying to grasp at anything they could.

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Akimbe awoke in a straw hut, laying on a small primitive cot. Thin rays of sunlight pierced through the walls and roof, giving the room a soft, pleasant glow. As he looked around, Akimbe recognized his surroundings as the village medicine hut. The chirping and buzzing sounds of insects and other jungle life filtered in over the din of activity outside in the village. His head was pounding and random spots flashed in his vision. Akimbe’s shoulder ached and the whole room started to spin, so he decided to close his eyes again, laying his head back down on the cot.

He wasn’t sure whether he fell asleep or not, or even how much time had passed, but he was startled when a paw drew open the cloth curtain that was covering the doorway, flooding the room with light. Akimbe looked up, trying to get his eyes to focus on who was there.

Ashka!

Akimbe smiled, his eyes lighting up a little as she entered. The tip of her fluffy, dotted tail flicked joyfully behind her as she looked down at Akimbe.

“You’re awake! Does it hurt?” she asked tenderly, nodding towards his arm.

Akimbe rubbed his shoulder with his other paw and nodded. “My head is worse though.”

Ashka frowned. “Sorry…”

“Don’t be sorry Ashka. It wasn’t your fault.”

“Well, no, but…if I had come with you guys, or not let you guys go…” she tried to reason.

Akimbe shook his head, a simple action which hurt a lot more than he thought it would. It felt like his brain was rolling around freely inside of his skull. Ashka stepped over to his side, her slender legs moving gracefully, her tail swinging idly behind her. The light fur running down her front looked downy soft and perfectly accented her athletic frame. She sat down on the edge of his cot and put her arms around him.

“I was so worried about you. Musa had to carry you back to the village,” she informed him, a notable hint of concern in her voice.

Akimbe’s heart skipped a beat as she embraced him. He could feel his pulse quicken as she held her body close to his. The chest bindings that she wore rubbed on his fur, squishing slightly up against him.

Suddenly, the cloth door of the hut was thrown open, much more violently this time and Musa burst inside. Ashka quickly let go of Akimbe, letting her arms fall to her sides, doing an excellent job of making it look like nothing was going on.

“Come on, don’t tell me that little fall still has you down,” Musa chided, coming over to Akimbe’s side and joining his sister.

“He fell out of a tree, Musa! Give him a break!” Ashka angrily defended her injured crush, glaring up at her brother. “We’re lucky he wasn’t more seriously hurt!”

“Yeah, yeah,” Musa begrudgingly admitted, “I was just giving him a hard time. So does this mean you won’t be coming on The Hunt?” he turned and asked Akimbe.

Akimbe froze. The Hunt!

“Is that today!? How long was I out?” he asked urgently.

Musa nodded, “About a day. Everyone is already preparing to leave.”

Akimbe tried to stand up but Ashka pushed him right back down, “Oh no you don’t mister! You need to rest.” Akimbe gave Musa a pained expression that seemed to answer his question.

Musa sighed. “That sucks...You’ve never missed a Hunt.”

“I know…” Akimbe acknowledged sadly. “But…I would probably just slow you guys down anyway.”

For generations the K’tengu had participated in a monthly tradition known as [i]The Hunt[/i]. Once a month, all males 12 summers and older would take leave of the village and head out into the jungle for several days. Together, they would track and hunt prey that would serve as a grand feast for the tribe when they returned. A boy’s first Hunt was considered a rite of passage and marked his entrance into manhood. Once a boy had gone on the Hunt, attendance became mandatory for all future Hunts. The two exceptions to this rule being injury that would hinder the efforts of the other hunters and the village shaman. The shaman needed to stay behind in case any medicines needed to be crafted or tribute paid to the gods.

Musa kicked at the dirt floor of the medicine hut and sighed again. “Well, I will take down something special for you, Akimbe.” He looked up at him and grinned a confident, toothy smile, revealing his fangs. And with that, he turned and left the dim confines of the straw building, leaving Ashka and Akimbe alone again.

“I...should probably get going too,” Ashka said quietly. “We’re going to be seeing them off soon and…” He reached for her paw, holding onto it as she stood, not wanting her to go. They looked tenderly into each other's eyes for a moment. Akimbe smiled.

