FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

No one really questioned why you visited the guild known as 'The Gracious Gut'. You were there for one of two reasons usually. You were looking for safe passage to another town, or you -were- safe passage to another town. There was a sign, of course, directing anyone who had business to conduct internally--no pun intended--to use the smaller side entrance. If you went in through the front doors, it was eat or be eaten. But no one ever considered that something to be afraid of. Some of the kindest, gentlest creatures one could find worked there, eating people. They were also some of the biggest.

Seg was certainly no exception to that rule. The ghostly-white alligator entered through the tall, wide double doors that were almost always open, entering the broad hall. It was busy today. With spring finally warming the countryside, every town, village, and hamlet was holding a festival of some sort, and so merchants were on the move, as were travelers looking to head home for a few days. The guild had its hands--and bellies--full trying to get everyone where they needed to go. Lines had formed at each of the 'stations'. Each group was marked with a sign overhead of where they were looking to go. And those groups consisted of people more average in height, though often smaller. The bigger you were, the more likely you'd be used as transport. As the gator waddled his way through the bustling station of the guild hall, he passed one or two 'terminals' where a guild member had just finished 'loading'.

A giant of a horse, just a touch shorter than Seg, hoisted himself off the ground, his belly bulging, sagging, and squirming. He was on his way to Fairymont to the south. A very muscular wolf belched noisily before picking himself up, similarly bloated, but more so, more than was generally considered normal. The sign over his head read Crowfield. It was a short trip, only a day or two. It explained why he was overloaded. He could carry more over a short distance while longer trips benefited from lighter loads.

The gator waved to them both, and they waved back in return. Seg wasn't headed for one of the terminals. He was headed for the debarkation area. A few other guild members were there. A lady of dark black scales sat on the ground, her hands squeezing her belly as an orange, fuzzy head popped out of her jaws. The fox wriggled his way out of her mouth and landed on his paws with her help. The dragoness was always careful to make sure no one fell on their faces when leaving her protection. Another scaled creature--a lizard of bright yellow--was crouched, tail lifted, as a rabbit slipped free from under his tail. The bunny was a little damp, but no worse for the wear. It wouldn't do to come out covered in filth.

Seg found himself a place amongst the other guild members offloading their passengers and sat down with a gentle thud. He huffed a little and gave his enormous gut a pat. It was bigger than most, housing more than the average number of guests. He rumbled deep in his throat as he relished their presence one last time before beginning the process of helping them out. He was careful to catch each one in his large hands as they climbed out of his jaws, rather than letting them fall. One by one, the enormous, ghostly alligator relieved his belly of its contents, totaling a dozen passengers of varying size.

When the last one had landed on the floor, Seg began removing pouches from a belt pulled snug around his waist. It disappeared under the swell of his gut usually, and did so even now. Each pouch was handed to one of the twelve he had escorted to the large town he'd arrived in. They contained the belongings of the travelers, each one mystically enchanted to hold more than it appeared it could. It was better than having everyone tumbling around in the gator's belly with loose weapons or money. He learned that lesson quickly with his first passenger. They had to dive back in and root around in his middle for a solid hour trying to find everything. It was a pleasant experience for the most part, but it left the poor soul who had traveled in there rather annoyed.

Bags of holding became rather popular rather quickly among the guild.

"You look like you've got a couple more in there. Not gonna let them out?" asked a voice from behind the white alligator.

Seg turned to see it was one of the locals that ran this particular branch of the guild, standing out from the others with a light blue sash and a large, round sigil keeping it clasped together around him just below his left shoulder similar to one Seg wore. It was a tall, muscular horse with just enough rounding about the middle to look soft.

"These two are headed further on down the line." Seg grinned, giving his still occupied tummy a firm pat.

"So you're heading right back out as soon as you can?" the stallion asked.

"I might stay the night, but yeah, I'd like to get back on the road. Never did like feeling empty." the gator replied.

The stallion grinned and chuckled.

"That's what I like to hear. Think you'll be able to take on an apprentice?" he asked.

"New guy? Sure, I don't mind. Where's he at?" the gator leaned back and forth to try and see past the equine, but couldn't find anyone who might fit the description.

"He's outside. You wouldn't expect a big guy like him to be nervous around crowds." the quartermaster said.

That comment confused Seg just a bit. Why would that be? Perhaps they were afraid of stepping or falling on someone because of their size. The gator shrugged off the thought as nothing more than a silly idiosyncrasy and climbed to his feet. His dozen passengers had dressed, picked up the rest of their belongings, and took their leave. The twelve pouches used were returned to the alligator's belt. Seg adjusted his sash, brushing the back of a palm over the several badges found there and offered the stallion a firm handshake. It was time to meet the new recruit.

It was always rather fun breaking in the newbies. They often tried to overextend themselves, which meant they usually ended up more stuffed than they intended. Notions and ideas swirled through Seg's mind as he tried to guess what species his latest trainee was. It felt wrong leaving the hall without loading back up on passengers, but he was sure he would be back in shortly. As soon as the gator stepped out through the front doors, he spotted another creature wearing a sash similar to his; light blue with a clasp at the shoulder. His was much simpler than the one Seg or the quartermaster had.

Seg's was round, possessing the profile of an alligator's head at the top with its jaws open slightly. The rest of its body curled around to create a circle, the perimeter of the badge. The end of the tail stopped at the head, crafted to appear behind the snout rather than in it. The space in the center of the circle was taken up by the nondescript shape of a person curled up in the fetal position. It was a symbol of one's station, a sign of being part of the guild. Below this sigil were several smaller badges, each with their own design and coloration signifying 'feats' or 'accommodations' the gator was capable of. The newcomer's badge was that of one who had not met the requirements to be a full fledged member. It was round, like Seg's, but contained two letter 'G's, one inside the other.

As soon as the alligator identified what the creature was, he suddenly understood why one would be nervous around crowds, but it also raised further questions.

Seg walked over slowly, taking his time to drink in the sight of the beast. He was as tall as the gator, built in a similar fashion--thick, muscular, but padded nicely with a comfortable layer of chub. He was a tauric creature, standing on four hoofed legs, each heavy and strong, signifying the ability to carry a substantial weight. His upper half matched the lower half in its build. His powerful arms were tucked in sheepishly against his sides, hands clasped together. His jaws concealed rows of sharp teeth that, given cause, could no doubt deal considerable damage, and yet this beast acted quite timid. His eyes, a brilliant blue, darted back and forth as he moved, stepping this way and that to get out of the way of anyone who drew too close. There was a circle around him most chose to stay outside of, stretching roughly his height away from him. A few strayed into it, largely from not paying attention to where they were going.

A magnificent mane waved about in the gentle breeze. Its dark red hue matched the tufts of fur along the backs of his forearms, around the tops of his hooves, and the long, braided tail hanging at back of him. A simple band wrangled the portion that draped down from his chin. Without it, one could have easily assumed his beard was part of that bushy mane. Two large, horns pushed forward and up from his temples, curving back to point back over his head. His pelt was very short, not unlike a deer or a bull, and gave him the color of dark chocolate. In a few places there were stripes of lighter tan.

There was no mistaking it. This was Seg's new trainee. And he was a lynel.

What was a monster like that doing here? They didn't frequent these territories. They hailed from far to the east. There was treacherous terrain between here and the distant kingdom they called home, and it was at least a month's journey by air, almost three times that across ground. And why was he acting like a frightened mouse? As the alligator drew closer, those blue eyes locked on him and the tauric creature's entire form relaxed visibly, but only slightly. He still looked very unsure of himself. The ghostly reptile just smiled as warmly as he could and continued his approach.

"Hello, I'm Segremores. You can call me Seg. I'm with the Gracious Gut transportation guild. I'm supposed to be your mentor." the gator said once he was close enough.

"H-Hello. I-I'm Kentaro." the lynel said. He kept his hands clasped together at his chest. His voice was deep and resonant, though heavily saturated with uncertainty.

"You're pretty skittish. What's the matter big guy?" Seg asked.

"I don't want to scare anyone. I know what I am, and I know what people think of my kind." the lynel replied.

"Well, Ken--is it okay if I call you that?" the gator asked. He got a nod in response, "Well, Ken, I don't think anyone is too terribly scared of you. C'mon, let's get you inside and load up the next group heading out of town. You ever been to Shirebrook?"

Ken shook his head briskly, making his fiery mane wave about.

"No, I'm still kind of new to this part of the world. I do like traveling though. I just scare people wherever I go." he lowered his head a bit, adopting a somber expression.

Seg slapped a palm along the taur's back, up between his shoulder blades.

"Well you picked the right job to help make people less scared of you! C'mon, let's get inside. I promise folks won't be nearly as afraid in there. They like big fellas like us." he said.

The pair moved towards the guild hall, returning to its welcoming interior. Instead of heading to the debarkation area, Seg turned down another row of 'stations', finally stopping at one with a sign reading 'Shirebrook' over it. As soon as he approached, the faces of all seven customers waiting lit up.

"Hey! There he is! We were starting to wonder what was going on. I saw you over there letting folks out, but then you just turned and left." Jeremy said. The slightly chubby squirrel took a few steps towards the gator.

"Nothing to be alarmed about folks. Everything is as it should be. I've just got myself a new trainee!" Seg said, stepping aside and lifting an arm to gesture to Ken.

The lynel bit his lip and slowly clopped his hooves forward. His dark fur--to say nothing of his glorious mane--prevented anyone from seeing him blush. Seven pairs of eyes widened as they all looked up at him. A few hushed gasps filled the little waiting area. Ken was suddenly feeling very self-conscious.

"He's big!" Jeremy cried out, darting over to get a better look at the beast.

Ken was taken aback by the response, and doubly so when the other six approached as well. He looked quickly to the alligator, concern in his eyes. Seg simply grinned back at him.

"He sure is! I'll bet he could carry as many as I can! Maybe more with a little training!" he laughed.

Soon, seven pairs of hands removed themselves from the largely unclothed, comfortably chubby tauric beast. They weren't afraid of him. In fact, no one inside the guild hall showed any sign of fear towards him. Fear of being stepped on, sure. That went with the territory. But no one purposefully avoided him except to keep from getting caught under-hoof. A few even waved politely to him. It was a welcome change.

"So, who gets to go where?" Marilyn asked. She stretched her arms in preparation for what was to come, and fluffed up her plumage before letting it fall back down. She was a little on the short side, which made her rather adorable among gryphons according to just about everyone.

"Well, that's a good question," Seg said, turning to look at Ken, "How many can you hold?"

"I... I think I could carry four. If that's alright with everyone." the lynel replied.

Again, Ken received a reaction he wasn't at all used to. The eyes of all seven widened with glee, as if they had heard they had an exceedingly good chance of winning the lottery. It was strange for the lynel, but not at all unwelcome.

"Alright, I need four brave volunteers willing to try out a brand new belly. Who wants to be an adventurer?" Seg asked.

Jeremy and Marilyn both stepped forward, as did a small, slim dragon of eastern descent as well as the vixen she refused to let go of. The other three suddenly looked mildly disappointed. Clearly, they all wanted to try their turn at riding inside this fascinating new creature.

"You know me. I'm always happy to help a new guild member get their badge," the squirrel turned to his new ride, "You got your pouches yet?"

"P-pouches?" Ken stammered, looking to Seg worriedly.

"Yeah, pouches," the gator replied, patting the ones hanging from his belt, "The guild issues bags of holding to all its members for you to store your passengers' belongings in while they're in transit. You usually get however many you think you can hold, plus one for yourself. They don't give them to newbies, so I'll be holding onto everyone's stuff."

The group began collecting their things as Seg started handing out bags from his belt. It was an odd sight watching larger pouches, rucksacks, and bundles disappear into pouches that looked only just large enough to store a melon. Ken marveled as he watched, then blushed as the seven looking for transport began to undress, adding their clothing to the contents of their pouches. Each one of them had a small token with a unique design on it. They each placed it in a little slot on the outside of their pouch, meant as a means of identifying that it belonged to them. Ken was learning rapidly as the system the guild had developed was revealed before him.

Seg collected all of the pouches once filled and hung them on his belt. He gave them a pat which Ken found a little odd, but didn't ask about it. As he spied them, he noticed something else amidst the pouches, a garment of red tucked neatly into the alligator's belt, hanging down like a small sash. He wanted to ask about that. Before he could, the gator was sitting down and three of the travelers lined up in front of him. He gestured for the lynel to do the same. With a bit of effort, Ken eased himself down into a more rested position. The relatively small alcove didn't make it easy.

"Alright. If you're gonna be on my route, you gotta learn my regulars. Since everyone here's traveled with me before, I'll go ahead and do the honors," Seg said, motioning to the squirrel, "This is Jeremy. He's got a small tailor's shop in Shirebrook. He comes to Telk every couple of weeks to see what new fabrics have arrived. Jeremy, this is Kentaro. He's going to be your ride for this trip. Take care of him for me, would ya? He's new to this."

Ken blinked softly, finding the comment rather odd. Before he could reply to it, the squirrel had beat him to the punch.

"You know me. I go easy on the new ones," he said, turning towards the big taur, "Alright, let's get this show on the road!"

Jeremy lifted his hands over his head, not unlike a child asking a parent to be picked up. The lynel reached down and scooped his first passenger up, still feeling rather unsure of himself. This was what he had trained for. His badge proved that he had the skills necessary. He just needed practice to prove himself.

"Alright, um, hello Jeremy. Nice to meet you. I uh... I hope you enjoy your stay?" Ken said, not sure what was considered appropriate conversation for such an event.

"Go on then," Seg urged, "Get him in. You've got three more waiting."

Ken swallowed nervously as he looked down at the others in line in front of him. This was it. He had to do it. The beast opened his mouth wide and lifted Jeremy towards it. The squirrel even went so far as to lean in towards the gaping maw. Warm, moist breath washed out over Jeremy as he pressed forward. He could sense Ken's hesitance. Most of the newbies usually had a reaction like this. And the best way to treat it was to be bold. The squirrel wriggled himself free of Ken's grasp and pushed himself in, arms extended, nose pointed at the back of the waiting throat.

The lynel almost gagged as he felt half of his first meal jump in. Out of instinct--and thankfully because of his training--he gulped rather than coughed. Before he realized what had happened, he felt Jeremy's paws wiggling just outside of his lips and his bushy tail swishing and flicking about. His throat had bulged nicely, though with his mane and beard, it was impossible to see. Again, the threat of a gag loomed, so he simply swallowed again. And with that, the chubby little squirrel was gone. Ken huffed and grunted as he felt his first passenger slip down his throat, then land with a bounce in his stomach. His belly--the one attached to his upper half--grew, but not much. Jeremy wasn't terribly big after all. He wasn't even tall enough to come up to the top of Ken's lower back. And with the lynel's plump figure, he was sure to mask one passenger without any trouble. He ran his palms over his abdomen, able to feel motion inside, and even feel as Jeremy pushed out against his hands.

It stole his breath away. He had only ever practiced on dummies, no live passengers. He wasn't permitted to try until he was certified as able to swallow someone without harming them and remove them safely. And then only after he proved he could hold them for long duration without digesting them. Now, he was actually doing it. He had eaten someone! Something about it sent a tingle up his spine.

Seg clapped his hands and smiled approvingly.

"Excellent! I'd call that a successful first try! Now, my turn," the gator said, turning to a svelte black feline, well toned due to a great deal of manual labor, "This is Samuel. He's a woodsman. Since there's a bit of a glut in the supply of timber and lumber in Shirebrook, he also carves a lot. He comes to town once a month to sell items he's made and take a few orders and requests to work on back home."

"Pleasure to meet you, Kentaro. Perhaps I'll have to carve something for you when you come to town again." the dark leopard said.

"I...I'd like that. Thank you." Ken replied.

That was as far as the conversation could get. Seg opened his jaws wide and leaned down, sliding Samuel in against his tongue. The gator had a much longer snout than Ken's feline-like muzzle. It granted him the ability to push all the way down to the dark cat's ankles. He sealed his lips around the leopard, lifted his chin, then opened his mouth again, giving Ken a good view from the side. Sam's head was already hiding back in the gator's throat, as were his shoulders.

Seg lifted his tongue and rolled the cat back towards his gullet, gulping smoothly and clapping his jaws closed once Sam's paws were out of danger. It was clear he had practiced this move many times, because in one swift motion, a single swallow, he was done. He opened his mouth to reveal the cat was gone, now just a big swell in his throat sliding downward. The lump disappeared into Seg's chest, then his belly shifted as the leopard was deposited inside.

The gator sighed happily and rubbed his stomach, just a little fuller than it was a moment ago. Ken held his own belly as he watched the white gator's tattooed stomach shift about with its occupant. It was mesmerizing.

"Alright, next up, Marilyn," Seg said, waving over to the gryphon, "Our fine feathered friend is local witch."

"Herbalist!" the avian lady chirped angrily.

"I'm just teasing," Seg said with a chuckle, "She comes by every week or so to get a fresh supply of plants and seeds, as well as a few other curiosities for her medicines and salves. She's smaller than Jeremy, but those feathers tickle so be careful not to choke."

Ken nodded and daintily scooped up the small bird. She bowed her head slightly for a proper greeting as she was aimed for the lynel's open maw.

"I'll be sure to have a look around while I'm in there. Let me know if you've got anything you'd like treated." she said.

The big fellow didn't quite now how to respond to that so he simply offered a single, sheepish nod and eased the lady in. He was still being awfully delicate, mostly out of inexperience. Thankfully, these were all veteran travelers and could help him get used to the act. Marilyn kicked off of Ken's palms, sinking halfway in, just like Jeremy had done. This time, Ken had been prepared. He gulped as soon as he felt the uncoiling of the gryphon's legs. With a little wriggling, she managed to tease the roof of his mouth with her plumage. He saw what Seg was warning him about and quickly swallowed again. It wasn't as big a gulp as before, and set off a series of them in rapid succession. In minutes, he could feel the lady gliding down to join the squirrel. His belly bounced again and he exhaled in incredulity.

He had two inside him now. And he couldn't stop rubbing his stomach. The training dummies felt strange, like dead weight. This was drastically different. There was life, movement, not just an inanimate object inside him. Ken's heart fluttered a little as the sensation and notion washed over him.

"So, are you gonna keep all four up there in the 'upstairs' region? Or do you plan on moving them 'downstairs'?" Seg asked, breaking the lynel's reverie.

"Oh, yeah, I probably should. It might get a little cramped," Ken answered, then looked down at his stomach, "Let me move you two where you'll be riding. Don't be scared."

A muffled voice called out from under his fur, sounding as though whoever was talking had to shout pretty strongly to be heard.

"Don't worry about us! We've ridden in taurs before!" Jeremy called out.

Ken nodded softly and closed his eyes. A shiver passed through him as he willed the necessary muscles to relax. The weight in his belly descended as one after another, the two occupants were shifted lower. He fought off a whimper as he felt empty under his paws, but let a new shiver pass through him as he felt a return of the sense of fullness he had suddenly grown so fond of. It just happened to be down under him, pressing out against his flanks.

Seg clapped again, then leaned over and gave the chubby beast's barreled lower gut a firm rub. It was almost too much for Ken. He nearly melted into a mewling, wriggling heap under the attention. He had no idea it could be so lovely.

"Not bad! You musta trained for a while to make that happen so fast. Most taurs I see joining us who've never done this before usually take a few months before they can really master that trick. Now, can you get them back up and out? Or is this all one way?" the white gator asked.

"I... I hadn't thought that far ahead. I guess they'd have to keep going. I should practice moving people from my lower stomach to my upper stomach." Ken replied.

