FSE

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formerly SoFurry search engine

Well finally. First actual chapter. I whole heartedly recommend reading the teaser before this though. Otherwise this will not make much sense. Either way, hope you enjoy and leave a comment on what you thought! Ohh! And vote! Takes less time, and still lets me know what you thought!

Contains: M/M, interspecies, pheromones, death, fighting, gore, hopelessness, oral, and a whole host of other stuff you might find disgusting. It also includes just generally more depressing content.

You have been warned!

If interested in a much less depressing and dark story, go check out "stars are always more beautiful near death.

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Commander Gareth

HOT HOT HOT HOOOOOT TOO HOT TOOOO HOOOOOT IT BURNS IT BURNS IT BUUUURNS AGGGGGGHHHH TOOHOTTOOHOTTOOHOTTOOHOTTOOHOT!

...

Cold. Numb. Very cold. Too cold? No. Too numb? Yes. I cannot feel me. Where is me?... what is me?

Slowly, yet surely, the numbness falls away. Replaced, by pain. Not a terrible pain. An oversensitive pain. Like the pain of wind upon a freshly healed wound. Overactive nerves. At least I know I'm not dead... I think? The oversensitive pain stays, and I feel cold upon my back. Though the pain is... dulled somewhat by something between me and the cold. It is an odd feeling to be sure. Suddenly my chest begins throbbing. Moving of its own accord. It does not hurt. Only startles me. I feel hot spread throughout my body. Like something filling tiny gaps inside my body I was not aware of. Then, for the first time, I feel a need. A dull ache in my chest. I feel as if my chest is too still. It should be moving more. Moving how though? What would fill this need to move? I unconsciously am aware of the muscle in my body stitching together. Winding around my body and within my body like a suit. Slowly the stitching stops, followed by a twitching. Each muscle in my body twitches, pulling Tight, then loosening itself. An electric feeling hits my chest and new muscles go to work on their own. Pulling my chest apart! My chest expands under the new pull. Then stops. In my throat something gives in, and I feel cool wind push its way into my body. My chest expands ever more. Until I feel pressure from inside, and a coolness spreads through my body. Then, the muscles relax, and my chest falls back into place. Wind goes out the very way it came. It is the first time I experience it. I marvel at the feeling of it. It feels... right. Why did I not partake of this before!?

But as soon as the last wind leaves me, the ache appears once again. This time I know what to do. Flexing the chest muscles used before, I inhale deeper than before, and faster. Cold once again beseiges my senses as my chest rises and falls in this action. It feels so... natural. Necessary yet beautiful. I feel familiar and unfamiliar muscles tighten and loosen one more time before relaxing. Submitting fully to my will.

My face feels around the same shape... but it seems... slimmer? Yes. My legs are the same shape, but much thinner. Lighter too. Same goes for my arms. My chest is definitely lighter and more flexible. Tail... hmm. Cant feel that too well. It feels like... static. Its hard to describe, a... numbness yet aching pain. Perhaps it has yet to finish forming? My face muscles scrunch up instinctively as light floods into my newly formed eyes. I see Red. Red all around. Finally my face muscles get their priorities straight and pull. The red disappears, replaced by a blinding white. Then the sound of rushing water reaches my ears. Its dull. As if coming from another room. But as time passes and my eyes blink at the blindness, it grows sharper. More defined. Then fades away. No more rushing water... just yelling.

"Can you hear us commander?" comes a feminine voice. It's the Doctor... probably. And not exactly a yell. But it sure feels like it.

Twisting muscles in my neck, I turn my head to one side, finding the doctor staring at me with those piercing red eyes. Her wings stretch outwards in pride as I turn, her black scales gleaming in the sunlight. She rests on her haunches as she watches me wake. I open my mouth to speak, finding the motion not exactly as I remembered it and end up yawning instead. Wait, yawning? Demons don't do that. I guess the process was a success? I'm ... mortal now?

As if sensing my thoughts, she says "A complete success. A demon in mortal form. I impress even myself." She raises her head to make her neck do a S shape. "But of course there were... complications. Sit up, I will do your physical."

I cough a few times. Heaving my chest up and down violently. Coughing up flecks of solid metal. Oh... right. "Don't worry about that. The metal should filter out of your system in the next few minutes. I know you have many questions, but please, lets get the physical done first. So we can be sure one of your ribs isn't about to bust your heart, or your lungs aren't about to get strangled by misplaced muscles, or that your eyes aren't about to pop out of your skull."

I flex what few muscles I know how to, spurred on by her "scenarios". Slowly, my body rises and I finally feel my tail. A lance of pain hits me from its base and hotness spreads through it. I was pinching it? After a second I am sitting up on this stone bed. Stone was comfortable before, but now it hurts. Too hard. The doctor looks me up and down. "Hmm. Muscularity is good. Bone structure is proper. Here, look at me and follow my eyes." I turn and look at her. Noticing the demon guards watching from behind her. I finally realize we are currently on the roof of the capital building. Verdant mountains rise into the sky all around, and the sky is dotted by fluffy clouds. It would be calming, if not for the fact that the sunlight stung. I stare into her eyes and follow their movements as well as I can. Finally, after a long minute of following those red orbs, she smiles.

"Brain function normal, and eyesight sharp. Hearing is also passable." She causally reaches up and rests a paw on my leg. I follow her movements, and lay eyes on my form for the first time. I have fur? Ink black fur covers my leg. The inside of my thighs and groin are furred white. And that white extends up to my chest, and continues up my neck to where I cannot see. My arms are furred black and my armpits are furred white, the white being part of the white adorning my chest. I have no idea what I am. I'm not human model, thank the demon king, but I'm not Canine, Feline, or reptilian like any of the other models either. A new model?

I open my mouth to speak as she inspects my leg. This time words flow from my mouth. "I uh-" startled by the high pitch of my voice I stop. Then remember that a voice change will be one of the small changes. I shudder at the thoughts of the other changes. "Ahem. I... uh. I'm alright doctor?" the black dragoness before me looks up from her examination and smiles. "Mostly. Seems your voice works just fine. Oh and please, call me Tara. You and I will be working very closely in the next few months." Before I can ask whether our task will still be to find renegades, she resumes her examination. She flicks my leg with a claw and watches as I tense momentarily in pain. "Nervous systems are working. Beautiful." I look at the guards around. One of them holds flesh binds in hand. They seem less interested in keeping things out of the room as keeping something in. Me.

My heart begins to hammer as the possibilities run through my head. I'm going to be executed! Or tortured! Paraded around the city as a living reminder of my failure! I start hyperventilating as panic sets in. I look at their weapons. Or paraded around as a dead reminder after they flay me in the street! Ok ok ok. Calm yourself. I'd be dead already if they were going to do that. Anyways that would be a waste of the soul I contain now, right? Keeping my breathing in check, I ask Tara what now. She looks up at me again and says "That's up to the creativity of your king." She smiles wider as my face turns to one of absolute horror.

I stay still as the dragon examines my body. Soon, she finishes and steps to the side. Now looking at me with admiration, though whether for me or for her work, I'm not sure. "Your gracious king should be arriving any moment now." I inhale deeply, and hold it. This will all be ok. It will all be ok.

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Resistance Leader Beck

Damn the smell! I gasp as the scent hits me. Warmth Suffuses my body and I hold my breath. The door swings open and my demon master comes stumbling out. The smell doubles. I look at his face. Bony plates cover most of his snout, and two carved ones adorn the bottom of his jaw. His glowing green eyes will stop glowing In a minute. They always do. My gaze falls to his chest, rippling red muscle covers most of it, though bone plates defend his shoulders. His arms are absolutely covered in segmented plates of carved bone. His hands are no better. Even his claws are carved bone. The carvings depict the war against the "great evil" I have no idea what this "great evil" is, but how much worse can it be then the demons? The demons thighs are unprotected by any bone, unlike the rest of his digitigrade legs, that are covered in yet more bone plates. Ending in three toed paws that seamlessly convert into bone claws. And of course, how could I forget his favorite limb. A long, tapered member protrudes from his slit, dripping with arousal. Its tip just barely passing his thighs in its half hard state. I peer behind him to see a feline model mortal laying unconscious in his bed. Nude. Not hard to figure out what happened. Hope she enjoys the extra food rations.

