Central New Year 4 Part 2 The Hunt Begins
#143 of Exploration
Within a minute, I had it. The guards were legendary, and I only knew of one legend that had a hoard of treasure. I got up, and people looked at me as I strode forwards, smiling. I knocked on the door gently.
"I'm still here, how can I help?"
"This riddle wouldn't refer to a dragon's lair, would it?"
There was a short pause. Everyone looked at the door, as the realisation dawned.
"Yes, it would. That would be Alduin who guessed it?"
"I'm afraid so." I chuckled."That was a very clever riddle."
"I thought so." the door opened, and we were looking into an antechamber with the reindeer standing there."I was told if no one got it, they'd be let in with five minutes to go."
"Well thought through." I replied, walking into the chamber. Everyone followed who could, and Kodey shut the door, with about five still on the other side.
The other door opened as the first shut, and I stared into the Hall.
The glowers, once again, had gone overboard with their ideas. The Hall was normally cavernous, now it was a really big cavern. The walls were rocky and stretched high overhead, the red rock having no actual carved look, as if it was a natural cave. The floor was a darker red, and flat. It looked as though I had landed in a tunnel on Mars. Then I noticed details.
The tables were set up in their traditional way, three going the length of the hall and one on a small dais. They were unoccupied, the place was empty. Around the corners, and scattered around the middle and across the tables, were piles of jewellry. Necklaces, rings, gems, coins of gold, mounds upon mounds of richness. A diamond lay practically at my feet, and I picked it up, quickly scanning it.
"It's true diamond!" I said, astonished, and put it back down. "It's all the real thing!"
We quickly moved out, examining the piles. I found a small sapphire pendant, and picked it up.
There was a very loud roar, and everyone jumped, looking along the hall. Two very large dragons were at the end, one of them had woken up, and was looking at us all suspiciously. I casually dropped the pendant, and began to bio scan him. After a few seconds, my bio scanner beeped, asking me what the hell was I thinking.
It was animatronic. It was a machine, and it looked god awesome. The glowers had built a mechanical noble dragon, and as I watched, it got up onto it's hind legs, and raised it's neck high, as though it wanted to take flight. I turned, watching my fellow scouts carefully drop various things they had picked up. That was the glower's sense of humour all right. Let them pick it up, and then surprise them with the guards.
I walked down the length of the hall, walking with my taiaha as a walking stick. The others slowly began mingling around the centre, as I sprung onto the dais. Both dragons took up all but two metres of space behind the table, and though the second lay sleeping, the first one kept it's eyes on me. I zoomed in on the dragon's eye, watching the mechanical parts of it expand and contract, keeping focus on me. A glower appeared in the spectrum next to me.
"Well, did we scare you?"
"Yes." I laughed." I did not expect that. These are beautiful, what are they capable of?"
"I am in control of them, I send my orders to them, and they do it. For example.." the dragon bent down, bowing it's head to me, and I returned it, and then looked back at the glower.
"It is indeed a wonderful creation. How long did it take?"
"We spent about ten minutes designing it, me and three others, and the four of us made it in about forty minutes. All the little details took a while, but with patience the result was spectacular."
"So, almost an hour and a half for both of them?"
"Yes. It is almost perfectly alike to the noble dragons you visited with Veronica, just robotic."
A thought touched my mind. The glowers paid exquisite detail to everything on a project, and I walked over to it's hind quarters. I turned to the hovering glower.
"One gold piece says when that stands up, we'll see male genitalia."
"That is correct. As if we'd leave out something like that. We wanted perfect replicas, these are so close to the real thing that no one could tell the difference without scanning or being one themselves."
"So are you intending to use these in that way?"
"If there is anyone bold enough to take three feet of dragon in them. And yes, before you ask, they do expand and contract, harden and soften."
"So what happens when they have their moment?"
"Well, it isn't semen, more a sort of white oily liquid." the glower replied."It is a cunning plan, we decided that what we could do is connect ourselves to them, so when they feel pleasure, we feel the pleasure."
"Nice, it means you can actually fuck someone, glower, and you don't hurt them."
"With this thing, it would still hurt. But I get your point, we're thinking about smaller things. Only problem with these things is the glower controlling them has to be very close, no more than five metres, otherwise they stop working. That's why I'm staying right here."
I stroked the rock hard scales, and smiled."I always knew you guys were brilliant at what you do." Two robotic noble dragons, both the size of a bus each, wing span of at least twenty metres, just wow.
Silverine came up his trapdoor, and stared at the four of us. He looked up at the two dragons.
"I hope that's not coming out of our budget." he said with a straight face, and both me and the glower burst out laughing.
"So where are the TV's and the dromes?" the Lupogriff asked with a more serious voice.
"Along one wall, this time. The drome hide is disguised as a line of boulders, and the TV screens is the flat section of wall." the glower replied, still chuckling.
