FSE

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*<Earth-date: July 22nd, 3104; Syra: 398 Solar Days.>

*<Time: 7:28am>

*<Cameras in Operation: Cabin 1>

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The Descent

Fair can be such a horrible word sometimes. It fills people with the notion that everything should be balanced - that everything has a central medium that can be achieved.

For Andy, nothing could be further from the truth.

There was a time when that was hard for him to believe. Logic would tell you that anybody who worked hard enough would prosper in some way or another, that with every input of effort comes a measureable benefit or reward immediately after. The truth is however, that nothing is guaranteed. Some might argue and question this fact, but ultimately it doesn't matter. Life can either give you everything or take everything away, there is no middle ground. Nobody is favored above another, and nobody gets beaten down every waking moment of their life for a justifiable reason or cause. Although it may seem like a momentary lapse of misfortune or a small twist of fate, that single moment of dreaded failure is nothing more than an accumulation of factors that landed on your lap in the worst possible way. It's easy to blame others or even yourself, but sometimes you're just in the wrong place at the wrong time; the unlucky chump that didn't make the cut.

In other words... shit happens.

All of these thoughts and more were what was going through Andy's head before a particularly violent jerk of the ship slammed his head into the metal grating just behind him. Grunting, he reached up and placed a hand on the throbbing pain that blossomed in his skull. Perhaps if the ship murdered him on the way down he'd be given an excuse to leave this miserable job. Death might be a nice reprieve. Then again, if he ended up in hell, he might find himself right back in this miserable chair. Grumbling lightly and shaking his head, Andy lifted himself back into a sitting position and looked around to study the decrepit interior of his living torment.

The interior of the ship was a dull, greyish color, with small cracks of decay and rust darting along the dim light fixtures above. The vessel certainly wasn't built for comfort. Most ships nowadays contained at least a small margin of effort to make people believe they weren't flying in space. Sometimes vibrant color, mixed with enough bright light and some homely furniture and appliances was enough to make most people forget that only a few feet of metal stood between them and a certain, horrible death. The interior decorators of this thing however, clearly didn't give a shit what he thought.

Andy was strapped into a moderately comfortable chair, securely fastened and sitting sideways with five other occupants of the ship descending to the planet below. Syra was its name, a world covered with rich, lavish jungles and forests, not to mention enough valuable resources to satisfy corporate greed for decades to come. Despite the beauty its name and appearance might suggest however, the planet was anything but a loving mistress to those who were unlucky enough to drop down to the surface. Hidden within its luscious, tropical landscape, Syra was also home to number of deadly creatures: animals of varying degrees of size and intelligence that quickly recognized how easy it was to catch a human for their next meal. Not to mention how delicious they were.

So why then, would he be heading down there? The answer was simple: money.

Syra, like so many other luxurious chunks of rock that found themselves under a company's rule during humanity's initial push into space, was an absolute gold mine for natural resources. Oil, food, water, minerals, and many more profitable sources of income were much too tempting an investment for rich business owners to pass up. For the company that Andy was working for, which was appropriately named, "DiamondSky," it was no different. The dangers of Syra were measured, and ultimately considered worth the inexorable human effort needed to procure them even if it meant the odd life being lost. Sure, they did their best to keep people safe by marking off a considerable amount of "safe zones" in which to work, but even then it wasn't enough, especially due to the size and lethality of some of the creatures that were roaming around. But for people like Andy, the constant threat was worth it for the amount of money they were paid.

Even so, the unrelenting greed of DiamondSky couldn't be satisfied with just a handful of willing workers, they needed to be the best. Out here, a good six months of space travel from Earth, they were able to conduct business in any way they saw fit. Every year, each worker would be required to submit a report that detailed their earned profits, and the amount of resources they acquired. The amount of profits brought in would then be measured against the amount of profits that he or she lost. When the results came back, any laborer that found themselves in the bottom 10% of the company's profit margin would have to go down to the planet during its most dangerous time to make up for the money lost. There was no way DiamondSky were going to send competent workers to get the job done during this time of year, especially when they could lose more than they could gain from the foolish venture.

And what is this most dangerous time you might ask?

It was discovered a mere few years after the planet's discovery that once a year, for about a month, it would go through what a calm, collected person would refer to as a fucking absolute living hell. There were several different theories as to why the planet and its bestial inhabitants turned crazy during the same period each year: that it was a chemical released by the plants, something injected into the water, the strength of the sun at that given time, an alignment of the starts, or the will of some "God" or benevolent being; however, nothing was certain so far.

All that people knew for sure was that once a year, every single creature on the planet, including the horrifying beings lurking in the ocean, succumbed to a frantic, animalistic need to mate and devour everything in sight. Hundreds of people lost their lives each year before the company finally caught on. Although the planet was somewhat survivable during the other times of the year, during this month any human finding themselves on Syra's surface wouldn't last more than a few minutes before ending up in the belly of some horny, hungry animal. As a result, DiamondSky had to forgo any operations on the planet's surface during this time, else they would risk losing their entire workforce in the raucous, primal display of desire that possessed the planet's inhabitants. They searched desperately for a way to make it safe enough to continue gathering resources and making money, but there was presently no sure way to protect a large good of people all at the same time.

There was however, something developed that could keep a relatively small group safe for a reasonable amount of time: a serum, designed to exude the same scent of the plant-life on the planet's surface. With too many people the smell of tasty earthlings would be overwhelming, but with just a few, the only logical plan was to get in and out and fast as possible before a predator noticed. Even with the serum however, nobody in their right mind would take this job, and that's why DiamondSky sends down the chumps. Anyone in the lowest ten percent profit range for the entire company of that year were sent down, tasked with bringing the tyrannical organization some extra dough during its downtime. You could complain and refuse to go, that might prolong your inevitable descent for a while; in some cases however, such an action was more deadly than going down to the planet itself. It was always better to just make the run and hope you lived. If not, you'd be fired and sent home in rough, dingy ship that would kill you faster than any creature down on the planet ever could. That was the only reason they were all here.

There were six of them in total including Andy. There was Daimon, a sergeant from the company's resident military company who was sitting directly across from him on the other side of the cabin. To his right there were two more people: Leech, a thin, pale looking man who looked like he'd just woken up, and Meirith, a big, silent, grey-colored wolf who hadn't said a single word since they'd left.

Although Andy only had a moderate understanding of why those two were here, he'd gleaned a few snippets of information from the strained, constant arguments that had risen since their departure. Though it wasn't his actual name, Leech had apparently earned his name by forging his personal profit record on a number of separate occasions. Not only that, but that man was known for taking the credit of other's hard earned margins and claiming them for himself. After hearing that, there was no doubt in Andy's mind as to why he was here. He must've known that the lies would catch up to him sooner or later.

As for the wolf, nobody seemed to know the reasons behind his presence. Any conversation directed his way was only ever answered by a rough grunt or growl that emanated from his cavernous chest. It was strange to see someone like him here. Everyone else in the cabin was obviously flawed in some way, but it was hard to believe that this giant creature had any difficulties in being a productive member of the company. Perhaps he was merely putting in a few extra hours to work towards an upcoming promotion or bonus of some kind. The monstrous beast certainly looked like he could earn it.

On the same side of the craft, to Andy's right, sat a man called Hale. Like him, the short-statured man was a newcomer to the company that had failed to make the cut. For some reason, the man had taken it upon himself to become his best friend for the brief trip down to the surface, and was constantly looking over to offer incredibly annoying words of encouragement; or, even worse, trying to stick up for him when somebody threw an insult his way. Apparently, his angry glares were being misinterpreted by the man as a call for help. Perhaps if he smiled the man would shut up.

And finally, sitting next to Hale was an incredibly beautiful, young fox named Layla. Even though Hale was blocking most of his view, (another fact that made him hate the man), Andy could tell that she was amazingly desirable. Even though she was wearing the standard company protective suit like the rest of the cabin's occupants, the shape of her cleavage was clearly visible through the thin, protective layers that pulled tightly against the voluptuous curves of her body. Her enticement however, was what he understood to be her downfall. As pretty as she was, her promiscuous nature around the office with a good number of coworkers had harmed the company's productivity for the higher-ups to take notice. So now here she was with the rest of them, working during the Syra's most dangerous cycle to make up for the losses she caused.

And as for himself, Andy was simply a failure. He was brand new to the extremely competitive company, and after his first year, he found himself in the bottom 10% of earners out of everyone who worked there. That's all it was, plain and simple. A year of horrible luck, and here he was with the rest of the misfit who failed to make the cut, risking his life for the company's quarter.

There was nothing special about him at all. He was just another statistic, waiting to be gobbled up with the first step he took. All of them were probably not going to make it. Despite his similar predicament to the others however, Andy still couldn't understand why was he was the only one who hit his head. Was it his foul luck plaguing him yet again? Being a landing ship, obviously the craft was going to experience some violent turbulence. Why the hell hadn't the seat been built a little higher? Just a small cushion could've prevented him from pounding his head into the hardened iron behind him.

See? Blaming others is easy.

"Hold on a little tighter to your harness there, I told you it was going to be a bumpy ride," a rough voice sneered at him.

Andy raised his head, looking tiredly at the chiseled face of Daimon glared at him with disapproval. Ever since boarding, the cruel man hadn't offered a single word of support. All he seemed to offer was insults. Not the type of man he wanted to be taking orders from.

"Come now Daimon, go easy on him," Hale chided from right beside him, "Anyone of us could've hit their head."

Andy grumbled, sinking lower into his chair. He didn't think it was possible, but somehow the pain in his head managed to get worse.

Narrowing his eyes in Hale's direction, Daimon replied in a low, mocking tone, saying, "no, not any one of us dipshit, only the ones who lack the sense to fucking hold on."

"You could be a little nicer you know," Hale responded, "we're all in this together after all."

Daimon let out a low laugh. "You think if I'm nicer to him this situation will get better?" He said. "I don't think so." Peeling back his lips, the sergeant spat over to his side in disgust. "No. I'm going to call him whatever I want, and don't you dare include me as part of this little group. I'm here to provide security, not be looped in with a bunch of incompetent assholes on their makeup mission." He finished, scanning the cabin with his ugly stare before settling back down in his seat. "And it's 'sergeant' Daimon to you, civilian."

"If I'm a civilian, doesn't that mean I don't have to name your military rank?" Hale replied indignantly, folding his arms across his chest. When he didn't receive a response, he continued, saying, "Someone has to do this job, don't they? We may be the worst, but the company needs us! We're fulfilling the crucial role of gathering resources during a time when nobody else has the courage to do it. We're - "

"Wow, seriously man, shut up," Leech said in a thin, annoyed tone. "The sergeant's right, playing nice doesn't matter anymore. If we weren't the worst workers in this part of the quadrant we wouldn't even be here. The company doesn't give a shit about us; they'd probably prefer if we just died down there on that miserable planet."

Hale's eyes widened in surprise. "W-What? How can you say such things? The company couldn't simply get rid of us... no, that would be illegal. We play a crucial role in acquiring most valuable resources during the most dangerous time on Syra, a fact that isn't to be taken lightly by our superiors back on the station. Heck, they might even give us a bonus when we get back for our hard work! Isn't that right Andy?"

Slouched low in the chair, Andy tilted his head in Hale's direction, looking glum. He remained silent for a few long moments, considering whether or not to respond to the fool beaming hopefully down at him. Then, he finally said, "Leech is right."

Once again, Hale's face widened with a look of surprise. "Andy...how can you - "

"Please... dude, just stop talking," Leech said, interrupting the man again. "I can't stand listening to the shit coming from your mouth any longer..."

Hale glanced angrily over to the pale man in front of him. "Now you look here - "

"Andy...Layla, will one of you please kindly hit him on the head so we don't have to listen to him anymore?" Daimon said, fixing Hale with an angry glare.

Layla sat up in her seat, gripping the harness firmly and shaking her head. "And what makes you think I would do that," she said. "I might damage my nails."

Daimon rolled his eyes. "Fuck me, I thought you canines were supposed to be all predatory and shit. What I wouldn't give for Meirith to be in your place. I bet he'd give the asshole a good whack."

"No he wouldn't," Hale said.

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes I would," Meirith rumbled, giving Hale a wide smile. It was the first words he'd spoken since they'd gotten on board. The effect was powerful.

Daimon grinned at the big wolf. "And there we have it. At least one of the canines on this ship can follow orders."

Hale smiled weakly in Meirith's direction. "Regardless of what that..." He gave a nervous swallow before continuing. "...giant wolf would do to me, I stand by what I said. I don't think DiamondSky would be so morally corrupt as to -"

Whatever he was about to say was interrupted yet again as the ship gave another particularly large jolt, causing him to smash his head into the iron grating much like Andy had done moments before. Immediately, he leaned forward in his chair, swearing and grasping the back of his head in pain. Nearly everybody in the cabin burst out laughing as soon as it happened, with Daimon laughing the most out of everyone. His deep, grunting laugher reverberated around the hull, punching through the mixing course of merriment as everyone had their fun with Hale's misfortune.

Andy let out a small chuckle as the corners of his mouth lifted in a smile. He couldn't help but feel some measure of delight at the poor man's pain. Chancing a quick glance at Meirith, he saw the silent wolf's black lips peeling back in silent amusement as well. It seemed that even the stoic beast of the party was prone to finding some measure of relief. It was a simple, childish delight that they felt in that moment. The laughter seemed to continue for longer than it should have before finally fading away. In the awkward silence that remained, the same dread returned.