"There will be plenty of time for that once we get on the road. C'mon, let's get everyone squared away. I'd like to hit up one or two other stations before we head out." Seg said just before reaching out to collect one of the two remaining in front of him.

The gator wasn't interested in going slowly today. He wanted to be filled up again. And now that Ken had gotten a taste of it--literally and figuratively--he couldn't help but give in to his desire to do the same. The remaining four customers, all regular visitors of the guild, were introduced and 'shown to their quarters'. The little sitting area under the sign reading 'Shirebrook' was no longer occupied, save for the two large, burly figures. Seg climbed to his feet, showing little strain or effort in handling his bulk and weight. Ken had a little more trouble, but only because of his concern for not disturbing the group he'd slipped into his now bulging lower belly. He was bigger than when he came in, but not as much as he had expected.

"Alright, not bad for a first load. A little on the small side, but then it's one of the slower times of day. We'll come check back in this evening and first thing tomorrow morning before we head out. There are three main times to check for each destination." Seg said.

"Morning, noon, and evening?" Ken asked.

"Breakfast, lunch, and dinner!" Seg smirked.

The lynel blinked, not having made the connection until it was put in front of him so plainly. It made sense, though it did suggest that his passengers were food, not paying customers. That brought up another point that Ken had been wondering about.

"So, I know how I deal with this, but you're different. How do you stay fed without digesting anyone?" the taur asked.

"I just eat normally, like I always do." the gator replied.

For a moment, Ken was puzzled by the answer. Then he realized he had not made his question that clear.

"No, sure, I get that. But I mean how do you digest what you eat that's supposed to feed you and not the people you're transporting?" he clarified.

"Oh, that," Seg replied, "Yeah, must be confusing trying to figure out how someone with only one stomach does it."

His answer hung in the air for a while, as if that was all he intended to say. The silence grew a little uncomfortable for the lynel so he spoke up.

"Yeah, it kind of is. How do you do it?" he asked.

Seg simply shot him a wry grin and nudged him with an elbow as they walked, aiming for one of the other sitting areas for a town that was along the same road as Shirebrook.

"Maybe if you're lucky, I'll give you a first hand demonstration!" he said with a wink.

"First hand dem-" Ken cut himself off, sounding confused, "Wait, are you saying you would try and eat me?"

"I bet you taste pretty good." Seg teased.

"There's no way you'd be able to swallow me! I'm too big!" Ken cried.

"You don't know just how much I can hold." the gator said, waggling his eyebrows.

The lynel didn't quite know how to take that. Surely the gator had to be joking, just having a bit of fun at the new guy's expense no doubt. They stopped in on two other stations for villages along the same road they would be traveling. Now that he felt a little more confident, Ken found himself adding three more passengers to his load. Seg ended up adding five more. With a total of eight in his stomach, the alligator was feeling as big and heavy as he had decided he should. Or at the very least he was comfortable with how close he was to it. The tattooed belly had distended and sagged enough to cover his belt properly. Ken's lower half was visibly more bloated than before, forcing him to waddle a little as the sides of his belly pressed out against his flanks. It was a wonderful feeling, one he hoped to not have to give up anytime soon.

The pair had an early supper, then retired to one of the empty rooms in guild hall for the night. Not much more was spoken between them beyond the basics of what the guild expected of its members. As Ken lay atop a large nest of cushions and blankets, he stroked over his swollen belly, squeezing it with his hind legs. Sleep found took Seg quickly, the big gator laying on his bed, gut standing tall over him, snoring away softly. The lynel was finding it difficult to drift off, partly due to the unfamiliarity of his surroundings, and partly because he found himself far too engrossed with what he was doing. Here he was, a monstrous beast so many feared back in his homeland, and seven complete strangers had trusted him enough to let him eat them, all to be taken to another town.

Ken could not help but feel a little protective over his belly. Slowly, a calm washed over him, eroding his strength until he closed his eyes and fell into a gentle slumber. He hoped the trip to Shirebrook would last a good while so he could enjoy his passengers.

---

The next morning, the gator and lynel returned to the guild hall main floor, checking back in on the few stations they had assumed responsibility for. Only a couple more passengers had shown up for the morning departure time. Seg permitted Ken to have a go with both of them. The new fellow, having grown far more accustomed to his current state, took to his new charges with greater zeal than the previous day. He found himself almost craving them. Concerned that packing everyone in downstairs might be a little too cramped, Ken opted to let the two newcomers ride along in his upper stomach. It gave him a little extra to fawn over as he walked. Seg had noticed this muted delight and simply grinned, not drawing attention to it while they were in town.

With all the passengers they were to pick up in Telk, the two began their trip to Shirebrook. There were a few other small hamlets on the way, the nearer of which was only two days' walk. They would have plenty of time to chat, though for a time, they remained quiet. Both of the large boys simply luxuriated in the sensation of fullness. Every step Ken took saw his lower belly sway under him. The weight of it felt marvelous. He could not help but feel more than a little giddy as his hooves carried him along the dirt road. Seg was similarly pleased with the feeling of all his passengers bouncing up and down in time with his gait. It was one of his favorite things about the job.

When it was clear both were the only two on the road for a long distance, conversation finally started back up between them.

"So you enjoying being a member of the guild so far?" Seg asked.

"I wasn't sure how I'd like it. It's not something usually looked on fondly back home. But, now that I'm here in the middle of it, yeah, I am." Ken answered.

"I think you mean with -them- in the middle of -you-." Seg said, reaching back to give the lynel's lower gut a gentle prod as he chuckled.

"Yeah, that's probably more accurate. How long have you been part of the guild?" Ken asked.

"A pretty long while. Years. It's hard for me to recall a time when I wasn't doing this. But then you could say that life has been a lot more memorable since I joined. I've picked up a few specialty skills, slowly worked up my capacity, and I've traveled almost every route out of Telk a dozen times or more. I'm thinking the route through Shirebrook is what I want to be my main line. You stick around long enough, you might find a set of regulars you enjoy ferrying about." the gator explained.

"I hope so. It's nice to have a different lifestyle." the lynel said thoughtfully.

"Different lifestyle? Mind if I ask what life was like before you got to this side of the world?" Seg asked.

Ken flushed softly and looked away from the road. He wasn't terribly fond of recalling what things were like before. He mumbled a little to himself, a quiet little swear for letting himself bring it up.

"It was very different. The people were... very opinionated. I didn't want to go along with that or the usual expectations. Since I couldn't do that back where I'm from, I decided to leave and hope to find my own way." the lynel answered.

Seg stopped himself from commenting on the vagueness of the story, sensing that Ken was uncomfortable talking about it.

"Well, you should be able to do that here pretty easily. Do you have any questions about the guild that you haven't been able to figure out on your own yet?" the gator asked.

The lynel quickly glanced over at the pale alligator, a little shy about asking anything more than he already had about the goings-on of the guild. Still, Seg had been awfully kind to him so far, and had shown no sign of judgment towards him. It left him feeling more at ease asking what questions he felt were perhaps more personal.

"I'm curious about all the badges. I've seen so many. I don't know what they all mean." Ken said.

"That's a fair point. I'll help you out. First off, you've got your main guild badge. It's the sign of a trustworthy predator, one who can consume and release safely. There are several different styles to choose from based on your species. The rest are like merit badges, or even a menu of services if you want to think of it that way. They all represent special abilities or skills that member is able to provide or use." Seg explained.

"So if a customer is looking for a predator with one specific skill, they can just look at your badges and see if you meet the requirements?" Ken asked.

"Exactly. Here, look. This one shows that I'm a high-capacity member," the gator pointed to one of his badges, showing a rudimentary figure, large and burly like him, with an enormous gut stretching down and hiding its legs, "You get this one by being able to carry at least twenty and still be mobile. A few of the other badges are how I can carry. I can eat someone whole. I can tuck them under my tail if that's what they prefer. I can even hide a few people in a very tender spot. I like that one quite a lot."

Seg pointed to another badge, offering Ken a wink as he did so. The image on it showed another burly figure, again like Seg, but instead of an overstuffed belly, it showed their trousers bulging tremendously. The lynel blushed strongly as he pieced together what that could mean.

"So... you can... down there?" he asked.

"That's right!" Seg cackled, slapping Ken heartily on the back, "I could stuff someone in my balls and let them bounce away against my thighs all the way to the end of the line! Of course, not many folks are comfortable with that. What few there are tend to have pretty short trips, which is a shame."

"Doesn't that get uncomfortable?" Ken asked, hints of disbelief in his voice.

"Not at all. In fact, it feels pretty damn good. In some ways, better than when you swallow them or shove them under your tail. You should try the training course sometime. Just a warning though, it's pretty intense. It wears out newcomers pretty easily." the gator answered.

"Ah, well, I'll keep that in mind." Ken said, gazing over the ghostly reptile's multitude of badges.

There were quite a few of them, a good many more than most of the other guild members he had seen back at the hall. One caught his eye though and it left him curious. He was about to ask about it before he spotted something on Seg's belt. There was an article of clothing, a red vest, tucked in against the gator's hip. He had seen it yesterday and wanted to ask about it. It was odd seeing a garment just hanging off the gator's belt. Usually a passenger's belongings were kept in their assigned pouch. He continued to stare for a little too long as they walked, no longer as distracted by their various swaying, bouncing swells. The veteran took notice of Ken's staring and stepped over to give him a light hip bump and grin.

"Like what you see, big guy?" Seg asked.

Once more, the lynel blushed, his face turning a bright red, the hue unseen under his dark fur, as he jerked his eyes back to the road ahead of them.

"What!? No! I mean... Yes! I just... There... Ugh." Ken sputtered, finally just hiding his face in his hands out of embarrassment.

"C'mon, you've got somethin' on your mind. Spit it out." Seg said, feeling bad for teasing.

"I do think you're handsome. I didn't mean to imply otherwise." Ken said.

"Well that's awfully sweet of you to say, but I was just having a bit of fun at your expense. There was something you were about to ask." the gator said.

Once more, Ken blushed. He was doing that an awful lot around Seg. He took a breath, then pointed at the red garment hanging against his mentor's hip.

"I don't mean to presume, but... it looks like someone forgot to tuck something completely into their pouch and it's just hanging out." the lynel said.

Seg turned his head and tried to angle his body so he could actually see what was being pointed to. A belly as big as his made it difficult even when he wasn't occupied. With such a load, it was near impossible. He ran one of his hands over the hip in question, feeling the vest hanging there. He tugged it outward to get a look at it, spying the familiar red fabric. It brought a grin to his snout.

"Oh, that. No, that's how that's supposed to be. That belongs to one of my regulars. He and his companion usually take the longest routes, from end of the line to end of the line. That can take at least a couple of weeks. Often longer. And they made it clear they don't mind if I end up taking a detour here or there. They're in no rush to come out." Seg said.

"So, why leave the vest out like that? Aren't you afraid you'll lose it?" Ken asked.

"I like leaving it out as a sort of trophy. Let others see it and say 'He's got one in there he doesn't ever let out'. Even though I do. Just not very often. So far, the happy couple have been tucked away for almost a solid month." the gator said, giving his huge, firm belly a pat and rub.

"A whole month? But, how is it you don't end up digesting them? I mean, I know you've got some special trick to keep yourself fed while you're on the road, but keeping someone in your stomach long-term is like flexing a muscle. After a while, you get tired and it just... happens. Doesn't it?" Ken asked, now genuinely curious.

"True. The longer someone stays in your gut, the more apt they are to get digested. But we've got ways of dealing with that. But this here," Seg said, pointing to the very badge Ken had been eyeing earlier, "This is for 'long-term storage', you add a little round rank insignia for how many weeks you can go without issue."

Ken looked back at the badge, fascinated by the design. It appeared to be a figure, more like those who tended to ride inside them, curled up in a fetal position with a line emerging from somewhere between their abdomen and thighs. The posture made it difficult to tell where it originated. They seemed to float inside the round, empty 'space' of the badge with a boundary defining the edges of whatever 'space' they were in. Seg's badge had at least six small, round pin-like protrusions sticking up around the perimeter. It meant he was able to hold someone for at least six weeks without issue according to his explanation.

"A month and a half. You can hold someone inside you for a month and a half and not let them out and they're just fine. That's incredible. How do you do it?" Ken asked.

"Well strictly speaking, I could hold someone for as long as I like, but any longer than my rating and you get into special territory. As for how I do it, your parents ever tell you where babies come from?" the gator replied.

"They didn't actually. I wasn't ever terribly close with my parents. But that's neither here nor there. I know what you're talking about, yes." Ken said.

"Well that's a shame. Sorry to hear that, big guy. Anyway, that's my little secret. I got a pair of passengers in long-term storage in that place. I like ta think of'em as my whelps." Seg grinned, rubbing low on his belly, appreciating where he could feel those two specific passengers. They stirred gently in him under the attention, making his tail shudder just ever so slightly.

The lynel's eyes went wide as soon as it dawned on him, then lowered his gaze to stare at the gator's intricately tattooed gut. There were two hidden away in there, in the pale reptile's womb. The fact that he had one to begin with was terribly interesting to the lynel. Without really thinking too much about what he was doing, Ken wandered his way over to Seg, closing the gap between them. He slipped an arm around the small of the alligator's back, then reached across himself to press a palm against the large, round, taut dome emblazoned with black ink in such curious, intricate designs. Four beastly heads, jaws eager to consume something, surrounding a circular shape meant to look like a set of teeth. In the center was the symbol for infinity. It was just a small sampling of the designs that covered the alligator, and while the lynel was intrigued by all of them, he was for the moment intently focused on the gravid swell and what it contained.

The horned feline-horse began running his palm over the orb, marveling at the texture of the gator's skin, the warmth, and the weight each time he slipped below the center-line and hefted it gently. Ken grew more transfixed as soon as he felt motion. It was not unlike what he felt under his own skin when he caressed the swells he possessed, but something about fawning over another's belly deeply appealed to him in its own right.

Seg simply grinned, walking along in spite of the slightly awkward posture they both were forced to take. He slipped his own arm around Ken's upper half, tugging him in close. He always enjoyed it when a newbie got this into the experience.

"So you really do like what you see. Good to know. I might have to show you a few things when we bed down for the night." the gator said.

"Things... like what?" Ken asked

The comment made him finally realize what he was doing. And yet he couldn't bring himself to stop. It felt so marvelous; feeling all his travelers stretching him, being pressed up against another predator full of his own occupants, exploring his swollen stomach knowing what was the cause of it. He was jealous. He didn't know he was yet, but this idea of being able to house someone in such an intimate way--and for so long--was deeply appealing to him. The fact that he lacked the equipment to be able to do as Seg did left him feeling slightly inadequate.

Just as the gator was about to answer, he paused, hearing a noise from somewhere off the road. He came to a halt, forcing Ken to do the same. The taur withdrew his arms and shuffled a short distance away from the gator. His ears flicked as he tried to zero in on what had caught Seg's attention. And then he heard it. There was a rustling coming from a nest of bushes.

"Is it a bandit?" Ken asked.

Another rustling caught both their attentions and sent them jerking their heads about to find the source.

"More than just one." Seg said. He took up a slightly more defensive stance, though he didn't seem all that concerned.

Ken stepped away from the gator, giving him the room he needed to use whatever technique he might have available to fend off dangers. A group of five leapt from the bushes in front of them, the three more behind. Ken spun around and bit back a yelp of surprise. They were all of different species, but they shared similar builds; tall and lean. They were all dressed in similar garb, though not so much a uniform as a general idea behind their dress. And they were all armed. The three that had trapped the two large fellows from behind held up long polearms, clearly ready to do some serious harm at a distance. Two more spear-men were among the five at the front. The other three held out swords.

"Well hello there big boys. Guess it's our lucky day." said one who was clearly the leader of the group.

"Let us pass." Seg said plainly.

"Oh now why would I do that? You've not paid the toll yet." the head bandit said.

"And we don't intend to," the gator replied, "Let us pass and this doesn't have to get unpleasant."

"Oh see, you've got that all wrong. You see, the only way this don't get messy is if you pay us our toll. Man's gotta eat, right? But then you'd know all 'bout that, wouldn't ya?" the bandit put on a cruel smile, clearly only using hunger as an excuse to rob the innocent.

"Do you really think you can bring the both of us down?" Seg asked, crossing his arms over his broad chest in a displeased fashion.

"You must not be able ta count!" called out one of the other bandits.

"There's eight of us, and only two'a you!" cried another.

The leader just grinned as he looked back and forth at his men, then back at Seg.

"We've brought down bigger boys than you. Girls too. You either pay us our toll, or we take it from ya. And if ya make us take it, we'll take more than if ya just pay us." the head bandit said.

"So you're the little bastards behind the attacks three months ago. Good. Now I know who you are and what you've done. I think that qualifies as a confession." Seg said.

"Aye, we're not afraid'a you big blokes. Now hand over yer money, and whatever money yer creepy lil customers gave ya ta hang onto while they ride in that ugly, fat gut'a yers." the leader said, adding a snarl at the end.

Seg raised an eyebrow at the comment. He didn't like this thief's tone. And he was not going to give up any of the possessions he had been entrusted with.

"I think he's insulting us, Ken. We should teach him some manners. Don't you?" the gator said, turning his head to glance over his shoulder.

What he saw didn't encourage him. The lynel was cowering, nervously adjusting his position back and forth to try and keep away from the heads of the spears closing in on him. Here was a creature so large, so imposing, that people would walk in a circle around him rather than pass too close. And he was terrified, as timid as a frightened kitten.

"I think your friend there has the right idea. He knows what we'll do to him if you don't cooperate. Now cough up whatever ya got!" the head bandit shouted.

"Alright, you want something? Here, try this." Seg said as he reached into one of his pouches and withdrew a shimmering green gemstone, perfectly smooth like something found in a river. He tossed it to the head bandit who snatched it out of the air and opened his palm to look at it.

Immediately, the bandit's eyes widened at the sight of it. This was a better score than any he'd managed to snag in the last year. He cradled the bauble and ran his fingers over the immaculately smooth surface. He couldn't tear his eyes away from it.

"Oooh, look at this beauty." he mumbled, so fixated that he found it difficult to focus enough to speak.

"It really is, isn't it?" Seg replied, "So beautiful you'll have a hard time keeping it all to yourself."

"Wha-?" The bandit asked, only half paying attention, still mesmerized by the stone.

"Well, I don't mean to call the loyalty of your men into question but, they do say there's no honor amongst thieves." the gator said with a grin.

The bandit jerked his head up, suddenly extremely angry. His eyes now possessed a subtle green tint, but that hue was growing more pronounced.

"What!? No! I won't let no one have it!" he screamed, then turned to glare at one of the other swordsmen.

Without provocation, he threw himself at his fellow bandit and began mercilessly trying to strike him however he could. The other thief was taken completely by surprise, falling to the ground as he fought to shield his face. The other swordsman immediately leapt to his friend's aid, trying to drag their leader off him. It earned him an elbow in the eye which sent him sprawling. The two spearmen stepped in closer, realizing that the gator had done something to the 'boss', jabbing forward with their weapons to 'end' it.

Seg just grinned as a soft shimmer passed over his form briefly. As soon as the metal spearheads struck, trying to dig in, they scraped across his hide, forcing the wooden poles to bend and flex, then crack and crumble. The force of the jabs had broken them, as if they had tried to stab a stone wall. The two spearmen looked sheepishly at the broken ends of their weapons, then up at the gator who just stared down at them, his lips were pulled wider into a broad, maniacal smile.