Ashka smiled back at him, but let his paw go - they both knew she couldn't linger too long without drawing suspicion. She bent down and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. Akimbe blushed; it almost made the fall from the tree worth it. Ashka got up and spun on her heel, her tail twirling around behind her. She walked towards the door and took one final glance back at Akimbe and gave him a soft, concerned smile. “Feel better soon, okay?” she said warmly. He nodded and she held the curtain aside, exiting the hut.

Akimbe listened to the distant, excited voices gathered at the village entrance as the Hunt prepared to leave. Things were finally starting to cool off a bit as the sun inched down towards the horizon. The light in the medicine hut grew dimmer and dimmer and at some point, Akimbe drifted off to sleep, listening to the muted sounds of the jungle.

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It was dark when Akimbe awoke, urgently needing to relieve himself. He peered around the empty hut, trying to get his bearings, forgetting for a moment where he was.

“Oh right, the tree…”

He stood carefully, trying not to jostle his injured shoulder or rattled brain. He took a few steps over to the entrance to the hut and pulled open the curtain. The night air was far from cold, but it was certainly cooler than the sweltering heat of the day. Akimbe inhaled deeply through his nose, letting the fresh air fill his lungs for a change, glad to be out of the stuffy medicine hut.

The village was quiet and dark, with most of the fires out. In fact, the only torches burning were the two that stood on either side of the main path leading out of the village.

“It’s late…” Akimbe remarked quietly to himself. He could feel the calm stillness as the rest of his tribe that had stayed behind lay sleeping in their beds.

Well, not everyone – he knew there should be a sentry keeping watch at the village entrance. Akimbe squinted, trying to make out if there was a silhouette lurking near the torches, but he saw none. He wasn’t sure if it was just his imagination or maybe his concussion, either way, it didn’t concern him much.

Akimbe shrugged and walked around towards the backside of the hut, near the edge of the forest. He flipped up the front of his loincloth with his good arm, and with his bad arm, wrapped a paw around his sheath. He tugged back slightly, forcing a bit of the pointed pink tip of his penis out; it was much less messy to urinate this way.

The teenage leopard relaxed and started to pee, hearing it splash against a broad leaf somewhere in the darkness. Akimbe had his head craned upwards, trying to peer up through the thick canopy of trees to see if he could spot any stars.

Just as Akimbe was finishing up, there was a sudden swish of air and he felt the sharp stone tip of a spear press up against his throat. He instantly tensed up, his member retracting back inside his sheath. He didn’t dare move his paws or make any sudden movements.

“What’s this?” a sly female voice spoke from the darkness. “The chief’s son - not on the Hunt? …And caught with his [i]spear[/i] in his paws, none-the-less.”

Akimbe instantly recognized the voice and relaxed a little. It was Zee: a female sentry that was four summers his senior. She was svelte, silent, and deadly with a spear or her claws.

“Z-Zee! What are you doing!? Aren’t you supposed to be guarding the village?”

Zee lowered her spear from his throat and Akimbe looked at her.

“I was. But then I needed to [i]make rain[/i] …And I see that you did too.”

Akimbe blushed. He finally moved his arms, allowing his loincloth to fall back into place, covering his genitals. She smiled at Akimbe, her fangs giving her grin a rather intimidating appearance. Her emerald green eyes seemed to almost glow in the darkness, the black vertical slits of her pupils sharp and calculating.

“Why are you not on the Hunt, Akimbe?” she interrogated, raising her eyebrow in scrutiny.

“I fell…my arm...it’s...injured,” Akimbe replied sheepishly, feeling a bit embarrassed. He was pretty sure that Zee had sustained injuries far greater and that such a fall would not have taken her out of commission.

Zee glanced at his arm skeptically, her eyes narrowing. “Looks fine to me.” She thrust her arm out, presenting her spear. “Here. Take this.”

Akimbe reached out and took hold of the weapon, even using his injured arm to do so.

“See, your arm is fine.”

Zee took several steps away, leaving him holding the spear. She turned back around to face Akimbe.

“Zee...what are you doing?”

“I told you. I must [i]make rain[/i] and I need someone to hold my spear. That is, now that you aren’t holding [i]yours[/i].” She shot him a cheeky grin. Akimbe blushed in the darkness.