Layla glanced over at Hale. "Seems the ship wanted you to shut up as well," the fox remarked, weakly attempting to resurrect the party's enjoyment.

"Ow, my head," Hale mumbled, rising from his slouched position to sit awkwardly in his chair. After rubbing his head for a few more moments, his eyes opened, darting like angry flies at everyone around him. "That was very unkind good sirs, very unkind indeed. You all should be ashamed of yourselves, laughing at me like that. You're all bunch of condescending, unsympathetic, immature, dreadful creatures, and I don't want to have anything to do with you lot for the rest of my days! I don't want to be on a team with you, and if I had a choice, I'd -"

"Well you DON'T!" Barked Daimon, exploding in a sudden torrent of furious anger. "We're all going down to that planet to mine, and if you're as talkative down there as you are up here we all won't last a fucking minute!" As he finished, a hushed silence fell over the entire party. Nobody dared speak as the sergeant bristled in his seat, his muscled frame practically bursting from the straps that held him in place. He remained there for a few moments, panting heavily in the aftermath of his outburst before slumping back in his seat, seemingly exhausted.

Andy held his breath, his eyes calmly drifting across the cabin, regarding his companions only briefly before settling on Hale. The man was sitting low in his seat, hugging himself in a small measure of comfort as he stared distantly at the bare, dirty metal floor in front of him. Finally silent, he remained completely still, not bothering meet anyone's eyes.

Though his desire for the man to be quiet was now fulfilled, Andy found no reward in the glum emptiness that followed. In Hale's wide eyes, he saw a mixture of fear and defeat, emotions that he himself had been trying desperately to ward off since he found out he was making this incredibly dangerous trip. Talking, it seemed, had been the man's only way to distract himself from the realistic thoughts in his head. Now that Daimon had robbed him of that, a glint of unsureness had returned to his quivering eyes. The man wasn't as stupid as Andy had originally thought. He understood their demise as a real possibility, just like every other high-strung individual on this forsaken crew of misfits and angry bastards.

Andy longed to hear Hale's words again.

Leech look over to Daimon after a few moments, his thin face lifted in a skeleton-like grin. "So," he said, "we're mining?"

The sergeant looked up, his reply coming in an oddly tired, calm drawl, "Yes, I suppose it's about time to let you know what you're actually doing down there, huh?" He sat up straighter, his voice taking on an authoritative tone. "We're going to be landing on a small strip just outside of base 4. After we touch down, there's going to be a small walk through an enclosed, forested section of jungle that leads directly to the mine. Though there's obviously no guards to give us cover except for me, there's iron fences along the entire perimeter that should keep out the wildlife, as long as talkative over there doesn't get lippy again," he said, gesturing sarcastically over to Hale with a wave of his hand.

Not responding, Hale remained in his seat, idly paying attention to what Daimon was saying.

Layla perked up, her paws reaching back to briefly tug her tail out from under the seat. "Why are we mining exactly? Shouldn't we be getting more important things like water, or food, or something?" She asked inquisitively.

The soldier shook his head. "No, we already have shitloads of that; the station stocks up before this month to avoid any emergency trips for supplies, as you well know." He paused to spit over to the side again. "Or maybe you don't, who knows? You guys probably don't know much as it is..."

Sniffing indignantly, the fox fixed Daimon with an annoyed glare. "You can stop being so condescending you know, we're not as hopeless as you might think. I mean, look at Meirith over there. He looks like he could lift a heavy pound or two with those big, strong arms of his..." She said, her voice taking on a dream-like tone as her eyes studied the giant wolf across from her.

Meirith looked back at her, his face impassive.

"Yes, I'm sure you're all just little geniuses, waiting to burst out of your shells of stupidity," Daimon replied facetiously, sitting back in his seat.

Andy turned his head, staring at the sergeant curiously. "How can you be sure you aren't here for the same reason?" He asked.

The sergeant turned to look at him. "What?"

"You heard what I said. If we're really the incompetent group of dicks that you say we are, why bother sending a man like you to protect us at all? Surely DiamondSky doesn't give a fuck whether we live or die." When Andy finished, Daimon gave him an unsettling smile.

"Would you prefer I wasn`t here?" He replied, offering Andy a wide grin. "You are right though, I don't imagine they would, but it seems at least someone up there has a modicum of empathy for you fucktards if they're sending me along." He spat over to the side again. "I'm getting payed double for this little venture, and that's the only reason I'm here. I couldn't care less if we all make it out of this. I'm not risking my life for one of you dimwits, that's for sure."

"Or perhaps you're just as incompetent as the rest of us," Andy replied.

Daimon shook his head, his grin growing broader. "You don't know how wrong you are you little shit."

This time it was Andy's turn to smile. "Think about it. Do you not think that DiamondSky could lie to you as well? They could've fed you some bullshit story about coming down with us to provide protection, but you know as well as I how dangerous it is down there during this time. What could one little man and his rifle possibly do against one of the creatures down on Syra, hm?" There was a long moment of silence when he finished talking. Nobody said a word as a darkened stare came across the sergeant's face.

"Not very much I would imagine," Daimon replied, his voice low and emotionless. "If anything larger than a car attacks us you better stick close to me and start running. Guns can hurt most of them, but some don't even flinch." He leaned forward in his seat. "I've been down on this planet more times than I care to remember you ignorant fuck, most of the time with newbies like you. Sure I've lost a few people, but it was always their mistake, not my own. I've got the highest survival rate and the most value to our company out of anybody here, so you can be damn sure I'm not just some expendable piece of garbage like you are."

Holding his grin, Andy nodded. "So you say," he mused.

"You better believe it," Daimon replied, sitting back in his seat. "Even if they did want to get rid of me I'd still make if off that goddam planet."

With a barely audible chuckle, Andy relaxed in his chair. He wasn't sure if it was wise to make the man who was protecting them uncomfortable, but he couldn't care less. The small measure of satisfaction he gained from bringing the man down a peg or two had made it well worth it. Hell, anything to cheer him up would be worth it at this point.

Still, the fact that the sergeant still had that knowing smile across his face was mildly unsettling.

Hale looked up, a small smile etched across his face. "Well, I for one feel much safer you with you on board Sergeant Daimon."

"Shut the fuck up Hale," Daimon replied.

Hale grew flustered, his face turning beet red. "Now you listen he-"

His retort was interrupted as harsh static ripped out from the dull, black speaker sitting in the corner. "We've cleared the atmosphere Sergeant, ten minutes til we land," came a neutral, monotone voice. "Get your crew prepped."

Daimon stood up straighter in his seat, the discomfort in his features vanishing in the blink of an eye as he adopted a form of authority. "Alright, you heard the man, check to make sure all your suits are clean and fully zipped up! That goes for you as well Layla! "The soldier barked, giving the fox a disapproving glare. The vibrant canine had her black suit zipped hallway down and was offering Meirith a light peak at one of her breasts when Daimon had begun his announcement. With a scowl, she zipped it back up, but not before offering the wolf a playful wink. The grey beast smiled back.

"Right, now as I was saying," Daimon continued in an annoyed tone, "Make sure your suits are tight, the less of your scent that can waft through that protective rubber the better. Now, does everybody have their serum? It should be down to the bottom left of each of your seats, just press the button to open the compartment. Most of the jolts should be over by now, but keep a firm grip on it so you don't drop it."

Andy looked down to his left. He hadn't noticed it before, yet sure enough, there was a small, square button sticking out a few inches from the bottom of his seat. Flecks of dried, pale color and grime covered what once may've been a bright red impression in the rusted metal, yet it seemed nothing was cared for on this wasteful dump. At least he knew the serum would be new. Pressing down on the button, he was rewarded with a loud "click" as the compartment opened up next to his hand, containing a plastic can of dull, sludgy green liquid.

"Oh God..." Leech exclaimed, lifting the disgusting liquid to his face. "Do we really have to eat this shit?"

Daimon grumbled and shook his head, saying, "No, not eat, spray... you dumb fuck."

"Well, how was I supposed to know? It's not like I've seen the stuff before."

"Ya, whatever, just get ready to put it on," the sergeant retorted. "We'll want to do it as soon as we reach the planet's surface to avoid attention."

Layla lifted the serum to her muzzle, giving a light sniff before wrinkling her nose and pulling back in disgust. "Ech... It smells horrible! Like, mould mixed with stale breath." She gagged once as she finished speaking, holding it away from herself. Meirith held the substance up to his nose as well, inhaling the scent before letting out a rough grunt and shaking his head.

Even through the hard plastic of the container, Andy could smell the horrid concoction. If his meagre scenes could pick up the foul smelling liquid, he could only imagine how powerful it must've smelt to the two canines on board. As he looked at it closer however, he couldn't help but feel slightly disturbed at the potency of the vile aroma coming from it. Why would it smell so bad? Sure, the company was pitching it as the answer to hiding all their workers from the deranged predators down on the planet's surface, but Andy had been on Syra before. In all his time down there, he'd never had the misfortune of smelling something so bad. If anything, it seemed that dousing himself in the serum would only make himself stick out even more to a giant, hulking behemoth waiting to devour him. Something was definitely wrong.

"I'm not putting this shit on me," Andy said, sliding it back into the compartment and shutting it with a soft click. "Any creature from miles around is going to smell me wearing it."

Daimon rolled his eyes and gave him a smirk. "It smells like shit to us, but trust me, this is the only thing that's keeping you alive once we get down there. Open that back up and be ready to put it on as soon as we reach the planet's surface."

"No."

The sergeant narrowed his eyes. "This isn't a democracy dipshit, if you don't wear the serum you're putting the rest of our lives at risk. Put it on, or I'm going to put it on for you, and when we get back you're fired." Andy looked down at the button again, weighing his options as Daimon leaned forward. "Take it out, and get ready to put it on... now."

Andy glowered at the solider sitting across from him. He didn't know how much influence or power the man had with the company, but he was sure that with a few, well-placed words or a report the asshole could have him packing for home within a day of getting back to the station. If he found himself on one of those transports home, he was as good as dead. There was no reason to not appease the sergeant now. He could always fake it when they got to the planet's surface.

Leaning down, Andy pressed the button, keeping his eyes on Daimon as the compartment slid open again with a strained, creaking sound. Picking up the serum once again, he cradled it on his lap, feigning disappointment as he held on gingerly to the disgusting liquid once again. He still had no intention of putting it on.

"Good," Daimon said with a smile before casting his eyes over the rest of the cabin. "Get ready everybody, we should be landing soon."

_______________________________

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*<Earth-date: July 22nd, 3104; Syra: 398 Solar Days.>

*<Time: 8:36am>

*<Cameras in Operation: Cabin 1>

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The Landing Party

Andy held on tightly as the ship hovered down to the planet's surface. The rusted iron bars over his shoulders provided only limited security, but it was better than nothing. It seemed silly to be concerned now that he was only a few meters off the ground, but the way the day was going, he wouldn't be surprised if the entire craft erupted in flames and burned them all alive like gerbils in a microwave before they hit the ground and exploded.

"Will the crew please hold on," the voice over the speaker crackled, "Landing in three...two...one..."

The ship rattled as it dropped heavily onto the ground. There was an inexplicably harsh creaking noise in the grating along the cabin interior before the soft rumbling of engines cut and everything faded into an uneasy, silent stillness. Once everything had shut off, the only noises that could be heard were the steady, panicked breathing of most of the occupants.

Andy exhaled violently, suddenly realizing that he'd been holding his breath the entire time. This seemed to trigger a few others who'd been doing the same. He shuddered and swallowed in nervousness as the harness released itself, allowing him to push the iron bars off of himself. Despite the mild comfort he felt at landing safely on the planet's surface, he knew that the worst wasn't over. They still had to go outside.

"Alright everybody, listen up," Daimon said, pushing up his harness and standing up in the cabin before anyone else had the chance. "We're going to be doing this in a strict, orderly fashion. The mine is just half a mile away from this landing pad, so we've got a bit of trek ahead of us. The entire area is sealed off with a safety fence, so that should keep most of the smaller creatures out; however, nothing is gonna stop a giant hungry and horny lizard from breaking through the barrier, which is why I need all of you to put on your masking serum now." He held up the small green can, popping off the top and pointing is at his chest. "Make sure your suit is fully zipped up and spray a good portion on your chest, legs and back." As soon as he finished, the sergeant pushing the nozzle on top and cringed as a murky green spray erupted from the tip of the can, dousing the front of his black suit and giving it a pale shine before he moved onto his legs. "Try not to get any in your eyes, but don't worry if you do. Oh, and to any of our crew members who have tails, be sure to spray those as well."

Layla wrinkled her nose as the horrid smell spread around the interior of the cabin. "Ew, did you have to do that now," she complained, putting a black pad on the end of her muzzle. "It smells horrible."

"Oh I'm sorry, would you rather do it out there when something can get a whiff of our scent?" Daimon drawled sarcastically, shrugging lightly as he continued with his mocking tone. "Just put it on. The worse it smells in here the less we'll smell out there."

Andy grimaced as he held the can up to his face, getting another close look at it. He didn't like the substance at all. It looked more like something you would pull from the murky depths of a swamp rather than an actual mask to hide yourself.

