by Pepper North
The computer readout pinpointed inflammation and discomfort on her bottom. It tried to prescribe a medication to soothe her skin. Srih blocked that one from dispensing. His little human needed to learn that actions have consequences. A sore bottom would be a good reminder. It also sent him a message that she needed nutrition. He would take care of this next, he promised as he acknowledged the message.
Chapter 66
After a huge breakfast, Naja only wished to sit in her papa’s lap. He indulged her. She had a feeling that he was as eager to hold her close as she was to be near him. Naja pressed her cheek against his soft fur. She couldn’t imagine that it had seemed so strange to her before. Her fingers traced hearts in the velvety purple covering on his chest as she listened to his heartbeat.
“Go get Papa your comb, Naja. We’ll have visitors in a little while,” he directed as he lifted her from his lap to stand on her feet.
Naja ran to her nursery and found her comb and a piece of ribbon. She wondered if her Daddy knew how to braid. She laughed and skipped back to him, vowing to teach him. She placed them in his open hand and clambered back up into his lap.
As he began to run the comb through her tangled hair, Naja asked about the visitors who were on the way. “Is Payi coming to visit?”
“Yes, Payi and Oreg will be here soon. Gbzi will come to visit as well,” he added as one large hand moved to anchor her in place when she began bouncing with excitement. “Sit still, little human. You’ll end up without hair if you keep bouncing around.” He gently worked the comb through her tangles to restore her hair to a shimmering curtain of gold.
Srih had considered Payi and the other humans who had arrived as very cute. He was, however, sure that his Naja put them all to shame. She was soft and cuddly. He believed her curves were more entrancing than the hard angles of some other humans who were now living on Nrantia. Srih would have loved his human no matter her appearance but Naja was precious to him.
She was in the process of trying to teach him to braid when a visitor asked for entry. Immediately, Naja slid from his lap in excitement and raced to the door. She tried to reach the panel that opened the door but it was too high. Turning to complain to Srih, she discovered that he was standing behind her with two arms crossed over his chest.
“Did you not learn from your spanking? Little human, you are not to open the door, run through the door, or even stand with me at the door unless you are in my arms or holding my hand.” Srih watched her face freeze as she realized how close she was to another spanking. When her eyes dropped to the ground, and she shifted restlessly in place, he pointed to the corner at the far side of the living space. “Go stand in that area and face the wall with your hands behind your back. You need to think about your actions yesterday and learn from your punishment.”
“I’m sorry, Papa. I didn’t think,” she whispered.
“Failing to think endangered your life in the last pinkness,” he reminded her sternly. “Go stand in your thinking spot.” He watched her dragging steps reach the indicated corner. She put her hands behind her back and faced the wall. Her shoulders drooped with the awareness that she had messed up again.
When she was in position, Srih opened the door with a press of his hand. It slid open to reveal Gbzi. She carried with her a small box. Her eyes searched the room and landed on Naja’s form.
Smiling up at Srih’s superior bulk, Gbzi murmured softly for his ears only, “They are impetuous creatures, aren’t they? Corner time was very effective with my human. It was even more effective when a small piece of hmon root was placed in his bottom.”
She laughed at Srih’s look of surprise and then, calculation. The hmon root was bitter and only eaten in small quantities by the Nrantians. The tingling it caused on one’s tongue would be very effective as a punishment when inserted in a human’s sensitive bottom.
“I think we will have to speak more often, Gbzi. You have a quantity of wisdom and knowledge that I would like to know.” He smiled warmly at the elderly Nrantian.
Keepers outlived their human charges unless their Nrantian lives were shortened by a fatal accident or disease. Some become instructors for the next Keepers and others chose to live the remainder of their lives with their memories. Srih hoped that Gbzi might choose to change her path and begin a new option. A trusted advisor could be paired with a new Keeper to share their day-to-day knowledge. Srih planned on keeping in touch with the Keeper who had saved his human. He had lots of questions to ask.