Without warning, Zee squatted down in front of him and held up the front flap of her loincloth. Akimbe quickly looked away, trying to give her some privacy. Zee smirked, the sides of her mouth curling upwards; she loved seeing the younger boy squirm with embarrassment. She, on the other hand, had absolutely no shame and wasn’t the least bit bothered.

“You can look,” she advised Akimbe, “After all, I watched [i]you[/i] go.”

Akimbe nervously turned his head back towards Zee, who had already started to pee. He couldn’t see much, given the darkness and Zee’s bushy, black pubic hair. But it was more what he [i]couldn’t[i] see that was so fascinating; there was nothing hanging down between her legs, no bulky sheath bulging atop her pubic bone. Just a haphazard stream, spraying out from within Zee’s bush, splashing onto the dirt below. He had seen Ashka’s pussy up-close when they were cubs, and those of the younger cubs in the village (since none of the cubs under five summers wore any clothing at all), but seeing a girl peeing right in front of him was an entirely new experience.

He watched as the female sentry finished relieving herself, the powerful spray eventually slowing to a trickle before finally ceasing altogether. She wiggled her hips from side to side briefly, trying to shake off any last drops, before finally letting the front of her loincloth fall back down between her legs.

Her task completed and still completely unphased, Zee stood back up and stepped over to Akimbe as if nothing had happened. She reached for her spear and retrieved it from the teenage leopard who was standing there, still a little in shock.

“Thank you for holding my spear. …It looks like [i]yours[/i] maybe needs some attention,” she said with a wink and a small nod towards Akimbe’s crotch. She spun around, letting her tail softly whip around Akimbe’s legs, and stalked away.

“Huh?” 

He looked down and quickly understood what she had meant; the front flap of his loincloth was pushed forward and he could feel his tip pressing up against the leather. Akimbe looked back up, but Zee was already gone. It was as though she had vanished into the night.

Akimbe looked back down and pulled his loincloth aside. Sure enough, about half of the length of his pink cock was poking out from inside his furry, white sheath. His tapered member was completely smooth, glistening with a hint of its own lubrication.

Long ago, the K’tengu had evolved away from having the typical barbed feline penises, but had retained the familiar feline shape and sheath. Since they no longer needed to have litters, and the primary function of the barbs was to induce ovulation in the female, there was simply no need for them. For ferals, the male’s barbed penis would cause the female to release multiple eggs, and it was not uncommon for those eggs to be fertilized by multiple males. Conversely, K’tengu females would naturally release one or two eggs during their monthly heat. 

Heat for K’tengu females had many of the same characteristics commonly associated with estrus in ferals: dramatically enhanced libido, pheromone production, increased vaginal lubrication and tightness from swelling, and elevated body temperature. These changes were all intended to entice potential mates and make the act of copulation more pleasurable for both the male and the female, to encourage multiple breeding attempts during the female’s fertile window.

Zee’s words still echoed in Akimbe’s mind: “...[i]yours maybe needs some attention[/i]...”

Akimbe looked around. He snuck in the forest a bit, creeping around some bushes and crouching down behind them. He pulled his loincloth to one side and wrapped his other paw around his exposed member. With a few gentle strokes, he was able to easily coax the rest of his length out of his sheath. His full erection filled his paw and he clasped his fingers around it. He didn’t need any lubrication, as his own body had already provided enough in the form of precome and that which covered the pensis of sheathed males.

The teenage leopard closed his eyes and pictured Zee squatting before him as he started to stroke himself. Before long, he was wondering what Ashka would look like in such a compromising position, imagining it as he continued to paw off. He thought about her walking away from him, her loincloth shifting back and forth. He tightened his grip and stroked faster, feeling the pleasurable tingling within his loins building.

His breathing grew heavy as he approached climax. He stroked himself more vigorously and started to thrust his cock through the tunnel he had made with his paw. His smooth pink cock glided across his slick paw pads. He imagined himself thrusting all the way into Ashka and pushed his tip out through the other side of his paw as he drove himself to the brink. Akimbe let out a small, pleasured grunt as he came. His cock pulsed in his paw as a few powerful jets of cum erupted from his tip, spraying a good distance before finally landing on the forest floor. Several more, less powerful eruptions shot out weakly, staining the dirt, before he finally started to calm down.