The other members of the party however, were already beginning to spray themselves. Leech went first, holding the can out in front of him to an awkward angle before beginning to squirt some in foul drips onto his chest. Layla and Meirith quickly followed suit, the two canines both wrinkling their nose in disgust almost in unison as the sprayed it on themselves and began lathering it around. Although there was nothing particularly purposeful about her motions, the female fox seemed to rub the serum over herself as if she were rubbing on sun-tanning oil at a beach. The way her paws moved down her body was enticing to say the least. She moved her hips in subtle, sensual motions as she slid her furred digits up and down her legs, the suit becoming slick and shiny with the vile liquid. It was enough to draw the attention of almost everyone in the cabin. Layla looked up and saw Andy staring. She gave him a smile and a slight wink, causing him to shake his head and look back down at the can.

Scratch that. She was definitely doing it on purpose.

Hale shook his head as well before turning his own can and spraying it on. "Well, at least we'll be somewhat hidden once we step out. I doubt we'll really need this stuff with all the fences up and running."

Leech looked up with a mocking grin. "You know some of them can fly right?"

"W-what?" Hale replied, nearly dropping his can.

"Oh yes, loads of them can," Leech continued, enjoying himself as he watched a look of unsureness dawn on Hale's features. "I've been working down here in the mines before when I saw somebody get taken. In fact, it might've even been this one." He said with a grin before making walking motions with his fingers. "We were walking along the path to our destination when suddenly, there was a huge burst of air and woosh!" He made a passing motion with his arm. "The person three meters ahead of me got picked up by a giant, flying dragon." After there was a moment of silence, he relaxed, dropping his hand back down to his side. "Was kinda cool actually, seeing one of them up that close without getting killed. We saw the person get carried off quite some ways before he got tossed up into the air and swallowed whole. Though I guess that was sort of cool too..."

Hale continued to look at him with horror for a few moments, then: "You're a horrible person."

"Haha, finally you're right about something," Leech said, chuckling to himself before fixing Hale with a sinister smile. "Wanna walk in front of me a few paces once we get going? See if we can get a repeat?"

"Shut up Leech," Daimon said half-heartedly, talking a few steps forward to stand in the middle of the cabin. "As much as I enjoy listening to you two bond, it's about time we got going. We've only got about 8 hours to get this job done before the sun sets, and you all better make fucking sure that you keep silent. Any noise could get all of us killed." He took two steps towards the hatch before stopping and turning his head towards Andy. "And you... put your serum on now."

Andy had been holding the can at bay since they'd landed. Despite the sergeant's threats, he didn't trust DiamondSky enough to assume that the mixture was for their protection. There was something odd about the way it smelt and how it made him... feel. There was no real way to describe it, yet the more he inhaled the foul stench, the more pleasing it became. His nostrils flared at the distinct odor wafting around the cabin's interior. His heart beat heavily in his chest, excitement coursed through his veins, and most noticeably, he felt his cock begin to swell within his suit. This was not a normal formula.

Looking around, he saw that many of his companions were experiencing the same effects. Every one of them seemed to be behaving strangely. Leech was staring at Hale with a slightly maniacal expression, his breathing rough and ragged as he clenched and unclenched his fists and blinked an odd number of times. Hale on the other hand, was completely oblivious to the attention. He and Meirith, along with the odd glance from Leech, were all staring at Layla, whose antics were becoming worse with each passing second. The female fox had a good portion of the serum in her hand and was stroking her tail, covering the puffy fur just as Daimon had ordered. As she did this however, she began casting sultry looks at the men across from her, giving them the occasional winks as she pulled her tail around and began hugging it teasingly across her body. As she slid the slimy substance up and down her tail with one hand, her other paw slipped downwards to her thigh, rubbing the black suit material even though there was no serum there to apply. As if that wasn't bad enough, Andy looked down and gave a nervous swallow as he saw a slowly growing bulge form between the giant, grey wolf's legs.

Something was terribly wrong.

Andy gave a nervous swallow before responding. "No."

Daimon stepped forward menacingly. "Now you listen here, I'm not putting up with any of your sh - ".

"No, listen to me," Andy said, interrupting the sergeant with the urgency of his tone. He held up the can in his hand. "This shit isn't going to keep us safe. There's something terribly wrong going on here. I think we've all been set up."

That was enough to bring to the crew out of their hypnotic trance.

"W-what?" Hale said, his face full of worry. "What makes you say that?"

"I say that, because this shit is making us horny!" Andy exclaimed, brandishing the murky container for all to see.

Leech looked over at Leyla, giving the fox a condescending stare. "But Layla's always like that man, that's why she's here. She can't help being a fucking slut."

Leyla stopped making circular motions on her thigh and snarled, baring her teeth angrily. "Hey!"

Leech held up his hands. "Just sayin."

"No, it's not just that, it's all of us," Andy continued, his eyes wandering to each of his companions as he held their attention. "We were all staring at Layla before, but now we're about two seconds away from losing control of ourselves. I don't think this is meant to protect us, I think this is meant to act as a fucking beacon for every single creature down on this fucking planet. If we get off this ship, we won't stand a chance."

Hale shook his head and smiled, raising his arms in a reassuring gesture. "Now, now Andy, that can't be right. Think about what you're saying. DiamondSky wouldn't just bring us all the way down here to kill us, that would be absurd."

"Yes," agreed Layla, standing normally for once as she nodded her head. "I don' t think they would do that."

"If they wanted to kill us, all they'd have to do is shoot us up on the station and eject our bodies into space," Leech said, attracting the concerned look of everyone on board. "Hey, it's true," he continued, raising his arms defensively. "It would be a lot easier than doing...this."

"We can't assume to know DiamondSky's intentions," Andy retorted. "I don't know about you, but I don't trust them in the slightest. We all know that all they give a shit about is money."

"Both of you shut the fuck up right now," Daimon growled, turning around and walking to the back of the cabin. "We don't have time for this Andy. Just put the serum on like a good little boy and we'll be on our way."

Leech completely ignored the sergeant, choosing instead to continue taunting the man across from him. "Oh, really? But isn't that exactly what you're doing now?" He said angrily. "You're not a scientist, hell, you're not even above the bottom of the line." He took a step forward, pointing in Andy's face. "How could you possibly know what this serum does? You're just another loser like us, looking for a pathetic excuse to flake from this job. This our last chance to keep our jobs here, and we're all going to complete it whether you like it or not!"

Andy felt an outpouring of rage at the man's last comment. Everyone else on the entire goddam ship was completely oblivious to the danger they were in, yet he was somehow being made out to be the bad guy by this little twirp. He couldn't believe that nobody else could recognize the truth of what he was saying. Not only that, but the way in which Leech had assumed he was a lazy degenerate hurt him on a deeply personal level. He didn't belong on this ship with the others, and he'd worked his ass off to ensure that he wasn't a part of it. And now, the same man that was here for shirking work and taking credit from others was calling him the loser. Fuck him.

"That's ironic, coming from you," Andy said, taking a step forward and raising his fists. Hale stepped between them both.

"You two cut it out right now!" Hale said, pushing Andy lightly in the chest. "The last thing we need right now is for us to start fighting over a ridiculous misunderstanding."

Andy fell back into his seat at Hale's push. Still seething, he stood back up, hoping to brush past the man only to be shoved down once again. For a person of a seemingly timid nature, Hale seemed to be surprisingly strong.

Hale shook his head before continuing, saying, "Sit down Andy, I won't ask you again. We need to be calm and collected to figure this out."

Ya, sit down bitch," Leech snarled, goading him even more. "A dumb fuck like you could get us all killed."

As soon as Leech finished speaking, Andy leapt up with a violent shout, pushing past Hale in a fit of rage and threw himself forwards. Leech's eyes widened in surprise as he barrelled forward, slamming his shoulder into the man's chest. The angry pair collapsed in a heap as Hale stumbled to his left and bumped into Layla, causing both himself and the female fox to yelp and fall awkwardly to the ground. Andy hit the hard, metal floor on his side, letting out a small grunt of pain before trying desperately to roll on top of his skinny opponent and gain the advantage. Despite the adrenaline running through his veins, he found the task quite difficult. Leech was snarling and kicking savagely in return, showing a surprising amount of strength for somebody of his stature. Though he was sure he could best the rat-faced asshole, Andy was only able to grapple with him for a few more seconds before a large, heavy paw grasped his back and yanked him forcefully onto his feet.

The strong grip lifted Andy upwards by the back of his suit, holding him a few inches from the ground as if he weighed nothing more than a bag of feathers. Looking across, he saw that Leech remained only a few short feet away from him, crawling backwards across the floor in a desperate attempt to get away. Despite the immense strength the hold on him suggested, he let out an animalistic growl and began to kick wildly in the air in a vain attempt to attack his tormentor once again. He stopped immediately however, when Meirith's fearsome countenance appeared in front of his vision. The giant wolf still held him easily, yet his predatory face was twisted with a look of indescribable rage. The blunted claws dug into his back and threatened to puncture the suit's material as the beast snarled, baring his sharpened fangs and letting out a furious growl.

"If you don't cut that shit out right now... I'm going to slide a claw in your belly and rip out your guts," Meirith grated, his tone dark and dangerous.

Andy flinched as the wolf's horrific words slammed into him, and suddenly he felt strangely afraid. He felt the wolf's hot breath blast against his face before cutting off sharply as the beast snapped its jaws shut. Meirith continued to stare at him, the darkened eyes wild with an almost inexplicable hate. Silence fell over the room as all the occupants stared ahead with horror, shocked by the sudden and unexpected outcry of their previously silent companion.

Then, almost as suddenly as it had begun, Meirith closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and slowly set Andy back down on the floor.

Andy backpedalled immediately until his back hit the metal bulkhead leading to the outside world. There he remained, staring up at the shadowy, bestial figure as it hunched over a few feet ahead, struggling to regain its breath. The violent utterance had been so unexpected that all thoughts of hitting Leech were now gone. All of his powers of concentration were now focused on making sure he didn't crap in his suit.

"Forgive me," Meirith said after a while, standing upright and giving Andy a sinister glare. "Your pathetic little fight was no call for an outburst such as that in this confined space."

Ya, no shit," Daimon said, standing only a few feet away with a rifle held across his chest. "You keep that temper bottled up inside Meirith or I'll drop you where you stand. If you can't keep yourself under control you'll kill us all."

Andy stared at the sergeant with surprise, wondering where the hell the rifle had come from. Though he could've missed it during the fight, the interior of the cabin left no indication that there were any gun compartments, much less one big enough to hold a weapon of that size. The bulkhead behind Daimon however, was open, displaying a small, hidden casing in the metal grating that now lay open, the darkened door hanging sideways on a rusty set of hinges.

Meirith turned, fixing the sergeant with an icy stare. "Right now Daimon, the only thing that's going to kill us is your supreme incompetence at being a leader," he growled, swishing his tail and turning to face the armed man with a look of contempt.

Daimon narrowed his eyes and raised the gun slightly. "Now you look here you fuc-"

"No, you look here," Meirith said, a low growl forming in his chest. "You point that gun at me and I'll tear it out of your grip before you have a chance to pull that trigger." His eyes glowed dangerously. "And then I'll tear your throat."

Despite the rifle in his grip, Daimon cowered underneath the giant wolf's predatory glare. He was the one that held the power, yet for some reason, he couldn't find the words to speak.

Turning back to Andy, Meirith bared his fangs in a wicked smile and took a step forwards, the claws of his footpaw scraping the metal flooring as he moved. "And as for you, Andy, you make a move like that again and I'll make sure you never make it off this planet. I'm not sure whether or not the predators of this planet can smell this stuff, but I guarantee they'll be able to sniff you out when your blood is staining the forest floor."

Andy held his breath as the wolf finished with the threat and stared at him with those bright, silted yellow eyes. There had been no warning for the creature's sudden change of behavior, which for some reason made him even more terrified than what waited them on the other side of the door he was resting on. Despite this however, he gave a nervous swallow and opened his mouth to speak. "Meirith, please, you have to believe me," he said in a weak, feverish tone. "Something is wrong... this serum is going to get us killed..." He wanted to sound more authoritative, but all he could manage was a soft squeak as his voice broke, something that hadn't happened since his late teens.

Meirith's smile broadened as the wolf took the last few steps, standing over the human and placing his formidable paw down on the decaying surface near Andy's head. "I understand that you're scared right now human, that's perfectly reasonable," he said reassuringly. "The truth of the matter is however, that this mixture is strong, effective, and will keep us safe in the short journey ahead as long as we keep quiet and move quickly." Andy opened his mouth to interrupt but Meirith held up his paw to stop him. "You have doubts, obviously, but I can assure you there is no need for them. Though the serum smells horrid and musky to us, for the creature's Syra, we'll smell just like a common, disgusting fungus that grows in the deeper parts of the forest."

"But..." Andy began, only to shut his mouth and whimper as the wolf narrowed his eyes.

"You don't question authority when you work here Andy; a smart man like you should realize that," Meirith said. "If we don't go forwards, we'll all be out of a job and we'll never make it back home." The wolf slid his paw down the wall and pressed a red button next to Andy's arm, caused the entire ship to jolt before the door behind Andy slid open, revealing the world outside. Bright light streamed into the dully-lit darkness of the cabin, causing all of its members to blink and shy away momentarily as their eyes adjusted.