Immediately, the two tried to turn and bolt, but two very large, very strong hands took hold of them by the collars of their tunics. Their legs kicked fruitlessly as they were hoisted off the ground, hearing a very unsettling reptilian growl behind them. With very little effort, Seg tossed the two spearman into the bushes. He had not even let go of their tunics. A loud ripping sound mixed with their cries of dismay as they were sent flying. Two scraps of cloth remained clutched in the gator's hands, having torn them from the offending bandits' garments. They both landed more softly than if they had hit the ground, but not by much. They ended up not deep enough to be concealed, but deep enough to make it difficult for them to right themselves.

That was all he needed. Seg reached into his own pouch again and began rooting around for something. He retrieved two crude-looking items, appearing to be handmade dolls. But they weren't toys meant for children. These had the look of something more sinister. The gator lifted one of the scraps to his jaws and bit into it, giving it a little tear in the center, then repeated the action for the other scrap. He then took each scrap and pushed it down over the head of one of his dolls, using the holes he had made as a place for the head to push through.

"Thank you kindly for your contribution." the gator said as he took out a ball of twine and began wrapping it around both of the dolls.

The whole act had taken only a moment, just long enough for the two bandits he had thrown to get to their feet and make another attempt to fight or flee. Just as they came to a decision as to which would be wiser, and it didn't take long, Seg finished wrapping the twine around the legs of both dolls, working his way up. The bandits made it only a few steps before finding their legs would not cooperate. In fact, they drew together with a sudden snap, ankles as close to touching as their feet would allow. The effect sent them both tumbling to the ground face first.

Seg continued tying up the two dolls until they were thoroughly bound. He looked to the pair in the dirt to make sure the desired effect had taken hold, and it had. Their arms were clapped to their sides, and they both lay there wriggling about, trying to free themselves from this mysterious force that had left them unable to flee.

"There we go. Now you two be good and don't go anywhere." the gator said just before turning his attention to the two swordsman fighting with their boss.

He grabbed one by the arm and dragged him away. His other hand had dipped back into his pouch for something else. This time he retrieved a vial of something, then popped the cork and waved the opening under the nose of his new captor. There was a sickly pink liquid inside and it gave off an acrid, sharp, sweet smell. The bandit coughed and sputtered, trying to pull his face away, but Seg persisted. In a few moments, the bandit calmed, his eyes growing listless and dull.

The gator dropped him on the ground. There the bandit collapsed into a seated position, looking dazed and unaware of his surroundings. Soon, he was joined by the other swordsman the leader was scrapping with. As soon as they were pulled apart, the boss went back to lovingly caressing and fawning over his new trinket. The vial of the pink stuff was shoved in the other's face, rendering him as placid as his companion.

"Well, that's these five. How are you doing with yours, Ken?" Seg asked, turning to look.

As soon as the alligator took in the scene, he sighed. The lynel was backing away from the three spears closing in on him. One among the trio looked back at the gator, glaring hatefully at him.

"What did you do to the boss!?" he shouted.

"You have to be careful in these parts. They say the green-eyed monster roams these woods and can strike without warning." Seg answered.

"Green-eyed monster? What are you talkin' about!? Ain't no monsters 'round here 'cept for you and the four-legged freak!" the bandit shouted angrily, jabbing his spear forward.

The head just barely grazed one of Ken's arms, giving him a nasty little cut. He yelped and clasped a palm over it in pain, then whimpered and backed away further.

"This one's a big, fat coward! I'll bet I could put a bridle on him and ride him like a dumb horse!" one of the other bandits laughed.

"You shouldn't have done that." Seg said, his mirth now completely gone and his grin replaced with a stern expression.

"Aw what? Did we hurt your widdle fwiend? We'll do a lot worse than that to the both'a you if ya don't fix what ya did right now!" said the new de-facto leader.

"Put your weapons down and I might show you mercy." Seg said.

"Shut your stinking face! You don't give us ord-" the bandit was suddenly cut off.

It was difficult to speak when a thick, muscular hand was wrapped around one's throat.

"All I have to do is squeeze." the alligator said calmly.

The other two bandits turned to attack him, but their spears suffered the same fate as their comrades'. Two more broken polearms littered the ground. Seg turned and slapped one with his tail as he tried to get away. The other showed his back as he ran, but ended up face down in the dirt as the bandit Seg had been strangling struck him from behind, leaving them piled in a heap. The gator had a pretty good throwing arm.

All three of the remaining bandits were too woozy from the blows they suffered, giving Seg all the time he needed. One by one, he went around, ripping a scrap of cloth from each of their tunics, then attached those scraps to three more dolls he produced. Each one was wrapped in twine to bind them just as the other two had. With all eight men subdued, the alligator turned his attention to the lynel still holding his wounded arm.

"Here, let me see it." Seg said.

Ken shamefully approached and held out the injured limb. There was a nasty little laceration, and it was bleeding a good bit. The gator reached into his pouch again and withdrew a different vial, this time of a pale blue liquid. He pulled the stopper free and ever so delicately held it over the wound. With practiced precision, the swollen alligator managed to let only a single drop of the potion escape. It landed on the lynel's arm and soaked in immediately. The bleeding slowed, then stopped. Then right before their eyes, the wound began to close ever so slowly.

"That's... that's incredible!" Ken cried in astonishment.

"It's a handy little mixture to keep on hand. It should be as good as new in a few moments. Now, let's deal with these thugs." Seg said, turning to look at the thieves.

"What are we going to do with them?" Ken asked.

"Are you hungry?" the gator asked with a grin.

"Wh-what? Hungry?" the lynel echoed incredulously.

"That's what I asked. These little monsters are the ones responsible for bringing down several of our guild-mates. How they did it given how incompetent they are, I don't know. They must have gotten lucky. But they essentially admitted it." Seg said.

"So you're just going to eat them? And I don't just mean store them until you get to a town, you mean to digest them?" Ken asked, just a little horrified.

"I do. They attacked us. They tried to kill us. They actually killed a couple of us, as well as their passengers. Don't you want to punish the one that injured you?" Seg replied.

"Well, yes, I do. But... I don't... I don't know if..." Ken trailed off.

The gator sighed and gave the lynel a pat on the back, realizing he was pushing a bit too hard.

"It's okay. I understand. You don't have to. I'll take care of it." Seg said.

Ken stepped back and carefully set himself down on the side of the road, still rubbing his forearm, even after it had completely healed. He watched quietly as the alligator gathered up all eight of the bandits, five unable to move because of the dolls, two still in a trance-like state, and their leader, still completely obsessed with his little gemstone. One by one, he relieved them of their belongings, sorting through things he could use, sell, or trade. What he couldn't, he discarded. Then, he picked up one of the bandits still under the effects of the sickly sweet potion's aroma, then pushed him into his jaws. The gator tilted his head back and gulped loudly and quickly, not taking the same degree of care he had with his customers.

Seg's gut surged outward gently as he sent the first one down. The five who were bound wriggled and cried out in anger and fear, cursing the alligator for his gluttony. Displeased by this, the pale-white reptile turned his attention back to his dolls and wrapped twine around their muzzles, which in turn prevented their counterparts from opening their mouths. Seg continued his work from there, eating each of the bandits in turn, adding to the weight in his middle as he did so and showing no sign of discomfort or difficulty in movement. Soon, all that remained was the leader, still entirely focused on the gemstone in his hand.

"You're all mine, my beauty. I'll never share you with anyone." he said in a hushed whisper, completely unaware of--and at this point likely unconcerned with--what happened to his men.

"Yes, it's all yours. Yours and no one else's. No one can take it from you." Seg said, giving him a pat on the top of his head.

"It's so beautiful. I can almost hear it talking to me." the bandit said.

"What is it telling you?" Seg asked, bringing his eyes to focus on the stone, squinting softly as if putting all his focus on it.

A soft light shined from the gem, but only for a moment before it faded again. The bandit's eyes softened as the green hue slowly spread, consuming the white.

"It says... I should let you eat me." he said. There was no sound of horror in his voice, no shock or surprise. It sounded like he thought the idea only made the most sense possible.

"Well, if it says you should, then you should." Seg grinned.

"But, what about my little beauty? She'll be all alone without me." the bandit complained sadly.

"Don't you worry. I'll take good care of her for you. After all, a man's gotta eat, right?" the gator replied, his toothy smile somehow reassuring the spell-struck bandit.

The thief nodded and begrudgingly handed the stone over to the alligator, whispering sweet nothings to it as well as his goodbyes. Seg delicately returned the stone to his pouch, and turned his attention to the bandit. Without another word, the bloated fellow picked his latest prey up and hoisted him high overhead. He intended to go a little slower with this one, slowly easing the still bewitched bandit's feet into his jaws. His broad tongue lapped at them slowly before carefully pressing them into his throat. A gulp saw the bandit's hips slip past the gator's teeth, his rump resting on the broad, warm, slick tongue under him.

Ken watched quietly as the last remaining member of the group of highwaymen was devoured. He couldn't help but feel a strange sense of satisfaction, reaching down with a palm to caress over his own swollen tummy. He could feel his passengers shift about inside him, which sent a soft thrill up his spine. He couldn't help but admit that this was all terribly arousing, even if these lawbreakers were about to meet their end.

Seg pressed on the bandit's shoulders, sliding him deeper into the waiting throat beyond. His chest was no challenge to the big gator. Lips sealed around the thief's neck, letting only his head show outside the stuffed beast for a brief moment. Seg suckled gently, taking a moment to draw away whatever flavor he might find. It wasn't terribly appetizing. This fellow had been living in the wild too long and had not bathed in a while. It didn't compare to those who were well groomed. His customers were always so conscientious. But he wasn't going to let that stop him.

The gator's jaws yawned open again and he swallowed, tugging the bandit's head into his maw. The thief lifted his nose to look up at the world beyond, framed in those mighty jaws one last time. He let out a quiet moan as the world slipped away, flesh closing over him as the gator's gullet claimed him. Seg swallowed him down finally, feeling a soft bounce hit his middle and a gentle stretch add to his waistline. He sighed, licked his lips, and gave the grand bulge a firm rub. As everything settled, a loud, crass belch broke the silence, frightening off the nearby birds. It was finished. Seg had sorted out the bandits. And he had a much larger gut to enjoy thanks to them.

The gator climbed back to his feet and waddled his way over to the lynel who had been watching. Ken was in something of a state. He was wriggling where he lay, his upper half upright, but his lower half sprawled and rocking him back and forth. He huffed quietly as he swayed about. It brought a new smile to Seg's lips.

"Enjoy the show?" the gator asked.

"I... I don't... I don't think I can stop!" Ken replied breathlessly.

"Then don't. But why don't you roll over? I'll help." Seg mused.

Ken didn't even wait for him to finish speaking. He didn't care what was going to happen, if he was going to be left sore or not. He just wanted release. And the gator was offering it. The big, burly feline-creature did as he was told, flopping onto his back, curling his legs to squeeze at his stuffed lower belly. His arms wrapped around his swollen upper stomach, squeezing and kneading firmly at it. He couldn't stop himself. It felt too good. And then came the weight of the gator down on him. His rigid, twitching, drooling shaft rarely got to see much action, but as soon as he felt the warmth of the big white reptile pressing down on him, on it, he shivered and groaned.

Immediately, the lynel began to buck his hindquarters. Usually that might be to kick off a presumptuous adventurer trying to climb on one's back, but here, Ken was using it to push up into the beast trapping him. Seg's gut churned and bulged with its new occupants. The lynel wasn't sure how the veteran was able to fit so many in him, but he had, and he was clearly loving it. Seg massaged his visibly squirming middle, hissing in delight as he squeezed his thighs around Ken's frame. He rocked forward, mashing his gut against the lynel's. The sensation was always pleasant to him, but it was entirely new for Ken. The supine creature felt his breath stolen away, shivering powerfully each time their bellies mashed together. And then warmth surrounded his aching shaft. This was a warmth different from what he was already experiencing. Seg had managed to deftly slip a hand between them and angle him up into the right spot.

A new hiss escaped the ghostly gator, clenching firmly as his pucker was given a generous spread. The lynel was big in more ways than just the obvious, and Seg had been hoping to find out just how that stacked up. It was certainly welcome, now that he was testing it out. The two slowed their motions for a moment, giving Ken a chance to settle and for Seg to slowly sink all the way down until he could feel the tauric creature's scrotum press against his the base of his tail. Once there, the gator began to bounce with reckless abandon. He growled and hissed in bestial delight, feeling the engorged rod pump in and out of him. Ken took to rocking his hindquarters as best he could. The swells of his two bellies began to sway and wobble as he did so, stealing his breath away. Suddenly, he became worried that his passengers might be uncomfortable from all the motion. But then Seg was doing more, and he wasn't stopping. It encouraged him and he carried on, adding strength as he powered forward.

The two reveled in their similarly bloated figures, thrusting against each other without a single care. Their noises would ward off anyone too nosy for their own good. Or at least Ken hoped they would. Briefly. Soon, he wasn't thinking of anything but the broad, muscular rump devouring his length. He was inexperienced in many ways, and this was one of them. It didn't take the lynel long before he arched his back and loosed a strained bellow. Thick, hot seed rushed forth, pumped in potent gushes deep into the gator's bowels. Seg hissed loudly once more as he felt that sudden heat, shivering as he held his own climax back. He wasn't ready to hit his peak yet. But the eagerness was rather enjoyable.

It took Ken several moments to ease down from the high of his first significant sexual encounter in what he figured was years. And he didn't even know he had been wanting it with another large fellow like himself. The other lynels usually kidnapped smaller, defenseless two-legs, had their way with them, then disposed of them somehow. This was far better than that had ever sounded to him. Before he could bask too long in the glorious satisfaction of it, Seg hoisted himself off him. The gator stood, his monstrous belly filling a significant chunk of Ken's vision. It looked like he might actually have trouble moving with it, but he remained as graceful as ever. Seg stepped back a short distance, then dropped onto his knees.

"Mmm, that's quite a canon you've got. Glad I picked the back door. If I'd let you in the other way, I'm sure I'd end up with more than just two in there. Something to think about in the future," the gator winked, "But you got yours. Now it's time for me to get mine. You'd better relax."

Ken looked 'down' at the alligator as he tried to figure out what he meant. It didn't take him long. What Seg had felt under his tail, Ken suddenly felt under his. He gasped loudly and clutched at his belly. The gator had been gentle, slowly easing his own dribbling shaft into the warm pucker he had found. It had been surprisingly loose already, making Seg worry that he might not be big enough to properly use the lynel. Then the muscle clamped down and a vice squeezed his shaft. His worries were put immediately to rest. Without ceremony, the pale gator began rolling his hips forward. The stain of white left on his cheeks and underside of Seg's tail was plainly visible to anyone who might approach. He hoisted his tail high as he bucked away, using it for balance as he took his apprentice on a wild ride.

The lynel yowled and tossed his head back and forth, quickly finding he could not keep breath in his lungs. The invading gator was far more of an expert in matters such as this. He twisted his hips this way and that, grinding in against flesh that was screaming for stimulation, then screamed even louder the moment he moved on to another region. The lynel's fur stood on end as he felt an intense flame building inside him. He had only just hit his peak moments ago. Already he felt he was about to explode all over again. And Seg knew that. So the gator kept it up, picking a direction at random to press to drive the poor beast wild.

Before long, there came a sticky splatter that coated the gator's heavy, gurgling stomach. Ken's lower belly saw a similar stain, especially as the two of them mashed against one another, rubbing it into fur and hide alike. It came with a roar from the creature pinned on his back. Seg didn't stop. He simply rocked forward all the harder. He bared his teeth and hissed again, trying to hold out as long as he could, to really relish using this beast's rather lovely cavern. And he was certain that the beast was enjoying being used. Seg imagined what it might be like to let him use the 'proper' hole, and what would come of that, how big and heavy a belly he would get from carrying the lynel's whelps. The very thought sent a powerful shiver up Seg's spine, and almost immediately, he was claimed by orgasm. Just as he had been filled with a creamy ooze, so too did he return the favor. His shaft bucked hard, unleashing its flood.

While Ken had proven to be quite productive, a great deal more than others Seg had permitted to spread him, Seg himself was a even more so. Ken roared once again as he was filled. He could feel his lower belly plumping, swelling ever so slowly. He could feel the heat spreading through him, warming the whole of the wobbling dome he had carried on this journey. He wanted Seg to never stop. He wanted to keep being filled, to be stretched and swollen by buckets of his essence. And while Seg had fantasized about being impregnated, so too did Ken. He knew it wasn't possible, but it didn't stop him from running towards the thought out of sheer erotic bliss. To be heavy with cubs, feeling them growing inside him, the idea was so delicious he let it run wild through his mind.

Seg removed himself from the lynel's tense grasp and sat down on his rump just a short distance away. He was panting softly, but grinning as he gave his huge gut a pat.

"Ahhh, nothing like a good screwing right after a big meal. How are you feeling, big guy?" the gator asked.

Ken could scarcely answer. When he finally found the words, he couldn't quite believe he those specific ones be his response. It made him sound far less in control than he wanted to sound.

"Wh-why'd you stop?" he moaned.

Seg simply chuckled and scooted over to lay down next to the lynel swimming in the sea of afterglow.

"Because if I don't stop, I'll just keep humping you until the sun goes down, and we have a schedule to keep. But don't worry. I'm more than happy to give you a good filling anytime you want so long as it doesn't slow us down too much." the gator said.

"Who sets the schedule?" Ken asked.

Seg simply laughed, thinking perhaps he had created a monster.

The rest of the day was spent in relative silence. Neither had bothered to clean themselves up, letting their sticky white stains show to anyone who might pass by. The lynel oddly felt it like a badge of honor, showing he had been mounted, and that Seg had been the one to do the mounting. It felt so deliciously scandalous. As they walked, Ken found himself huddled back against the gator's side, rubbing his gurgling, churning stomach. It wasn't just his fascination with the contents anymore. That played a large part of it, yes, but there was more now. They had formed something of a bond, the lynel and gator. And he was grateful for that.

When night fell, the two made camp and reclined against one another as they sat in the warm glow of the fire they had built. There were things that needed to be said. Unpleasant things. Ken knew it was coming. Instead of waiting for Seg to bring it up, he decided to broach the subject himself.

"So, pretty strange, isn't it? A big guy like me so scared of people so much smaller." the tauric beast said.

"It wouldn't be the first time I've seen it." Seg replied, opting for the gentle approach on the matter.

"I hate violence. I do what I can to get away from it. It's why I came here, to this country." Ken said.

"A lynel that hates violence. Now that is a rare thing indeed," Seg said, "Well, I hate to shatter any sort of notions you might have had, but it's not that peaceful here. That's why our guild exists. We get people between towns and villages so they don't get attacked by thieves like we did today. That's our job. We protect our 'kids'."

The gator rubbed his stomach, rumbling quietly as he felt motion from with, one or two of his passengers stirring in their sleep.

"I know. I didn't expect it to be completely peaceful over here. But, I had to get away. All the others of my kind back home are incredibly violent. They're vicious and hateful to any but their own kind, and even then, they still fight with each other. I couldn't be that. I didn't want to be like the rest of them." Ken said, his voice beginning to quaver.

"I understand. Truly I do. But if you're going to do this job, you're going to have to do all of it. You will have to protect your passengers. They have put their trust in you. They have put their lives in your hands. More specifically, your stomach. You have to be able to do what it takes to keep them safe." Seg said gently, giving his apprentice a firm and fond squeeze.