Akimbe let go of his cock and looked down. A single drop of cum still clung to his tip. Several streaks of cum lay stretched out before him. Another thick strand dangled from a nearby leaf.  His pink member had already started to retract back into his sheath. Akimbe sighed contentedly as his sensitive organ retreated to the safe comfort inside his body. He let his loincloth fall back into place and stood up to stretch. A blissful peace came over Akimbe as a rush of endorphins flowed through him. Feeling very sleepy again, he returned to the medicine hut and laid back down on the cot. His heavy eyelids drooped before finally falling closed as he slipped back into a peaceful sleep.

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[i][b]BOOM![/b][/i]

The following morning, Akimbe was jolted awake by a loud, deep explosion, somewhere off in the distance. There was a roaring sound that followed and it seemed to vibrate every bone in his body. His head hurt again and for a minute he thought that maybe it was all in his mind. But before he even had a chance to think clearly about it, he heard the sound of metallic clanging coming from outside.

Zee, or one of the other sentries, must have been trying to signal to the rest of the village that there was danger.

Akimbe scrambled out of bed and threw open the curtain door, nearly tearing it from its attachments. Other members of the tribe were also appearing in the doorways of their huts, hurrying out across the open space in the center of the village, making their way towards the village entrance. Akimbe ran over to join the others as they gathered.

Zee bounded down head first from one of the trees, running along its trunk on all fours. She was already shouting before she had even reached the ground.

“The mountain! The mountain!”

When she got to the ground she took a second to regain her composure and explain what she had seen from above the treetops.

“Mount P’thay’lo. It has…”

“What is it Zee?” asked Akimbe’s mother, Zakaiya, urgently. “[i]What about Mount P’thay’lo[/i]?”

“It has...erupted,” Zee stated with solemn finality. “There’s smoke and fire coming out of it!”

There were gasps among the crowd.

“Are you [i]sure[/i] it was Mount P’thay’lo?” demanded Zakaiya, her voice strong but wavering. Kimari hid behind her mother, clutching onto her mother’s tail.

Zee nodded. “Positive.”

Several cries rang out, with some of the women collapsing into each other’s arms.

Mount P’thay’lo was where The Hunt was to take place this month.

“Quiet! [i]QUIET![/i]” Zakaiya demanded silence from the crowd, stepping up onto a stump. The wails and murmurs died down and all eyes turned to the chief’s wife. “Now we don’t know that anything has happened to The Hunt. They may not have even made it to the mountain yet. Either way, there is nothing for us to do other than to wait patiently for them to return. We are far enough away from the mountain that we should not be in any danger.” She looked at Zee as if wanting verification. Zee nodded once.

There were anxious grumblings of disapproval from the crowd gathered around Zakaiya. They wanted to do something! Waiting hardly seemed like the right choice. She raised her voice once more to speak over the cacophony created by the disheartened tribe and the roar of the volcano.

“Waiting patiently is our only option! With all of the men gone, we are left with but a handful of female sentries to protect the entire village. If we send them out to scout, we leave ourselves defenseless.”

“Not...[i]all[/i] the men are gone...mother,” Akimbe spoke up, raising his paw in the air so she could see him.

When Zakaiya’s eyes met with her son’s she felt a small wave of relief and smiled softly. She wasn’t sure whether he had left with the group or not, but was glad to see that he was here now. However, her smile quickly faded as she thought about the many husbands, brothers, and sons that were still out there – including her own husband, Hamadi, the chief.

Finally responding to her son’s remark, Zakaiya spoke again, “Still…just because you are here, that doesn’t change anything. It would [i]still[/i] be too dangerous for us to send out [i]any[/i] scouts. All we can do…is wait.”

The deep blue early morning sky had already started to darken again as large flakes of ash began snowing down from the openings in the jungle canopy. Many of the villages held out their paws, curious about the strange new precipitation which was unlike anything they had ever seen before. Akimbe had a large piece of ash land atop the end of his nose. It was still warm. He wiped the ash away and smeared it between his thumb and finger, watching as it rubbed into a thin gray paste with the humidity from the jungle.

“What’s gonna happen now?” he could hear Kimari ask nervously from beside him. She sounded like she was a thousand miles away.