Meirith looked back. "Sergeant, why don't you take the front, seeing as you have the weapon. I'll take the back and keep and lookout for any predators."

Daimon's face twisted in silent anger as he glared at the hulking wolf, his hands gripping the gun hard in frustration. "You're not in charge here bitch, I'll say who goes first," he snarled, looking almost like a beast himself.

The wolf smiled. "Very well Sergeant, what order do you want us to go in?"

"I want Andy and Layla up front, followed by me in the middle, Leech behind me, and you in the back," Daimon said, pointing at Meirith. "I want a good position in the group in case anything goes down."

"More like all of us to be human shields..." Leech mumbled, his voice barely audible.

"What the fuck did you just say?" Daimon said, brandishing the rifle threateningly.

"Woah! Calm down there man, Jesus!" Leech responded, holding his hands out in a defensive posture. "I didn't say anything."

Daimon lifted the corner of his lip in a sneer. "Ya, you better not have. I don't want anybody to say a goddam word when we get outside there," he said, taking a step towards the bright opening. "We all stay together in a straight, compact line. If anybody strays you'll be left to rot. And you..." The sergeant narrowed his eyes, pointing a gloved hand in Andy's direction. "Put the fucking serum on or you're staying behind."

Looking around at his companions, Andy gave a nervous swallow. They were all staring at him as if he'd suddenly been sentenced to death. He looked over at Meirith, hoping to find some sort of answer from his giant presence but all he got was a curt nod. There was no point in fighting it now. With a deep sigh, he walked over to where his can had fallen on the ground when he'd charged Leech and he picked it up. Then, walking back to the doorway, he aimed the foul liquid at his chest and sprayed, smearing it over every inch of his suit for several minutes until it was shining in the bright light of the planet's morning sun streaking through the opening.

"Good," Daimon said, a hint of satisfaction creeping into his voice. "Now, lead the way. We're right behind you."

Meirith stepped over to the side before looking down at Andy and gesturing out the door with his paw. "After you," he stated flatly.

The others gathered unsurely behind Andy, getting ready to follow directly behind him in the order the sergeant had specified. From his limited view within the ship, he could see a bright, piercing sun stretching over a vast expanse of trees heading in either direction. He couldn't see a path of any kind, but he assumed that Daimon would know as soon as he disembarked. There was no telling what lay in store for them in that heavy, threatening foliage, but he was about to find out.

Taking a deep breath, Andy stepped outside the ship, walking down the ramp and onto the planet's surface.

_______________________________

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*<Earth-date: July 22nd, 3104; Syra: 398 Solar Days.>

*<Time: 9:03am>

*<Cameras in Operation: Landing 1 - 3, Forest 1 - 45, Aerial 1 - 36>

*******************

Ambush

Despite what the planet's bright sun might suggest, the forest was incredibly dark.

Andy continued to lead the little party as they walked closer to their destination, keeping in a straight, single-file line just as Daimon had ordered, with Layla right behind him, followed by Hale and Daimon, then Leech and Meirith coming up the rear. His instructions were clear enough: keep following the path until it stops. Not even a blind mouse could fuck that one up.

The deep forests of Syra seemed to clothe itself in darkness. Though the trail was marked well and cut clear to allow light in, the thick canopy of leaves and numerous, metallic-like trees that stretched off to each side contained a degree of shadow that would be impossible to achieve on Earth. When you came down on your first job, it's common to immediately compare the natural splendor of Syra to our home planet. When you look closer however, the colors don't seem right. Everything is too dull, and the green leaves don't seem to absorb or reflect light in the same way. No matter how much preparation you go through, nothing quite prepares you for the subtle change in vision. It's almost as if some creature was behind you the entire time, holding a giant pane of tinted glass over your face to make every feature seem darker.

And that creature wanted to eat you.

There was no telling what was lurking just inside those sinister woods. Both Damian and Meirith had assured him that the fence and serum was enough to keep their party safe, yet with every passing moment that seemed less and less likely. Nearly every ten seconds the deep, bestial roar of some sort of monstrous creature would rip through the air, echoing throughout the woods and forcing the party to come a terrifying halt before continuing. Though it was difficult to distinguish the moans of pleasure from the cries of terror coming from the unearthly wails, it was clear that the entire planet had erupted in one, huge orgy of predatory satisfaction. The constant noise made it impossible to tell where any possible attacks would come from, and Andy found himself doubting any of them would make it back alive. The serum wasn't going to help at all if they ran into a mating pair of angry creatures.

"How much longer til we get to the end Daimon?" Andy half-whispered to the soldier seven paces behind him.

"Shut up you idiot," Daimon grunted, holding his rifle high and keeping eyes on a constant swivel. "We should almost be there. Just keep your mouth shut and your eyes open."

Andy kept looking back for a few moments, glancing back at his companions to read their expressions. Layla was the only one who was looking back as well, so he was unable to tell if she was scared or not. The rest of them however, were obvious. All of them were terrified, there was no hiding that. Each and every one of them were scanning the forests with wide, unblinking eyes, like a bunch of horrified rabbits trespassing through a wolf's den. The only one who seemed perfectly calm was Meirith, who looked up to fix him with an eerily satisfied grin. Andy shuddered. For some reason that was more unsettling than any of the other uneasy faces.

"Oh my God," Layla suddenly whispered behind him. "I don't think I've ever wanted to fuck somebody more badly in my life."

Continuing to walk forwards along the path, Andy turned his head in disbelief. "What did you just say?"

Layla swivelled her head around, shuddering with pure joy. "Did you see the way he smiled at me?" She said, looking up at Andy with lust shining in her eyes. "And the way he was ogling me back inside the ship with those beautiful eyes... "

"I believe everyone was ogling you," Andy replied, returning his attention to the forest ahead. He didn't want to continue the conversation. He needed to pay attention to the task at hand, not some horny fox's fantasies.

"Mhmm... " Layla purred, not sensing Andy's disinterest. "And the way he stood up to Daimon and ripped you off of Leech with barely any effort at all. You could practically see his powerful muscles flexing underneath that tight latex suit!"

"Shut the fuck up!" Daimon whispered from the middle of the line harshly, forcing Layla into silence once again. The young fox had gotten too excited and allowed her voice to carry.

Andy looked back one more time to see Meirith looked at him once again, a knowing smile stretched across his grey muzzle. Had he heard everything Layla had said?

"I wonder what he looks like without that suit on..." Layla continued, her eyes unfocused as she trudged distractedly along. "I'll bet his cock is as big as a-"

"Let me just stop you right there," Andy said, cutting her off with a disturbed shake of his head. "I don't want to have to hear about Meirith's... anything."

Layla gave a small grunt of disapproval. "Well that's no fun. How can you not enjoy the sight of a big, strong wolf like him?"

"Um... maybe because I'm straight? Perhaps if he was a female wolf I'd be more interested, but that isn't the case."

The female fox gave a small giggle. "Oh Andy, are you coming on to me?"

Andy turned for a brief moment to raise his brow in confusion. "No," he said matter-of-factly, "where did you get that idea?"

"There's no need to lie to me Andy, I saw you looking at me back on the ship," Layla cooed, her voice taking on a low sultry tone. "Perhaps once we're in the mine we can find a nice, quiet spot to satisfy our desires."

Andy felt his heart leap in his chest as he listened to the fox's words. Layla was right: he had been staring at her before, though he didn't think there was a single member of the party who hadn't. Nonetheless, he slowly began to grow hard in his suit, think of how the fox would feel pressed up against him, the warmth of her fur caressing his naked skin, the hot, velvety warmth of her nethers throbbing gently around his cock...

He took in a deep breath, inhaling the heavy, musk-laden air surrounding them. Normally he could keep his thought on track, but for some reason he couldn't keep his mind off what Layla had said: she wanted to screw him. He began walking faster.

Layla smiled, noticing the bounce in his step. "Perhaps we could get Meirith to join us well," she purred.

Andy looked back at her and smiled. "Yes, I think that would be a good idea. That wolf looks really sexy," he replied. He took a few more steps before he came to an abrupt halt, realizing what he had just said. He didn't like men... did he? Why would he say something like that? Inhaling once again, his pupils went wide as the familiar scent of the green liquid covering his suit filled his nostrils, eliciting another spike of sexual desire to wash over his loins. His cock pressed painfully against the inside of his suit, forcing him to pull on the black rubber at his crotch to get more comfortable. The effects were getting worse.

"Mmm... looks like we might have to find a quiet spot right now," Layla said, finishing with another small giggle.

Andy was just about to turn around and shut her up when a tremendously large, bestial bellow echoed through the jungle to their right, closer and louder than any of the ones they'd heard before.

The entire party turned as one, staring with wide eyes into the forest at the source of the noise. A harsh stillness came over the woods, and suddenly the only sounds that could be heard was the light, rustle of foliage brought forth by the wind.

Hale gulped nervously, taking single step back from the line of trees. "There's a fence right? The fence won't let that thing in will it?"

"Yes, there's a fence, but it may not stop it," Daimon said with grim sureness, gripping the rifle and holding it against his shoulder. "I suggest we start moving right now. If we hear a crash, be ready to make a run for it. The mine should only be less than a mile ahead. Andy, lead the way."

Andy recognized the sense of urgency in the sergeant's tone and turned immediately without complaint, striking forwards down the pathway. It was the same sense that they all shared in that moment, and he was sure that it was a mere moments away from turning into panic. They had to get somewhere safe.

He'd only taken a few steps however, when Layla's confused voice spoke from behind him: "Where did Meirith go?"

Andy stopped where he was and turned, noticing for the first time that the big wolf was nowhere to be seen. The line of crewmembers ended with Leech staring dumbfoundedly at the open space where Meirith had once been, his mouth open in disbelief.

"He... he was right there," Leech stammered, looking around in fear. "He was right behind me just a minute ago and I didn't even hear a thing..."

"Did something get him?" Hale said, his voice cracking with fear.

Andy continued to stare with complete disbelief. It was hard to comprehend that something could've gotten the big wolf so easily and without making a noise. Meirith was by every definition the most skilled member of the group. If something managed to grab him, what chance did they all have?

"I don't know," Daimon said, his voice retaining some measure of authority. "But regardless of what happened, we need to keep moving. It's not safe out here."

"No with me back there!" Leech stammered, pushing his way past the sergeant and into the middle of the line. "I'm not being the last in line, no fucking way. Get somebody else to be back there."

Andy's eyes went wide as he saw a glimmer of movement deep within the woods. The heavy shadows made it difficult to tell if it was a creature, yet the subtle motion sent a chill up his spine. The forest had become deadly silent. "Guys..." he said with a hint of fear.

Daimon's voice took on a low, dangerous tone as he eyed Leech with contempt. "No, we keep the order we were assigned to, now get the fuck back there so we can start making our way forwards. We can't group ourselves together like this."

Leech shook his head and began shouting hysterically: "Oh, so you just want whatever got Meirith to get me to give you more time huh? Fuck that, we should go back to the ship! We should go back right now!"

"Keep your fucking voice down asshole, you're going to get us all ki -"

There was a sudden explosion from the side of the treeline as a massive blue reptile ripped free of the foliage and let out an earth-shattering roar. The sheer power of the sound made Andy's head vibrate and his eyes water, forcing him to clamp his hands down on his ears and squint before his brain exploded. Looking up and cringing, he only had a brief moment to take in the features of the predator before he fell to the ground, wincing in pain at the reverberations churning through his brain.

There was no doubt in his mind that the creature was a dragon. People back on the station spoke in hushed whispers of the fearsome beasts. Though back on Earth they were considered mythical, here, they were the apex predators of every ecosystem on Syra, and very real, dangerous threat. He'd heard stories of entire groups of people vanishing on their way to a job site, with nothing left to find them save for the panicked imprint of feet and the strong rake of claws in the dirt where they disappeared.

The dragon in their midst was the largest creature Andy had ever seen. It stood about two stories in height, with a muscular, quadruped body stretching off into the woods behind it. The dark blue scales along its hide were thick and gleaming in the morning light, with a lighter blue fading down to its underbelly and the insides of its legs. Its face was narrow and spikey, with long, protruding white horns at the top of its head and a few smaller ones jutting out from the jaw. Andy took all of this in in an instant before stepping back and tripping on his own feet, falling onto the ground with a pathetic, whining grunt.

The beast shut its mouth, cutting off the guttural bellow with a sickening snap of its teeth. Then, chaos erupted among the edible creatures below.

Andy opened his eyes and watched with horror as the monster streaked forwards, it's green eyes practically glowing with hunger as it opened its maw once again, revealing a red, fleshy, interior dripping with saliva and lined with curved, white fangs. All members of the party were as disoriented as he was, and none of them had a chance to escape the beast's initial onslaught.

Daimon was the first to go. Dizzy from the fear and holding his rifle weakly by his side, the man barely screamed at all before the heavy jaws closed around him and lifted him into the air. The beast turned along the path as it gave a delighted rumble, holding the man in its jaws and running its tongue joyfully along the kicking legs that still fought outside the reptile's pursed lips. Surprisingly, the curved teeth only served to hold him place for the moment, and the dragon seemed content with allowing him to struggle. The gun dropped from Daimon's grip and landed with a thud onto the ground. A small, goopy bit of drool landed on its barrel as the dragon immediately began to taste its newest prey, slipping its long tongue around Daimon's legs and opening its mouth to pull him completely inside.