He notices me looking and starts his morning routine of halfhearted pleasantries before asking me to fetch him some greenlight to drink. Or I thought he would. "Good morning Beck. I do hope your evening meet with your chaps went well." My heart stops. How... When? Shrugging off the surprise, I reply coldly. "How long have you known?" he chuckles, his bone plates clattering as he vocalizes his amusement at my reply. "last red sun's rise. I just wanted to wait until the time came where you would cause my dear brother trouble." He takes a look at my face apparently noting the defeat in my features. "Aww don't frown. Who said I disapprove? If I did, wouldn't you be dead by now? Don't be such a defeatist. So, I know. What are you going to do about it? Kill me? Tie me up? Or perhaps... bargain?" Taking the hint, I ask "What do you want?" His face plates clatter is excitement. "Oh! How exciting! Treachery! Look dear one. This is what I want. I want you to go through with it. Dismantle my brother's regime and take the throne for yourself and free those darling mortals." My confusion must be evident. "Oh come now. Did you think I would be like..." He strikes a soldier's pose, and points at me. "Death for the renegade!" He drops the pose and laughs. " No no. Think about how boring that would be! And I would lose a servant! Now I get to watch a revolution in full detail! So, now that we are both renegades, what's your plan for bringing my brother to his knees?" I look at him blankly. "Ohhh yes! You are unsure! Oh brilliant! I can participate! Well, I happen to be in charge of all supply in the colony, oh and wouldn't you believe it, there's a shipment to colony five without a full guard escort! It would be a shame if dashing revolutionaries were to commandeer it and turn the supplies to helping the oppressed!" I have known this demon to be lecherous, eccentric, and intelligent, but a traitor? No. And yet, he has me. I can either trust him and have a half chance of it being a trap, or not trust him and get a 100% chance of death at the hands of the guards. Not a hard decision. The other resistance members are going to kill me...

"But of course, how would they know such a thing!?" He holds his hands to his chest dramatically. "The trademaster is such an upstanding demon! No way that they could get the documentation so that they might know about the shipment!" He moves to his cabinet and opens it. He pulls out a document labeled "Shipment 16: Food Rations" He moves to his table, bone claws clacking underpaw. He sets it down at the table and sits in a chair nearby. "If the handsome, strapping leader of the freedom fighters were to possibly get the documentation, he would need a distraction!" He spreads his legs a little. "Yes! A good distraction would allow the strong human to steal the plans from right under the demon's snout!" He shoots me what I assume to be a smoldering look of lust. He put effort into it at least. "YES. A GOOD DISTRACTION WOULD BE PERFECT FOR THE REVOLUTION." His cock twitches as if to accentuate his words. I cross my arms and look at him. "Oh come now. Don't think I never noticed the arousal you feel whenever I strut around like this." His long tail gives me a smack. Right on the crotch. Where a tent shows itself through my uniform. If I could see myself right now, I would be comically red in the face.

Could I do this? Sell myself out like this? No matter how enticing it might be? Well between laying with my master and death by beheading, I would lay with him any day. His tail rises up my back, tickling and teasing as it goes until it comes to my neck. I haven't taken my eyes off his crotch I realize as his tail tightens around my neck. "Hm Hm. Yess. What a marvelous leader Beck is. A distraction like this would be perfect. He would tire out his master until the honorable trademaster passed out from sexual exhaustion. Then stole away with his master's delicate plans in the night." While he detailed what I would do, his tail dragged me closer to him. Painfully slow I realized, my eyes still on his stiff member while my own engorged in my trousers. "But how would he exhaust his master? His master is the most virile demon in the entire colony! That..." As his tail brought me nearly atop his reclined body, I fall to my knees. Bringing that magnificent member to face height with me. And I inhale deeply of his scent. Strong, musky, and deeply arousing. I know very well that if he had not his powerful pheromones, I wouldn't be like this, but I was too aroused to care. His tail pushes my head forwards, letting his engorged, tapered member rest atop my face, the sexual juices of the feline in the next room still clinging to it. I inhale deeply yet again. And immediately begin licking his slit, sliding my tongue up and down around the base of his cock. In retaliation to my actions, his cock twitches and deposits a dollop of demon pre right on my head. "He would surely figure out. Ahh..." I know! I know! I shouldn't be doing this! I'm just another conquest for him. Oh but he tastes so painfully good!

I lick feverishly at his genital slit, savoring the sweet but musky flavor and scent of him. His length throbs and shoots a jet of pre over my head. I look up and make eye contact with master. His eyes still glow green, in fact... they seem to glow brighter whenever I give his slit a lick. Master's moans fill the air as I turn my attention to his shaft. Kissing and licking down the length as I pump him gently with my hand. The feline's sexual effluvia make this a very slick experience. His scent hits me nearly tenfold as another jet of pre lashes out against my shoulder. The sheer chemical love running through my system causing me to giggle as I finally reach his tip. I lick around the smooth tapered tip, and take it into my mouth. I stroke his length and suckle his tip. Coaxing a throaty groan from master, and a delightful throb from his length. I slide my head forward, sliding only six inches into my mouth before my gag reflex kicks in. Master moans at the feeling of me fighting my gag reflex to take his length. Finally with a wet pop, his length pops into my throat. His member stretches my throat wide, blocking airflow. Not that I mind. Master's claws curl in delight at he feels my throat attempt to swallow around his length. "Ahh yessss." Master's head falls back and his eyes roll up as my lips meet with his slit yet again, only this time with a giant pillar of flesh in my throat. His cock throbs and shoots pre right into my stomach. I feel a surge of pride at being able to take the whole thing.

He lets out a throaty moan and bucks his hips forward, surprising me and mashing my nose into his groin. And that's when I learned something about demon cocks. I felt tightness in my throat and then a kind of pinch. "Nice and locked in. Haaahh." At those words, my brain finally registered what happened. Panic hits me like a ton of bricks and I try to pull off, serving only to intensify the pinch and elicit a sharp gasp from master. "Hey now. Don't you know demons have thick barbs at their base?" I gotta get him off into me before I suffocate!

I suckle and swallow around the demon's length vigorously. Trying my hardest to get my master off. With the amount of lust drug running through my veins, my own member bobbs sadly, denied any attention by its owner or its lover, at least until the demons tail wrapped around the my shaft. At the very slightest touch I would've cum. But he wrapped his tail around my member so tight that when the need arose to spill my seed, I was blocked off. "Uh uh uh. You only get off after I do." For some reason this sent a thrill up my spine. I look up at him. His tongue has lolled out of the side of his muzzle and he now pants heavily, his chest rising and falling with the occasional shuddering moan slipping from his maw.

Seeing my Master's enjoyment spurs me on, even as I feel the need for air settling into my chest. Perhaps if I please him enough, he will have me again! Something scratches at the back of my mind. Wait... something is wrong with that...- My train of thought is interrupted by master leaning down and grabbing my head. He growls and shifts his length inside my throat. He looks down at me as he grinds his slit against my nose, forcing more and more of his scent into my nostrils. "Aghh! Such a willing slut. What a resistor you are..." Yes! Yes! Slut! That's what- No! I am a resistance leader! I- am masters eager slu- Leader! My mind splits in two directions, one run by the intense lust I feel and one run by my loyalty to the resistance. But both agree on one thing, I NEED TO BREATHE. I look up at master pleadingly. Though the effect is likely diminished by the cock currently stretching my throat. He grunts and twitches in my throat again, hardening at the sight of me between his legs. "Agh... n-never... shot so fast..." his length thickens, signaling the onset of his orgasm. Eager to breathe again, I double my efforts, tongue rolling over his base and sucking wildly on the part still in my mouth. I move my hands up to my neck and start rubbing it, giving his cock an impromptu throat job.