As he stepped back to allow her to enter, a small voice reached their ears. Srih and Gbzi turned to see Payi leaning forward against her papa’s hand as she tried to speed up his pace. “Papa! You are as slow as a turtle on Earth. Can’t we walk faster? I want to make sure that Naja is okay. Please?”
Only the rumble of Oreg’s voice reached them as he maintained his leisurely pace forward. They waited patiently for them to approach, both smiling at the dynamic of the Keeper and his little human who obviously knew each other well. There was no doubt in Srih’s mind that Oreg was walking slowly on purpose. He realized that just like Payi, Naja did not realize what Nrantians were capable of, whether that be in strength, speed or endurance. Some secrets were important to maintain.
“Hi, Srih! Can I go in and talk to Naja?” Payi asked as soon as they were close. Oreg had worked with her to make sure that her Nrantian manners were exquisite.
“I’m afraid you will need to wait until Naja’s corner time is finished,” Srih explained as he stepped back to allow all to enter.
“I hate corner time,” Payi whispered as she looked up at Oreg.
“It appears to be difficult for humans to stand quietly in a corner without interactions with others,” Oreg commented, nodding slightly toward Naja.
When Srih turned his head, he discovered his small human had released her hands from behind her back and was waving happily at Payi. Caught, Naja turned back to the corner and locked her hands together at the small of her back. Srih turned back to his guests and met Oreg’s eyes. Without a word being spoken, the two men commiserated about and celebrated the best job they could ever have.
“Who are you?” Payi asked, standing in front of Gbzi. “My name is Payi. Oreg is my papa.”
“Good pinkness, Payi. I am very glad to meet you. My name is Gbzi. Many years ago, I was honored to take care of my precious human. He died a long time ago. I miss him with every breath that I take. Be sure to enjoy your time with your papa. I am sure he loves you as much as I loved my Uoto.”
She looked sad for a moment before shaking the box in her hands as if she just remembered bringing it. “I have a game for us to play today. I think you and Naja will enjoy it. Uoto and I designed the pieces after a game that he remembered back from Earth.”
“Okay, I’ll be glad to play. Can my papa play as well?” Payi asked, turning to look at Oreg.
“Gbzi will stay with you and Naja while Srih and I go out for a while,” Oreg replied.
“Where are you going?” a small voice from behind them said. Turning, they discovered that Naja was turned away from the corner once again. She looked very frightened. “You’re not going after those things, are you?” Abandoning the corner, she ran to Srih and threw her arms around his legs. She hugged herself tightly to his body.
Srih ran a tender hand through her hair. Leaning over to pick her up, Srih kissed the top of her head as he scooped her up into his arms. He held her close as he rocked her gently. “Little human, you do not need to worry. I will not lie to you. There is a large group of Nrantians who will repel and kill the derisps in the area. They are becoming too dangerous. Obviously, the population has risen too high. We should have dealt with it earlier. Their attack on you and Gbzi was a great alert.”
“I’m afraid,” his little human whispered as she curled against his broad chest.
“I will take care of him,” Oreg promised with a smile. The idea of the huge Nrantian needing any protection was laughable. But, the promise did reassure Naja.
“And he’ll take care of you, right?” Payi worriedly asked.
“And I will take care of Oreg as well,” Srih promised. With a final reassuring squeeze, the huge male set Naja on her feet. He watched as she ran over to hold Gbzi’s hand. He was glad that the former Keeper had offered to stay with the humans. Naja trusted her. He could leave to combat the derisps without any concerns.
The two males left quickly. They knew that Gbzi would distract the humans, and it was best to leave and finish as rapidly as possible. Looking back over their shoulders before the house disappeared on the horizon, the two men turned back with determination. They would protect their precious humans.
Chapter 67
The sound of laughter rolled out of the doorway as Srih pressed the entrance panel to open the door. He looked back at Oreg with a grin. These human expressions could convey so much information.