At that moment, the rest of the party scattered, each in their own direction. Layla ran past him with a terrified yelp, running along the path for a short ways before cutting off into the foliage. Hale did the same, running straight off the path and into the woods to the opposite side of where the dragon was enjoying its meal. Leech however, let out a shrill scream and ran down to the side of the treeline, looking briefly into the darkness of the woods before letting out another gasp of terror and stumbling back the way they'd come. The dragon's tail was moving back and forth along the pathway as he darted by, tripping the man and causing him to fall heavily onto the ground. Barely loosing a step, the thin human was back on his feet in and instant, streaking off along the pathway, his skinny legs kicking up dust and dirt as he ran with all the speed he could muster.

Andy however, remained exactly where he was. Barely daring to move, he watched with an almost perverse fascination as the beast continued to toy with the prey inside its mouth.

He could feel the heat radiating from the giant creature's presence. He was in such a close proximity that with every small moment the dragon opened its mouth, he could feel the humid warmth of its maw, coupled with the heavy lathe of reptilian saliva. The softer scales at the base of the creature's jawline moved and expanded with the weight of prey inside its mouth, and he could hear the muffled screams of the once brave sergeant quietly sounding inside the fleshy prison that held him. At one moment, he could've sworn that he saw the outline of a hand press against the side of the monster's expanding cheek, but that could've been his imagination. He could only imagine what the man was experiencing.

The dragon remained completely distracted with its meal, not paying Andy any attention as it stood up and sat down on its haunches, continuing to toy with man inside. Its thick tongue would occasionally dart out, smearing the front of its narrow muzzle with saliva before slurping back inside with a wet, smacking sound to continue the game. The corners of its lips soon turned into a continuous stream of thick drool falling down to the forest floor, turning the dirt into a dark, slimy blackness and creating a tiny pool of smelly liquid.

It was beyond Andy's understanding to know why the dragon didn't simply chew and be done with it. The thought crossed his mind, but he was simply too transfixed to care.

After a few more, long minutes of playing with Daimon, the dragon eventually lifted its great head, the swell in the bottom of its jaw moving slowly to the pocketed flesh of its gullet as gravity did its work. The blue scales at the beginning of its neck expanded, accepting the weight of the meal with a sensible eagerness. The muted yells still penetrated the thick hide, yet they were shorter now, and accompanied by a wet squelching sound as the fearsome predator prepared to finally engulf its unwilling meal. The dragon gaped its mouth open briefly, allowing the terrified shrieks from inside to become louder for a brief moment before it tilted its head back and began to swallow, cutting them off with a guttural growl as it pushed its prey down its neck.

The dragon kept its maw opened as it swallowed, its entire body shuddering with delight as it engulfed Daimon whole. Andy sensed an almost sexual delight radiating from the beast in that moment. Perhaps it was the odd stench in the air, but he felt he could almost share in the beast's delight. There was an almost intimate connection between the consumption of prey and the raw, sexual energy that filled Syra during this wild and savage period. Despite the danger he was in, he felt glad to be able to experience it so closely.

With another powerful gulp, the dragon let out a sigh as Daimon became a slow-travelling bulge within its thick neck. Its throat rippled as it gave another few swallows, engulfing more of the slimy remnants of saliva to accompany the man down to the waiting belly. The rounded swell dropped slowly down to the beast's chest, the small imprint of useless struggles still pressing against the thick, blue scales as it moved. Though it only took a few seconds to meet the giant reptile's chest, Andy felt time stand still as he watched the bulge paused for the briefest of moments before disappearing inside the massive bulk of its body. After a few more seconds, its belly swelled, announcing the arrival of its meal.

If the dragon looked content before, there was no comparison to the overwhelming sense of satisfaction the beast was displaying in every aspect of its features now. Its scaled countenance was a mixture of both joy and pure, primal lust. Licking its lips, the monster looked down at its once lean stomach before running a single black claw across its curved expanse. Even through the thick scales, Andy could hear the immediate, pleased rumbles coming from within that expanded gut, accompanied by the occasional movement through the lighter blue scales along her middle. Whether it was the stomach working itself, or Daimon continuing to struggle, he couldn't tell. Then, in a single, heart wrenching motion, it slowly grinning and turned to stare down at Andy, the corners of its lips lifting into a sinister smile.

His heart dropped as the giant reptile stepped closer to him, the impact of its giant paws causing the ground to lightly vibrate at they descended. He held his breath as the dragon dropped its head down, the nostrils to each side of his head flaring as they took in his scent. The heat that had once been distant and fleeting now buffeted his face with each heavy breath from the creature's hungry mouth. The smell was practically overwhelming. The powerful, dry scent of the animal's body screamed in his nostrils, and the humid, rank air that coated his face almost seemed to mat against him in blanket of rotting moisture.

After sniffing him for a short while longer, the dragon opened its mouth. Andy flinched back in fear, knowing that he was just moments away from suffering the same fate as Daimon. He stared into the darkness at the back of its throat, shivering as he watched the pulsating folds of muscle ripple, expanding and closing with each breath. The forked tongue curled along the side of its fearsome teeth in an almost teasing fashion, coaxing him inside. He could hear the distant gurgling noises echoing up through the meaty chamber, wetly sounding from deep inside as the stomach began its work on the morsel dwelling inside. This will be the last thing I see, Andy thought, right before he had to close his eyes as the dragon let out a deep, gut-rumbling belch.

Hot, putrid air streaked out from the dragon's gullet, covering Andy in the remnants of air and small splatters of drool from deep within the predator's gut. He gagged as the powerful smell assaulted him, driving him back onto the ground through the sheer force of its potency. Then, almost as soon as it had begun, the reptile slammed its jaws shut, leaving him unharmed. He looked up with fear, noticing for the first time that the dragon was staring at him with some form of amusement.

"Stay right where you are," the dragon purred, a deep, feminine voice reverberating up from her cavernous chest. "I'll be right back."

And with that, she turned quickly, the muscles along her flank rippling with predatory grace before expanding her wings and taking off in the direction Leech had fled, leaving Andy on the ground.

The silence of the forest greeted him once again.

---

*******************

*<Earth-date: July 22nd, 3104; Syra: 398 Solar Days.>

*<Time: 10:50am>

*<Cameras in Operation: Forest 1 - 45>

*******************

A Delectable Treat

Terror gripped Hale like a cold, iron vice as he propelled himself through the forest. His steps were shaky and uneven, and his limbs felt like wet noodles. The darkness of the forest shrouded him in an instant, covering him a powerful darkness that made his vision cloudy and unfocused. The logical part of his brain warned him of the danger of his haste, but he didn't care. He had to get away from that dragon. Anything would be better than suffering the same fate as Daimon.

He was panting heavily when he stopped and put out his hand, resting himself against a tree. There was no telling how long he'd been running for. Normally such a rigorous physical activity was beyond his capabilities; exercise wasn't really his strong suit. A run of about 50 meters was more than enough to have him hunched over for breath and panting heavily from the effort. Fear however, had fueled his flight. Now, as he stood hunched over against the tree, his breath came in huge, exhausted gasps. A small pool of drool gathered in the corner of his mouth which he spat out tiredly, some catching on the bottom of his lips before he licked it back inside.

He'd never been that great at running.

Hale stood up, taking a terrified look at his surroundings. The silence of the forest was horrifying. Although every now and then a savage alien cry would echo throughout the woods, the immediate surrounding area was completely quite. Such stillness enveloped him in a blanket of fear more effectively than the darkness ever could. Anything could be lurking around the next tree. If he had any chance of surviving, he had to get back to the path and follow it back to the ship. The dragon was probably gone by now, he thought, giving a nervous swallow.

Then, a sudden, terrifying thought came into his head: Why were there no fences?

He'd ran for a rather impressive distance for his bulk, stopping only now when his shaking feet would allow him to go no further. Surely if the area was enclosed like Daimon had said he would've run into some sort of barrier by now. Were the creatures really free to roam about this area? It would explain the reason they were ambushed so quickly without any warning.

Looking down at himself, Hale took another curious whiff of the slimy coating on his suit. The once horrid stench he smelled on the ship now seemed like a pleasant, musky aroma. His eyes went wide with lust and he blinked a few times, shaking his head as an almost overpowering arousal welled up inside him. Such a reaction was odd, but he still didn't believe DiamondSky would sacrifice them on purpose. Nobody was that evil. The fence was probably just ahead, keeping all the smaller, more loathsome animals out. The creature that attacked them had wings, just like Leech said that they would. It must've flown over the protective barrier just like any intelligent predator could to catch the loudly travelling group of humans below. It was simply a bit of bad luck that the monster had found them.

Hale turned, taking a step forwards in the direction he believe would lead back to the ship. Based on how long it had taken them to get here, trudging through the forest would probably take him the better part of an hour, he thought.

As he made his way further without any incident, he soon found that his original fear was disappearing. As disturbing as it was to admit, the giant predator was most likely full from eating Daimon and any other members of the party who weren't fast enough to get away like him. Besides, the fence would keep away most of the predators who could catch him, and it was better to remain hidden should any of them attempt to fly in from overhead.

Rounding another tree, he took a confident step forwards, almost whistling before another pained, bestial cry sounded from somewhere to his right before there came a sickening crunch and it cut off. Picking up the pace, he jogged a few more yards, hoping to reach the next tree ahead before anything might spot him.

After a few steps however, the ground gave out underneath him.

What he had thought to be a solid patch of dirt collapsed underneath his weight. He fell with a shrill yell, his stomach pushing up inside his chest as he plummeted in complete darkness. His horrified scream heightened as he fell in complete disorientation, not knowing what was underneath him or how far the fall would be. After a few, long seconds however, his body impacted a dry, smooth surface, causing him to roll backwards a few more feet before he slammed into the hard bedrock. Dust and a small cloud of small rocks and dirt rained down upon him for a few moments before everything settled, leaving him hurt and dishevelled in the loose debris collecting around him on the floor.

Hale took in a deep breath, coughing as the dust tickled the back of his throat. There was a dull pain in his shoulder along with a few scrapes and bruises, but nothing much other than that. The suit had done a good job protecting him from the short fall, and he considered himself fortunate that the drop hadn`t been any longer.

Pitch blackness stretched around him from every side, save for the narrow beam of pale light arching down from the hole he'd made. At least nothing was broken, he thought, before pushing himself up off the ground. He grimaced as a sharp spike of pain throbbed in his arm, but it was manageable. Taking a few moments to brush the dust off his legs, he looked up towards the ceiling, looking for any way in which he could climb out.

The hole was directly above him, about fifteen meters high. He let out a soft sigh and shook his head: there was no way he could make it. Even if there was a wall close by to climb, he doubted he could muster the strength to pull himself up there anyway. He considered remaining put until somebody came to find him but he immediately pushed it from his mind to think of a more immediate solution. Nobody was going to find him down here; he needed to escape on his own.

Putting his hands out in front of him, Hale took a timid step forwards, raising his hands out in front of him and stepping out of the dull beam of light. He slid one foot in front of the other, feeling the ground carefully before putting his weight down. As far he knew, he could've been a few inches from the edge of a cliff, or perhaps another hole. He wouldn't be caught off guard again, especially in the foreboding darkness of this cave. He hadn't heard a noise yet, save for the panicked gasps of his own breathing and the shuffling of his own feet, but that didn`t mean that something could be lurking in the shadows, studying him through the darkness with a sinister grin and baring its sharp, pointed teeth.

Hale let out a whimper and kept moving forwards, shaking now from the nightmarish images of imaginary creatures being conjured within his head.

Fumbling through the darkness, he reached out blindly, hoping to find some sort of wall or at the very least feel the coaxing wind of a passage leading out. Why don't these suits have any fucking lights? He cursed to himself, grunting in annoyance at his own unpreparedness. If he slipped and fell down another incline, he definitely wasn't doing to make it out.

He took another few steps, sliding his rubber boots across the ground. After one more step, he reached forwards, feeling through the open air, and touched something.

Carefully, he began to feel along hard, yet malleable surface under his fingertips. The barrier felt off under his touch, and it was slanted in such a way the forced him to lean forwards to explore it further. Perhaps it was a rock, or some sort of sloped wall.

He`d expected any walls he came across to be stone, or possibly even dirt, yet neither of these substances were what he was feeling. Rather than the soft, dextrous texture of soil or the cold, rough surface of rock, what he was feeling was abnormally bumpy and dry, not to mention quite warm. He ran his hands downwards, exploring his discovery further when he suddenly felt his right hand enter a small pocket of slime.

The fleshy hole closed gently about his fingers, causing him to let out a sharp gasp of terror and pull back abruptly taking a few quick steps back into the light. Hale raised his hand, staring at the pale, greenish grime that covered his digits. Small trails of the goopy substance danced between his fingers as he moved them, making disgusting squelching sounds between the lightly squeezing material of his protective suit.

He held his breath, hoping that whatever he just touched didn`t notice him when a powerful, booming snort made him freeze in pure, absolute terror. A massive rustling sound came from just ahead of him in the pitch blackness, grating across his ears like sandpaper sliding across a wooden box. Based on sound alone, whatever had begun moving in front of him was absolutely massive. The noise was accompanied by the odd, sharp clicking follow by a piercing screech as something hard and pointed dragged across the ground. Hale felt his heart pound heavily in his chest. He was considering turning and making a run for it when a deep growl came creeping out of the darkness.