Finally, master moans and mashes his slit all the harder against my face. "E-enjoy... the M-mea- aaahhhh..." his words trail off as he goes over the edge. His cock unloads into me, thick ropes of demon jjism filling my belly to the brim. My hands go to my belly as I feel the skin coming taut under the sheer amount of seed in my belly. "Y-yesss. Juust like thaat." After another throb and seed delivery, some escapes the seal my lips created and splatters over his slit. He goes soft a second later and the pinch at my throat disappears. I sit back, letting his member fall from my throat and out into open air. Seed gushes from my mouth and splatters all over the front of me. He releases the hold on my member and I shiver in relief as I finally get my well needed release. As I get my release, its like the lust drug suddenly loses every bit of potency it had. I sigh, or at least I tried to. It came out as a dribble of spunk from my mouth. It tastes... creamy. Coughing up another wave of cum, I finally free my airway

After a while recovering from that little escapade, I turn to the drained demon in front of me. "So. Did my plan work?" I ask, the barest hint of a smirk on my face. The demon in question raises one hand and says "Consider me sufficiently distracted. Though feel free to come by to distract me again, it was exquisite." His voice tainted by a hitch of pleasure. Without moving his head, he reaches over and grabs the plans and holds them out. As I grab the plans my mind goes over just how good it felt to service him "I might need more plans from you. Who knows?" I stand and pick up the plans. I turn and go for a bath.

After cleaning off my uniform I go back to my usual duties with a smile on my face. That wasn't so bad. And tonight, we do battle with the demons. The revolution has begun.

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Commander Gareth

Tara sits next to me, awaiting the kings arrival. I finally get the gall to ask her "We are still looking for renegades right?" To which she nods. "Yes. Although... your complications might change that. You see, you were supposed to look like that lizard you let get away, but as I settled the body into that formation, your demon side flared up. If I didn't do something, you wouldn't be breathing. So I used the form of an extinct race of mortals. They died long ago. Even before your war on the "Great Evil" AKA, my people." She shoots me a glare. "But your demon side settled nicely into this body, and here you are." I give her a thankful look. "Thanks for not just letting me die." She huffs and looks away, dead silent. That doesn't bode well. I follow her lead and sit there, quiet, as the guards watched my every move. Whenever my gaze would fall on one of them, his knuckles would whiten as his grip tightened around the hilt of his bone blade. They are just being cautious because of how I look. That's all. We'll laugh about this later.

We didn't need to wait long. The kings unmistakable footfalls could be heard from below. The door bust open and that mammoth of a man steps out into the sunlight. His eyes fall on me and we make eye contact. In his eyes I see only hostility. He stands there imperiously as he waves to the guards. The guards close in on me and grab me by the arms. "Hey! What is this my king!?" I ask. He says nothing. Tara sits silently as the guards grab me. The king raises a hand, stopping everyone. "Did you really think I cared about a few renegades that will amount to nothing? Yarlen." The guard holding my right side looks up. "Shackle him." At that I struggle to escape, but to no avail. I twist and turn and push and pull, but they keep me held tight. The flesh binds are clapped over both my wrists and they seal together shortly after. I inwardly curse the king, and curse Tara. Both of them deceived me! But in my rage, I forgot the inward part. "Liars! May the high counsel curse your innards Akmir!" At the kings name, the guard on my left grabs my head and pulls it back. Then takes his flesh bind and binds my muzzle with it. As it seals around my muzzle my protests and curses turn to strangled growls. The guard scolds me "You know very well that the kings name is sacred, heretic!" I feel the other guard punch me in the gut, and something crawls its way up my throat and into my mouth. It burns! I swallow the stinging fluid and growl at him, ignoring the pain in my gut and the stinging of my throat and mouth. I kick my legs, up until the king's massive hands grasp my legs and still their movement. I find myself falling into a feeling of deep vulnerability at my inability to overpower the guards binding my arms currently, I most certainly would have been able to, if that cursed witch had not stripped me of my perfect body! "Gareth. It pains me to have to do this to you. But consequences must be upheld. Commander Gareth. You are hereby stripped of all titles and privileges, if the many red suns I spent teaching you could not instill urgency of our mission in you, then you shall not serve as a leader. But shall serve as a source of soul for the future generations. Guards. Take him to the mind breakers. He needs reeducation." No! No! The guards go pale at the mention of them. But they do not hesitate to force me to my side. The king releases my legs and the guards force me to my feet. I growl at Tara as they shove me past her. I look in her eyes and find... apologies. Which only enflame my anger.

The guard slaps the back of my head "Eyes forward, heretic." I growl at him, but look forward nonetheless. There's nothing there for me. I have to find a way to escape. I wont be left as a husk. A... a husk... Despite myself, my new mortal side takes command. And tears well up in my eyes. I've seen this happen to mortals who were whipped, and those who lost ones they were close to. They called it crying. And saw it as a sign of weakness. Am... am I weak? The tears stream down my unfamiliar face as the guards lead me to the stairs, and begin leading me to the mind breakers.

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Mesmer Rahn

The stone door shudders. Shaking dust and stray vines from it's surface. I turn to Yellai, her bronze scales have tightened. I hiss out. "Finally. Thessse demonsss are late on thheir tribute." I flick out my tongue. Tasting the telltale sour taste of demons. "Who do you think it isss thiss time?" Yellai hisses, and says. "Probably another weak willed sssop they got tired of torturing. I ssswear. At leassst the high oness let usss do medical work. I haven't healed a mind in yearssss. It'ss so much more fun then "Oh can you wipe thisss one too?" ughh. Ssstand sstraight Rahn. Here they come." I straighten up my relaxed posture and tighten the grip on my spear. My blue scaled coils tightening up into a more proper stature. My bronze companion does the same.

The stone door scrapes open with the most horrid sound. I almost hiss at the sound, but hold my tongue as I spot the demons through the haze of dust and debris raining from the ceiling. Their red flesh and bone are a dead give away. But then, I spot their tribute. A black and white furred sergal. At this, I cannot stop myself. My jaw unhinges as it drops in shock. I quickly recover and glance at Yellai, she is just recovering from the same thing. I ask quietly "iss that-" She interrupts me with a hiss. The demons step forward and throw the sergal to the ground. "We need this one wiped serpent. Kings personal orders. To the high Mesmer himself. Now." Well isn't he charming. I respond. "That'sss rude. Would it be too much to assk? An apology?" The demon takes a step towards me and looks me in the eye. "I don't respect you, serpent. I await the day the king lets us come down here and slay you all." I look him in they eye. And flash. My eyes shine with pale green light. All his muscles relax as he stares into my eyes. I've got him. "An apology is all I asssk." I hiss at him. His friend looks at me, then at his friend. Yellai Laughs. "Asss much asss these two sstink of fear, you would think they would show uss more respect." I place the suggestion in his head, and he immediately blurts out "Sorry master! I apologize profusely for my ignorance!" Master? Oh he did that part himself. Naughty naughty. I lay a few lasting commands in his head. Like that he can only speak good of us Mesmers. Oh! I should make him feel happy at our sight, And he should always call me master. As I finish laying the last instructions, I stifle a laugh. I release the cognitive stranglehold and he stumbles backwards. "what have you done to me master!?" He covers his mouth and whimpers. The two demons turn on a dime and run out of the door. Barely flipping the lever to close it. As the stone door slides shut, we turn our attention to the sergal on the ground, who now looks up at us with unadulterated horror.

I reach down and grasp one of its arms, lifting the poor thing to a standing position. My bronze companion lifts its face with a finger, inspecting its face. "It isss... Amazing. The high Messmer would want thiss one anyway." I undo its disgusting binds and its jaw stretches open, getting out the ache of being tied like that. It speaks once it fully recovers. "Thank you... I am to be wiped? Don't do this. I am more useful with my mind thank you." I huff. "Whether you are wiped iss up to the high Messmer issn't it pup?" The sergal squirms uncomfortably. "I suppose so." As if to comfort our captive, Yellai speaks up. "Though... perhapsss he would be receptive to... hear your cassse? It iss extremely unusssual one of your kind are sseen at all. He would grant you audience before he decidesss. Perhaps you may talk like civilized folk." I run the scenario through my head. I doubt the High Mesmer would risk this demonic alliance for a single sergal, but one may hope. This puts so much hope into the sergal's eyes that they practically light up. "Very well! I look forward to meeting a man of reason!" I shake my head. This will be interesting. Me and Yellai lead our captive through the dimly lit hallways. Other Mesmers recognize the sergal and watch with astonishment as we pass. Some even begin to follow us. The violet tapestries adorning the walls shimmer in their reflective embroidery as so many scaled Mesmers move through the halls. Whispers and hisses about how "This is going to be good" follow us through the halls almost like a never ending echo. This is going to be good.