“I don’t know…”

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A full week went by with no sign of the Hunt party returning. Ash had continued to rain upon the somber K’tengu village for days, only letting up after an intense monsoon finally cleansed the air and washed away the gray from the leaves and roofs.

However, it had not washed away the uncertainty that lay in their hearts; it had been a quiet, fearful week for the tribe. Occasionally, Akimbe could hear someone quietly weeping to themselves or an innocent, naive cub asking when their daddy would be back. Their hearts ached together as one.

One day, Akimbe found Ashka sitting curled up against the outside of her family’s hut, hugging her knees and crying. He sat down silently beside her and put his arm around her. She leaned into the embrace, resting her head on Akimbe’s shoulder. Her crying slowed and she managed to speak.

“Akimbe, do you think Musa…?” she asked, still sniffling, not daring to complete the question.

“I-I...don’t know, Ashka,” Akimbe replied honestly, a heavy sinking feeling looming in his chest. Not only was he sad to think of the prospect of his best friend being killed, but it was also so very hard to see Ashka this upset. She was no stranger to loss, as she had lost both her parents at a young age. He wished he could do more for her; he tightened his grip, hugging her close. It was all he could think of doing.

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Another week passed and the tribe was beginning to come to terms with the fact that none of the members of the Hunt were likely to return. They held a ceremony, led by the shaman, in which they mourned those that had been lost and celebrated their lives. But there were other, larger problems that the K’tengu were starting to face.

Zakaiya called a meeting with the three widows of the other tribal elders. They retreated to the sanctity and seclusion of the shaman’s hut. An old leopard of over 70 summers, he shuffled around the hut as he lit various candles. His position wasn’t one of power, but one of reverence. It was his job to communicate with the gods, to determine their will, and to guide the village in spiritual matters.

The four women sat around a small fire pit in the middle of the room, sitting in silence for a moment before Zakaiya finally spoke up. As the chief’s wife it only made sense for her to speak first.

“Ladies, as well all know, despite the sadness and loss we have [i]all[/i] experienced, our tribe is going to be facing even more difficult times ahead. There are questions that we must find the answers to. Questions such as: How are we going to feed the tribe? How are we going to ensure the safety and security of the village? And…” Zakaiya paused, becoming slightly uncomfortable before finally continuing, “...how are we going to ensure the continuity of the tribe?”

The widows all looked at one another before one of them finally spoke up. “You mean…[i]having cubs[/i]...now that all the men are gone?” she whispered, trying to not let the shaman hear her. Luckily for them, his old ears were not what they once used to be.

“Well...they’re not [i]all[/i] gone. Akimbe, Zakaiya’s son…he is still here,” said one of the other elders.

Zakaiya closed her eyes and let out a deep breath. She finally opened her eyes to find the others all looking at her. “This is true,” she admitted. “And...as a male of 16 summers, he is almost certainly capable of…siring cubs.” She blushed slightly, feeling a bit awkward speaking about her son in such a way.

Another one of the women spoke. “Yes. And, if we want to ensure that the K’tengu continue on, Akimbe must begin mating with as many of the fertile females as possible, as soon as possible. The only other males left are cubs, who are not likely to produce seed anytime soon…and [i]him[/i].” She whispered the last part, nodding towards the shaman who seemed to be deep in meditation on the far side of the room. “He is too old though.”

The others nodded in agreement while Zakaiya sat stunned. She had come to the same conclusion on her own, but the reality of it was setting in as she heard it confirmed by the other widows. After a few moments of awkward silence, the leopardess to Zakaiya’s left cleared her throat as if she wanted to speak up, but she said nothing. She rubbed her paws together anxiously.

“What is it V’lna?” asked Zakaiya, encouraging her to speak up.

“Ahem, well…I was just thinking,” V’lna finally spoke, still struggling to find her voice. “What about...the Z’moni?”

They all looked at V’lna in stunned disbelief, their mouths agape. Even the shaman had overheard and one of his eyes peeled open.

“I mean...they [i]are[/i] our ancestors, are they not?” she continued. “And these [i]are[/i] dire circumstances.”

What she was saying was true, the Z’moni were indeed the ancestors of the K’tengu. But, there was a catch…

They were feral.