"As limited as you humans are in manners and respect, even you must surely realize how rude it is to put your hand in a dragon's nostril when he's sleeping," the voice boomed, echoing around the enclosed space. Two, glowing reptilian eyes appeared about ten feet above from where the human was standing, the yellow globes blinking a few times before narrowing and looking down. "I've eaten creatures for much less than that..."

Hale remained completely still, paralyzed by fear. His instincts were screaming at his to run, to get out of the light, to do anything but remain where he was and continue staring into the eyes of the enormous predator in front of him but he couldnt. Even if there was a clear path, he wouldve powerless to attempt any sort of escape while he was hypnotized by the beast`s piercing gaze.

The eyes blink a few more times before widening in delight. "Is the darkness playing tricks on me?" It rasped, the dry, scraping sounding once again as the dragon moved forward. "Is this really a human I see cowering before me?"

There was a change in the air as the dragon moved in close, studying Hale with a sudden, powerful curiosity. The human flinched and a scream caught in the back of his throat as the pointed muzzle of the beast entered the light a mere inches from his chest. Pale, sickly green scales decorated the predator's nose while dull, curved fangs jutted downwards from a set of dark lips lining its mouth. He jumped back from the inquisitive snout, baking up into the darkness to get away.

"Now now, don't be shy..." The dragon cooed. "Step into the light."

Hale took another step backwards, his back meeting with a cold, stone wall behind him. His eyes went wide with horror as he realized he was cornered. There was nowhere to run, even if he wanted to.

"It's also rude to disobey the wishes of your host," the beast said, the small portion of his mouth that was revealed moving with his speech before showing a small smile. "Come back here or I'll kill you where you stand."

Letting out a soft whimper, Hale forced his legs to carry him back into the middle of the beam of light, flinching as a satisfied chuckle sounded from the closed maw just in front of him.

The creature's nostrils flared and small wind buffeted Hale's suit as the dragon sniffed him, and the two glowing eyes went wide excitement before returning to their original position.

"Oh my..." The beast sighed, taking in a deep breath before letting out a low, pleased growl. "You're definitely a human, but there's something special about you isn't there? Something you're wearing that makes you a far more desirable little creature..."

"W-what do you mean?"

The dragon chuckled. "You don't know? Well, somebody must have paid an extremely cruel joke on you morsel - how delightful," he mused, licking his lips and eyeing the smaller creature with a lustful glow. "Those pathetic lizards further south use it in their little 'sexual ceremonies' or whatever foolish names that traitor Belial and his kin have come up with." He finished with an angry huff, his tail beating against the ground in annoyance.

Hale looked down at his suit in horror, the potent smell wafting up to his nostrils. Had Andy been right about the serum?

The dragon stared down at Hale curiously, shaking the anger from his features. "But let's not worry about that," he said. "Tell me, what business does a human have wandering about my territory when I'm trying to get some sleep, hm?"

"I... um," Hale began with a shaking tone, his teeth chattering as he struggled to find his voice. He knew he should talk, but there was no getting past the horrific splendor of the massive beast in front of him. The foul smell of fetid breath began to permeate through the confined space as the reptile talked, polluting the air with the warmth of his speech. The dragon could make a meal out of him in seconds and he knew it. Images of nightmarish creatures within the shadows were conjured within his mind again, only this time he pictured himself disappearing behind those fearsome teeth, swallowed up by the overpowering darkness and putrid stench. He felt like a rabbit being cornered by a wolf.

"Speak!" The dragon suddenly boomed, causing the human to jump and let out a shrill yell.

"P-please don't kill me," Hale blurted instinctively. He was shaking uncontrollably now, and he feared that his legs would give out at any moment.

The dragon rolled his eyes. "Don't avoid the question, human; my patience with you is already running low." His voice dropped to a low, dangerous tone. "You would be wise to not test it."

"I-I'm here on a m-mission," Hale managed, taking in a sharp breath as he realized that he'd actually spoken.

"A mission you say?" The beast said, his narrow head moving forward inquisitively. "Mmm... how exciting. Of what nature?"

Hale fought the incredible urge to step back one more time as the dragon moved closer. "Mining," the human said, his voice almost a squeak.

"Mining... hmph," The dragon snorted, the air from his nostrils blowing a cloud of dust in Hale's direction. "There are no mines around here human - the only holes you'll find around here are the ones I make myself."

"N-no mines?" Hale said incredulously. "But sergeant Daimon said - " His voice caught as he remember what had happened to the poor man.

"Daimon?" The dragon said, his deep voice bearing the air of curiosity once again. "Who is he? Is he another human like yourself?"

"Yes, he is," Hale said, biting his tongue before he could utter anything more.

"Ah, I would be very interested in meeting him then," the dragon purred in a deep, hungry voice. "Are there any other members of your party I should be aware of?"

Hale paused for another long moment, choosing his next words carefully. "Nope, it was just me and him," he tried to say with as much self-assuredness as he could. "Oh, and the pilot I suppose, cause..." He froze as he noticed the eyes narrow menacingly in his direction. "S-somebodies g-gotta fly the ship..." His voice trailed off into a dim, muted squeak as the beast let out a low growl.

"Don't lie to me again," the dragon said impassively. "Tell me about the others that are with you."

"W-well let's see," Hale said, nearly crying from the abrupt spike of terror that lodged itself in his throat when the beast finished speaking. "There were about five of us - no wait! Six! There were six of us!" He swallowed lightly in terror at his mistake, even though his mouth was completely dry.

The scaled muzzle smiled at him. "Very good. Go on."

"There was me, Sergeant Daimon, Andy, Leech, and two canines: Layla and Meirith," Hale said, speaking quickly and fearfully to appease the demanding predator. "Layla is a female fox, while Meirith is a big, grey wolf. They should be around here... somewhere..." He finished, giving a nervous smile. "And my name is Hale."

"Mmm, I will have to see if I can't find them once I'm done with you, Hale," the dragon said, his voice carrying the tone of somebody about to carry out a large degree of mischief.

Hale paused for a moment, then: "A-are... you going to tell me your name?"

"Jurmonir," the dragon said, pronouncing the name with a proud, rattling drawl. "Though you have no real reason to know it..." He grinned hungrily.

Hale gulped nervously before trying to change the subject. "D-do you think you'll be able to find them, Jurmonir?" He stammered.

His eyes narrowed. "This is why I don't like telling you creatures my name, you can never pronounce it right." He paused for a moment, sneering down in annoyance before smiling again. "But yes, I should be able to find them easily," he said. "Especially if they're all wearing that same, enticing concoction you keep teasing me with." One of his yellow eyes closed as he gave a suggestive wink.

Hale shifted uneasily at the odd comment. He didn't know what he could be doing to tease the monstrous creature, but at least it didn't sound mad anymore. Rather, it almost sounded like the dragon spoke with an undertone of lust in his last comment, which was less threatening then before, but much more disturbing. "You aren't going to hurt them are you?" Hale said, thinking of the others. "They're my friends."

The dragon narrowed his eyes. "If they didn't want to be hurt, they should never have come here," it stated flatly. "This is my land, and like you, they are trespassers. Normally I can only eat one or two of you, but during this time of the year..." a flash of red darted across the front of the beast's muzzle as it licked its lips. "I think I'll gobble down each and every one of you, nice and a slow."

"N-no!" Hale yelled, falling to his knees and cupping his hands together. "I didn't mean to disturb you, please let me go!"

"And what makes you think I'm going to do that?" The dragon snorted. "You've intruded upon my home, and you've brought an air with you that makes my loins flush and my heart beat heavily inside my chest." The yellow eyes were wide now, glowing with an indescribable power. "Do you have any idea what this planet does to me?!"

The dragon snapped his last comment, clacking his jaws together loudly and causing Hale to jump and whimper from his spot on the floor.

"Y-yes, I do, but I had no intention of intruding. Please, you have to believe me. I was told we would be mining and that's it!"

"If you were supposed to be mining, then why were you in the woods?" The reptile asked, growing steadily angrier with each passing second. "You still haven't answered my first question."

"I was running. W-we were attacked and... and..."

"Attacked by whom?"

"By another dragon," Hale blurted, letting out a soft sob.

"Another dragon you say?" The beast was smiling now, his scaled lips peeling back to reveal a line of gleaming teeth. "And did this dragon happen to have blue scales?"

"I-I think so," Hale replied, trying his best to remember. All he could think of was the creature's terrifying maw when it lunged forwards, followed by Daimon getting pulled in...

He gave a small shudder.

The beast let out a chuckle, the deep, basso rumble of his chest echoing around the interior of the cave before he looked away distractedly, saying, "Ah, yes, that must be Melusine - I can't see her passing up on the opportunity to gobble some of your kind up."

There was a brief silence before Hale heard the rough sound of scales gliding over stone as the giant beast shifted in the darkness, moving its body in a giddy sort of glee.

"Mmm, I wonder where she is right now..." The dragon purred. "She can be a feisty one, but I'm sure a stomach full of humans has put her in the right mood."

Hale moved unsurely back onto his knees. "The mood for what?" He asked fearfully.

The dragon looked down at him, his yellow eyes expressing confusion. "To fuck her of course," the male reptile replied, speaking as if he were talking to a child.

"Oh..." Hale said, his eyes moving down to the floor in front of him. Even through his fear, he blushed in awkwardness at the thought of two dragons mating. He didn't quite know how to respond to the reptile being so forward with him.

Another chuckle erupted from the dragon's muzzle. "What did you think I was looking for, some idle chatter?"

Hale looked up but didn't respond. The reptile shifted again, moving closer.

"We have only two urges during this time human: to fuck, and to eat." The dragon's tone was one of amusement. "Do you understand?"

"Yes, I understand," Hale whimpered.

"Then I'm sure you also understand which one of those you're going to fulfill," the dragon said, licking its lips one more time.

"No... please..." Hale cried, mewling pathetically on the cold, stone floor. "Don't eat me, I'll do anything..."

The beast's rough panting filled the cave in the few moments afterwards as a brief silence stretched between them both. Though Hale didn't know for sure, the dragon seemed to be pondering his words, as if trying to decipher a hidden meaning behind his desperate pleading.

"My empty belly rumbles with need human, almost unbearably," Jurmonir purred dangerously.

"No...don't..."

"I doubt you're anything special up there," Jurmonir said, his eyes looking upwards briefly before returning and narrowing on the kneeling human. "But down here, you're a delectable, rare treat." There was a soft patter of liquid hitting rock as a dribble of drool fell from the corner of the dragon's lips. Its claws raked the ground and there was a light scraping as its tail darted back and forth in eagerness.

"I'll do anything... please. I-I'll show where the others are! I'll show you where our ship is!" Hale begged, stammering uncontrollably as the reptile's mouth drew closer, cracking open to let stinky, warm breath caress his face.

"I thought they were your friends," the dragon teased, moving forward some more and pausing when most of his muzzle was bathed in the light, hovering a mere inches from Hale's hunched form.

Hale shuffled back a bit, putting his arms up almost involuntarily as if he meant to bat the fearsome snout away. "No, they're not," he said, his terrified tone giving way to a bit of anger. "If it wasn't for them I wouldn't even be here. I want to live... please don't..."

"Mmm, do you not think I could find them myself human?" Jurmonir grinned. "Do you think I'm inept?"

"No! That's not what I meant!" Hale cried, falling back and crawling backwards to get away from the dragon's mouth.

Jurmonir narrowed his eyes. "Come back here."

Hale crawled back even further into the darkness until his head hit the cold, stone wall behind him once again.

"I'm not completely without heart Hale," the dragon growled. "Come back here right now and do exactly as I say, and perhaps we can make a deal."

A flutter of hope blossomed in Hale's chest as he pushed himself upright, crawling back towards the light. When he got close to the front of the dragon's maw, he hesitated, but a sharp rumble from the massive beast frightened him into action, and he timidly shifted forwards until he was inches from Jurmonir's mouth once again.

The reptile let his mouth crack open, taunting the human by exhaling rank breath into Hale's face once again. "Good," he purred, "that's much better. Now, stand up and take off that suit."

"W-what?" Hale said.

"I want you take that suit off, now." Jurmonir growled. "I will not ask again."

Hesitating for only a moment longer, Hale stood up and placed his hands on the collar of his suit, unfastening the buckle before pulling the zipper down. He felt a tinge of awkwardness, but he swallowed once and surprised it as best he could. Fear fueled his actions now. He felt the dragon's eyes watching him, ogling him as if he were taking the lid off a serving dish to reveal the tasty meal underneath. "Why do you want me to do this?" He asked in a small whine, shrugging and pulling the suit off his shoulders.

Jurmonir's unpleasant grin broadened. "Why, to get rid of that incredibly potent aroma covering you human," he said, letting out a few deep grunts that Hale could only assume was a draconic form of a giggle. "I don't want to be able to smell you that easily - no, that would ruin all the fun."

Hale paused when the suit was at his waist, both out of hesitation and a sudden sense of foreboding at what the dragon had suggested. "W-what fun?"