________________________________

Gareth

The serpents lead me to a grand hall, purple tapestries covering the walls, golden chandeliers, candles all around. The entire mesmer lair was grand, but this took it to a whole new level. Beyond even gaudy. There were pictures depicting many things. The fall of the old ones, the coming of the demons, and many more I couldn't place.

At the far end of this grand hall hung a door. An ebony door emblazoned with gold etchings of some kind of... mesmer champion? Two mesmers opened the ebony doors and my two guardians led me inside. I thank them again for this chance. They stay silent.

The doors led into a huge arena like area. The walls shimmer with unnatural magic. Giving the walls a gleaming water surface look. Beautiful to say the least. Behind the shimmer are stands, filled with many a mesmer. In the center of this flat arena are two mesmers locked in combat with one another. Both wield spears sharpened to a deadly point and are wearing no robes or armor to speak of. The two mesmers lunge at one another, the left one avoiding the others attack by just inches. The two give no time to recover as immediately they turn, coil and spring at eachother again. This time the right swings his spear, catching the lefts, and sending it flying across the arena. Before they even land, the two are locked in close range combat. The disarmed one turns and claws at the other before rushing him, pressing his only advantage. The other gladly accepts his challenge and tries to swing his spear at the rushing mesmer. The disarmed mesmer grabs the haft of the spear and pushes. The spear end goes right into the others belly, effectively acting as a punch. The disarmed one is disarmed no more as he tears the spear from the others clutches. And spinning it around to point at the now stunned and gasping mesmer before him. "It'sss over brother. I won. I do not wish to ssspill your blood thiss night. Give up." The gasping mesmer suddenly leaps past the spear tip and crashes into his brother, causing the spear to go flying and end up sticking out of the ground a few feet away. The pair struggle and coil around each other, muscle rippling as it is now a test of sheer might against each other. They struggle until I notice one seems more twisted then coiled. The one that showed mercy before loosens his grip and falls back on the floor. "B-Brother I yield! I yield! Pleasse! Mercy!" the other brother simply twists harder. He leans down and grabs his brother by the neck. "BROTH- achhauguahh!" the defeated mesmer tries to protest but ends up gasping for air as his brother chokes him. The winning brother however, does not stop. He twists his coils ever harder. Tightening and wringing out his opponent. The loosing mesmer reaches up and grabs his brothers arms, trying to fight for a breath. After a second of watching the merciful brother go blue I hear a horrifying dull crack. The now blue brothers tail stops its squirming and all movement all together. His arms go limp from pain and he submits fully. His vicious brother does not stop there though. He grabs his brothers head with both hands and holds his head to the side. The injured brother gasps for air as tears roll down his face. "brother....Pleasesse.... Sssstop.... I beg-" another dull crack. The lower brother doesn't even seem to feel it. "pleasssse... I'm.... Ssssorry...." The upper brother yells at the lower brother "I AM NOT YOUR BROTHER. WHO CHALLENGESSS THEIR KIN OVER A FEMALE!? WHO!?" The lower brother sobs. "me..." the upper holds him tighter. Another dull crack. "YOU KNOW THE RULESSS SSSCUM! YOU KNEW THAT THISSS COULD HAPPEN! I NEED TO ENSURE NO MORE DISHONOR BEFALLSSS OUR KIN BECAUSSSE OF SSSSCUM LIKE YOU!" the lower one sobs louder. Offering no words, only tears. The upper brother twists himself violently. The lower brother gasps and pleads for his life as his tail is torn by the sheer force of his brother twisting. Several more dull cracks, each one seeming to magnify the intensity of the lower brothers cries for mercy. Blood spills from the lower ones wounds and onto the arena floor. Ripping and tearing fill the air as the lowers body is wrung gruesomely like a cloth. The lower stops offering pleads for his life. Presumably passed out from the pain. The upper brother releases his coils. Suddenly looking down at his brother with concern. Wait what? He looks to his brothers body and finally notices just how much damage he was doing in his rage. The twisted, mangled remains of his brother eliciting a surprised gasp from the winner. Guess he didn't win after all... his eyes glimmer, and it hits him. "SAPHIRA! WHY!? WHY!? HE CHALLENGED ME BUT I DIDN'T WANT THISSS! Nooo... pleassse. A healer! Bring a healer!" there are gasps among the crowd watching and a blue mesmer rushes out of the stands. "He desersssrved it! He dessserved every inch of that! Sso what if I had to make you think he did! He did anyway! How dare he challenge you!" oh. OH. That's foul.

A mesmer rushes past me and into the arena. That was fast. The healer goes to the fallen brother and pulls out a box from his bag. Popping open the box reveals bandages and stitches. THAT'S IT!? Apparently these magical mesmers don't know even the most basic healing magic like the mortals do. The mesmer next to me says "Ssssly ssssneaky sssserpent. Sssshe will cccccertainly be punished for that." I certainly hope so. Some mesmers jump saphira and bring her down. The healer begins trying to right the twisted and abused tissue of the injured brother.

Before any more drama can unfold before me, the guards escorting me turn left and follow the wall to another set of emblazoned ebony doors. This door has the image of a mesmer holding some kind of religious figure. I suppose that's the high mesmer.

I take a deep breath as the guards pull open the door. Make or break.

The doors swing wide to reveal another arena. The same shimmer effect covering the walls, and dazzling me with every passing second. In the center of the room, a large mesmer sits coiled around himself. He does not look to the door, yet he still announces my arrival to the crowds in the stands. "Commander Gareth. Of the demons. Yet shaper of history. An ally I would wish it, but an enemy you must be." He has completely done away with the typical accent I hear down here. I step into the arena, hearing the doors close, and lock behind me. Well that doesn't bode well.

"You seem to have me at a disadvantage. Might I ask your name?" I step closer. Realizing a fog seems to be drifting in from the shimmering walls. "It would be improper to call you mesmer, or serpent." His tongue flicks out. Hopefully just smelling me. And not in annoyance.

"Sislai High Mesmer and Oracle" Oracle? So he already knows every move I will make, every decision I will take. Great.

"I will keep this short. I will keep this brief. You will not find mercy here. You will not find death, or wiping either. You will find pain. And in that pain, our future may lay." I sigh. Why do I feel this guy isn't a man of reason? While more straightforward then that Tara bitch, he still wont tell me what I need to do. "What do I need to do?" he turns to face me. His striking silver underbelly contrasting heavily with his black backside. "Eager are we? Then lets begin." With a casual wave of his hand he sends a bolt of dazzling light right at me. Before I can react, it pierces me stomach and buries itself into me. I stagger back and fall against the wall. Blood shooting up into my mouth as the bolt explodes, tearing me asunder and splattering me all across the arena. Worst thing, I can feel it all. My severed legs, the blood everywhere, I can feel it as if it were all a giant bundle of nerves, still connected. I look up at him in shock. I thought he said pain. This... this is death. As my vision fades I hear him explain. "That's round one. You will face death every time you fail. I will break you, crush you, grind you, burst you, rip you, tear you, burn you, freeze you, shock you, melt you, in every way possible. Try and fight back, or you will be broken in a cycle of endless death and despair. Fight for your right to happiness. The odds will never be in your favor." Fight back? Without my legs!? My vision fades and my hearing tunnels.

Then I am right back where I was before he shot me. What? "Slow." I hear from the high mesmer as three bolts of light pierce my chest. I grab at them in panic, trying to pull them out, but they explode anyway. My ribs go flying, my heart lands a few feet away, my lungs rupture and deflate, by internals decorate the arena again. And I can see it all from my dismembered head a few feet from the high mesmer. "Two. No rest." Still reeling from the pain, my new clone suffers the same fate. Splattered across the room. "Three. Come on now. Are you even trying to defend your life?"