The battle had been fierce. The derisp population had grown more than they had anticipated. The Nrantians had been ruthless. All Nrantians had received minor injuries in the battle but no one had been severely wounded. Oreg and Srih had delayed their arrival back at Srih’s home. Stopping at Oreg’s, the two Nrantians had healed their injuries and removed the thick derisp lifeblood.
Walking in, they found Gbzi and the two human females sitting on the floor with numerous multicolored tiles in lines in front of them. As they watched, Naja laid a tile next to a matching pattern. She raised her hands triumphantly, “I won! I finally won!”
“Congratulations, little human!” Srih warmly remarked. He had no idea what they were doing, but obviously, it had occupied the time while they had been gone.
His sweet human’s eyes shined with happiness as they met his. “Srih! You’re back!”
She and Payi jumped to their feet and ran to wrap their arms around the Nrantians’ thick legs. They were quickly lifted into their papas’ arms and cuddled against their bulk.
“Did you win?” demanded Payi.
“We won,” Oreg reassured them. “What have you been doing?”
“Gbzi and Uoto made a Nrantian version of a fun Earth game. It’s called dominos there. Here Gbzi calls it dnio. She’s really good at it!” Naja explained. “Gbzi says that with your approval, we can come visit her to play again. She makes COOKIES!” Naja’s voice stressed that magical word.
Srih looked questioningly at the older Keeper. This was obviously something special that they remembered from Earth.
“It is a human treat that must be eaten to be understood. We will save you each one when we make them,” she promised with a wink to the girls.
“I believe I need to try these cookies,” Oreg answered with a nod. “We will schedule a time soon for Payi and Naja to visit. My thanks to you, Gbzi.”
“And mine as well,” Srih nodded before adding, “If I might, I would like to learn from your experience with humans. May I send you questions from time to time?”
Gbzi smiled and eagerly nodded. “I will be glad to help.” She seemed to stand straighter now that she had a new purpose.
“Naja, say your goodbyes to your friends. You have corner time to complete now,” Srih instructed firmly. He was pleased to see that Naja did not hesitate but turned to smile at Payi.
After hugging her new friend, she ran to Gbzi and jumped into her arms. “I’m glad the derisps scared me and I ran to your house. Thank you for taking care of me. I will look forward to making cookies!” She leaned forward to kiss Gbzi’s cheek.
Gbzi gently set her on the ground. With a firm pat on her bottom, the former Keeper sent the chubby blonde toward the corner.
Soon all the goodbyes were completed and quiet descended on the house. Srih allowed an additional lora of time to pass before he called Naja from the corner. She turned with a beautiful smile. His human did not sulk. Her corner time was finished. He lifted her into his arms to twirl her around. Those giggles automatically helped him practice his smile.
Chapter 68
The computer dinged three times as Naja was completing her daily lesson. A variety of squiggles appeared on the screen as the message opened automatically. Testing herself to see if she could decode the Nrantian message, she read the keywords: time, doctor, next pinkness, preparations, thank you. “Srih? There is a message from a doctor that just appeared,” she called to her papa.
Srih appeared and read the message before erasing it from the screen. “You are mastering Nrantian very quickly, little human. I am very impressed with you.” He had wondered when the doctor would notify him that it was time for Naja’s checkup. She would have these visits to see Dr. Irte on a regular basis. His skill in treating humans was renown.
“What are preparations, Papa?” Naja asked, tilting her head to the side as she often did when curious about something new.
“Dr. Irte will check all parts of you-inside and out, little human. We will need to treat your stomach to make his exam easier for you.”
Her face immediately fell. “No, Papa. My insides are fine. I will just tell Dr. Irte that he doesn’t need to examine me that closely,” she said, trying to prevent what she was certain was the treatment that he was planning for her. She started wiggling off the cushion to stand poised next to the computer.
“We will follow the esteemed doctor’s directions, Naja.” His stern voice sent shivers down her spine.