Tears began rolling down Ken's cheeks as he lifted his hands to cover his face. Quiet chokes followed as he broke down.

"I'm a terribly lynel! The only one who can't be bothered to fight back when someone attacks me! I'm hopeless!" he sobbed.

Seg sighed and squeezed Ken again, rubbing his shoulder as comfortingly as he could.

"You'll find your own way. You don't have to be violent. You can run. You can be fast. With four legs, you can gallop away and no one can catch you. Or you can learn how to disable or disarm without hurting anyone. It's possible." the gator said.

"I'm the worst lynel! The worst! I ran because they would only end up killing me if I stayed! Because I'm pathetic and weak!" Ken sobbed louder.

"You're not. You just don't know what you can do yet. You'll figure out your own special way of doing the job, just like I did. And I don't think you're the worst lynel. You're a big sweetheart, so worried about how you might frighten everyone. I think that makes you the -best- lynel." Seg said.

Ken sniffled a bit, lifting his face out of his hands. It was a curious sight, seeing a creature with such large teeth pushing out of his lips, almost like tusks, wearing an expression of absolute melancholy. He looked like a lost puppy. With giant horns.

"Really?" he sniffed, "You think so?"

"I -know- so!" Seg said giving him a firm squeeze again.

That lifted the lynel's spirits a fair bit, prompting him to change his posture. Ken shuffled about, moving to roll onto his side, huge, round belly pointed at the fire. He dropped his head to rest it on top of the giant swell of the alligator's middle, pressing an ear in against the dome. He listened for a moment hearing the quiet groans and gurgles of the churning stomach working on what was left of the bandits, miraculously sparing the group who had booked passage with them.

He was going to have to learn that little trick. And it sounded like Seg was all too eager to teach him whatever he wanted to know. That was a source of comfort. So was the noise coming from his mentor's huge, warm belly. It wasn't long at all before he drifted off. The alligator ran his fingers through the sleeping beast's mane, soothing him further before letting sleep take him as well.

---

The attack was quickly put behind the two as gator and lynel traveled on then next day. It was a few days walk total before they arrived at a small town, a short 'layover' between where they had set out from and where they were ultimately headed. A couple of passengers were released and their things returned. A few others approached, requesting passage. Seg was more than happy to take on a few more. Ken was as well, shivering a little as he felt his belly swell larger than it had with his first load.

He was just getting everything settled, and pulling himself away from doting on both of his swollen stomachs, as he overheard part of the conversation being had between the gator and two smallish canines, wolves the lynel guessed.

"You look pretty full. You think you can fit two more in there comfortably?" one of the lupines asked.

Seg grinned and gave his expansive belly a firm pat.

"I could fit half a dozen of you in here without any trouble. I've got my high capacity rating for a reason." the gator replied.

"I think he more meant how comfortable it would be for us once we're in." said the second wolf.

The ghostly reptile nodded, making the connection he had missed earlier.

"Ah, I see. It might be a little cramped in here with everyone else, but it should still be nice and cozy. And if you're still not sure, I have alternatives." he said.

"I see that you do. One'a those badges caught my eye in fact," the first wolf said, "I was wondering if it might be possible to get some 'private quarters', somewhere down low."

Seg grinned broadly and rest a large, heavy hand on the canid's head ruffling the fluff on his scalp.

"I'd be more than happy to provide you with 'special lodgings'. Let's get you two tucked away and then we'll be off." he said.

Ken watched quietly and curiously as the big gator spread his legs, but never sat. He didn't even try to pick up either wolf. Instead, he simply hoisted his gut a bit and leaned back. His length, already semi-firm, rest comfortably against the swell of his distended scrotum. Ken had gotten some idea as to why those two orbs were so bloated. And he found himself quietly wanting another good flood from them. But he remained silent as he watched. The two wolves moved to press against the alligator's legs, lavishing his member with affection. Their hands caressed and squeezed the two ample ovoids, making Seg rumble happily. He stiffened up swiftly under such lovely attention, drooling a clear ooze down onto both of the wolves.

There was a bit of a disconnect in size there. Ken hadn't noticed it before, but he was sure noticing it now. The gator's shaft appeared slightly too small for his scrotum. Or perhaps his scrotum was slightly too large for his shaft. It wasn't unpleasant, but it felt mismatched. And he was about to find out why.

One of the wolves turned to cup his paws against the twitching length, pressing his lips to the head as if kissing a lover. Seg hissed with glee and tilted his chin up. A single, large hand pressed against the back of the wolf's skull, slowly adding force until the lupine's muzzle vanished. A soft gush of the clear moisture already starting to coat the canid splattered across his face. Seg continued to push until the whole of the wolf's head was trapped in the impressive rod, bulging it visibly. A soft tremor passed up the alligator's spine, showing how much he was enjoying this. Instead of trying to pull himself free, the wolf brought his hands close to the gash he was already inserted in, and pushed them into the warm, wet opening. In mere moments, the wolf's arms were gone and so were his shoulders.

The lynel watched in astonishment as the alligator's hungry shaft 'gulped', tugging his latest passenger in up to his hips without any real trouble, but with a series of delighted moans from Seg. His tail began to raise as he slurped the wolf up, passing his thighs, then his knees. He cupped a large palm under the distended swell of his shaft and angled it up, pressing it against the curve of his bulging, gently writhing gut. The adjustment in 'posture' sank the wolf completely out of sight, his paws slurped up wetly. The lupine descended down the gator's shaft until he began to bulge out the heavy sac below, giving it a good, strong, visible stretch.

Seg shivered once more, clenching his teeth in a strained smile of intense pleasure. A hearty gush of the sticky, salty stuff drooling from him spilled out onto the other wolf. The second passenger to request special accommodations turned his attention to the grand distention in the reptile's flesh-pink sac, kissing and squeezing it tenderly. But while it was clear the gator was enjoying that fond lavishing, he reached down and pulled him away.

"You're turn. Go on. Your friend is waiting." Seg said.

The wolf nodded and mimicked his companion's efforts, only taking less time to go about sliding in. He pressed his fingers into the alligator's shaft, spreading the entry wide enough for him to crawl in, and began his journey. Just like before, Seg let the sensations rip through him and make him quiver in delight. He opened his jaws wide and let out a low, but very obvious groan. This time, he didn't bother helping. He simply let the wolf wriggle in on his own. His member bulged just as it had earlier, and 'gulped' just as it had earlier. In but a few precious moments, the second wolf was claimed up to his hips. Then there came motion in the gator's sac. The first wolf squirmed about and began trying to push his way back up.

Normally, Seg would have reached down to pinch off the exit until whoever was in there had settled down, but he didn't bother. He knew what game these two were playing. The first lupine slithered his arms up into the long, slick tube and took hold of his friend's paws. Then he jerked downward as best he could manage. The result was a sudden, sharp slurp as the second wolf was dragged in right up to his paws. Seg cried out as this happened, moving his hands to his stomach to keep them occupied. Another good tug from down in his sac saw the second lupine vanish completely. His length shrank back to its usual size as the bulges slid lower and lower, and his sac ballooned out enormously. He had managed to seal away two people in his scrotum.

Ken stared in wonder, finding himself aroused similarly to having watched the alligator eat the bandits. He squirmed on his hooves, biting his lower lip as he watched Seg continue to stand there, huffing, holding his belly, then finally loose a deep, guttural roar. A heavy blast of thick, sticky white splattered across the ground, as well as leaving a generous stain on the underside of his belly. Several pulses added to the mess before finally, everything appeared to settle down. The two curled up in the now mightily stretched and sagging sac continued to squirm about, but nowhere near as much. They were getting comfortable, making themselves at home. Seg huffed and shivered as they did so, grinning as he reached down to run a palm over the new mass he felt hanging from between his legs. He absolutely adored offering 'special accommodations' for those brave enough to try them.

"There we go, all squared away. It'll be a few days before we get to where you're going. Hope you don't mind sloshing around in there until then. I know I certainly won't mind." the gator said.

Ken slowly approached, his eyes wide and a look of amazement forcing his jaw to hang slack ever so slightly.

"I didn't know you could do that!" the lynel said, trying to keep his voice low, but wanting to shout in surprise.

"It's something that takes a good bit of practice to accomplish, and even more practice to be able to do without losing anyone. If I don't get those two out within a week, they'll not be coming out at all except as more of this." Seg said, lifting a hand from having rubbed over the lower curve of his stomach. The sticky white seed he had painted himself with now coated his fingers.

The gator ran his tongue across the outstretched digits, licking his hand clean as he relished the taste.

"They... turn into that?" Ken asked.

Seg nodded and grinned as he swayed his hips a bit, enjoying feeling his sac swing slowly under him with the added weight.

"If they're not careful. And every time someone doesn't come out, I tend to get a little bigger down there." he said.

"So, you've lost people before?" Ken asked, deeply curious about this new discovery.

Seg reached out and wrapped an arm around the lynel, tugging gently on him to begin walking. They had a long way to go after all. They could discuss things as they strolled along. The gator waved to the villagers who had stuck around to see them off, and for the show that always followed when Seg was in town.

"I have. But not because I couldn't get them out in time. You're gonna run into some folks on occasion that want you to gobble them up somehow and just never let them out. They want to meet whatever fate is in store for them deep inside you. I had a small family of rabbits tell me they wanted in down there where those two disappeared, so I let them have at it. It wasn't until after they were in that they said they didn't have a destination, they just wanted to climb in. I explained to them what would happen and suddenly, they got really excited. A week later, they were just added weight and spunk." Seg explained.

"There are people who want to be digested?" the lynel asked, shocked.

"Oh yeah. And they want to be digested by someone from the guild. Because we can give them a pleasant, comfortable end if that's what they're looking for. Of course, some just want it for kicks and expect it to not be the end. But then, some don't want to come back out." the gator said.

"Yeah, about that," Ken said, "I was hoping you could explain how you can digest someone without digesting everyone else, like you did with the bandits. And how you did all those things when you were fighting them."

"I'm glad you asked." Seg replied.

The pair continued on down the road, chatting away about what the alligator was capable of, both in the realm of his digestive system and his ability to fend off attackers. Seg explained that he was practiced in something called 'selective digestion'. It let him pick what it was in his stomach--or elsewhere for that matter--that he wanted to digest, leaving other occupants unharmed. It was a tricky skill that took a lot of practice, as well as more practice to master in more places than just one's gut. It involved control over the muscles within, isolating those who were to remain from those who were to 'leave'. Seg confessed that he hadn't quite gotten the hang of it down where his two lupine friends were bouncing away.

That prompted Ken to ask about what that was like. The gator was happy to describe the joys of such an act, and that he could probably help Ken learn that little trick as well, but after they got to a proper guild hall. It was one of those things that had to be instructed under the right conditions. There were too many unknowns out on the open road.

"Right, the open road. Monsters, terrain, thieves," Ken said, "So, what was all of that you did... while I was being a coward?"

The lynel dipped his nose a little, still ashamed of his lack of performance in the moment.

"You'll figure your method out. Don't worry. And mine just happens to be that I practice Voodoo." Seg said.

"Voodoo?" Ken asked, echoing the word as though he'd never heard it before.

"That's right. It's a specific thought or philosophy when it comes to magic. I suppose you could call it a 'school' of magic, but I've never seen it taught in any formal mage curriculum," Seg explained, "Most people don't like the idea of it because it looks 'dark' and 'unnatural'. Those little dolls I used? Those are voodoo dolls. I take something of significance from a person, like a scrap of their clothing, and attach it to the doll. Then, the magic lets me manipulate the doll to manipulate the target, in the case of the bandits, I tie up the doll, and that bandit suddenly can't move, as if they're tied up."

"Sounds... kind of... unpleasant. Like black magic or something." Ken said, a little put off by the idea.

"Many practitioners do fold black magic in with it. I've used a sprinkling of it here and there, but I try not to go too far with it. You start down that road and it's hard to come back from it." the gator said.

"Yeah, I'll bet it is. But what about that gemstone? Or that stuff you had some of them sniff?" the lynel asked.

"The potion is a special concoction of my own making, a modification on an older recipe. It's like how smelling salts work, only instead of waking you up, it kind of puts you into a trance. It relaxes the mind until you're almost in a meditative state. I'll admit that on the rare occasion when I can't sleep, I'll give myself a quick little whiff to make me relax. I dilute it so that I don't drop the vial and break it. That would be rather terrible. But it helps me relax in those moments where I'm too stressed to just naturally go to sleep." Seg said.

"That sounds pretty handy. But I'm guessing that's why you carry such small amounts of the stuff. You don't want to drop it, have it break, then turn a whole room of people into zombies." Ken said.

"That's it exactly. And I don't just go around telling everyone that it can do that. You're too sweet a guy to want to try that, so I'm trusting you not to go spreading it around." the gator said.

"Of course not. My lips are sealed." the tauric fellow said, shivering a little as he felt a kick from below. He moved a hand to reach back and stroke his heavily stretched sides. He was even heavier now than when he left Telk. And if he had not suffered such a blow to his self-esteem recently, he would be absolutely giddy.

"Good. As for the gemstone, it's a cursed emerald," the gator lifted a hand before Ken could protest, "Relax, I'm the one that put the curse on it for just such an occasion. I give it to a thief who's being especially horrible, and it makes his greed flare and overwhelm him. That whole 'green-eyed monster' bit is an old fable about greed being all-consuming. I just decided to provide a practical application. If someone who is truly greedy tries to hold it, it amplifies it."

"So, that's why it doesn't affect you? You aren't greedy?" Ken asked.

"Oh, make no mistake, I'm pretty greedy. I sometimes have a hard time letting anyone out. But I know better. So the stone doesn't affect me," Seg explained, "It also helps that I've included something of a failsafe so that if I do end up starting to turn greedy, it starts letting me know so I can do something about it before it can bite down. But that's only because I crafted it."

It was a decent enough explanation. Ken just stared, mystified, as he wrapped his head around such a notion. But he couldn't help but wonder something else, circling back to something he felt he had asked already, but not quite in the same way.

"Have you ever accidentally digested anyone you didn't mean to?" the lynel asked.

"Once or twice, back when I was new to the guild." Seg answered, speaking as though it were no grave concern.

"Back when you were a newbie, like me," Ken said, "And it didn't put anyone off trusting you to keep doing this?"

"Oh it did for a little while but once you get a bit of practice at it, it's easier to keep it from happening." the gator replied.

Before the lynel could ask another question, a noisy growl and gurgle came from the gut hanging under him. He shivered a little as he felt his load lighten just a bit and a gentle squirming followed. The motion would have left him feeling worked up and in need of 'assistance' like the previous day if it weren't for the fact that what he had feared might happen, had just happened.

"Oh no!! I... I think I just-" Ken said in a panic.

"Easy, easy. Don't get excited," Seg said, "This sort of thing happens all the time with newbies. Watch."

The gator stepped back a couple of paces. Within seconds, the badge at the top of his sash began to glow softly with a pale green light. The alligator groaned quietly and held his middle as it stretched just ever so slightly, growing only just enough to be apparent to the naked eye. Seg huffed and sighed with a chuckle, gave his slightly larger belly a pat, then stepped back in to tug Ken against his side once more.

"Wh-what just happened!?" Ken asked, horrified that he had just lost one of his passengers.

"I caught'em." Seg said matter-of-factly.

"Caught them!?" the lynel asked, still on the edge of panic.

"Yeah, the badge is more than just a sign of the guild's trust, it's also an insurance policy. Whenever we train someone new, we make sure they have an experienced predator with them just in case that happens. That way, if you digest someone by accident, the badge helps me catch them and bring them back." the gator explained.

"Bring... them back? You mean... they're okay?" Ken asked, pressing his palms to the gator's tattooed belly.

"They're just fine. You can probably feel'em kicking in there to get comfy. It's bit of a shock getting digested and then immediately brought back. It probably startled them." the gator said.

"That's amazing! I didn't know that was possible!" Ken cried in disbelief and visible relief.

"It's not something we advertise. We don't want to inadvertently draw the attention of certain predators that might use that as a means to fool unsuspecting customers into a one way trip. We've had issues in the past." Seg said.

Ken fell silent for a moment, moving a palm to reach back and caress over his swollen belly as it swayed under him with each step. He couldn't help but relish the sensation, but now he was feeling less confident, less sure of himself. When finally he managed to speak again, it was with a new concern.

"So... what happens to trainees that accidentally digest their passengers?" he asked.

"More training. It's all about getting enough practice to know you can get through the trip without gurgling anyone, except the ones you mean to. You won't get your full membership badge until you can meet all the requirements. You're pretty close on the safe storage part. I'd call that a minor setback. I won't hold that against you. Now, if it keeps happening, then yeah, serious retraining will be on the docket." Seg said.

"So, I'll get my badge when we get to the end of the line?" Ken asked, surprised by the idea that he was already so far along in his training.

"That depends," the gator answered, "You still need to prove that you can protect everyone inside you and the belongings they entrust you with. You might get another chance to on this trip, but if not, you're with me until you do. Not that I'd mind that much."

The alligator grinned, giving the lynel a squeeze around the small of his back. Normally, Seg didn't like sharing his passenger load with others--he was greedy after all--but he was happy to help someone new get their feet under them. It was part of the job after all. And he certainly didn't mind 'catching' anyone a trainee 'dropped'. Ken was still somewhat distraught. Here he had failed to do the job on two different counts. He was beginning to think either he would stay a trainee forever, or he might ultimately be deemed unable to perform his duties. He didn't like the sound of the latter. And the former, while it kept him in the guild, required a dedicated trainer be with him at all times. That was inconvenient for the guild.

"I hope I can figure something out soon. I don't wanna be a burden." Ken said.

"Trust me, you're not a burden. You're good company." Seg said.

"Even though I'm a bad lynel." the tauric fellow said.

"Now don't start with that again." the gator scolded.

"No, no. He's right. He's a bad lynel." came a new voice from behind the pair.

Ken and Seg wheeled around at the sound of it. They both came face to face with a pair of bandits, both dressed in what appeared to be light armor. It was significantly more than what the previous day's band had worn. And they were wielding more impressive weaponry. Neither had heard either of them as they walked. Perhaps they had been too distracted, or maybe these two had been lying in wait.

"Oh god, not this again." Seg groaned.

"Oh yes this again!" shouted one of the two bandits, "You're the big fat-ass that ate our boss! And today, we get revenge for him!"

The gator lifted a thick hand to his face, pinching two fingers against the firm structure between his eyes as if he had a headache.

"There were seven that attacked us last time. And now, there's only two of you. What makes you think you have any chance against us?" Seg asked in annoyance.

"We ain't gonna fall for any'a yer tricks this time, fer starters." said the bandit on the left.

"We've been watchin' you! We know how you move, think, and fight!" said the one on the right.

"We've got you figured out!" said the left.

"I'm sure you do," Seg sighed, "I'm gonna give you the chance to run away and never bother another guild member again, or you can get eaten like your boss. How's that sound?"

Ken had started backing away, putting the alligator between him and the bandits. There were only two this time, so he was sure to be able to handle them with ease. It was less out of fear this time and more simply not wanting to get in Seg's way when he used whatever sorcery he might on the two foolish creatures.

"Sh-shut up!" stammered one of the thieves, clearly rattled by the threat.

"Yeah! Shut up! You can't scare us!" the other cried, sounding less intimidated.

"Oh can't I? What an interesting proposition. Let's find out, shall we?" Seg said with a maniacal grin. He delved into his pouch, searching for some cursed object or potion of some sort, Ken could only guess what.