The glower disappeared, although it wouldn't be moving anytime soon. Silverine looked at them, and smiled.
"Impressive. Are they guarding the hoard?"
"Supposedly. Hasn't stopped people trying to pocket things."
"The treasure is all real, and it is for those who want it."
I looked over by the entrance. Alecto, the god of the underworld, had borrowed some of the treasure horde, and was now looking more godlike than ever with a solid gold necklace, armlets, leglets and a crook of silver.
I took up three round gems, and began to juggle them in the air. " Hey, look Silverine, two years wages at my other work, in my hands!"
"I've never seen someone play with two years wages like that, either." the Lupogriff smiled, picking up a gold coin and flicking it high into the air. I placed the gems back down, and walked over to the slumbering dragon. It was twitching gently, and was lying on it's side, displaying it's wedding tackle. Unerect, the dragon's cock was the size of my forearm, and it's balls were almost the size of a basketball.
"Who could take one of them?" I asked Silverine, and the glower pulsed a reply.
"Fully erect it is about five inches, going on six wide.Anyone over six foot here could be fucked with it, but none could hold the load.They are both hermaphrodites as well."
"I was about to say, Zac would have to mount an expedition with that thing." and the glower chuckled.
"You seem curious, would you like to feel it?You survived a merge, this should be easy."
"After the Hunt, glower, only after. You should get one of your fellows to work the other one, so you can concentrate one on one with your, target."
"I shall inform them of that suggestion, Alduin." the glower replied, as I turned and went back off the dais, and found Gareth lying on a mound of gold, wearing a necklace and an armlet.
"I'm so rich. This pile is for me, that one over there is for you!"
"Good to hear it, Gareth." I noticed with a smirk that the glower's sense of humour was not limited to frightening, I spotted a solid gold dildo half buried in Gareth's pile. Trying to contain my laughter, I giggled my way over to Ryan, who was looking around in astonishment at the wealth and stark simplicity of the cave.
"Wow, it's amazing." he said, and I nodded.
"I know. The glowers really have excelled themselves. Their eye for finery and detail is legendary, I found a golden dildo in Gareth's pile."
"Most expensive sex toy in history." Ryan laughed.
Draco had heard this. "I dunno about that, Abigail's found a feeldoe."
"Really, what's it made out of?"
"Emerald, I believe."
This was too much for me, and I sunk to the floor, laughing. As did Ryan. On our world, gems were treated seriously and represented wealth. Here, gold was lead on holiday, and gems were only worth what other rocks were. Draco recalled a conversation Silverine had once held with them on the subject of gems, and the glowers were surprised that these gems were so highly valued.
"But they are just rocks. There is no true worth in them, except in the sense they are pretty to look at and are pretty hard."
"Well at any rate, Draco, why don't you go shove a couple of hundred thousand in gold up Gareth's vagina, he'll be delighted."
"Where is it?"
"Half way up the pile, you will spot it easily, it's the only thing that's studded.Think Takori's cock, and then multiply by three."
"Right. Is it going to stay, or are the glowers going to make it vanish?"
"I believe they're keeping the whole lot, robotic dragons and all."
Draco stopped, with a smile." I am going to find a very large sack." like many dragons, Draco had a lust for gold, this was effectively paradise. He went over to the corner and lay down comfortably on the gold, much like I had seen Drakon do.
Alecto staggered over, his forearms and lower legs all carrying armlets, his solid silver crook held heavily in one hand.
"Mortals! I am the god of the underworld, humour me otherwise suffer the consequences!" he chuckled, admiring himself.
"I can think of two ways already." Ryan said with a stone expression.
"Yeah, first take that crook and insert it in him, and secondly use one of the robotic dragons to keep him occupied." I added, and Alecto laughed.
"I am humoured, thank you. I am so keeping these.What was that about those noble dragons?"
"They are robotic, and if you ask the glower very nicely, he will give you some pleasure with them."
Now Alecto properly listened." They were made by the glowers? Well, tie me down and let them fuck me, I never would have gue..."
"Ryan, I think Alecto just asked for it." I mugged loyally. Ryan smiled.
"O.K., you get him in position, I'll get the manacles." Alecto jumped back as we made a half hearted lunge.
"I don't, not now." the fox amended hastily."So they are capable?"
"I imagine it would be like being fucked by a flagpole for ten minutes and then have someone run a hose connected to a hot shower through it and turn it on.I'm game." I laughed.
"I've never taken anything that big." Ryan shook his head.
"I reckon I have, Draco and Blake, Draco and Valmeero, Draco and you, Silverine and Propani, just nothing with the length." I replied, being doubly penetrated by two of my friends would be close to that thing.
I noticed more Scouts coming through the door, someone had guessed the riddle for the second time, and the group was looking very relieved.