As I form together again, I dodge right and roll. Or at least I tried to. I slip on blood and guts and fall flat into the gore. Is this... I look up to find myself face to face with myself. Terror stricken across my dismembered head as it still leaks fresh fluids. I find my mind go blank suddenly and a long "uhhhhhhhh" escape my mouth before my head explodes with bright light. Sending a fresh coat of blood and brain matter across the arena. At least I didn't feel it that time. "Four. Come now do something interesting. Im bored." Killing me is boring!? I had hoped to be at least a smidge entertaining to slay.

I form again and sprint left. I run over the ribs and organs before picking up my severed legs. A shield! I hold them to protect myself. I strafe the mesmer, weaving between the bolts of light he slings my way. I need to get closer! I take a step forward and he ceases his endless barrage of light bolts. "Stage two. Finally." He raises his arms and the ground moves. I watch dumbfounded as small stone structures like pillars and low walls raise from the formerly flat ground. Without missing a beat I slide behind a stone pillar. I peek out just in time for a blinding flash of dazzling light. The entire room lights up! My muzzle burns, and my fur and skin together are burned away. I however, still live. I recognize this spell. An old one used it on me. I know how to fight this. I hold out my right hand, my left now holding my legs. I say "protection!" and a bubble of red energy forms around me. Hah! I still have my demon arts! A second later the bubble phases out with a concussive POP. Tara I swear.

I lurch from cover, holding my legs out defensively, I hear sizzling and dive to cover. I look over my burned legs. I can see right to the bone. Thank you for your contribution former me. I grab up what remains of my leg shield and crawl to another pillar. Surely I must get closer to trigger another phase. I hold up my legs and hop over the stone wall I was crawling behind. I hold my legs up defensively and sizzling reaches my ears again. Tears form in my legs and I wince as my left eye is burned out of my skull. Causing half blindness. I crouch behind another low stone wall. Damn bastard.

"Phase 3. No deaths. Perhaps I should up the ante." No please.

The blinding brightness falls away, leaving me in unnatural darkness. It seems so peaceful right now. Why is it so... peaceful? My legs give out and I fall to the ground. Black tendrils rise from the darkness and shoot through my body. No blood. No pain. Just... sleep...

"One. I have a feeling about this one."

I reform in the pure darkness again. WHAT THE FUCK WHERE IS HE WHAT DO I DO!? Suddenly the peaceful feeling comes over me again. Perhaps he is gone. It... is really... nice here...NO GO JUST RUN.

I run straight into the darkness. Hearing and feeling the still warm blood on the floor, I feel out for the stone walls. Perhaps I can navigate by feel? I touch stone. Stone. I'm safe here. I can think about what to do. Sit and think. I slump to my knees and tendrils yet again invade my body. "Two. Focus!" hearing this I grab and pull at the tendrils, ripping them from my body. This time, I feel that. Blood shoots from my wounds as the tendrils are forced back. "Oh? That was unexpected."

I stagger up and cover my wounds with my hands, trying to slow the bleeding. I fail. Now leaking like a faucet I stumble through the darkness. Grabbing at the stone, desperately fighting the need to fall over, give up and die again. "For this, you deserve a reward!" A flash of light blinds me, but when I look, it isnt a bolt of death of a aura of death, it's a gleaming sword. I can use that! Just a little further!

I navigate the stone walls slowly. Blood marking my trail. I am finally getting close to the sword, but my vision tunnels before reaching it. I slump down and rest against the pedestal. I try to reach up and feel for the blade, but I find nothing. My entire body goes cold. I fall over to my side, and fall asleep.

"Yep. Two. Good try though."

I reform with a plan in mind, but it is shattered by the peaceful feeling again. I stumble forward, looking for the sword. I catch a glimpse of it behind some stone walls. I feel through the darkness, looking for the stone I know is ahead of me. I eventually reach stone and feel out where I can jump this infernal wall. I jump the wall and bump into something. Something I cant see. FUCK. I barely get to scream before I am grabbed and pressed against the wall by a strong, invisible entity. It makes a clicking sound before jaws wrap around my muzzle. Like little knives they lance into my face and crush my muzzle, I claw at the thing, managing little before it lashes out with its own claws. It catches me across the throat and I realize I've lost this time. I go limp, not willing to waste anymore energy on this. It lets go my crushed muzzle and drops me to the ground. It repeats the clicking noise. Cruel creature. It wraps its jaws around my neck and bites. My spine cracks and its respawn time.

"Three. Upped the ante for sure. Again."

"what the fuck is that!?" I call out. "It's a dark fiend. And it was having fun." This bastard. Of course it was having fun. "Fuck you!" I yell out. More clicking. Is it for navigation, communication? Council forbid, intimidating prey? I lunge forward and leap over a stone wall. I slide my back against it and listen. I hear the clicks right next to my ear. Time slows as adrenaline rushes my system. I pivot and slam my claws into the creature as hard as I can. I catch invisible flash and tear it apart as fast as I can manage. The thing gives a shrill cry before I swing back at its throat, I tear through dark flesh and a dark liquid lands on me. GIT IT. It gurgles its defeat and I hear a thump as the beast falls over in the throes of death. "with bare claws. Very well." I stand and wobble over to the sword. I grasp the hilt and pull it up into my weakened grasp. I hold it up victoriously.

Then get tackled from my right. I end up under the creature again. I take my new sword and plunge it as far into the dark fiend as I can. I twist the sword as it howls in pain. I tear the sword out of its side, and push the dead thing off me. I hear more clicking all around. Oh nooo.

I roll to the left and stand up. Immediately assaulted from behind by another dark fiend. This time, it claws at my back. Its claws slice through my fur, leaving behind gaping gashes. I kick it away and roll onto my back, holding out the gleaming blade. I feel breath on my head and quickly slice at the darkness. My blade finds a dark fiend and slices deep into it. I laugh and yell out "Hah! Fuck you creature!" into the dark. I feel my way around and back up against stone. At least one left. "You do enjoy that word don't you?" I hear clicking to my left and turn to face it. "It helps me cope you ass!"

I get taken down from the right. It claws and slices at my back. When I try to turn and cut into it, it bites my arm and grinds its knife like teeth together. It tastes my blood and bone as it ruins my left arm. I screech and thrash, ripping what remains of my arm from its bladed maw. I roll onto my back and swing at it. I slash its face, but not deep enough I feel. It howls and falls back, I hear it thrash and whine in pain. I rise and move to finish it. But before I take a step, another bites into my right leg viciously. I scream as I fall to the ground. It tears into my leg without mercy. I raise the sword and chop down onto it. These beasts wont stop me now! It releases my leg and retreats. I try to stand, but find my leg completely useless now. He must of done a number on me. I yell out a classic demon battle cry. "For a better tomorrow!" though to those that don't know demon it must sound like "Galesh Ameer!" I crawl forward and find the dark fiend thrashing about in pain. I raise my sword and chop into its wounded body. The sword cleaves deep into the beasts flesh. It lets out a pained whine and falls still. Feeling the strength drain from my body into the floor in gushing red spurts, I lay still. I don't know much about mortal first aid but I think not moving would slow the bleeding a bit. Still, my vitality drains extremely fast. I give up on stopping the bleeding and listen. I hear clicking from directly in front of me. "Come get it you bitch." I manage to crawl over to some stone and slump against it. I hear its paws slamming against the ground as if I was in a tunnel. I feel cold spread over my body as it approaches. It slams into me, wrapping its teeth around my neck and biting deep. I try to scream out, but end up gurgling out blood. No....not now. Last... one... I raise the sword and plunge it into the beasts back. I releases my neck and tries to pull away, which only serves to rip the creature asunder. It falls dead.

Cold suffuses my body and I fall sideways. "four. Fight harder."