His attention faltered as new sounds reached his ears. It sounded like something big crashing through the underbrush of the forest. The lynel turned his head just in time to see a large beast emerge, trampling bushes and even knocking over a small tree to make his way onto the road. The monster had four hoofed legs, a short but dark brown pelt, and a fiery red mane. His bone-white horns curved wickedly up from the front of his head around to create a pair of gnarled hooks, very much like Ken's. It was another lynel. And this one wasn't thick and chubby like he was.

"There you are!" the new lynel bellowed. His muscular form rippled as he turned himself towards the swollen beast staring and cowering in fear of him.

"N-n-no! How did you find me!?" Ken stammered.

"You're a lynel! We aren't exactly hard to find!" the monstrous fellow roared.

"Why are you following me!? What do you want!?" the terrified trainee shouted as he slowly backed away.

Heavy hoof-falls stamped down on the grass as the frightening beast approached, keeping his green glowing eyes on his kinsman.

"You're coming back with me! You can't flee your own kind and not expect us to chase you down and drag you back for punishment!" the lynel answered with his deep, deafening voice.

"No! I won't go back! You can't make me!" Ken cried out.

His expression hardened as he remembered what Seg had told him. The lynel hunched his upper half forward a bit, looking as if he were about to charge in attack, but then swung himself about and darted off into the brush. The gator told him running was always an option. And he didn't feel encumbered by his passengers in the slightest. He felt like he could still run as fast as he might when not full. The raging monster gave chase, roaring furiously.

Seg and the two thieves were temporarily stunned by this sudden change to the situation. Just before Ken turned to flee into the woods, the bandits dropped their spears and darted away in the hopes of getting out of this unscathed. Seg turned as he heard them flee, grumbling a bit. He charged forward, giving chase to the two little thieves, determined to put an end to this little rabble once and for all. They wouldn't take long, and then he could follow the trail of destruction two lynels might make to provide what help he could. After all, Ken was a pacifist from what he could discern. He couldn't take on a 'proper' lynel as the chubby beast might put it.

Branches and bushes cracked and bowed before the heavy-set creature as he galloped away. He could hear the hooves of the monster chasing him not far away. He crashed his way through the woods, moving as quickly as he could. But, he was heavier than the perusing monster, and he also had the disadvantage of having to carve a path himself. He heard the whistling sound of several arrows streak past his head, making his heart race. Ken ducked and turned hard, changing course to prevent his attacker from having a clean shot. The lynel behind him continued to gain little by little. Ken made more turns every time he heard the whistle of an arrow pass too close.

For a moment, it felt like he might be able to keep this pace going and make the awful beast give up. Then his hopes were shattered. The trees gave way to an open stretch of grass that turned to gravel before butting up against a tall, sheer cliff that stood several hundred feet above him. Ken skidded to a halt as panic began to take him.

"Give up! There is no escape! Look at you! Did you really think you could outrun me!? You're even fatter than when you ran away from our homeland!" the lynel bellowed.

"I don't want to go back! You can't make me! I refuse!" Ken shouted back.

"Oh yes I can! And I will! You're coming back with me one way or another! Either on your own hooves, or being dragged by your hind legs!" the beast ordered.

"Why!? Why do I have to go back!? None of you wanted me there in the first place! You think I'm a disgrace!" Ken cried out.

"Disgrace, yes! But you're also a lynel! You abandoned your clan! That does not go without punishment! Submit and return to face it like the proud beast you should be!" the lynel retorted, drawing his bow again, "Or suffer here and now!"

Ken knew he wasn't going to get out of this one without violence. He watched carefully as the bow trained on him was pulled taut. His mind raced as he tried to think of what he could do to avoid the attack. Then he was struck by an idea. He was still versed in the tactics his people used. He just wasn't as good at it as the others. That might work to his advantage.

The chubby lynel poised himself, then leapt into the air as hard as he could. It was something of an impressive feat, seeing a beast that big launch so high into the air. He cleared well higher than his fellow lynel's head. The bow aimed at him tracked upwards, following him, but its owner made a fatal mistake. He was used to aiming at other lynels who could jump as high as they were supposed to. Ken fell far short of that. The attacking monster loosed his arrows, having aimed too high, and missed entirely. Ken came crashing down far too close for his target to back away in time.

A powerful thud and rumble flashed through the ground and a stout shockwave chased immediately behind it, spreading out in all directions. It knocked the more fit lynel back and threw his bow from his hands. He growled loudly as his fury spiked. The now bow-less beast reached behind him and drew a thick-bladed sword possessing a broad, wicked, curved end that if one was stabbed with, it could cleave someone in two. Before Ken could recover enough to back away, an overpoweringly strong paw clutched at his throat and the blade was shoved in his face. The enraged lynel walked him back until Ken was pressed against the cliff wall, trapping him.

"You just don't know when to stop, do you?" the livid monster growled, his voice low this time.

That was never a good sign. Lynels were boisterous and loud most of the time. When one spoke quietly, that was the time to pay attention with all of one's senses.

"I won't go back. I won't. I'm happy here. I have a life here. I have responsibilities, people who depend on me. Just tell them I was being uncooperative so you had to kill me. No one has to know." Ken offered.

"You would have me dishonor myself to conceal your own traitorous acts? You truly are the worst lynel I have ever heard of. And as for your 'life' and 'responsibilities', why don't I simply kill all of these who rely on you? You were bound to fail them eventually, I'm just sparing them the wait. We'll say it's just a small part of your punishment to watch them suffer and die because you couldn't live as you were meant to." The monster growled low in his throat.

Ken's eyes widened the minute the threat was made. Killing him was one thing. Beating him to within an inch of his life and dragging him back to face whatever horrors the others of his kind could imagine was one thing. But now innocent lives were going to be slaughtered because of him. The beast pinning him couldn't possibly know what Ken had meant by his confession, that there were others depending on him, but it didn't stop his imagination from running wild.

In his mind, Ken saw the lynel holding him against the rocky wall slice open his belly. The pain would be excruciating. Then, out spilled his passengers, some already suffering deep wounds from the opening slash. While he lay on the ground, trying to hold his wound closed out of instinct, he would watch as this monster would stab, decapitate, or even stomp on every single one of his passengers. None of them stood a chance. And he couldn't somehow offload them and hide them somewhere. This was it. He had no alternative. He had to protect them.

That was when something inside Ken simply snapped. He furrowed his brow, growled low in his throat, and parted his jaws, showing his rows of sharp pointed teeth. Smoke began to trickle from the corners of his mouth as his eyes flashed a brilliant green. The hue consumed his usually blue irises and even the whites, turning solid. The more fit of the two had not expected this and his expression melted out of fury to one of confusion. It occurred to him too late what was happening.

A fiery blast struck the offending lynel in the face, knocking him back. Another blast sent the monster's sword flying from his hand. His other arm reached for a circular shield, sharpened on a number of criss-crossing edges so it could deal damage as well. He didn't have time to position it correctly. A third blast sent the shield flying as well. Then a fist found its way to his jaw. It was so strong a blow that it lifted him off his front hooves.

Ken took the opportunity that presented itself and reached out, taking hold of the unsteadied monster, then wrapped his arms around his attacker's torso, trapping him. It was a sudden burst of aggression he had never felt before in his life, but it felt good. It felt right. Not being a ruthless monster bent on slaying others, but protecting his precious 'children'.

"I said... I'm not... going back." Ken snarled.

"Then kill me! If you can! You know as well as I do that your fire can't hurt another lynel! It's very clever of you to use it to disarm me, but if you truly wish me to stop hunting you, then you have only one course of action! You have to kill me!" he snarled right back.

"Why can't you just leave me alone!? I wasn't hurting anyone!" Ken shouted as his captive wriggled, trying to escape the powerful grasp.

When did the chubby one get so strong? Was he always this way and just never showed what he could do to anyone?

"You have dishonored the clan! That's why! I have my duty same as yours! You return with me and I keep my honor! If I do not return with you, then I am disgraced worse than you! If I cannot bring you back to face your judgment, then I might as well be dead!" the lynel roared, even taking the opportunity to try and bite at the swollen beast. His jaws clapped only on air.

"Then why go back at all? You could stay here. It's not so bad here. You don't have to fight. You don't have to kill. You could join the same guild I've joined. You could be happy here." Ken offered, trying to reason with the raging beast trapped in his arms.

"And -help- these pathetic little insects!? Is that what you're doing now!? Just how much more shame can you bring down on our people!? No! I will not join you in this pathetic farce!" the lynel snarled.

"No one has to know. They can just think you didn't succeed, either because I somehow killed you, or because you couldn't find me. Maybe they'll think you fell in battle to some other monster. You can have a better life here. Just... give it a try." Ken said softly, watching as the other lynel's struggles grew weaker. Perhaps he was getting through to him.

The trapped beast glared hatefully at him and spat the only answer he dared give. The word came with the venom and bile of such deep loathing that it was clear it would be the final one given.

"Never!" he hissed.

Ken then felt claws press against his stomach, trying to dig into his flesh as the lynel he'd managed to pin sought to fatally wound him. That would not do. Ken craned his head back, then slammed it forward, bringing his horns down to crash against the other lynel's. There was a loud clack as they made contact, sending his opponent's head rolling backwards in surprise. He righted quickly, looking at Ken in utter shock. He had seconds before another head butt struck him, this time in the face. Ken had lowered his aim to make sure one of his horns struck right where the other beast's nose was.

The blow landed, stunning the lynel. Amazingly, it didn't draw any blood. They were a hardy race after all. The trim and fit beast fell slack in Ken's arms. He didn't have long before the hateful monster recovered. He had to make a decision. He wasn't going to stop hunting until either he had dragged Ken back with him, or he was dead. And the threat to his passengers was very real, one this monster could attempt even without his weapons.

"Well, since you won't change your mind, I guess... there's really only one option. Gonna hafta take a page out of Seg's book." Ken said.

The lynel squeezed his eyes shut and grunted, clenching his jaws as he concentrated all his effort on a single task. He could feel the weight hanging under him lighten as the swell of his upper belly distended further and further. One by one, he moved everyone riding down below up to his first stomach. He grunted as he was stretched more and more, pushing the lynel in his arms further out, lifting him further off the ground. At least it might help make it a bit easier moving him. When Ken's lower stomach was finally empty, he panted a little. He had never felt so full in his life, at least one half of him. He wanted to just stop right there and revel in it. But he couldn't.

"Okay, sorry for the sudden relocate folks. I needed the extra room downstairs. It's gonna be a little tight for a little while." Ken said.

There came a gentle churning in his gut. His passengers were all getting situated and comfortable all over again. And Ken fought to keep from going cross-eyed. Why did it have to feel so good?

Just as he was on the edge of letting himself sink into the stimulation-induced trance that was coming on, the lynel started to twitch, slowly beginning to come around. He couldn't wait. Ken opened his jaws as wide as he could manage without hurting himself and shoved the beast's head in. It was a challenge to say the least. All his previous 'meals' were much smaller than him, and didn't have any serious obstacles or protruding features to have to work around. This fellow was every bit as big as he was, save for Ken's added chubbiness. Those wicked, curved horns weren't pleasant to contend with, but he pushed on.

The first hard gulp sank the lynel's head deep into the bloated fellow's chest. He wasn't messing around. He'd already reached the monster's shoulders. Ken grunted again, reaching down to take hold of the chocolate-hued beast's 'hips' and shove. The grand curve of his enormous upper belly actually did help. It was like having a table or counter to work on top of. And within a few moments, Ken had managed to stuff the entirety of the other lynel's upper half in past his jaws. His teeth grazed gently across the transition between the two halves, meaning he was about to reach a very difficult portion.

Inside, the still woozy beast was starting to come around, looking about in the dark, wet, warm interior. He couldn't figure out where he was or what was happening to him, but he could feel that heat sliding up over him. A sharp shove pushed his head deeper. Ken's torso bulged heavily as he stretched his jaws around his meal's forelegs. Oh he was going to be sore in the morning, but at least he'd managed to get the monster's head out of range of his precious cargo, aiming him somewhere he couldn't hurt anyone.

"Wha... what? Where am I?" the lynel said groggily.

A noisy gurgle filled his ears along with a number of other sounds coming from Ken's interior. Then came a noise he could only possibly identify as a 'gulp'. He felt his barreled lower chest suddenly enveloped in the wet heat he was surrounded in. A row of sharp points grazed over his form but never dug in. The more he came to a wakeful state, the more the lynel realized what was going on.

As soon as he did, he fought with all his might. Ken grunted and held his stomach as he felt intense motion. He had to finish the job and fast. The cranky beast could still hurt his passengers if he wanted to. The gluttonous beast began gulping as heartily and rapidly as he could muster. It was a shame he had to go so fast. It turned out this burly fellow was very tasty.

Weight began dragging Ken's lower belly down again. Oddly, he felt a strange sense of relief, like he didn't feel right being so light now that he was used to having people ride in him. Maybe that was what Seg had meant when he said he was greedy. With so much of the monster now trapped, and pointed downward, the swollen fellow didn't feel as strong a need to push to make progress. The lynel slid down, dragged in by the force of gravity. His hind legs kicked and wriggled about in the air before they were drawn in after the rest of him. Ken's belly bulged hard, pushing all four of his legs apart to keep him stable. His jaws closed behind the last of the beast's tail, and sighed in relief.

The trapped lynel thrashed about angrily as he was crammed into the tight confines of his predator's gut. And yet, he couldn't seem to effect any real progress in escaping. Not even his claws were of much use. It was too slick, and he was contorted into too odd a posture to be able to dig in. He could only rock and kick about in the hopes that he might give Ken indigestion.

"You coward! I'll rip you open from the inside! I'll drag you back by your entrails!" he roared.

The sound was muffled heavily, but still somewhat coherent to anyone outside. Ken panted and belched loudly. He had never eaten anything--or anyone for that matter--nearly as large. He felt like he was about to pop. And yet, he couldn't believe how wonderful it felt.

"You just... go ahead and try. Ooo, don't stop. That feels great!" Ken moaned.

The over-stuffed lynel massaged the heavy swell of his upper belly now that he didn't have to worry about being attacked. The swell of his second stomach pressed against the ground and bulged out on either side, wobbling and struggling. He couldn't help himself. He began rocking forward against the motion, grunting and moaning. As soon as he started doing that, the lynel inside froze, his eyes going wide. He suddenly realized that all his struggles were giving the greedy, fat beast a great deal of pleasure. The rocking and swaying only confirmed it.

"Stop that! Stop that this instant! I will not be some toy for your perverted exploits!" he bellowed.

"Sorry, can't stop... it's... it's too much!" Ken moaned, genuinely regretting using the other lynel like this, but he couldn't help it at this point.

"Don't stop. Let him feel all of it!" shouted Seg as he jogged slowly towards the bloated, almost immobile monster. He grinned broadly as he took in the sight.

"Oh... hey... sorry for... running off." Ken said breathlessly, then shivered as he felt a hard kick from down below. It triggered loud moan from him.

The alligator slowed to a stop and gave the angry gut a firm pat, laughing harder than he felt he should.

"Don't you apologize for anything! Damn son! I didn't know you had it in you! You ate him whole! I think that earns you a spot in the high capacity group!" Seg cried with glee.

Ken moaned and whimpered, still rocking away as his length twitched, drooling down the curve of his overstuffed gut. He was just about to ask Seg for help when he shivered and arched his back, loosing a mighty roar. His length bucked hard and painted the same sticky mess he'd worn the other day, feeling the warm ooze trickle down his bloated gut until it reached the ground. Ken huffed and slowed his breathing and humping until he found himself simply laying on top of giant swell of his lower half.

"Damn... I... I didn't know... it felt... that good. Being this full." Ken sputtered through gasps.

"Yeah, it sure does. Now you know why I'm so eager to stuff myself as full as I can get!" Seg said, patting his own heavy, bulbous gut. It was slightly larger than when last they saw each other.

"You... caught the bandits?" Ken asked.

"You bet!" Seg nodded, moving to lean against the lynel and wrap an arm around the small of his back, "Stuffe'em in where their boss and friends went. I'm probably not gonna need lunch. But you, you're probably not gonna need lunch, dinner, or breakfast tomorrow! I'm kinda jealous!"

Ken laughed tiredly and leaned against the friendly gator, keeping one hand on his tightly packed upper stomach. He was enjoying both swells well more than he anticipated he would.

"Maybe. It just depends," the lynel said, then turned to look back at his lower half which had settled down quite a bit, "Are you finished in there? Done throwing your little temper tantrum?"

A growl came from his gut, but it wasn't the gut itself.

"Release me!" the trapped monster shouted.

"Why? So you can kill me and my passengers? So you can drag me back to a place where I was miserable? No. That's not happening. I'll let you out, but only so long as you choose to either go back without me or choose to stay on and behave yourself. Things work differently here." Ken replied.

Seg blinked at the lynel, not sure what he was doing.

"Are you actually trying to convert him?" the gator asked.

"If I can, sure. Why not? Who knows? He might like it if he gives it a try." Ken replied.

"I'll do no such thing!" the lynel roared, clearly not out of energy, but not interested in giving his captor another orgasm, "Once I escape, I'll tear you to ribbons!"

"Then you're not coming out. You're just gonna sit in there. Either you'll change your mind and be nice, or you'll eventually get digested." Ken said.

"Then do it already, coward!" the voice from inside shouted.

"I'll give you a few days to think about it. It'll probably take that long to get to the end of the line. Maybe longer now that I gotta haul your angry butt around with me. It'll give you plenty of time to weigh your options." Ken replied, then turned back to look at Seg.

"Are you doing this so you won't be the only lynel around here?" the gator asked.

"I hadn't really thought about that, honestly. I just don't wanna hafta kill anyone if I don't have to. And I can't let him out if he's just gonna go on a rampage. Maybe a few days in there will mellow him." Ken said.

"Yeah, mellow him into more lynel pudge!" Seg laughed, giving his trainee's belly a gentle prod.

"Maybe. It's up to him. But, honestly, I didn't know I had it in me. I fought him. I fought him and won." Ken said, sounding like he didn't even believe it himself.

"You sure did! I'm proud of you! You proved you're willing to do whatever it takes to protect your passengers. Sure, running would have worked if he hadn't caught you, but you took him down, and you did it by being a lynel. And a damn good one." Seg said, slapping Ken on the back in congratulations.

A smile crept into the beast's face, his cheeks flushing softly.

"Thanks. I guess I'm not the worst after all, huh?" he asked.

"Not at all. In fact, I'd say you've earned this." Seg said, reaching into his pouch before producing a badge similar to his. It was still largely generic in design, but it was much more official looking than the one Ken had been wearing.

The lynel's eyes widened as the badge was handed over to him, marveling at the weight of it in his palm. It felt good. And he had indeed earned it.

"Really!? But, what about the one I lost!? Don't I have to prove I can go long distance without digesting anyone I don't mean to?" Ken asked.

"That'll come with time. And this'll help in case it happens. Just, don't overuse it. The guild gets cranky if we take advantage of it. And this isn't your final one. When we get to Shirebrook, we'll get you to the clan hall there and they'll make one for you that's more personalized." Seg said.

"Wow," Ken said in a hushed tone, "I actually made it. I'm in the guild."

"That's right, our first ever lynel. You're gonna fit in great. I'll probably keep you with me for a few more trips down the line, just to help you get the hang of things, get people used to seeing you. It'll help build your confidence." the gator explained.

"I'd like that very much," Ken said, the gasped as he felt a strong kick from below, "Ooo, keep that up and I may just try to keep you in there forever."

Seg frowned a bit, not terribly amused by that.