Nodding unhappily, Naja knew there would be no escape. She dragged her feet as she sadly walked to stand in front of Srih. Reaching her arms around his thighs, the chubby blonde leaned her head against his chiseled abdomen.
Srih wrapped one hand around her soft hair and hugged her to him. “There is something else that we need to decide.” He hesitated. When she leaned back to look at him, the immense Nrantian began again. “Naja, you have had time to think about the Nrantians’ most treasured ceremony. Couples who are committed to each other and wish to be sealed together may ask the doctor to help them with this sacred vow.”
He watched her reaction carefully. He was pleased to see her tilt her blonde head to the side. This was her typical response when she was thinking seriously about something. He waited, allowing her time to share her decision with him.
“You will be my Keeper forever now, right? What difference does the sealing make?”
“Yes, little human. I will remain your Keeper for the rest of your life. The sealing ceremony is different. It signals that you have captured my heart. It is my vow that I will never join myself with anyone other than you.”
A wide smile spread across Naja’s face. She opened her mouth to speak, but Srih laid a thick finger on her lips to silence her as he continued. “I am able to make this serious decision without any doubts. I would like you to decide if you are ready to take this step or if you would like to postpone this decision for later.” He lifted his finger from her lips to allow her to speak.
“Payi told me some about this sealing. She said it was like marriage vows but way sexier and even more important. Are you sure that you want to marry me, Srih?” she asked, stepping back from his body to meet his eyes completely.
She was learning to read his facial expressions and body language. Srih was tense and worried. She smiled at him once again. This meant a lot to him. This would be her only marriage proposal. She’d never thought she’d marry a huge hulking male covered with purple fur, but she wanted this done the right way. When he nodded, she grinned with happiness.
“Mmm! Could you kneel on one leg like this?” Naja dropped her knee to the ground in a demonstration. When he lowered himself into position, she held out her hand to him. “Ask me again?”
Puzzled, Srih restated his question. “Naja, I would like to be sealed to you. Would you like to commit to a life with me and no one else?”
“I do,” she replied with eyes filled with happy tears. “Oh, no we need a ring!” she said, desperately looking around.
Srih reached behind her and removed the strip of varitus bark that Naja used as a ribbon to tie around her hair to hold it back from he
r pretty face. Taking her left hand, he tied it securely around the finger where he had seen Payi’s ring.
When it was in place, he swept her off her feet to carry her to his sleeping chamber. The ceremony would be tomorrow, but he couldn’t wait to feel her wet body surrounding him. Srih quickly dispensed with the diaper after laying her gently on the bed.
“I will care for you for all our days to come,” he pledged before his lips plundered hers. Her wild response calmed any of his fears. She loved him as much as he treasured her.
They had learned much about each other since their first time together. Moving slowly and deliberately, Srih stroked her soft skin as they kissed. Tracing her collarbone to her shoulder, the giant Nrantian’s touch was all velvet-covered steel. His fingers trailed her bicep before moving to cover one of her large breasts. Wrapping his fingers around the soft swell, Srih broke off the kiss to lower his lips around her sensitive nipple.
He began to kiss her body as his fingers caressed her breasts. Suddenly, pinching each nipple, he captured her body holding her to the padded surface as his little kisses brought moans of arousal from his human.
His neeblings pressed through his skin. He pressed those against her softy padded thigh. His body was eager to mate with hers again. His spine stiffened in surprise when one cool hand wrapped around his exposed organs. Instantly his organ swelled in her hand. Her cool skin was rough against his softness. Srih pressed his neebling further into her hands.
He was astonished when Naja released his body to push urgently at his body. What was she up to? Bowing to her demands, Srih rolled onto his back and lifted her to lay across his body. Instantly, the softly padded human began to wiggle down his body to lie between his thickly muscled thighs.
He roared as her small pointed teeth bit into the flesh of his abdomen next to the sensitive pouch where his neeblings were normally contained. Before he could recover from the surge of arousal that flooded his body, her hands curled around both of his neeblings. She held them together as her mouth descended to their tips.