I form again. I form with the sword this time though. I don't question it. Just thank the high council. I sprint forward, feeling along, looking for a corner. Finally finding the corner, slump down and hold out my blade. Did they all form again like me? Or is there one left? Two? Three hundred? I shudder to think. I hear clicking. From several areas at different volumes. I try to figure how many, but it stops before I can. The bastards probably know exactly where I am. More clicking. I try to count them again. One... two... three... four... five. Ok. Count them as they come. I get pinned against the wall by the first. It slams into me but I think fast. I flick my wrist, bringing the blade to bear on its underside I thrust forward, the blade lancing deep into the beast hopefully killing the thing. The world is better for the black blood coating my blade.

I kick the slain fiend off me. But keep its body close to hopefully trip up the next one. One down! I hear more clicking from behind the stone wall covering my back. I prepare to stab up into the thing. But instead I find teeth around my leg again. The beast for some reason doesn't rip into me, like its threatening instead of attacking. I don't wait to find out. I swing down into the things head, cleaving it open and killing another beast. Two! One claws at the back of my head, drawing blood and cutting my ear open, my hearing suddenly blows out in my left side.

I yelp and claw at it before bringing my blade to its leg, chopping through the beast's limb and spilling its foul blood all over me. It whines in pain and falls behind the stone wall as its leg lay next to me. I stifle an excited gasp. One crippled! I hear the next one before he reaches me. In his haste to attack he didn't mask his sound. I wait for him to be close and swing on faith. My blade meets nothing but air. In panic I try and uppercut the beast. No dice. Well... I get diced. It crashes into me, teeth and claw lashing out at me indiscriminately. Its claws rake across my chest, its teeth take chunks out of my left leg, but it doesn't commit to an area. It hurts much more, but does less crippling damage. A trade I will take. I slice at the beast, returning my injuries two fold. It whines in pain and I leap forward at it, pressing the attack. It tries to shy away but eats my blade for a solid three slices. It falls over onto its side and I thrust my blade forward and through the beasts chest. Its whining stops and it falls still. Three dead!

I hear plaintive whining from around the stone wall. I stand, blade ready to face more monsters and peer over the stone wall. I see the one I injured on the ground. I CAN SEE HIM. Looks like the more blood they lose, they can no longer blend with the darkness. I see a shadow drape itself over the pale, hairless beast. The last dangerous dark beast. I raise my blade, and stop. I look closely at what the shadow is doing. It looks like its nuzzling and licking the wounded one. I notice the wounded one is no longer breathing, but the whines are still coming. Its... mourning? Oh. Now I actually feel for it. "Sorry about your friend. Truce?" The saddened beast seemingly looks up at me. I hear it let out a low growl. Taking the hint, I lower my sword. Apparently appeased the dark fiend gives a trilling sound. Sounds happy. "Ohh. Such virtue and mercy. I guess I shouldn't train that out of you. Next phase! And I will allow some help. The fruits of such good will."

Light floods the arena again. Exposing the shimmering walls and stone structures to my eyes. The mesmers in the stands give me a round of applause. I take the second to try and discern how injured I am. Looking myself over I find gashes and scratches, my sliced ear and my gashed head. All minorly bleeding. I give a sigh of relief. Nothing too bad. I look down at the now perfectly outlined shadow beast. It looks up at me and gives a happy rumble. Guess I have an ally.

The ground rumbles, and begins changing from stone slate to some sort of gold engraving of a mesmer. Around the mesmer are four symbols I don't recognize. The stone walls all crumble away to dust and disappear entirely. I stand close to... I should name him. Uhhh. Crex. I stand close to Crex and hold my blade out. From the center of the engraving, the high mesmer reappears. A golden light surrounds him. He holds out one arm and a spear of pure light forms before my very eyes. He snatches it out of the air and I watch as some type of armor of pure light envelops him. He gives me a glare that speaks wonders. Time to finally take him down. Crex growls at him and charges forwards. I let Crex do that and just watch.

When Crex lunges for the mesmers throat, a pulse of light repulsed him violently. He is flung back towards me, accompanied by what looks like a shockwave of light. It has to be an illusion. "Come on Gareth. Or did you not face any old ones with any kind of power when your people invaded? You should know how to fight this."

I did. I faced many. Each one that held a spear of light like that had four empowered mortals you needed to kill before being able to take out the old one. I start looking around while crex growls at the mesmer. As if on cue, four beams of light descend and begin forming light titans. They were replacements for when the mortals began dying off in droves due to our bombardment. These titans are tough, but not invincible. Though.... I did have an entire army behind me when I fought these. And I wasn't a fragile mortal. ANNNND POOF. THERE GOES MY CONFIDENCE.

The titans hold spears just like the high mesmer. Sislai relaxes visibly as the titans close in on me. The titans look like 6ft tall knights of pure, gleaming light. Just like my sword. Which I realize with a sinking feeling, is less then a quarter the length of these things spears. More like a pike than a spear. I wait for one to make the first move.

But the moment never comes.

They all stand and watch me intensely. Fuck. They only defend. Now forced to make the first move I formulate a plan. I pick a titan and run right at it. Immediately, the rest of the titans raise their spears and the light coming from them intensifies! The one I am charging lunges forwards and stabs at me. I shift to the left a bit, wincing as the broad head of his spear grazes my stomach. I look at the blade. It seems more like a partizan with that broad head. Without wasting a second, I replicate the move the mesmer in the other room used to disarm his opponent. Grabbing the haft, I twist as hard as I can, wrenching my body painfully in an effort to disarm this behemoth.

To my great surprise, and elation, the spear breaks off into my hands. While not a disarm, I now have two weapons, and one is a quarter the length of the spears these titans carry. I realize with great happiness, their weapons can be broken! Easy! I continue rushing the titan in front of me, and when I come face to face with him, I stab forward with both weapons, and grin as they both penetrate his translucent body through its golden sheen and he lets out an echoing cry.

I twist the weapons and he bursts into a bright flash of light. Right into my adrenaline dilated eyes.

I screech at the bright flash and fall back onto my ass. Despite the ache of falling on my ass and tail, I thank the council for that pain. Lets me know I'm not respawning yet. I force my eyes open to find three bright titans standing in a defensive line in front of the high mesmer. Three huge spears pointed at me.

I stumble to my paws. "Hey snake asshole! I'm coming for you!" He shakes his head in exhausted awe at my ability to be crude. He casually waves his fingers at me and all the titans shudder into movement.

This is going to be fun.

____________________________________________

Kell

It hurts. It hurts all over every time. "Ughhh..." I groan as I begin to once again rejoin the land of the living. What was it this time? I think back to the events leading up to my blackout. Watching my sister melt before my eyes, slashing the king, running... oh so much running. Ah! The portal. Oh yes, and the hatchlings I saved. Groggily I open my blazing gold eyes and look at the roof of the cave. Hatchlings. I think to the implications. I was the one who hatched them, and I now need to care for them. Does that make me their mother? For some reason, the thought sends happiness up my spine, making me shiver. I raise my hand and gaze upon my gleaming gold scales. A life of trying to better theirs. Yes. I... I'd like that.

My thoughts of motherhood are interrupted by a golden blur around me, jumping on me, nudging me, pawing at me, the hatchlings. "You're alive! Don't pass out again! We need you!" I smile as the larger brother hops up onto my chest and peers down at my face, only inches away. I finally get a good look at him. Right now, small scales cover his entire face, and some thicker ones defend his belly and spine. He doesn't even have horns yet. I giggle. "I'm not dying. Just... needed a rest. Now let me up! I need to get you guys food before you start forgetting words and get stuck growing slowly." He hops off me and scrambles over to his brother, now with me awake, they seem quite happy. They start wrestling each other and laughing. I think back to what I just said, watching these little ones play so innocently. Perhaps that wouldn't be so bad...

I yawn as I sit up, rubbing the horn I fell on when I passed out. Still aches. I look over the hatchlings again. Names... I don't know their names! "So! What names do you guys have?" I ask. They stop playing and sit next to each other staring at me. The bigger one calls out "Tsvann!" the smaller one calls out "Eriyan!" he then hops up to all fours and spreads his tiny wings before giving the cutest little roar.