"You know you can't keep him forever," he paused, watching as Ken's expression fell, "It'll hurt your ability to stow passengers for the guild."

That brought the lynel right back up with a chortle.

---

Days passed. More passengers were dropped off. More were taken on. The alligator and lynel made their way through a number of small towns as the week carried on until at last, they reached the end of the line, Shirebrook. It was larger than any of the other villages they'd passed through and it was still growing. It wasn't as impressive as Telk, but it was rapidly becoming a prized and favorite destination for many travelers. There was even talk of a new route being opened up between Shirebrook and another settlement further out, completing a big loop in the Guild's coverage.

That was fortuitous. If it was to happen, they would need new members to run the new route. Both Ken and Seg found the idea very enticing. They chatted on for a while about what it might be like, how long they would get to go without having to exchange customers. It all sounded quite lovely. Eventually though, Seg's attention was forced in a new direction. He felt a firm kick from low in his belly, not unpleasant, but certainly enough for him to notice.

"Well, it's about time. I was wondering when these two were gonna want out." the gator said with a grin, running a large palm over his stomach. It was considerably smaller than Ken had grown used to seeing, but still heavy and round.

"Those two special passengers you mentioned?" the lynel asked.

"Yeah, they're finally awake and ready to come out. I swear, each time I do this, the longer these two want to stay put. I worry that at some point they're just gonna wanna go the full term," Seg paused, "Well, I suppose 'worry' is the wrong word. 'Wonder' is more like, I guess."

Ken's eyes got rather large as he squeezed his legs around the still very large gut hanging under him. The trapped lynel had been behaving himself, not causing him much trouble. Getting around with him in there had been interesting to say the least. But Ken oh so adored it. He was wondering if he might be able to take on enough passengers to match the size and weight once this little adventure was over.

"You can hold someone in there for nine months!?" the chubby lynel asked excitedly.

"Oh yeah. I could go as long as I want, honestly. It's just when you do that kind of thing, it tends to have something of an effect on whoever's in there." Seg replied.

"An effect? What kind of effect?" Ken asked.

"Well, usually they regress, go back to being child-like. They can stay that way, or they can slowly grow back up. I've heard of some folks who stick someone in and literally never let them out. It's extremely rare, but it happens. You can imagine my envy." the gator grinned, still rubbing his stomach.

The pair had started walking, aiming for a quiet area somewhere in the guild hall. That usually meant upstairs in the general quarters area. Like the hall back in Telk, there were several simply furnished bedrooms for their members. The furniture was reinforced for large people like Seg and Ken, thankfully. They found their way to an unused bedroom and the gator sat down on the bed, sighing quietly as he fawned over his belly more, soaking up the sensations of his two 'kids' moving around inside.

"Does it really feel that good? Better than if you swallow them?" Ken asked as he moved to lay down in front of the alligator. His enormous, overstuffed lower belly pushed out gently on either side. A quiet little grumble sounded from within as his prisoner continued to behave himself.

Ken wasn't sure what he was going to do about the big guy in there. Seg wasn't concerned.

"Oh yes," the ghostly alligator nodded, "It's a whole other kind of satisfaction. I'd be happy to tell you more about it once I get these two out. They've been good sports, I shouldn't let them wait too much longer."

"So, how does this work? Do they just... crawl out on their own?" Ken asked.

"Not really. I kind of have to let them out." Seg said, moving to lay back across the bed properly.

The gator shifted in place for a moment, getting comfortable, then hiked his legs up, paws on the mattress, knees in the air, thighs spread wide. He ran his palms over his gravid dome one last time then closed his eyes and relaxed all the necessary muscles. His gut stirred as the two within began to push about, looking for the exit. Seg hissed quietly as he felt the presence of one of his passengers work its way down from his middle to his groin. It was a gentle, constant pressure that began to spread him from the inside out. After a few moments, the gator inhaled sharply as he felt his nethers part. Ken watched on quietly, not able to see much of anything other than a shifting, wobbling belly. The gator's heavy sac--no longer housing the two canids who had dove in days ago--was still large enough to obscure the view.

The pink, fleshy orbs jostled about gently until a blue hand pushed its way out from underneath them. Seg shuddered and moved his hands down from his belly to his crotch, hoisting the weighty swells out of the way. As he did, he revealed a smallish blue drake trying to wiggle his way out of the gator's puffy folds. He was adorned with a pair of black horns, two tall pointed ears, and two cheek frills that were spread open as he exerted himself. He was covered in a shiny layer of moisture, grunting and struggling to pull himself free. The gator gave a gentle push with his canal, which helped the dragon make his exit. Seg's petals stretched wide as the blue drake's middle emerged, revealing a generous swell about his own stomach. He gripped at the sheets and began pulling, putting up a good fight to get loose of the gator's hungry cleft. Another push saw him squeezed out right up to his knees. From there, the smaller fellow was able to tug himself free. The dragon flopped onto his back and panted for breath, his own swollen gut standing over him, his wings fanning out on the bed behind him.

"That's one. Now for the other." Seg said, shivering as his second passenger immediately followed the first.

The alligator's folds had closed back up, but almost as soon as they had, a green hand emerged. The instant they parted again, Seg gasped just like before. This time, he didn't wait for this one to wriggle out too far. He simply clenched up and pushed, careful not to put too much force into it. He didn't want to hurt anyone. A head popped free, just as green as the arm; another drake similar to the first, though without horns or cheek frills. The blue dragon sat up and reached forward, taking the green fellow's hands to help pull. The act saw a good portion of the still mostly trapped drake slip out, revealing he was without wings. Seg shivered as his second 'child' was dragged free, leaving him completely empty.

He hated that; being completely empty.

The alligator let his sac fall back onto the bed as he dropped his head back down on the pillows behind him with a heavy flop. The green drake was tugged out of him so strongly he knocked the blue onto his back, where his emerald sibling landed on top of him. The pair lay there in each other's arms, trying to catch their breath. Ken simply stared in wonder. He had never witnessed anything quite like that before. After a quiet moment, the alligator sat back up, having collected himself. Seg reached forward and pulled both of the smaller boys into his lap, letting them rest against his still impressive gut. They immediately clung to him while still adjusting to the outside world.

"Ken, meet Smokey and Degyn. Boys, this is Ken, my new trainee." Seg said.

The blue dragon lifted a hand to wave tiredly, as did the green.

"Hello." Smokey said, before pressing against his sibling. The wingless green had taken to fawning over the blue one's round stomach.

"Nice to meet you." Degyn said.

"Hello. It's a pleasure." Ken replied, unsure what else to say.

"These two have been making trips back and forth across the wilderness in there for years. I'm their favorite." Seg said with a chuckle.

"With how much time we've spent in there, we've started calling him dad." Smokey said.

Ken's heart fluttered a bit at the notion. It was adorable, and he could not help but envy the big gator.

"That's so sweet," he said, "You two are lucky to have him for a dad."

"More it's me who's lucky to have two great little boys." Seg grinned, giving the still recovering dragons a warm squeeze in his big, heavy arms.

"Well, hopefully we won't have to wait too terribly long to dive back in," Degyn said, "You planning to pick up any passengers tonight or tomorrow, dad?"

"I think I'm going to take it a little easy for the time being. I don't like being empty, but it makes me appreciate being full that much more if I take a day or two between runs," Seg replied, "Why don't you two go get cleaned up? I'm sure you've got things you'd like to do now that you're in town."

"Okay, just don't go too far. We might want to come back for a place to sleep tonight." Smokey said.

"My belly is always open to the two of you, even if it's just for the night." Seg said.

The two dragons pulled away from the alligator reluctantly. They climbed down off the bed before pressing against one another, side to side, the green still offering fond attention to his blue dragon's large, curved belly. They whispered to one another, giggling as they walked out to go find a place where they could clean up. Meanwhile, Seg was busy removing the two pouches from his belt that belonged to them, tucking the red vest that belonged to the blue drake into the proper sack.

The gator reclined again and sighed, running his palms over his now empty middle. Ken stood up and carefully climbed up onto the bed to join him. The lynel laid down on his side, then draped an arm across the gator, pressing his nose against Seg's shoulder.

"Once you get used to being full, it's no fun being empty again, is it?" Ken asked.

Seg shook his head a bit, slipping an arm around the cuddly beast. He lifted one of his legs to press it against the still monstrously stuffed belly down below, giving it a bit of appreciation.

"No, not really. You grow to miss having people in there. And what about this one? You figured out what you wanna do with him? He'll keep you fed for quite a while if you digest him." Seg said.

The comment prompted a firm stirring from under Ken's short pelt. He rumbled and squeezed his hind legs against his still bloated gut, appreciating the motion, which died down very quickly.

"I don't know. I kind of don't want to digest him. He's just doing what lynel's do. I'm the one that broke from the norm. If I let him out, he's just gonna try to drag me back all over again. And a lot of people could get hurt along the way." Ken said.

"Well, you're gonna have to do something. You can't just leave him there forever. As tempting as I bet it is." Seg replied.

"Oh god is it tempting!" Ken laughed, squeezing in against the gator, "I can't describe how good it feels!"

"Well, once he's gone, you can make sure you get stuffed right to the gills with people who are looking for safe passage," Seg mused, "But, a decision has to be made."

"Right, gotta do something," Ken said, going quiet for a moment until his eyes landed on the gator's badge, "You said that you can use this to 'catch' people you end up digesting, right?"

The alligator looked down at his guild badge, unsure exactly where this might be going.

"Yeah, but usually it's meant to catch folks that others digest. If you could bring back your own passengers it would create the temptation to just digest and reform them over and over again. An endless cycle." Seg said.

"Yeah, but... what if you caught him?" Ken asked, his eyes bright and hopeful.

The gator furrowed his brow softly, confused about what he was up to.

"You want me to catch him for you? Why? What good would that do? It would just move the question of what do with him from you to me." Seg replied.

"Right. Sorry. I guess it was a silly idea." Ken said, pressing his face against the gator's side to hide it.

"Don't get me wrong, I'd probably enjoy the hell out of being stuffed with a guy that big. I just had my sights set on gobbling you up instead, since I'll bet you'd enjoy it." the gator said.

Ken grinned and leaned up to give his mentor a kiss on the cheek, then squeezed him again.

"I probably would. Hell, I wouldn't mind trying to fit in where those two cute little boys had been hiding. You made it sound like you really enjoyed that more than just eating someone." the swollen lynel mused.

"Yeah, that's pretty tempting. You'd definitely be the biggest person to fit in there." Seg replied with a laugh.

"God I wish I could try that out for myself, carrying someone like that. It sounds wonderful. I gotta say I'm jealous that you've got a pair of boys that keep coming back to you for their trips, and call you dad." Ken confessed.

The alligator grinned as an idea began to form in his mind. He might be able to do exactly what he wanted after all and have the perfect excuse to. He gave the lynel a firm squeeze before rolling onto his side to face him properly, trying very hard to ignore his empty middle.

"What would you say if I told you there was a way to give you a chance to try it for yourself?" Seg asked.

Ken blinked quietly, wondering if perhaps the gator was pulling his tail.

"Well, I'd be really excited to try it. But as far as I know, it's not something I can do. I don't exactly have the equipment for it." he said.

"I could fix that for you," Seg said, his grin widening, "It just takes a while."

Slowly, Ken's mind started piecing together an idea of what the gator might mean. He couldn't bring himself to dare to hope, so he pressed with questions, wanting Seg to explain further.

"How long would it take?" the lynel asked in a small, quietly hopeful voice.

"About nine months," the gator grinned, "Maybe longer depending on how I'm feeling."

Ken's heart skipped a beat, his eyes growing huge as he clung to Seg.

"You mean... I go in... then when I come out-" he trailed off.

"You'll be ready to try your hand at 'fatherhood'." Seg said.

Ken almost squealed with delight, wrapping his arms around the big gator and clinging tight to him. He couldn't help but squirm in excitement as he let himself imagine what it might be like.

"I don't know what to say! That's so generous of you!" the lynel cried.

"Hey now, I get something out of this too. I get to be big, heavy, and pregnant for a full term, maybe longer if I'm feeling extra greedy. But before we can do anything about it, there's still the matter of the other guy." Seg said, curling his tail forward to brush against Ken's hugely fat lower gut.

"Oh, right," Ken said, a damper falling on his enthusiasm, "Gotta figure out what to do with him."

"As much fun as it might be to tug you in just like you are, he's gonna get in the way of the whole nine months of changing if he's in your stomach." Seg said.

"Yeah, that makes sense," Ken said, searching his mind for a solution before he came back to what was discussed earlier, "What if he was in -your- stomach?"

"Then I'd probably digest him to feed both of us." the gator said matter-of-factly.

That renewed the angry squirming in Ken's belly, making him shiver.

"Ooo, can you control where you catch someone? Like, instead of putting him in your stomach, you put him in where I'm going?" the lynel asked.

Seg raised an eye ridge, starting to get an idea of what Ken was thinking.

"Are you suggesting that instead of one big, giant lynel for a cub, I give myself a pair of twins?" the gator replied.

"Maybe it might help mellow him a bit. Maybe I can train him to be in the guild." Ken said, almost sounding like he might be pleading.

"And what if you can't keep him under control?" Seg asked, not wanting to discourage but wanting to bring up a serious concern.

"Well, then I'll stick him back in me until he can calm down. We know I can. And maybe after I come back out, I can use my new 'equipment' instead of just swallowing him?" Ken offered.

Seg sighed quietly and torqued his jaw a little as he considered the idea. Having twins as big as Ken was deeply enticing. And Ken had proven he could keep this cranky fellow in check if necessary.

"Alright. Alright, I'll do it. You'll have a twin brother. Though I can't speak for how he'll come out. He might get the same kind of change as you." the gator said.

Ken grinned brightly, squirming in Seg's arms.

"That might help him fit in! Give him someone to hold in there, he gets used to it, grows to enjoy it, decides this whole thing isn't so bad!" he said with a huge smile.

"Maybe. Guess we'll just have to see. First things first. You have to digest him so I can catch him. Then, in you go." Seg said.

"Right! Should get started on that!" Ken said, then looked down at his giant, gently squirming belly, "Alright, we're gonna move you to your new home, and once you're there, I'll be crawling in to join you. You be good, you hear?"

A growl came from under his dark fur, the beast inside not amused at all.

"It doesn't matter what prison you hold me in! I will never submit!" the angry lynel shouted.

Ken sighed and looked back up at Seg.

"Guess I'm gonna hafta be the big brother and take real good care of him." he said.

The gator snickered, enjoying the idea of having this sweet, cuddly monster for a son.

"Yes you will. Now get to it. No time like the present." Seg said.

Ken nodded and closed his eyes, relaxing himself. In the process, he relaxed the mental muscle that he'd been keeping flexed for so long, trying not to digest anyone while on his trip. He'd gotten pretty good at it, in spite of his one little slip up. His belly gurgled noisily as it began its work on the cranky fellow he'd been holding for so long. For a brief moment, there was a surge in movement down below, making Ken shiver heartily. He moaned, wishing it would keep going long enough for him to find the same satisfaction as when he'd first stuffed the angry guy in. Unfortunately, it didn't last very long. His lumpy gut smoothed out, quickly becoming soft and pliable. Ken opened his mouth to let out a long, powerful belch.

A new shiver ran up his spine. Why did it feel so good digesting someone? That was dangerous. He shouldn't enjoy that. He was supposed to keep people safe in there.

"Ooo, there we go... he's getting worked over." Ken said.

"Good. Give it a little bit and he'll make the jump. By the way, that's a lot you're gonna hafta work off. You might come back out chubbier than you are now." Seg said.

"Is that not okay?" the bloated lynel asked.

"I wouldn't mind, honestly. I think a chubbier you would make you that much more friendly looking. And it might give you a little bump in capacity. And who in the guild doesn't want to be able to stuff more people in them?" the gator replied with a grin.

Ken mirrored the alligator's grin, squirming all over again as his belly slowly shrank. It would take hours for him to finish, but he didn't want to wait that long before ending up inside his mentor's belly. It was so odd that he was suddenly so eager to be someone else's prey. And yet here he was, about to be vanished into another person's tummy. Before he did, though, he wanted to make sure he had not killed the mean lynel he had eaten. As if Ken had willed it to happen, the alligator's stomach began to swell, stretching and expanding as its owner groaned.

Seg rolled back onto his back and cupped his palms against the growing bulge. This was bigger than anything he'd managed before, forcing him past his usual, self-imposed limits. It was a rule of thumb he followed, not because he couldn't go beyond it, but because he was concerned that if he went too far, he might not be satisfied with anything short of immobility. And that was dangerous for him. He had to be able to move. Otherwise what was the point of being in the guild. He knew he was going well past that limit, but it was only for a while, and it was for a good cause. Ken backed away slowly to give the gator as much room as he might need, his eyes going wide again as Seg's tummy just kept growing. It spread and swelled until it pinned his legs to the bed, stopping only as it just about reached his feet. The vast, white dome stood taller above the gator than he did when standing up.

And that was just one lynel. He had agreed to take two of them!

Ken moved in close once the growth had stopped, pressing his palms against the taut dome, caressing and kneading at it firmly. It brought all manner of noises from the gator. He sounded almost as if he was in pain, but when Ken stopped, fearing he might be making him uncomfortable, Seg reached out and grasped one of his wrists, dragging him right back in to continue. It was clear he was enjoying it the way Ken had been.

The lynel, delighted by the revelation, continued his work before getting an idea. He stood up and moved around to the lower curve of the mountain that was the gator's belly. He reared back and leaned in, landing on the huge gut, then lowered his upper half to lay all the way across the vast swell. His legs squeezed at the warm dome, making the alligator rumble in deep satisfaction.

"Everything settled where it should be?" Ken asked.

"Oh yeah, he's in there. He's probably asleep, but he's in there. Oh god... this is fantastic... I... I can't describe it." Seg said breathlessly.

"I can imagine," Ken said with a grin, continuing to massage the giant tattooed gut with every limb at his disposal, "Ready for me to join?"

"Not yet, not yet. I wanna enjoy this for a moment. Keep doing that. I'm... I'm almost there." Seg moaned.

The chubby lynel nodded, doing whatever the gator might like. He was granting him an enormous wish after all. The least he could do was provide his soon-to-be daddy with at least one good orgasm before he went in. It was a shame the gator's belly was so large that it concealed his groin. Ken might have offered him one last good ride. In fact, his gut was so big and covered so much, the lynel was starting to wonder how he planned on getting in. Surely Seg would have a solution. Ken pushed it out of his mind and continued to massage the gator's stomach, pleased by the reaction he was getting.

The white alligator lay there on his back, pinned, eyes closed, jaws hanging open, moaning with every squeeze of his gut. His fears were strongly present in his mind. He might end up addicted to the size if he wasn't careful. The louder part of his mind screamed at him to ignore that and focus on the massage his midsection was getting. He huffed and panted, running his hands across the exposed white hide that Ken was leaving out. It felt like every square inch of the skin of his tummy was electrified. The gator wiggled his hips under the heavy weight as his breath started to catch in his throat.

He could feel something moving in there. The lynel Ken had given him to hold was stirring. He wasn't waking up, just moving, the involuntary motions of someone deep asleep. That sent a new fire through him and he loosed a mighty bellow that shook the walls of the bedroom. Below, unseen under the heavy bulk of his vast gut, Seg's aching rod bucked about, unable to move much given the weight pinning it down. But it didn't stop it from making an impressive mess. But it wasn't the sole source of the sticky puddle he was making. His nethers quaked and convulsed as the movement in his womb--the sensations amplified by how vast he had been stretched--sent him over the edge. The gator's whole form quivered as he was taken by climax, left unwilling to do anything but lay there and bask in the afterglow.