Many years ago, the evolutionary path of the Z’moni had split, with the K’tengu branching off and becoming a race of bipedal, anthropomorphic leopards. The Z’moni, meanwhile, had continued to exist as a race of ferals that stalked the forest on all fours. They didn’t develop the speech and communication skills that the K’tengu did and instead were more akin to common jaguars.

“Absolutely out of the question,” Zakaiya finally said sternly. “The Z’moni are [i]beasts[/i] and cannot be trusted. They have never helped us before and there’s no reason to think they would now.”

The other members nodded in agreement and V’lna sighed, admitting that they were probably right.

“Then what [i]should[/i] the plan be?” V’lna asked, trying to return the conversation to productivity.

“Well, it obviously only makes sense for Akimbe to mate with girls who have had their first heat.” There were nods from the others as she continued. “Some of those girls might be quite…young, practically cubs themselves - but what else can we do? He should also probably refrain from breeding with the sentries unless absolutely necessary. If they were to become pregnant, then that’s one less fighter to defend the village and we only have five sentries right now.” Again, this seemed like a reasonable suggestion and the others made sounds of approval. “And it goes without saying, but mating with females who can no longer have cubs has no purpose and would in fact be a waste.”

Just like the male K’tengu, the female K’tengu had their own rite of passage. It was tradition for girls to be trained in the ways of the sentry when they reached 18 summers. From then on, they would serve as defenders of the village for seven summers. After that, they could either choose to retire and start a family or continue on as sentries if they so desired.

“So, excluding the cubs who have not had their heat, the sentries, and those too old to have cubs, how many females does that leave for Akimbe to breed with?”

“Don’t forget that my daughter is already pregnant,” said J’lna.

“That’s right…T’lari is expecting a cub of her own soon. And she is 29 summers…that should probably be the cutoff then.”

“Well, not counting those, and T’lari, that leaves five, I believe,” said V’lna. “M’lwani has had her heat but Q’ora has not,” she added, referring to her own daughters.

“So few?” asked Zakaiya.

V’lna gave a single, solemn nod.

“So be it. I will call a meeting tonight and we will tell them of our plan.”

“It might be best to discuss it with the girls privately, first. Instead of surprising them in front of everyone,” urged V’lna.

Everyone agreed and they moved on to other topics.

-----------------------------------------

That night, the K’tengu tribe gathered around the large bonfire in the center of the village. The five young females stood in a row beside the elders. There were looks of confusion and curiosity as the tribe tried to figure out what the gathering was about and why these five were singled out, not seated with the rest of them.

“Sisters,” Zakaiya called out once everyone was there, collecting the attention of those gathered and hushing the murmuring crowd. “As you all know, our village faces a difficult journey forward. But perhaps most dire...the K’tengu will face complete extinction if we do not act.”

The expressions on the faces of the crowd became very concerned upon hearing such a serious announcement. It wasn’t everyday that one heard the word “extinction,” let alone that they might be facing it.

“And so,” Zakaiya continued, “the wives of the other elders, and myself, have decided that we must act...in order to ensure the survival of our race.”

Everyone still looked very confused, with the exception of the five girls standing up front. They stood there quietly, not moving and barely reacting to anything Zakaiya was saying. A couple of them looked down at their bare feet while the others looked at Zakaiya stoically, listening and waiting.

“Akimbe, will you please come here,” Zakaiya announced at last, eyeing her son at the back of the crowd. He walked over and stood in front of the elders. He was as confused as everyone else. “As the only male K’tengu of age, it is your responsibility, nay, your [i]duty[/i], to help ensure the continuation of our tribe.”

Some of the women in the crowd started to understand what was going on. Innocent cubs sat cross-legged by their mothers’ sides, still blissfully unaware of what was going on.

Zakaiya turned towards the five girls that stood lined up in front of the crowd. “Girls, please…remove.”

The girls all blushed, with some of their ears flattening with shame and embarrassment as they were told to strip. Yet, all complied. They undid their chest bindings, letting them fall to the ground, revealing breasts of different sizes. Next, they dropped their loincloths, letting them slide down their legs until they were around their feet.

Akimbe was finally starting to put together exactly what was happening. He started to blush as he looked down the row of naked girls, examining them one by one.

First in line was Ria, Kimari’s best friend. She was 13 summers old. Clearly nervous, her tail was tucked between her legs, lifting up in the front as she tried to conceal her bare slit. Her breasts were nothing more than small mounds, barely noticeable when compared to the other girls.