I smile at them. "Nice to meet you boys. I am Kell. I'll be your caretaker. I gotta go find food in a bit. If anyone that isn't me comes, hide, and do it well." Eriyan, excited to have a mission gives another cute roar and says "We wont let you down! We're the best!" Tsvann hops up, not wanting his brother to steal all the thunder and says "Yeah! The best!" I rise to my feet and look my clothes over. Torn, stained, and useless. But not a gaudy gold like the rest of me. I better keep it on. "Well little ones. I will return soon with food and water. If I do not...." Oh no... if... if I... no! I won't! I will refuse the afterlife my presence. "... I'll be back soon." The two of them give a cute chirp and go back to wrestling and playing as I walk over to the cave entrance. They seem more playful then I remember.

I step out into the forest and immediately crouch. I stalk through the trees, admiring the way the sunlight filters through the trees. Like little bands of light streaking through the morning mist. The green scenery is quite beautiful. I've never been in a forest before yesterday, so... I have no idea where to find food. Probably near where I find water. I sniff the air. Finding the scent of water sadly absent. Though there is another scent, this one MUCH more alarming. The spines on the back of my neck rise as I look round, snarling. Demons.

Before I can be spotted, I drop to the ground, leaves crunching under my body as I go prone. They'll be here soon. I roll over into the bushes, thankfully my scales block the small twigs from causing any uncomfortable pain. I fall still. I slow my breathing. Soon. Soon those red bastards will be stepping right past me. I deign to sniff the air again. Demon now hangs thick in the air. I wait.

Soon I hear talking. First its faint. Barely a murmur. But it grows louder. Damn. They are getting close to our cave already! I stay completely still and wait for them to pass me by.

That never happens.

Instead, something steps on me. Either there are more then I thought, or I have shit hearing. Regardless, I'm in trouble. I turn and sink my fangs into the demonic foot stepping on me, its bigger then... oh shit. Not even a second later the foot retracts before I can pump it full of poison. The foot it replaced by a giant hand wrapping around my neck, keeping me from biting him.

He raises me into the air and throws me. I black out as I slam into a tree, scraping off golden scales and drawing blood from my thigh as I bounce off the tree. I hit the grass covered ground and tumble onto a dusty spot.

I groan in pain as I wrench back my consciousness from the brink and roll over onto my stomach. My leg... I look down at my leg, blinking through the daze hanging over me. My thigh is completely red with my blood. Though I don't think my bone is broken. I can heal this.

Turning my attention to the behemoth to my front, I watch as he steps out of the tree line. And with a sinking feeling, I realize I'm on a dusty road. The cave isn't as safe as I had thought. The behemoth stands at 8 feet tall with bone plates scattered about its body. The huge demon could be mistaken for the king, if the king didn't have twice the bone plates. The thing points at me and roars a great, terrible roar. The trees tremble as the roar shakes the ground and I cover my sensitive ears.

"Hey big guy! Look what you found eh? Good job buddy!" I hear from behind me. Fuuuck this just gets better huh? "Hey there. We need you alive eh? How bout you just let us take you eh? No fuss, no pain. Simple eh? Stay down now." I twist my head and look at the second asshole. He looks like one of the guards I got past. Almost no bone plates though. He looks like a runt. "Ohhh man eh? Wait till varen sees I was the one that caught youuu." The behemoth huffs. "We." The behemoths voice is deep and scratchy. The runt shrinks a bit at the behemoths reminder. "Right. Sorry buddy. Now uh... what was her name eh buddy?" the behemoth grunts. "Keel." The runt shakes his head. "no... no... it was less e. Hmm."

Tiring of the two idiots, I call out "Why not just ask me huh?" the runt laughs "brilliant! Thank you erm... what was your name eh?" I push myself up to my knees. I rest on my knees while trying to figure a way out of this. "Kell. You?" he walks over to me, unafraid. He grabs my shoulder and helps me to my feet. "Drant. A pleasure Kell. Right buddy?" the behemoth grunts "Sorry for your leg Honored one." I look at him, confused. The runt laughs. "You didn't know? The guards have taken to calling you honored one." I frown. "Would you know why?" He laughs. "isn't it obvious eh? You nearly beat our king in combat, escaped the palace, kidnapped our two most important mortals and escaped the city by opening a mini portal! A demon cant do that, and you're a mortal! Why'd you do it anyway eh?"

"I'm sorry if I don't have a better answer then I felt I had to." The demon scoffs. "You did that cause you felt like it! Hah! Wait till the others hear it!" I nod to him and say "thanks. Nice to meet someone who appreciates my work. Now how about you let me go? No fuss, no pain. Just let me walk." He laughs. "Yer bold eh? Ah. I'd hoped you'd say that! I want you to keep going. Change things eh?" I fake laugh with him and place my hand on his chest, and I surge my soul into my hand until it starts to glow green through my hand.

He seems to realize what I'm doing cause he smiles at me. "Good luck with big buddy here eh?" I nod to him "Thanks." I release the soul in my hand into him in a violent burst. The ripples of violent energy tear through him, eliminating the trapped soul fueling this demon. A blast of pale green light penetrates his back and covers the forest in a green hue for a second before the soul fades. I give Drant a push and he falls backwards on the road. The behemoth growls and stomps towards me, each footfall sounding terribly loud now. Was he sneaking up on me before? The behemoth raises his fist and I throw myself to the right.

Rolling over dirt into the grass, I reach into myself, and with a flash of green light, I pull out stinger. The behemoths fist collides with the ground and the impact kicks up dust in a cloud and nearly blinds me before I use my dust lids to cover my eyes with a translucent film. Through the dust I swing stinger at his fist. My blade cleaves open his hand, and his hand starts to bubble. Good. The enchantment still works on big bois too. The behemoth roars in pain, but as I watch him recoil, the bubbles stop spreading at his shoulder. He growls and snaps his jaws at me. I stand and hold out my blade at him. He reaches over and grabs a tree, ripping it up from its roots. OH NO. He immediately lunges at me, swinging an entire tree as a weapon. I hit the ground, hoping I don't find myself crushed beneath anything. The tree passes over me and slams into another tree. Both shatter with an earsplitting crack, leaving both trees in splinters all around.

The behemoth growls and rips up another tree. I scramble to my feet and ready to fight this monster. He raises the tree and swings down at me. I leap to the side and raise my blade. The tree splits against the ground with a ground shaking crash. I duck flying wood and swing stinger at his hand. My golden blade bites deep into demonic flesh. The bubbles yet again spread, more intense this time. The new, and old bubbles in his flesh pop, releasing a trapped soul from his body. The glow seems awfully bright- my thoughts are interrupted by a blast of green light as his arm explodes into flashes of soul. I stagger backwards and watch as the behemoth stumbles around in pain. I look at the arm I cleaved, it looks like dried jerky with holes all through it. Alright. Just takes more hits then a normal demon.

As if to refute my conclusion, he grunts and grabs his destroyed arm. He then roars out in pain. I stand a few feet in front of him, terrified of what he might do. Before I think to attack him, his destroyed arm bulges out again, fully healed. "Ok. What the fuck buddy? How do I defeat you if you can-" I stop as he rips up another tree. "You know, I don't think the forest appreciates that." He grunts. But makes no other movement. I continue. "How do I defeat you if you can just heal like that!?" he flexes, red muscles rippling powerfully. "Hit hard" I scoff. "I've been putting all my strength into those blows!" He laughs, a deep reverberating laugh. "Hit harder. Use ALL strength whelp" Use all my strength. Maybe use soul to increase my strength? I hold out my blade. "Alright. I got an idea." The behemoth grunts. This guy grunts a lot. He raises one foot and stomps into the ground. I watch for the incoming swing. But it doesn't come. He stomps with his other foot and holds out the tree he ripped up. "HIT HARDER" he growls out. For a second, he stands there. Looking entirely silly. I almost start to laugh at him, but I stop as I notice arcs of blood lightning begin lancing up and down the tree he holds. Soon the entire tree is sparking blood lightning and the leaves are falling off as the tree dies. As if he didn't hit hard enough already...