Ken had been able to tell by his mentor's gestures and noises that he had finished, but didn't move. He simply lay there, staying right where he was until the gator told him otherwise. It was pretty comfortable, much to his delight and surprise. It took several moments for Seg to finally ease down off the high of his dual peak. Finally, he managed to speak.

"You'd better climb off." he said.

Ken did so quickly, his eyes growing wide with worry.

"I wasn't hurting you, was I?" he asked.

"No. But if you had stayed there, I might have tried to get you to do that all over again, and just not let you climb off. It's so tempting to have you just do that again." the gator said with a laugh.

Ken just grinned, his cheeks flushing.

"Oh. Good. Glad you're enjoying yourself. I'm just not sure how I'm gonna get in." he said.

"You're gonna go in the way both of you are gonna eventually come out, how Smokey and Degyn came out." Seg said, grunting as he attempted to heft himself up.

The burly alligator rocked a bit before finally managing to sit himself up. Then, he turned, dragging his enormous gut to the edge of the bed. It dropped off the edge to the floor with a gentle thud, permitting him to stand. He sighed and leaned forward against his giant stomach, using it to prop himself up in a position that, without support, would have landed him on the floor face first. He hoisted his broad, thick tail up out of the way, showing Ken the pucker that he had filled just a few days ago as well as the pink, fleshy crevice he was to disappear into.

"I'm impressed you could actually move. But, are you sure I can fit? I mean, it's gonna be one hell of a stretch." the lynel said.

"Come hell or high water, you're going in. Now c'mon. Let's get this show on the road." Seg said.

Ken shrugged and slipped off the bed, making his way around it to confront the gator's entry. It was still glistening from earlier, looking terribly inviting. The lynel crouched down behind the presenting fellow and lifted his hands, hesitating as he tried to figure out exactly what to do.

"So, do I just... push in?" he asked.

"Yeah, that's about the size of it," Seg answered, "Get yourself started. I'll try to take care of the rest. I should be able to handle getting you in."

Ken shrugged and reached forward, pressing his fingers against the quivering folds before him. They were hot to the touch, not enough to burn, but so warm he was concerned that the gator might be feverish. Or at least he might have been were he feeling that kind of warmth coming off the gator's forehead. Here, it was pretty normal as far as he knew. Here, it was actually rather nice, slipping his hands into somewhere so very warm. The alligator moaned and tried to keep from pushing back onto the lynel just yet. Seg was eager to get him in, but it was probably best to take this relatively slow. Ken wasn't his ordinary customer after all.

The chubby tauric beast wiggled his arms back and forth to sink into the heated, moist depths before him until he had managed to reach his elbows. The white rump in front of him flexed as Seg tried to maintain his composure, squeezing the lynel's arms from time to time. Ken took a breath, more to brace himself rather than to hold it for fear he might suffocate, and leaned in, pressing the end of his blunt muzzle against the trembling flesh hugging his forearms. His horns presented an interesting problem, giving him cause to worry about the alligator. But if there was any trouble, Seg wasn't letting on that it existed. Ken just pressed on slowly, ready to pull back in case things got too uncomfortable for the gator.

They never seemed to. In fact, as the walls pulsed and contracted around him, Ken started to wonder how the two drakes had managed to escape. He could feel the muscular walls already trying to drag him inward. There was no point in trying to fight them, so he timed pushing forward with the brief but firm tug of each contraction. His efforts were rewarded with a warm splash over his shoulders. Ken wasn't going to stop, and Seg wasn't going to let him. The dark, humid environment the lynel was sliding into only beckoned him further. It hadn't been especially cold on their trip, but if he had known he could have used the gator as a warm, cozy place to sleep at night, he'd have probably jumped at the opportunity.

The swollen alligator flexed his thighs, inhaling sharply as he drew the chubby beast in right up to the waist, the boundary between his upper half, and his much larger lower half. This was where things would get hairy, but neither one stopped, not even for a moment to pause and rest. Ken curled his forelegs in against his barreled chest and pushed forward with his hind legs. His flanks flexed just as the gator's thighs did, filling the room with a dull, wet squelch. Seg cried out as he felt his nethers stretch further and further, slowly slurping up the tauric fellow he had agreed to take in. Inside, Ken was beginning to curl up. Much of him had already entered the well-filled womb he would be calling home. The other beast already present stirred again, grunting a little as he began to approach wakefulness.

Ken couldn't see his future brother, but he could feel his motion, and how it had picked up. He pushed forward with his hind legs again, grunting loudly as he reached his limit. He couldn't make any further progress. His hooves slipped on the wooden floor, now soaked in the gator's dribbling moisture. He couldn't gain purchase to finish the task. A 'gulp' dragged his rump in, shocking the lynel. He wasn't going to need to after all. And from the noises the alligator was making, that mess was going to get even bigger.

Seg panted between bellows of climax, having been wracked by three already. He could scarcely see over his ridiculously swollen stomach, hugging and clinging to it desperately, as if it might escape somehow. He had to finish the task. He squeezed his eyes shut, clenched his jaw, and pulled with all his might. Slowly, the heavy, muscular legs of the lynel he had been training passed between his poor abused folds. Then, with a quiet pop, he felt Ken's rear hooves slip in past his labia. The fleshy lips remained gaping for a moment as they slowly pulsed, ever so gradually returning to their normal shape and size, closing behind his second 'child'. He had done it. They were both sealed away. And he hadn't ripped open!

"Okay... that's... that's both of you. Comfy?" Seg asked breathlessly.

"So far so good! Are you alright? You've got to be so big you can't move!" Ken called out, his voice muffled by layers of gator flesh and fat.

"I'm just fine. Better than fine." he replied.

"Good," Ken said, "Hope we aren't inconveniencing you."

A grumble came from somewhere nearby deep in the dark, fleshy chamber the lynel was acclimating to, curling up against the other bulky fellow.

"When I get out of here, I'm going to kill you." said the still cranky beast, sounding very groggy, making his threat sound quite hollow.

"Oh stop it. I could have digested you and let that be the end of it. This is better, isn't it?" Ken asked.

"Hardly. I'm still trapped in someone's gut. And now I'm stuck in here with you." he snarled sleepily.

"It's a little cramped, but it'll be fine. And now we get to be brothers. That's great!" the friendlier of the two said in a chipper fashion.

"I'd rather be dead." the angry lynel grumbled.

"You'll change your tune. I'm sure of it. What's your name?" Ken asked.

For a moment, the other lynel didn't want to answer, but he knew they had nothing but time, time that the chubby one would spend peppering him with questions until he gave in. Maybe he could just answer and go back to sleep. Then this bad dream would be over sooner.

"Ruul." he said curtly.

"Nice to meet you, Ruul. I'm Ken, which is short for Kentaro." the other beast said, slipping his arms around the disgruntled one, giving him a firm squeeze.

Ruul squirmed to try and get away, but found he couldn't do so effectively. Eventually, he gave in and just let the chubby fellow have his way. It wasn't that bad actually, he thought to himself, even though Ken was supposedly a disgrace.

The motion in Seg's womb continued, sending bolts of lightning shooting up his spine in powerful waves. When everything had settled inside and it felt as though both his boys had fallen asleep, he found he could finally catch his breath, sighing in relief. It had been an unbelievable experience, but he was ready for a break. When he was absolutely certain both lynels were lost to their dreams, Seg began his work.

A series of changes began to occur. Inside, both of the large, burly monsters began to shrink, loosing mass as well as years. They were growing younger and younger. Seg's belly began to shrink as well, no longer needing to stretch quite so far to house two fully grown taurs, but only enough to house a pair of twin lynel cubs. It took over an hour but his belly finally receded to a point where he felt he could squeeze through the door again. The warm tingle that passed through his gut whenever he regressed someone sank down to his thighs and up through his chest, as well as his groin. Seg flopped back on his bed and kneaded away at his heavy, occupied gut now that he could stand to have it on top of him again without getting crushed. His hands drifted down to his crotch, feeling over the features below. He grinned as his fingers danced over everything, finding he had gained a fair bit of mass from the two boys. It all had to go somewhere. And he was sure he'd developed a thicker layer of chub for himself as well, no doubt Ken's fault.

"Mmm, I love gaining from adopting kids like you. You end up getting the ultimate fatherly figure." Seg mused.

He spent a good while just catching his breath and adjusting to being pregnant. This wasn't like when Smokey and Degyn were curled up in there. They could slip out whenever everyone involved felt like it. No, he was locked in at this point. He was connected to the two lynel cubs he carried. He was going to have to eat for all three of them, and since they were far larger than Smokey and Degyn--even as cubs--he'd need to eat a lot.

When the gator's stomach growled angrily at him, demanding to be fed, Seg finally obeyed and rolled off the mattress. He made his way down to the main guild hall, hands on his belly the whole way. He couldn't help but feel like people were staring at him. A big, nude, pregnant alligator with his groin exposed; what else could they possibly have to stare at? Not only that, but Seg was sure he had 'the glow' by now. Before he could feed his cubs, he had to take care of a little business.

The gator waddled his way up to the desk of the quartermaster, grinning broadly.

"Hey there big guy. You look like the cat that just ate the canary. Need anything?" the sizable bear asked.

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to put in for a leave of absence from active duty. I might be able to make a few small runs here and there, but nothing heavy." Seg said.

"That's a shame. We had a lotta folks requesting you for a trip back to Telk and further down the line." the bear said.

"I hate to disappoint, but it's gotta be done." the gator said.

"Alright. What do you want me to put down as the type of leave?" the quartermaster asked.

"Paternity leave. Nine months minimum." Seg said as his grin grew all the wider.

---

The seasons changed multiple times before Seg found himself needing to finally release his boys. Ken and Ruul had kept him big and heavy for quite a long while, growing inside the gator until his belly almost touched the ground. When at long last it was time for them to be born, there was an odd discrepancy. Ken had come out smaller than when he went in, which was to be expected, appearing younger than he had. But Ruul on the other hand appeared far younger, almost child-like. He was quite unhappy about it, but didn't turn violent. Instead, he simply pouted.

Seg and Ken offered what consolation they could, saying he would grow back into the big, handsome beast he had been before in less time than he might realize. That helped to placate the unhappy pup. The two lynels continued to travel with their adoptive alligator father for a time once he was back on active duty. Ken even opted to help out, since he was closer to his original size than Ruul was. And as it turned out, the whole effort had indeed been worthwhile. The lynel set out to put his new features to use as soon as possible, tucking a few people into his brand new womb. It sent chills up his spine, leaving him seeing how dangerously addictive Seg had described it to be.

Thankfully, the chubby lynel had the good sense to not try and horde anyone in his new uterus all to himself. Though it was tempting. Seg made a point to caution him about such temptations, and illustrated how easy it was to fall into such a pattern once his two other boys, the blue and green drakes Ken had been introduced to before disappearing into him, slipped back in. Seg had sat down with Smokey and Degyn, discussing where next they wished to travel, but neither of them had anywhere in particular. They just wanted to travel, specifically in Seg's belly. The gator happily obliged, but only after making it clear that once they were in, chances were good they wouldn't be coming back out for a long, long time. Neither Smokey nor Degyn seemed to mind that idea in the slightest. Ken got to see first hand how the addiction worked both ways, not just for the 'mother' but for the 'children' as well.

In the months the two lynels spent traveling with Seg, the gator never let the two boys out. He was still carrying them when Ken was reassigned to a new route along the 'loop' that had been discussed. The road had been completed while the gator carried the lynel twins. Now they were looking for new recruits to cover the additional territory. Ken was more than happy to join up. It was bittersweet when he and Seg parted ways, but then they would run into each other from time to time. And they would always spend a few nights getting reacquainted. Usually the same way they had that first evening on the road when Ken was training. Neither of them left those meetings without getting a good, sticky filling.

Now, the lynel was out on his own, no trainer watching over his shoulder. He walked his route, stopping in small towns along the way between the larger settlements all without supervision. But then he wasn't actually alone. Ruul had stayed with him. The smaller Lynel, only coming up to Ken's waist, hovered close as they walked the road. The bigger tauric fellow's belly swayed under him, and the swollen gut up within arm's reach was almost constantly tended to by the beast's big, thick hands.

The seasons were starting to change again, turning colder. The trees were changing colors, something Ken had grown to enjoy about his route. Ruul was less than enthused. He simply pressed in close against his bigger brother, arms wrapped around himself for warmth. The taller lynel felt his shorter companion's presence, then took note of where the sun was in the sky. It was setting fast, meaning night would arrive soon.

It was time to make camp.

By the time the stars were shining in the darkened sky, Ken had lit a fire and was keeping it burning as he lay next to it. His lower half was turned slightly on its side to expose his vast belly to the heat. Ruul lay between the flames and that mountain of a gut, huddling there to keep the chill of the night air away.

"I don't understand why you don't just make a bigger fire." Ruul said bitterly, hating the cold.

"If I made it any bigger, it would be easier to spot. Bandits or monsters would see it and investigate. Then we'd have a fight on our hands." Ken replied.

"So what?" Ruul said with a huff, "You can just eat them all."

Ken laughed and reached down, running his fingers through the smaller lynel's bushy mane.

"I suppose so, but even I have my limits. I can't just eat every single monster and highwayman in the woods," he explained, then grinned as he offered a joke, "That would put the guild out of a job!"

"Well, it wouldn't be as big a problem if I was back to normal already. You just look too squishy and friendly," Ruul said, leaning over against the big, softly churning gut, "If I was as big as I used to be, no one would mess with us. I'd just snarl and send them running."

"Oh don't be sour," Ken said, "You'll grow back up in no time. Then you can be as mean and nasty to anyone who tries to attack us as you like. Satisfy those primal lynel urges."

"Eating people helps." Ruul muttered.

Ken laughed and gave his little brother another pat on the top of his head.

"Well, being small and young like this makes you cuter. That makes people want to trust you more easily. That way you'll get more customers," Ken said, reaching back to give his lower gut a firm rubbing, "Then you'll have more people wanting you to eat them."

It was true. He had gained enough confidence over the course of his time with the guild that he felt like he could walk into any town, put on his biggest, brightest, friendliest smile, and greet anyone who walked past. Sure there would still be a few who shied away from his massive size, and the fact that he was a lynel, but the guild badge certainly helped ease the fears of those who didn't know him. His bright blue sash was resplendent in smaller patches showing what services he could offer, similar to Seg's. It was something of a point of pride to him now, having almost as many as his alligator dad. And he was still working on a few more.

"Whatever. At least I got a couple for myself in the last town," Ruul said, curling his lower half a bit to offer his own lower tummy a stroke, "You're just a glutton, taking everyone before I can get a chance to practice more."

Ruul had only recently started joining his older brother in his guild work. Ken was delighted to see how the smaller fellow had taken to it. It was having the intended effect, especially since Ruul had been limited to only using the new features he had picked up the same time Ken had gotten his. Before the smaller lynel would be permitted to swallow anyone, he would have to finish the guild's training course. Until then, he could only fit two or three in his own womb. And as much as he might not want to admit it, he loved it. Ken could tell, but out of respect for Ruul's pride, he didn't press the issue.

"Give it time, honey. You'll get there." Ken said, shifting his hindquarters to help push his little brother towards the fire.

"I still wish you'd build the fire bigger," Ruul complained, "When we get to town, I'm gonna need to have someone make a cloak or something I can throw on to keep warm. I never liked the colder regions. It's why I stuck around the grasslands back home."

"I'll be sure to remind you to look for a tailor," the bigger lynel said, trying to curl himself to help break the chilly breeze, "Of course, you could always sleep somewhere warmer."

Ruul huffed quietly, pressing his cheek against his big brother's lower gut as he squeezed his hind legs together. His 'kids' were moving, and that always stirred things in him. He wasn't interested in tending to those needs right now.

"Every time I do that, I come out younger. I always end up right back where I was when dad let us out." the smaller lynel said.

Ken shrugged and stoked the fire with a long stick. A quiet rumble rose up in his throat as he felt similar motion under his short pelt. The cold never really bothered him too terribly much, even if he wasn't fond of it, but a cloak did sound like a fine idea. He might have to see if he could get one made for him as well.

"You don't have to. I just thought I'd offer. You always talk about how comfortable you are when you're there." he said.

Ruul grumbled, turning to press his face against his brother's bloated gut. His little horns hadn't grown large enough to keep him from being able to feel the short, dark, chocolate fur brush against him from the tip of his nose all the way up to his forehead. His cheeks flushed brightly at the mention of his opinion on the matter. He couldn't help but admit to himself that it would be awfully nice.

"You're occupied. It wouldn't work out." Ruul said.

"Hey," Ken said, reaching down to try and wrap an arm around the smaller, shivering beast, "No matter what, I've always got room for my little brother. You just say the word and I'm happy to help."

Another huff of a sigh escaped the little lynel. He looked like a young pup just on the cusp of adolescence, but that was the effect of Seg's regression. He still remembered everything, and in spite of that, his attitude had mellowed quite a bit. He had agreed to stay rather than go back and face the ridicule of being made a child again. In the intervening time, he had grown to find reasons to enjoy this new life. And he had to admit, this 'embarrassment' of a lynel he was now tied to wasn't all bad. He was pretty comfy on the inside after all.

Ruul sighed and remained pressed against the heavy gut of his brother before finally, begrudgingly, coming to a decision.

"Fine. I know you like it when I'm in there anyway. Just give me a poke once we get to town so I can let these two out." he said.

"And if they don't want out?" Ken asked with a grin.

"Then I keep them. They knew the risk going in." Ruul said with a bit of a snarl.

That anger faded quickly as he turned to look down at his gravid lower half. He ran a palm over the gently shifting dome. He would never admit it, but he quietly hoped they would refuse to let him give them up. A few more minutes passed before Ruul finally stood. His lower tummy didn't hang nearly as low as Ken's did, but then he wasn't carrying near as much weight relative to the rest of him. It hugged fairly close, but pushed his flanks out fairly wide. It was a married couple in there on their honeymoon, or at least that's what they had said. Their 'wedded bliss' had not gone unnoticed in the brief moments when they were awake.

The shorter lynel unfastened his own blue sash, virtually identical to his brothers, then handed it to him. Then, Ruul walked around behind the big beast's flanks. Ken closed his eyes and lifted one of his hind legs before he felt the familiar presence of his brother. They were both so practiced in the art that it took very little time for the younger brother to vanish from sight. Ken sighed happily as he felt his lower belly bulge out heavily, reaching back to stroke over the movement as Ruul made himself comfortable, nestled in against the five sleeping passengers Ken had tucked in for their long trip that was nearing its end.

The heavily swollen beast moved to lay down on his side completely, arching his back to encircle the small campfire as much as he could. His happy little growl rumbled away as he slowly drifted off.

The next morning saw the big town Ken had been hoping to reach. He waddled his way down the street, his heavy gut swaying slowly with every step. He waved to those who stopped to stare at his monstrous bulk, offering them a polite hello and a smile. That often dispelled whatever fears might be there. His guild badge helped of course. He sighed happily as his hooves carried him towards the guild hall, one hand resting on the blue sash hanging from where it was tucked into his belt.