Jurmonir narrowed his eyes. "Keep undressing," he said. When the human pulling the suit down past his legs, the beast smiled and continued speaking. "As I said, I'm not completely heartless human, so I'm going to give you a chance to escape."

Hale nearly tripped as he stepped awkwardly out of the suit. "Really!?"

"Yes, really." Jurmonir rolled his eyes. "I rarely get the chance to eat a delicious morsel such as yourself," he said, his tone one of longing. "You humans are such a special, cautious meal on this planet." He licked his lips. "As such, I will allow you a one minute head start to run from me. And to make things more interesting, I've asked you to remove your smelly little suit." The giant muzzle nodded towards the pile of rubber on the ground, grinning enormously.

Hale stood naked in front of the dragon now, a mere few inches from the beast's hovering maw. Though he knew he was in no more danger than before, he felt even more vulnerable now. The dragon was studying him with a predatory glare that seemed to glare into his soul, making him feel no more significant than a gerbil looking into the serpentine countenance of a snake. His heart was beating in his chest, and every instinct within him was screaming for him to run, but there was nowhere to go.

Besides, he'd never been that great at running.

"B-but where do I... how do I get out?" Hale blurted, his eyes darting towards the hole in ceiling above before looking frantically around in the darkness.

"That is not the only way out," Jurmonir purred, his eyes gleaming dangerously. "Behind me you'll find a series of tunnels and passageways underneath the forest floor, two of which lead to a way out, and five of which... do not." The beast opened his maw, releasing a hot gust of air before letting his tongue loll tauntingly from his bottom lip. "And if I catch up to you before you manage to find an escape..." The forked tongue slowly moved forwards, flicking once in the air before slapping against Hale's chest and moving up to his face before pulling away, leaving a thick coating of drool. "I'm going to play with you, savor you, and swallow you whole." He slurped his tongue back into his mouth. "That's more than I give most of my prey."

Hale gagged as the slimy, viscous saliva coated his skin. He tried to wipe it off, but he merely smeared it around, lathering it against his chest as if it were a thick, horrible skin cream that never washed away. The odor it gave off was a combination of the reptile's foul breath and stale meat, and the potency was enough to make his eyes water. He coughed for a short while, struggling against the palpable humidity that assaulted his senses as the dragon continued to smile, waiting for him to recover.

"B-But I can't see," Hale said, cough a few more times to clear his throat. "How am I supposed to get around?"

"That's not my problem," Jurmonir said, winking down at him. "I am the hunter, and you're the prey. You'll have to figure it out yourself."

"B-but that's not..."

"Your time starts now."

Hale almost jumped at the dragon's words. His heart began beating against his ribcage like a sledgehammer. "W-what?" But I need some - "

"I would get going if I were you, the exit is just behind me," the dragon grinned. There was a dry, rusting sound as the large beast stood up, his claws clicking horribly against the stone as he put his footpaws down. He took a few steps forward into the light, revealing for the first time the entirety of his massive form.

The dragon was absolutely massive, with his head just barely touching the hole in the roof where Hale had fallen. Two, curved horns jutted from each side of his head, accompanied by a line of smaller spikes lining his brow and jawline. Green scales decorated the sides of his face and the back of his neck, whereas a yellowish tinge brightened the softer scales of his neck and streaked down to his belly. Though Hale still couldn't see the monster's entire body, the sight was enough to make him freeze with terror. The beast could definitely swallow him whole with ease.

"You're going to have to run underneath me to get to the tunnel beyond I'm afraid. Try not to think too hard about how my grumbling belly will be hovering just overhead as you leave." The dragon chuckled, the familiar sounding boom echoing around the cave once again. He remained content for a few moments, smiling down at the stationary human before his glittering eyes narrowed in anger. "Move! Now!"

With a shriek, Hale ran at the dragon, ducking low as he came to the Jurmonir's chest, and crawling frantically across the ground. The hard floor bruised his knees and sharp rocks cut at his skin but he kept moving, panting in extreme terror and trying not to think about the massive creature that hovered just above. He could feel the dragon's terrible presence above him, the heat of its body buffeting his back like an open oven.

He yelped as he felt something hard and scaly impact his shoulder, yet he kept moving, crawling until he could no longer feel the beast above him before standing up and running wildly into the darkness, holding up his hands and praying that he didn't run into any walls or fall off a ledge.

A deep growl sounded from behind him.

"Mmm... touching me without permission once again?" Jurmonir rumbled, turning his head back into the shadow and fixing his yellow eyes on the fleeing human. "It seems you didn't learn your lesson the first time." The floating orbs blinked once, shining with a sinister light as they stared hungrily at the moving morsel in front of them. "You better run fast..."

Hale sprinted blindly ahead, holding his hands out in front of him and shambling to the best of his ability through the encompassing darkness. There could've been a mile-long drop coming up in front of him as far as he knew but he no longer cared. He needed to escape. Any fate was better than what awaited him if the dragon caught up to him. There were a few stumbles at first as his foot hit a loose rock or hit a dry patch of dirt, but he kept moving, pushing himself harder with each passing second.

Eventually, he found that there were holes in the ceiling to guide him along, offering him a meagre amount of light, yet light nonetheless. They shone like tiny, distant stars in the night sky, trickling down to cast a low illumination on the rocky ground below. He still stumbled, as the minuscule specks gave him hardly any glimpses of the floor, yet their absence always warned him of a wall approaching, allowing him to press his hands to it before pushing off and jogging desperately ahead. Soon, the dragon was long gone and all he could hear was the rapid panting of his own breathing, and the dim, muted echoes of his bare feet against the stony ground. He had no idea if a minute had passed, but he didn't want to stop to find out. He could escape - he just needed to find the way.

He was running at full speed when he turned what he thought was a corner, only to run face-first into a wall. A stone cold bluntness smashed into his face and impacted heavily into his chest, like somebody had taken a full swing at his upper body with a manhole cover. He raised his arms instinctively before crumpling, letting out another soft grunt as his shoulder hit the floor. For several still moments there was nothing but a distinct, horrible numbness. Hale sniffed wetly, feeling the warmth of blood on his upper lip, followed immediately by its coppery taste.

Moaning weakly, Hale turned and pushed himself up off the floor, bringing himself shakily back onto his feet. He had to get moving before...

I found you...

The deep, rumbling voice of the dragon groaned out of the darkness, freezing Hale in his place. He held his breath as a cold vice of fear gripped his chest, forcing tears to well up in his eyes. It was impossible to tell where the words were coming from as they echoed around the darkened cave, tauntingly repeating themselves before fading away and leaving him in silence once again. For a moment, he hoped that it was merely his imagination, but he knew that such a hope was foolish. He could feel the beast's eyes watching hungrily from somewhere in the blackness, just above the monster's sharp, curved fangs.

"Stop looking at me..." Hale whispered to himself with a soft sob.

He heard a soft clicking sound somewhere down the passage to his right. There was no rustling sound to accompany it, but he could recognize the familiar echo as the monster's talons hitting the ground.

With a sharp intake of breath, Hale began moving away from the sound, feeling along the wall and shuffling as silently as he could. He was lost, and he had no idea where he was going, but he would be a fool not to take advantage of the dragon's slip up. Fear fueled his frantic steps as he pushed off the wall and began to jog forwards as silently as he could, keeping his arms upraised in case another wall appeared in front of him.

He froze immediately however, when he heard the beast tap his claws on the stone somewhere up ahead.

Hale began to whimper. How was that possible? He thought, casting a fearful look around him. Was the cave playing tricks on him?

There's still time to escape me human, why did you stop?

He choked on a scream as the dragon's voice echoed around him once again. It was a horrible, alien sound that lacked the mock sincerity Jurmonir had demonstrated during their first conversation. The tone carried no sympathy - nothing but utter amusement laced with a small hint of... disappointment? As his sobs became worse, Hale waited a few moments and turned left, away from the clicking noises to begin striding cautiously ahead.

Another click sounded ahead of him.

This time, he did let out a small scream, which he cut off abruptly with a strained whimper as he held his hand to his mouth. The dragon was toying with him, he soon realized. Despite the dry rustling and audible movements the predator had displayed before, it was now on the hunt. Jurmonir was stalking him through the darkness like a wraith, gliding over the stone as wistfully and soundlessly as a blanket of fog. It could've caught him straight away, but it playing with him - taunting him with the knowledge that his feeble human ears were unable to detect his stealthy movement.

In a sudden, desperate move, Hale began running straight ahead, moving as fast as he could to escape the numbing paralysation of his nightmare.

Oh no... your heading straight for me. I would turn around if I were you...

After a few more seconds, Hale's eyes widened with hope as he saw a strong, pale beam of light shining down from the roof of the cave ahead. If was lower and wider than the last one. There was no obvious way to reach it, but he didn't care. Anything was better than the eternal blackness that surrounded him, with that infernal voice taunting him every step of the way. He sprinted towards it like it was a stairway to heaven, panting breathlessly out of a mixture of excitement and continuing fear.

He was about ten feet from the light when he noticed the glowing, yellow light of the dragon's eyes lurking just behind it, radiating with hunger and satisfaction. By then it was too late. He was moving too fast to stop, and the last thing he saw before the darkness enveloped him was the red, drooling maw of the massive reptile streaking towards him, the wet interior shining and dripping with saliva and the folds of his throat pulsating and opening with the promise of a delicious meal.

His cry of terror was immediately silenced as the jaws closed around him, wrapping around his chest and pressing against him like two giant, moist mattresses. His eyes squinted shut as he suddenly found himself pressed in a smothering pocket of undulating flesh. He felt the dragon's tongue massage his skin eagerly before slithering down and coiling around his leg, squeezing it as Jurmonir let out a deep, pleased rumble that shook him to his very core. The appendage was hot enough to make the human wince from its touch, but it was nothing compared to the rank humid air the leaked from the back of the dragon's panting gullet.

Initially, Hale fought with all his might. He wriggled about inside the reptile's mouth, pushing and flailing desperately with his arms in a feeble attempt to escape that seemed to only to excite the beast more. The jaws clamped down harder and flicked upwards, flipping him inside up to his waist before closing about him once again. His head was sandwiched in the middle of the maw now, pressed between the hard, ribbed palate above and pressing tongue underneath. He opened his mouth to scream but was silenced as the dragon's saliva flowed past his lips, covering his tongue in the slimy, smoky taste of the predator's fluids. The two sides squeezed him harder, forcing the breath from his lungs and enacting enough pressure on his fragile form to make his ribcage and skull ache.

At any moment Hale thought he was going to die. The dragon was biting down slowly, yet he knew that just a tad more pressure would be enough to crush him between those massive jaws, regardless of whether it decided to us its teeth. Just when he thought it would be too much however, the dragon let up, relaxing his mouth and moving his lower jaw underneath him. The tongue moved underneath him and slid to his other leg, emitting a soft shiver from the human as the bumpy length rubbed over his genitals.

Jurmonir let out a soft chuckle at that, curling his tongue back around to numbly press against his flaccid cock before wrapping dutifully around the man's other leg. He squeezed it hard for a few moments, savoring the divine flavor of the rare treat wriggling about in his mouth. Drool pattered in a constant stream from the corners of his lips as he tasted the human but he didn't care. There were no females down here to witness his embarrassingly energetic consummation; he could eat the human in whatever fashion he deemed fit. As he said, it wasn't every day a little morsel from another planet wandered so easily into one's lair.

He was going to make this one last.

Tossing his head backwards, the dragon loosed the grip of his jaws and allowed the human to tumble inside, pulling him along with his retracting tongue before slamming his teeth together with a sharp 'clack.' He paused for a moment when that happened, closing his eyes and purring as his prey began to struggle once again, wriggling its little form on the rough surface of his tongue. He couldn't of asked for a more perfect meal.

Inside the beast's mouth, Hale began to have trouble breathing. The once, sweltering furnace of flesh and saliva that had enveloped his face and chest had now engulfed his entire body. Absolute horror at what was happening drove him to keep fighting back. He stretched out and pushed, sobbing as the monster's forked appendage curled eagerly around his legs. Though he pressed his hands upwards with all his might, he knew it was hopeless. His prison rippled and suckled around him like a giant, living organism, moving around him with a constant, excited energy. Occasionally the beast would chuckle at his efforts, shaking his trembling body down to his bones and pressing down on the growing dread that was beginning to overwhelm him.

He moved his hands more, hoping to find some sort of weak spot or dwelling injury that he could use to his advantage. The palate felt hard and ribbed under his touch, while the tongue underneath him was bulbous and spongy. When he felt over the sides, he winced as his knuckles rapped the hard enamel of Jurmonir's teeth. The tongue shifted underneath him, pushing over to the side in a sudden, forceful dip to change his position. Finding no immediate way out, Hale tried to scream again, only to have his yell muffled by the encroachment of the dragon's undulating flesh and saliva as the pocket of the reptile's cheek wrapped strongly about his face. This is how Daimon must've felt, he thought, remembering the way the other dragon had been toying with the poor man before he scampered into the woods.

These were truly monstrous creatures, and he was nothing more than a snack.

Squished uncomfortably in Jurmonir's cheek, Hale began to fade away in the blackness. He barely even noticed a thing when the mouth opened slightly, tossing him back into the center. Then, his environment began to tilt...

No!