As soon as the tree is charged he leaps backwards a few feet. Before I can question his action, he swings the tree around his body, and flings the log of electrical death at me. My eyes widen and I leap to the left, time seems to slow as the tree flies at me unstoppable force. Seconds feel like hours as I attempt to leap out of the way.

And that's when I realize he predicted my dodge. My heart stops as the tree stays completely aligned with me as I touch the ground again. I try to scream, but the tree slams into me before I can get the scream out. The trees branches crash against me, each one bringing a giant jolt of blood lightning with it. The branches snap and break as the tree continues, unfazed. I get carried by the tree into another tree. Both trees shatter and splinter as they collide, I feel several branches enter my body through my scales and suddenly the tree stops its unending march into my body.

I grasp at one of the branches for support as I lay crushed under a fucking tree. My eyes glaze over with tears. I failed them. I die here. Leaving them alone. DAMNIT. The blood lightning goes to work, sealing my soul. I tremble as my scales lose all color. Dropping to a sickly pale color. I look up the tree trunk to the demon, he holds the tree at the roots, stopping it from making me a pancake. I try to move, to dislodge the branches lancing through me. I groan as I feel blood running down my form. "No... I. I neeed... to... get back to them...." The behemoth grunts. "Good aim. Righteous hit." the behemoth laughs that deep laugh of his. "Little mortal lose too early. Expected more fight." He frowns. "Disappointed. Perhaps I use too much force. Draw out fight more next time." I lay here, dying, and he thinks he will draw it out next time!? Does he think I come back like demons do? Well fuck him. Fuck the king. Fuck dying. They need me and I'll be damned if I let a fucking halfwit slay me! "I'm... not.... Done... yet... still... fight..." I manage to groan out between gasps. The paleness in my scales begins to fade away. As the effect of the blood lightning fades, I feel control of my soul return.

This will work. It has to. So many people depending on me. I think back to the happy look on Tsvann and Eriyan's faces when I woke up. I cant fail them. I refuse failing. I refuse YOU. I glare at the behemoth as I begin channeling as much soul as I can. The behemoth watches me with great interest as the segments on my horns start glowing with green light. "Hah! Still fight. Strong! Not disappointed!" the behemoth smiles as I begin focusing the great mass of soul I have. It feels like a living thing. Rippling and waving inside me as if it wants something. What if I... I stop controlling the soul. Letting it do as it pleases.

As soon as I remove the restrictions, the mass of soul flares in every direction. It seems to multiply its own power and become Raw. I don't really know how to describe the feeling. If I had to, I would say it was... EXHILARATING. The very fibers of my muscle pulse with soul as I let the soul take charge. I suddenly feel massively angry. My muscles seem to bulge slightly while the blood spilled by the tree retreats back into my body. THIS IS AMAZING. With a savage roar, I push with all my might against the tree, and to my great surprise, tree goes flying like it weighs nothing. The behemoths smile turns to one of terror as the tree goes flying right back at him. The tree collides with him and shatters upon his red muscle. Time seems so slow. Ignoring the branches still in me, I kick off the remnants of the tree behind me, the action sends me flying through the air at the recoiling behemoth.

Midair I call upon stinger, but when It forms stinger is a gold blade no longer, its blade seems to have been replaced with an undulating blade of pure soul. Its pale green light illuminating my features as I land on the behemoths head. I raise stinger and cleave down into the behemoths head, the feeling I get from this motion is damn near orgasmic. For some reason, it feels like I am getting emotional feedback from stinger. That's impossible. Right?

As stinger cleaves into the skull of the demon below me, a shockwave of soul extends into his body. The sound produced sounds similar to a earsplitting thunderclap. For a split second the behemoths body inflates slightly before bursting in all directions. Another thunderclap assaults my ears as another shockwave blows the entire clearing wide open, trees snap and the ground cracks. In the ensuing blast of energy, I pass out...

...

I wake with a start. I fly up into an upright position, finding the clearing quite... clear. Bits of demon flesh lay steaming on the ground everywhere. Trees lay burning on their sides, and the very air seems... heated. I gasp for air, suddenly feeling very out of breath as I look over the destruction. This is the power I hold!? Then my eyes fall on something at the very center of the clearing. Stinger is laying next to some type of tablet made of ice. Stinger still pulses with now flickering flashes of soul. The ground around the two items is shattered for lack of a better term. It is scorched and grassless. The very earth peeled up in places.

I stagger to my feet, then catch myself on a broken tree as I almost fall down. I wait and lean against the tree while I recover. Once I no longer tremble like a hatchling, I stride towards the tablet and stinger. I step over bits of demon here and there as I walk. Finally I stand over the tablet and stinger. I lean down and grasp stinger, it feels hot to the touch, but not painfully so. I notice runes up and down its hilt that weren't there before. Somehow, I understand them. "Power" You don't say...

Dissolving stinger back into me, I pick up the tablet and look it over. Its cold. Very cold. But I hold it anyways. Runes of the same type adorn its surface. I understand them yet again. "Thank Tara for vouching for you." I hear in my head from all around. I look around, heart pounding at the message. Tara vouched for me? So all this... I look over the destruction again. Was help from someone? I feel a chilly wind pass through the area. Though it was hot before, this chilly wind is almost as cold as the tablet in my hands. Thanks Tara. How thoughtful. The cold wind caresses my body as it passes. I look down and find my clothes all gone. Quite understandably.

Now standing nude in the center of the devastation, I decide to go back to the cave. It isn't safe for them there.

The walk back to the cave isn't long, considering that fight happened right outside. I approach the cave entrance, hoping that the hatchlings are ok. Please be o- I get tackled from the side and end up under one of the golden hatchlings. He gives a small roar and smiles at me. Its Tsvann. "You were AMAZING out there!" Eriyan comes into view, bounding around me happily. "You showed those bad guys who is boss! They were like roar! And you were like swing swing BOOM!" Eriyan hops in place excitedly. "And that big silver dragon that helped was COOL!" I frown. "Silver dragon?" They both flare their spines at mention of it. "Yeah she swooped in when you were under that tree and started helping you! You didn't see her?" I cock my head to the side. "I didn't. Well whoever she is. I thank her profusely for her kind assistance." Tsvann licks me on the snout. And trills. "Our caretaker is strong! And has powerful friends! I'm happy to be here with you. Hungry or not." At those words, my heart swells with pride. And my face grows hot. But the mention of hunger brings me back to the task at hand. I smile at Tsvann and run my hand down his neck spines. He purrs at my touch. "We have to go find another home guys. This one is too close to the demons." While Tsvann melts at my touch, Eriyan bares his fangs. "Let them come! I... I'll help you fight them! I'm strong!" He gives another cute roar as he flares his tiny wings. I laugh. "They'll be terrified! But to find food we gotta find a new home kids." Tsvann starts involuntarily tapping his paw on my bare chest as I keep petting him. Eriyan dances around while saying "I get to help find a home! I get to help find a home! Oh and food! Foooood!"

As the two of them finally start to calm down they look me over. And both of them gasp while looking at all the scars left behind. Spots of pink, soft flesh where heavy gold scales used to be. Had forgotten about wounds left behind by the branches. I don't even remember getting healed. "You're hurt!" They both nuzzle the scars. Despite their scales on my tender scars, it is quite soothing. I pet them as they give attention to my many scars. "I know. But it'll heal fully in a little while. Thanks to our silver friend, I am still ok." I smile. I really do have to thank Tara personally. She pretty much saved my life there. I ask "Can you get off me please? I'm alright." The two hatchlings slide off me and sit on their haunches while I get up on my unsteady legs. "Now. Lets go on an adventure!" both of them leap up onto all fours and start hopping around me. I laugh at their display of happiness and start walking into the forest. We'll avoid the road like the plague. Follow a river or stream downstream and find a lake. Where food resides. Along with water!

Of course. How could she of noticed the silver shadowing her every movement, silver eyes watching her warily, and judging.

What will they see?

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I know the wait for this was inordinately long, but the second chapter will be coming out swiftly! Let me know what you thought with a vote or a comment! And again, thanks for readin