Ken spent the next hour or so offloading his customers, taking his time to make sure none of them got hurt on their way out, and taking care to get their possessions back to them once they were freed of his belly. The five he had sunk into his womb were reluctantly removed, but Ruul wasn't interested in leaving. He kicked in protest, just strongly enough to remind his big brother that he held the power, meaning he could do all manner of things while he was in there to give Ken reason to not let him out until he was good and ready. And Ken was all too happy to keep him right where he was. As for the married couple Ruul had been fortunate enough to 'capture' as he liked to put it, they weren't interested in leaving either. Something about that gave the chubby lynel's heart a little reason to flutter just a bit.

He climbed to his hooves and left the debarkation area once he was empty--for the most part at least--ready to go find his next group. Before he could move along, a heavy-set bear stepped into his path, holding out a paw to stop him. If Ken really wanted to, he could have just pushed right on past, towering a good three heads over the ursine fellow. But he knew this bear. They were friends.

"Good morning, Mitchell. How are you?" Ken said with a bright smile.

"I'm good. How about you? All emptied out?" the bear asked.

"As much as it matters. Sure," the lynel said, "Ready to take on another group for the next leg."

Mitchell raised an eyebrow then leaned to one side, looking back at the obvious bulge hanging under the rotund taur, then back up at him.

"And that?" he asked.

Ken chuckled, looking back at his heavy tummy.

"Ruul was cold last night, and he's not interested in climbing out. So, guess he's gonna stick around a while longer." the lynel explained.

"Right," Mitchell said, just a little amused by the selfish little 'kid', "He's not gonna affect your capacity is he?"

Ken shook his head and grinned, reaching back to give his little brother a pat through his rich, brown pelt.

"I could handle a full load if there were three of him in there." he grinned.

"Right, don't get any funny ideas like breeding. Two of you is plenty for now. Maybe if we keep expanding our routes we can take more high capacity boys and girls like you two," the bear said with a laugh, turning to point over his shoulder with a thumb, "Anyway, I only ask because we've got a new recruit we want you to train. You up to it?"

"A new recruit? Sure! Happy to help!" Ken said.

"Alright, I'll leave you to it. He's over with your next group." Mitchell said, stepping out of the lynel's way to go tend to other business.

Ken clopped his way across the polished floor to the station in question, emblazoned with the town name overhead, Shirebrook. He grinned a little remembering the events of his first visit there. There was a sizable crowd, at least twenty strong, already waiting. And sitting down with them was a very tall, very strong-looking green dragon. As Ken took in the sight of him, he remarked to himself that this drake looked as if he had been carved from marble. He could easily intimidate just about anyone if he really wanted to. But the expression on his face told anyone looking there that he wasn't about to do anything so hasty. He had a warm, friendly smile, and appeared to be having a lively conversation with everyone sitting in the little alcove.

The lynel strolled up to the waiting group, flashing his best smile.

"Hello everyone! We're all in good spirits I see! Everyone ready for the trip to Shirebrook?" Ken asked.

The green dragon went rigid, his eyes suddenly wide. He leapt to his feet and threw a hand up to his forehead in a salute, standing at attention as if he were part of some village militia. Ken blinked at the response and gestured for the drake to relax.

"At ease! At ease! This isn't the military!" Ken laughed.

The green dragon lowered his hand and his postured softened. A sheepish little grin tugged at his lips.

"Sorry, sir. I'm just used to that I guess." he said.

"Former soldier?" Ken asked.

"No, it's just how my dad raised us. He was a soldier. Figured we'd all be in the service too, so he gave us a jump start on the training." the drake answered.

"Ahh," the lynel replied, "So all your brothers look like you then? Big mountain of muscle?"

"Well, no," the dragon blushed, "I'm kind of the odd one in my family. No one else got as big as me. And after I got a little taste of what it was like to serve, I decided it wasn't for me. So here I am, looking to make a difference another way."

"Well, we're happy to have you. What's your name?" Ken asked.

"Aron. Glad to be whatever help I can be." the drake said, extending a hand.

The lynel took hold of Aron's paw in his, giving it a firm squeeze. He noticed the green fellow was already wearing the generic trainee badge, pinned to his white tunic that did little to conceal the rippling chest beneath. Clearly no one had made clothes for him that fit properly.

"Have you done anything like this before?" he asked.

"Eat people?" Aron replied, "Well, yeah. Used to do it all the time back home with my brothers, but only when beds were in short supply. That was usually around the time family visited and we got booted out in the barn. But I've passed the guild's basic training."

"Wonderful. Then we can just get right to it," Ken said, slowly laying his lower half down to make it a little easier for everyone to approach, "Let's get everyone's belongings stowed and then start tucking people in."

The lynel began handing out small pouches to everyone bound for the town named on the sign above. He had secured a belt like Seg's, but also opted for a bandolier as well so that his gut wouldn't cover precious storage space. One by one, he collected the pouches holding everyone's belongings, attached them to his belt and bandolier, then began loading his passengers in. The lynel was very gentle, as always, but he wasn't as timid as he had been during his first few days.

Each time he lifted one up, he did as Seg had done for him, introduced the customer to Aron, said a little something about them, then promptly helped himself to them. Slowly, the lynel's upper belly began to swell. It was already pretty generous when empty, but it was going to grow so much bigger. The first handful of passengers didn't stay there. One by one, once they landed in his stomach, they were passed further down to his lower belly, giving it reason to stretch further than it already was. Soon, though, Ken felt the eight below moving with enough effort to suggest he might need to stop. And so his upper belly was finally permitted to expand--and stay that way--like his lower stomach had.

Meanwhile, Aron had been careful with his own clients, slipping them in past his jaws one by one. He was a little surprised by a couple of them when they showed how eager they were to get in. His trim, muscular abdomen showed the result of his consumption almost immediately, pushing his tunic out until it was forced to slip up over the growing swell. He paused briefly between each passenger just long enough to take a short breath, then carried on.

And so their progress went until all twenty were sealed away safe and sound in the two large fellows. Ken had managed to tuck a full dozen away, eight below with four up above. It wasn't near what he could hold, but then he had to share with Aron. And the green drake had managed eight on his own. His gut was quite large, wriggling gently in his arms as he held it tenderly. Even with so much stuffed inside, the dome retained something of the firm musculature that he had worked so hard to maintain. Ken was a little jealous of that. It no doubt added an interesting layer of texture to enjoy while rubbing such a belly. Maybe he could find a way to add that to himself sometime.

"Impressive. Not a whole lot of newbies can fit so many on their first go with us. You still able to stand and walk?" Ken asked.

Aron nodded, huffing a little as he managed to climb to his feet. He looked a little unsteady, but not because of the weight or where it fell. Ken knew that look all too well. The green dragon was deeply enjoying being stuffed.

"I'm ready whenever you are, sir." he said.

"Just Ken will do. No need to be formal." the lynel replied.

"Right, sorry," Aron smiled sheepishly again, "Hard habit to break. Are we going now?"

"Normally I might wait a day, just to see if there was anyone who couldn't make it to the station before I left, but I think we've got a pretty good load," Ken said as he climbed to his hooves, belly sagging nicely under him, "I think the guild can handle anyone else who missed us."

Aron nodded and climbed to his feet as well. As soon as he did, he let out a huff, widened his stance, and clutched at his belly. The weight had hit him more strongly than he had anticipated. It was a good thing his gut was able to conceal his groin, otherwise everyone would have been able to see a very pronounced arousal. Ken had managed to catch a glimpse of it as the drake leaned to one side while getting his feet under him. Oh yes, the dragon was going to fit right in with everyone in the guild.

The bloated pair waddled their way out of town after stocking up on a few supplies, putting the crowded streets behind them. The open road and dense forests sprawled out ahead of them, filling their nostrils with the fresh scent of Autumn. It permitted the pair a more private environment in which to chat.

"So you said you used to do this back home with your brothers?" Ken asked.

"Yeah," Aron answered, "Whenever we had family over, we would end up short on beds, so we ended up out in the barn. After it was clear that I was gonna be the biggest, I ended up swallowing the other three boys for the night. They didn't seem to mind too much, but they weren't exactly jumping to dive in. I never told them how much I enjoyed it."

The lynel smirked, reaching out to wrap an arm around the green drake's waist and tug him close. He rather enjoyed having another person with a gut to fawn over. And so he did liberally. The attention to the dragon's bloated stomach resulted in a deep, happy purr.

"I wasn't so lucky. I only found out about it when I arrived in this part of the world. But I've been enjoying it ever since." the tauric fellow slipped his hand a bit lower to cup against Aron's shapely backside, marveling at the firm muscle he found, "You looked like you were really enjoying it back in the guild hall. Does that mean you might need to stop along the way to 'let off a little steam'?"

Aron blushed heavily as he felt the large palm on his rump. He didn't mind it, but it certainly didn't help with the throbbing between his legs. His belly shifted as one or two of his passengers changed positions, then died back down. Every step saw his gut sway, no doubt lulling them all to sleep. But the random activity gave his hidden shaft reason to tense all the harder. He really could use the 'help' if his mentor was offering.

"What did you you have in mind?" Aron asked.

Before the pair traveled much further, they were stopped on the side of the road. Aron had cast off his trousers and was standing behind the fat lynel, rocking hard into him. The drake growled, gripping Ken's flanks in his hands, his huge, jade belly resting on top of the lynel's back. Ken meanwhile was clutching the trunk of a tree, mashed into it. He panted loudly, keeping his hind legs spread as wide as he could without falling. His tongue hung from his open jaws, lips pulled into a dazed, delighted, giddy smile.

Wet slapping surrounded them as the green drake hammered away repeatedly. Already, Aron had doused the lynel's innards twice, working on his third good gushing. He was very generous, bigger than Seg had been, and just as productive, if not more so. Ken could actually feel his gut swell the first time Aron came, and the second. Ordinarily, so large a load would have eventually found its way through the lynel's bowels to his occupants, but he had made sure that wouldn't happen.

No, the only one getting a bath was Ruul. It wasn't his first time, and it likely wouldn't be his last. And it meant his little brother was in for a lengthy stay. That addiction problem was starting to rear its head with him. Aron was just happy he had managed to find someone who could handle his copious nature. He grunted and growled, quickening the pace of his burning thighs until he threw his head back and roared once again. He would have frightened off all of the birds nearby if he hadn't already done so the first time. A hearty blast swelled the chubby lynel even more as the well-used folds clenched and soaked both the green drake's and the tauric beast's legs for the latest time.

That seemed to do the trick at long last. Finally, after a good half hour, Aron slowed his thrusts until finally he stopped. He was out of breath and his legs were angry with him. But then he didn't feel the need to rut someone nearly as strongly. For a few moments, the spent dragon stood there, hips pressed against haunches. He couldn't see it, but his tauric lover had made a thick, white, sticky puddle on the ground under him.

"That... that help... clear things up... for you?" Ken huffed.

"Holy crap... yeah. It did." Aron replied, fighting to get the words out through his pants just like the lynel.

"Good. Maybe... we can... try that again... tomorrow." the lynel said with a smirk.

Aron's cheeks turned rosy at the thought. All his training had not prepared him for this. But then he wasn't at all displeased by it. After a moment or two, and with a degree of hesitation, the drake withdrew from the lynel, running a hand over his slick, glistening, exposed member as it sent a complaint of a chill up through him now that it was out in the open air.

With his nethers no longer occupied, Ken slowly turned himself about and reached out, wrapping his arms around the green drake. He leaned forward as their two bellies mashed gently against one another, dragging his trainee in for a firm kiss. Ken wasn't sure how many other members of the guild engaged in this sort of thing, but he wasn't about to stop. Not when it felt this good. It took them several moments to surface for air again, leaving the dragon a little dizzy.

"Ooo, if that's what it's like with you every time, I'd be more than happy. But does that mean I'm gonna get bent over at some point?" Aron asked.

Ken smirked as he began to compose himself again.

"I could bend you over right now." He said.

Aron's eyes widened a little. A new throb pulsed away under his belly.

The two spent another half hour making no progress on the road, but making sure both had their lusts slaked. The big dragon, not used to being on the bottom, quickly found he didn't mind it so much. In fact, he was finding he was rather fond of it under the right circumstances. It didn't hurt that the lynel's heavy gut was pressing down on his spine, forcing him to press a cheek into the grass below. Something about that rattled him in just the right way. When at last they finished again, the pair was back on their way down the road, both drooling from behind just as it had been for Seg and Ken. The lynel couldn't help but grin as he realized how much this little trip mirrored his own training experience.

They continued to chat, ignoring the fact that they had just properly destroyed one another and happened to revel in the soreness of it. Ken felt the pleasant ache of use from his feminine cleft, unable to keep from shuddering every once in a while as he felt the heavy lake of seed slosh in his belly. Aron found himself waddling differently, a stain of white covering the crevice just under his tail. His bowels had been filled similarly, but he didn't feel the sticky goo he'd been filled with sway the same way that Ken did. It did leave him feeling an unearthly warmth, and that was deeply pleasant.

"So, do you do this with all your trainees?" Aron asked.

Ken smirked, giving the drake a squeeze in his arm.

"You're my first apprentice actually. But it's a tradition I'm thinking I should start for myself. It happened to me on my first trip. Why not share the love?" he said with a chuckle.

"So your trainer filled you up?" Aron asked, "How did you not end up with a litter?"

Ken opened his mouth to answer, but was suddenly stopped as a loud rustling reached his ears. Aron froze as well, picking up on the same noise. The two took a step away from each other and changed their postures, ready for a fight. The bushes rustled again until out burst a pack of creatures, snarling and growling, teeth bared.

They looked a little like wolves, at least they carried themselves like wolves. They were dark, covered in what could have been fur, but it could have been something harder, like a chitinous husk. It was an iridescent mottled green and black, as if these monsters were insects, but they didn't seem to fit that description either. Their cold, solid blue eyes glared at the two large creatures they had cornered, encircling them as they continued to snarl in a very mammalian manner.

"You know how to defend yourself?" Ken asked.

Aron had drawn no weapon, but he had positioned his arms as if he were ready for a brawl.

"I can hold my own." The dragon answered, "You ever dealt with these things before?"

"A couple of times," Ken said, drawing a wicked looking bow from his back, "Don't give them a chance to adapt. They're fast learners. And they fight to kill."

The lynel nocked an arrow and drew back on his bow. He watched carefully as the unpleasant creatures worked up the nerve to attack. Aron remained similarly even minded, a better first reaction to attack then Ken's had been. He let a hint of a smile creep across his muzzle, his fingers trembling, itching to loose.

The first beast snarled and leapt into the air, aiming for the bigger target that was the tauric fellow. Ken let his fingers relax and the string pulled tight again, propelling his arrow with extraordinary speed. A soft flash consumed the arrow as it left the bow, and in the blink of an eye, the monster was thrown to the ground, three large arrows protruding from its chest.

Aron caught the next one, effortlessly helping it tumble over his head and into another monster behind him, leaving several large gouges in its hide from where his claws had dug in to grip and throw. Ken offered him a grin of approval seeing his skill. The battle carried on from there, and it didn't last terribly long. The half dozen creatures were quickly dispatched, and done so with surprisingly little effort.

Ken returned his bow, the one Ruul had used to hunt him with, back to the holster on his back and breathed out a sigh of relief.

"Well, that went a lot easier than I expected. When it's just me, I don't get out of scrapes like that without a few cuts and bruises." the lynel said.

"Yeah, I usually have to run and pick off monsters one at a time. It was nice having a partner." Aron crossed the short distance between them and pointed at the bow, "Where'd you get that? I've never seen one that can split arrows into three."

Ken grinned a bit, oddly pleased that he got to talk about his weaponry. Before, it never held any interest for him. Now, having used bow, sword, and shield to defend himself and his passengers, he took a little more pride in it.

"It's a 'savage bow'. We're all supposed to learn how to make them when we're little, us lynels that is. I didn't learn until a few months ago. I could make you one if you like." Ken explained

"I'd like that. Maybe you could teach me how to make them too." the dragon said, leaning down to collect one of the carcasses and drag it out of the road.

"Maybe," Ken said, "But it looks like dinner has just served itself. Eat up."

The lynel closed his eyes and shivered a little. His upper stomach began to shrink as his lower belly swelled, moving his passengers around in preparation for the coming meal. He reached down and collected one of the monsters he had killed, removed the arrows he had put in it, and gingerly stuffed the creature into his jaws.

Aron watched, blinking a little, but followed suit. He supposed it was a matter of 'waste not, want not' as he had been taught as a child. Just as the green drake was about to consume one, Ken stopped him.

"Hey, have you taken the selective digestion training yet?" the lynel asked.

"They have training for that?" Aron asked, "I always thought that was something everyone could do when they were in the habit of eating people."

The dragon opened his jaws and stuffed his meal in, making short work of it. His gut surged outward with its bulk and he reached forward, collecting a second. Ken shrugged at the response and resumed eating. His own gut swelled, quickly containing four of the six they had slain. Aron had graciously let him take an extra, believing the bigger beast needed more to eat. Ken happily accepted, and soon, they were back on their way. Their progress was slower as their respective bellies gurgled away happily, finally able to break down something that had been stuffed in them.

"You're better at this than I was my first time." Ken said.

The green drake blushed a little, allowing himself to lean more heavily against the lynel.

"Better? How so?" he asked.

"Well, for one thing, I was a really timid. I wouldn't even fight," Ken said, laughing a bit, "Yeah, that's right. A lynel that didn't want to fight."

"Wow. But it looks like you got over it." Aron replied.

"I did. It took me a while, but I managed to. Ruul helped with that. So did Segremores, the guy who trained me." Ken answered.

That seemed to satisfy the dragon and he remained quiet for a brief moment. He seemed lost in thought for a little while before he looked down, feeling something pressed against him as they leaned on each other.

"Hey, I've been meaning to ask. What's this about?" Aron said, reaching down to gently tug on the blue sash hanging from Ken's belt.

The lynel reached down, unable to see for himself around his vast fore-gut. As soon as he identified the article, he grinned again.

"Oh, that's Ruul's sash. I'm holding onto it for him." he said.

"Oh, are we gonna bump into him when we get to Shirebrook?" Aron continued.

"Nope!" Ken said with a bit more glee than he intended, reaching back to pat his swaying rear belly, "Little bro's tucked away in here for however long he's gonna stick around. In fact, he's probably gonna be in there for a long while. You gave him a pretty good bath earlier."

Aron's eyes widened at the revelation, looking back over his shoulder to gaze at the lynel's swollen gut, so big it was inches from the ground. He even came to a stop and dropped down onto his knees, reaching out to press his palms against Ken's second belly.

"Wait, you've got someone in -there-? You can do that!?" the green drake asked in astonishment.

Ken chuckled, letting his trainee marvel and fawn over his enormous, fat gut.

"That's right. He was only gonna be in there for a few days, maybe a week," the taur said, laying himself down to lean into the dragon's caressing palms, "But now, he'll probably not be coming out for a full term."

It was painfully clear that Ken was hugely delighted by this. And Aron's tender affection for his tummy.

"I had no idea that was possible. And you can carry someone for nine whole months?" the dragon asked.

"Sure," Ken answered, "Longer if you want to, or if they want to. But you gotta be careful. I've heard stories about people not wanting to ever come back out. You could get stuck like that."

"Doesn't sound that bad to me," Aron said, "Wish I could do that. Wish I'd been born like you."

Ken grinned broadly, reaching back to give the dragon's shoulder a rub.

"You know, I wasn't born this way. Seg taught me about this and then did me a favor by helping me make the change."

"Wait, what!?" Aron cried, looking up at the chubby lynel, "You changed!? You grew... you know..."

"A womb, yeah," Ken laughed, "Interested?"

"Hell yes!" Aron cried, jumping back to his feet.

"Well," the lynel said slyly, "I suppose something could be arranged."