Next, was M’lwani - 15 summers old with breasts the size of coconuts. She boldly stood before the crowd, unashamed, her arms to her sides. Nudity and mating were natural parts of life, so she saw no need to be embarrassed. When her mother had informed her of her duty to the tribe, she had proudly accepted the responsibility. Though, when she saw Akimbe’s eyes looking her up and down, she blushed and looked away – the reality of actually mating with a boy starting to set in.

Standing next to M’lwani was the eldest of the five, Fedola. She was 26 summers old. Akimbe was not very familiar with her due to their age difference. He remembered her being a sentry before she had decided to stop after her seven summers were up. She had large and voluptuous breasts, much larger than any of the other girls. She too looked rather unembarrassed - more bored than anything. Her eyes narrowed as Akimbe glanced at her, making him quickly move his gaze along.

Akimbe’s eyes fell on the next in line: Ashka. As soon as he looked at her she immediately averted her gaze, her cheeks flushing. It was the first time he had seen Ashka naked in many summers. Sure, the small loincloths that the K’tengu wore were not the best at concealing and would occasionally allow for a small peek here and there during periods of intense activity - climbing, running, jumping - but seeing her standing there completely nude, was breathtaking. Her tail twitched nervously behind her as she felt Akimbe’s eyes roaming her bare body. Like M’lwani, she had breasts that would fit nicely in Akimbe’s paws. Dark pubic hair concealed her slit and contrasted with her light belly fur; the last time he had seen it, it had been completely hairless. Akimbe found his sight lingering between Ashka’s legs, wanting desperately to see what lay beneath that hair once more. When he finally looked back up at her face, she was looking right back at him, her ears lay flat and back, her cheeks red. She looked nervous, but also somewhat excited.

And finally, standing next to Ashka, nearly six inches shorter than her, was Ashka and Musa’s younger sister, Neela. Akimbe swallowed as he saw the young girl of 14 summers standing there nude, next to her big sister. He quickly averted his eyes, choosing to look back at Ashka instead. He didn’t want her to think that he was leering at Neela.

“I...I don’t understand,” Akimbe finally spoke up to Zakaiya and the other tribal elders. “Am I...supposed to choose which of these girls I want to...[i]mate with[/i]?” his voice grew quieter towards the end of his question, as if trying to not let the crowd overhear.

His mother shook her head. “No. You are to choose which of these girls you are going to mate with [i]first[/i]. You will be mating with [i]all[/i] of them. We have decided that is the only way to ensure the survival of the K’tengu.”

Akimbe’s jaw dropped.

Zakaiya turned toward the girls who were now wearing nothing but the fur on their backs. “You girls are to make yourselves available to Akimbe anytime he wishes. Is that understood?”

The teenage girls nodded in response, more than a little embarrassed at the thought. The exception of course being the oldest of the girls who gave a simple shrug. Besides Fedola, all the other girls were still virgins; they would all have preferred that this take place a little more privately and not in front of the whole tribe...but it was too late for that now.

“And you are to mate with them as much as you desire - as often as you can,” Zakaiya instructed, this time speaking to Akimbe. “You must put a cub in [i]each[/i] of these girls,” Zakaiya gestured down the line, the girls looking more and more embarrassed with every passing second, “That means, ideally, mating with two or three of them each day.”

Akimbe’s eyes went wide. That was a lot.

Zakaiya turned back to the crowd. “And nobody is to interfere with their mating. Understood?” There were nods and murmurs of acceptance in the crowd. Zakaiya turned back to Akimbe, speaking privately to him this time. “The shaman has prepared this special concoction for you, Akimbe.” His mother handed him a clay bottle stopped with a cork. “It will help with your stamina and recovery, allowing you to [i]pass your seed[/i] more times than would normally be possible. Now, with that covered,” she raised her voice again so all could hear, “Who do you wish to mate with first?”

Akimbe’s heart raced with anticipation, but he already knew exactly what his answer was.

“Ashka,” he answered without hesitation.

Ashka gasped quietly and looked up from her feet, swelling with joy as she heard Akimbe call out her name. She gave him a smile that seemed to light up her face. Her ears perked up as her own heart pounded in her chest, her tail flicking happily behind her.