A spike of terror formed in Hale's chest as he found himself slipping towards the back of the dragon's throat. The predator was done toying with its meal, and now it was getting ready to swallow him whole - just as it had promised. Another scream welled up inside him, but Hale knew better than to open his mouth now, it would only make it worse. The squelching noises of flesh and hot saliva filled his ears and covered his body as he began his long descent. The beckoning, black tunnel of the reptile's esophagus opened up briefly as Jurmonir gave a taunting swallow, pulling him further down. The horrible, fetid air of bestial breath and the stench of digestive fluids screamed in his nostrils at the brief exposure, involuntarily causing him to gag. As he continued to slide down, pulled onwards by the cruel onslaught of gravity, the flesh began to grow softer yet much tighter as it narrowed to nothing but pulsating folds ending in a rounded tube. His face slid into the monster's gullet, followed quickly by his arms, chest, and a steadily growing pool of viscous saliva. For several, heart-wrenching moments Hale remained there in the strong grip of flesh, barely able to move, let alone breathe as the gigantic maw crushed him. The finality of his situation pierced his consciousness in that sudden dreadful moment as his environment tilted again, going completely vertical. This is it, Hale thought. And then the beast swallowed.

From the outside, Jurmonir let out a triumphant purr and closed his eyes as began the satisfying task of pushing his newest meal into his belly. The dragon didn't manage to swallow it in a single gulp. Instead, it was a long series of continuous swallows as the predator worked Hale down into his esophagus, his gullet rippling with the effort up to four or five times before the man became nothing more than a bulge within his truck-like neck. It was hard work, but it was worth it. Audible, wet squelching noises echoed around the interior of the cave, loud enough for someone standing down the dark passages for miles away to hear the distinct noises and pleasurable growls of the alpha predator enjoying his prey.

He cracked open his maw a little, curling his forked tongue as his throat opened and closed one last time. The last little bit of the human was engulfed with an impressively loud 'glick,' allowing the roped muscles of his neck to take hold and do the rest of the work. Despite his prey being gone, Jurmonir swallowed a few more times for good measure, pushing a few globs of saliva down to join the human in its slow descent to his belly below. He closed his eyes and rumbled happily, licking his lips once before settling down to enjoy the sensation of a wriggling morsel travelling through his body.

Unfortunately for the quivering meal within him, Hale was having much less of an enjoyable time. Perhaps if he could put his inevitable consumption out of his mind he would be able to enjoy the soft, slimy flesh as it pressed around him and caressed every inch of his naked skin; however, the overwhelming terror of his predicament maintained a powerful grip on his mind. The sponge-like flesh squeezed him tightly, holding him in place and forcing his body to remain rigid as it slowly worked him down. All around him the beast's hot muscles undulated against him in a continuous motion, filling his ears with the sounds of slimy squelching and revolting sucking noises. Coupled with those sounds was the soft purring of the content reptile deep within its breast, causing his environment to vibrate noticeably around him. It was a purely alien experience; one that he knew would be the last he ever felt in his life.

The trip down to the dragon's gut was much slower than Hale could have possibly imagined. The enveloping blackness around him made it hard to distinguish where inside the dragon he was, but he could only imagine the churning gut was close by. As he slid further along, he began to feel the tingling sensation of digestive fluids on his skin, accompanied by an overpowering stench of rotting meat and the deep, almost sensuous rumble of the stomach calling him forth. The nearer he got, the harder it became to distinguish between the gurgling groans of the beast's tummy and the pleased growls that shook the fleshy prison all around him.

The pure elation that Jurmonir felt at having a human travelling down to his gut once again was almost indescribable. His powerful throat worked his meal down with an almost playful ease, and his meal continued to twitch and push against him in all the right places, almost as if it wanted to be enjoyed as thoroughly as possible. There was a small amount of resistance as his meal met with the bottom of his neck, yet with a slight grimace, combined with another swallow and a small tilt of his head, the bulge disappeared into his body. The dragon exhaled in triumph, licking hips lips again in remembrance of his meal's pleasant taste. He shivered with warmth as the human was slowly pushed into his empty stomach in a series of lingering squeezes from the end of his lengthy esophagus.

Inside the beast's body, Hale sharply inhaled and wriggled about when the pressure on his head lightened. He immediately regretted it. The acidic, meaty odour that he'd once thought to be strong struck him tenfold as he was thrust into the tight confines of the reptile's stomach. He was grateful for the breath of course, but the horrible smell almost made him wish he'd blacked out instead.

The tight tube continued to push and squeeze powerfully at his feet, wetly shoving him into the fleshy pocket where his digestion could begin. The slimy tube tightened abruptly for a few seconds before relaxing, allowing Hale to slide rather quickly and drop down into the dragon's stomach. The heat was almost unbearable as he did his best to right himself, whimpering and coughing in agony as he adjusted to his new predicament. If he wasn't already lathered in from head to toe in the monster's mucus and bodily slime, he would surely be sweating buckets. Even as he moved, he could feel the boiling sauna close around him, pressing against him from all sides as the eager walls accepted the meal with an unconscious sense of greed. It was over now. He was nothing more than a healthy source of nutrients for the hungry, horny beast.

He cried out in discomfort as he felt tingling fluids on his naked skin, forgetting once again that such an act only served to fill his mouth with the sickening flesh of the creature's gut. He closed his lips and moaned, doing his best to get comfortable only to have himself thrown about again with a particularly strong lurch from the stomach walls. His new environment was slimy, cramped, and squeezed him in a revolting churning motion that made his head spin. Whether it was from the motion or lack of air he couldn't be sure, but he soon felt his a pleasant dizziness come over him. The horrible sensations and rank smell that assaulted him soon dimmed to a dull, distant throbbing as the stomach clenched around him.

Jurmonir remained on all fours for a few more minutes, enjoying the fullness of his belly before rolling over onto his side. This was the best part for a hungry dragon: laying contentedly as his prey fought feebly within his gut. Unlike most carnivores, dragons on Syra had the unique ability to feel nearly every subtle motion within their tummy, enabling them to maintain a small measure of control. With a small grin of delight, Jurmonir tightened his stomach a bit, flexing the muscles along his flank before allow himself to relax. Unknowingly, the motion released a large pocket of air that came rumbling up from with to explode from his muzzle in the form of a massive, gut-rumbling belch. He opened his maw wide as he burped for a full ten seconds, the incredible noise blasting down the dark tunnels of his cave in a torrent of noise. A small flock of birds two miles away took to the air in sudden surprise. When it was done, he snapped his jaws shut and purred happily as the walls of his stomach settled comfortably around his meal. He briefly wrinkled his nose as the foul air from his stomach graced his nostrils. Oh, how the human must be enjoying that wondrous stench, the dragon thought, the corners of his mouth lifting in a sinister smile.

Continuing to rumble deeply in pleasure, the beast dropped his paw and traced his claws down his body to the smooth swell at his middle. He pressed down firmly, his eyes suddenly growing wide with happiness at the heightened sensations coming from within. The human was still moving in his belly, moving with a purpose that the dragon found absent in most of his victims. I hope his friends are just as enthusiastic, he mused, grinning to himself as he rolled onto his back and let out another small burp. Humans truly are the best meal a dragon can ask for.

He rubbed his belly for a few more moments before he felt a small, wet nudge at the base of his digits. With a start, he looked up and realized with mild surprise that he'd grown quite hard somewhere along the way. His cock was extended fully from the depths of his vent, throbbing animatedly to reflect the extreme happiness and lust he was experiencing at the expense of the little human inside him.

With a wicked grin, he reached further down, squeezing his member and moaning out loud as a powerful wave of pleasure shot up from the base of his tail. The planet was doing this to him, and he knew it. The peculiar air that was brought forth by the human falling into his lair was already affecting him. Now that his hunger was satisfied, his body was letting him know that he had other desires that needed to be fulfilled.

Beginning slowly, the dragon pumped his paw up and down his shaft, letting out a pleased chortle as his sensitive cock jumped within his firm grip. It didn't take long for him to reach his climax. He'd been sleeping in the cave for quite a while before Hale came along, hoping to distance himself from the addicting madness that infected every creature on Syra like an infectious disease. It was too late now. He needed to find a mate, and fast.

As the human moved inside him, Jurmonir gave his cock one or two more quick pumps before a sharp gasp escaped his gaping maw. That didn't take long, he thought. He arched his back and thumped his tail heavily against the ground as he climaxed, his scaled countenance twisting ridiculously as hot ropes of cum blasted across his bloated belly. The viscous spunk continued to pour from his flaring tip onto his body for a full minute, decorating his body in musky fluids before dripping down to pool in his groin and chest. Afterwards, he collapsed and let out a small, pleasure gurgle in the back of his throat. It was a short orgasm for a dragon his size, but it would have to hold him for now. He could already feel his sexual urges returning as he thought of the hot, sexy dragoness that he knew waited for him outside of the cave. She would be easy enough to track as long as the human hadn't been lying.

Rolling over onto his feet, Jurmonir shook himself and strode down the tunnel, semen dripping from his muscular legs as he walked towards the exit, the opposite way that Hale had been heading.

Time to find the others... he mused, letting out a short, excited giggle.

Hale barely noticed the clenching walls around him shift as the dragon stood up, walking smoothly along the ground to go hunt for the rest of his doomed party. The stomach walls rippled continuously around his naked body, gurgling audibly in his ears as it began to work on him. The massive heartbeat of the beast thumped loudly around him, beating a small, muffled cadence to lull him off to sleep. As he shut his eyes and fell unconscious for the last time, he couldn't help but wonder if his friends would suffer the same fate as him in the end. Perhaps if Jurmonir caught up with Andy, he would be down here with him soon.

Then everything went dark.

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*<Earth-date: July 22nd, 3104; Syra: 398 Solar Days.>

*<Time: 9:20am>

*<Cameras in Operation: Landing 1 - 3, Cabin 1>

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Flip and Gulp

Although Hale had at least spoken with the beast that ate him, Leech wasn't provided the same luxury.

Leech ran as fast as he could along the path back towards the ship, kicking up dust as his feet impacted the dusty trail. After running away when the dragon attacked, he had been in the best position to make a break back to the ship. He didn't know what happened to the rest of the party, but he didn't care. Daimon was dead for sure, and all that mattered was that he got back to the ship and the safety of its iron hulls.

Although his pace was quick and measured at first, after about fifteen minutes his frail body simply couldn't keep moving at its usual speed, despite the fear fueling him. His breathing was laboured and his limbs felt weak, and his once graceful stride that had carried him lengths in the beginning of his retreat was soon reduced to a pitiable, shuffling jog. He was in no shape to run such distances. The back of his throat tickled, and the thin, protective suit soon began to feel like a heavy, wet encasement of sticky leather. Sweat poured down his face and his eyes grew heavy and lidded, yet even if he was moving slower, at least he moving. The dragon would finish with Daimon and the rest, and pay him no attention. He would be back on the ship in about five minutes or less safe and sound.

The thought comforted him. He forced himself to keep moving, swallowing briefly to ease the dry tickling in his throat. It was at that moment however, that he began to hear the pounding, leathery beat of wings somewhere above him.

Turning around with a start, Leech's eyes went wide with horror as he turned and saw the blue dragon barrelling down upon him. Its eyes were wide with mixture of satisfaction and lust as it sped through the air, streaking across the treeline and bending the branches with the heavy passing of its bulk.

With a panicked scream, Leech turned around and tried running into the woods, but it was too late. The dragon reached him within seconds, its claws outstretched in a vicious display of predatory grace. It caught him easily, ripping him off the ground like an eagle diving upon a defenceless rodent before winging back up towards the sky with a triumphant roar.

Leech began to struggle weakly within the dragon's grip. His once heavy breathing soon became caught in his throat as the monster's feet pressed around him, the sharp talons hooking underneath his suit. One of the sharpened points was digging painfully into his side, poking through the protective material and drawing blood. He tried to inhale but found that he couldn't. The wind whistled to each side of his head and pounded against his face, forcing him to blink involuntarily as the beast sped away. Images of the man he saw carried away before being tossed up and eaten sprang to his mind. If he didn't find some way to escape soon, he was as good as dead.

Leech was just about to renew his struggles when the beast suddenly spun. His heart dropped in his chest as the dragon did a small, looping backflip in midair, opening her wings and gracefully turning to reveal her light-blue underbelly to the pale sun. He only caught a fleeting glimpse of the light swell in her stomach before the claws suddenly released him, tossing him into the air. The pressure came off him in seconds, allowing him a brief sharp inhale before his breath exploded from him once again, ripping out from him in a heart-wrenching cry of terror as he flew upwards for a few meters before plunging back down. With no more air in his lungs, he watched with wide eyes and a gaping, soundless scream as the dragon finished its flip and rose up to meet him, its red, fleshy mouth and dark throat opening to swallow him whole on his way down.

Almost zero effort was required on the dragon's part to bring the human down into her belly. Her meal impacted the back of her throat and was already engulfed halfway when she swallowed, using the momentum to easily push the tasty creature down into her gullet. This human was much thinner than the others. Her neck expanded briefly as he travelled downwards, rushing down her slimy, gripping esophagus before plunging with a wet squelching noise into the depths of her belly. Hovering in midair for a few second to enjoy the filling sensation of a second morsel in her belly, the female beast opened her maw, letting out another gigantic belch to pierce the air before winging back down to the forest below.

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End of Part 1