Among the group were three of my haka members, Blake, Valmeero and Sunrise. I asked Sunrise where his brothers were.
"They're coming, just I got prepared first." he replied." Practiced your chants?"
"As always, my voice will make this place echo." I replied confidently.Sunrise nodded, and walked off to claim some gold. I went over to Draco, who was now resting in the corner next to the piano. He was loving this, the amount of gold around him.
"All mine." he said as my shadow fell across him," go find your own."
I laughed."Dragons do like gold, don't they?"
"Yes,"Draco replied quickly,"And I am not leaving this pile for any humans to take."
"I didn't intend to. If you want, teleport back to your quarters and grab a bag or something, I'll reserve it for you."
The dragon vanished within seconds, and I put down a scanner. Within twenty seconds he reappeared holding a large coal sack. He quickly began scooping up gold with his hands. I noticed that looting was happening else where as well, but there was a lot of gold.
The time ticked towards the hour, as more people filed in groups. I could see several of the Hunted, they were staring at this windfall with a universal stare of amazement. Some had conjured bags and such from somewhere, and were pilfering all the gold, some just playing with it, holding it, Khamsina and Iris were lying down on top of a small pile, the baby dragon clearly following her father's footsteps.
I picked up a small flat gold coin, and balanced it on it's edge. With a golf club swing, I connected and sent the little gold coin over towards the dais. This felt so ridiculous, there was enough money in here for me to retire for ever, and I saw no use in it. Oh sure, I could buy things with it, but what was the point? I already had enough money to fill my life's desires, and money didn't buy me happiness, that was what my friends did.
Draco vanished with a bang, full sack over his shoulder. I sat down on a pile of gems, and was joined by Landon.
"Hey, human, how's it going?"
"I feel like I shouldn't be here. Look at it all."
"It does take your breath away. Hasn't stopped half of Central pocketing it all."
"Of course. Draco's gone to get a second sack. I think even Hadia's overcome his nerves and pocketing a few coins, and Silverine's on his third kilo up at the dais. Gareth's got a studded gold dildo in his vagina, Alecto, well, I'm surprised he can walk, etc. Money is the root of power, but by Central people do lose themselves when it comes to free money."
"So you don't want any?"
"Oh, I want most of it. I Need, none of it.I'll probably pocket some after the Hunt. You had a look at the dragons yet?"
"I was going up there to have a look, and saw you with your sad face on."
"Could you do me a favour, do a quick sketch of them for me?" the fox, familiar with my sub standard drawing skill nodded, and moved off.
Alecto clunked down next to me, looking like he was in heaven. Delnom was with him, looking slightly amused at his boyfriend's pose. He sat down too.
"Hey Delnom, have a gem or two. Weigh yourself down with them." I tossed him a ruby, which he promptly caught and put down.
"Yes, and make me that much slower when it comes to the Hunting, I'm not stupid."
"Neither. In this I could run five miles. Alecto, right now, couldn't run five metres! I say we jump him and fuck him."
Alecto, used to this kind of teasing, merely chuckled. Delnom rubbed his paws together, mugging loyally.
"So who gets which end?"
"Your choice."
"I'm not much of a dominant wolf. Can I do his vagina?"
"Sure, I'll make him suck me off." I leaned back.
"You didn't mean right now, did you?" Delnom laughed.
"He's a cat, unless he's in the mood, he'll just sit back and relax."Alecto giggled.
"Meow." I batted Alecto's flank with an open hand, and rubbed my head against his shoulder. Alecto giggled, and shuffled closer to Delnom.
"Don't start that all over again." he said sternly. I slumped, and miaowed pathetically. Delnom chuckled, and stroked my shoulder over Alecto.
"That's O.K, kitty, we still like you."
I clambered over Alecto, and rubbed against Delnom, nuzzling his chest. He giggled and writhed, as my hair rubbed against his fur.
"Naughty kitty, off!That tickles!"I sat back, with a huge grin. Delnom chuckled.
"Alduin, can you Hunt me?"
"I would, but the glowers want me to film, so I'll just be my normal Hunt anyone on sight.If you happen to be with someone else, I'll Hunt you, O.K?"
"It's just Alecto watches everything, and I want someone gentle to catch me."
"Then keep away from Draco and Silverine, first tip."
"This just in, tell us something we didn't know." Alecto mimed talking into a microphone. I grabbed his crook, and thrust it into his vagina. He yowled in surprise, but then settled as I began to gently thrust.
Delnom watched all this with bemusement. "How can you be so casual about this?"
"That's what I was asking when I had my Hunt.What you need to do is relax and concentrate."
Alecto moaned, and I continued."Just take everything as it comes. I am a natural, I took each moment I could, and left about eight people with bruising and several others fairly exasperated by the end of my time."
"How long did you go?"
"1:51."
"I won't get that."
I stopped thrusting Alecto's crook into the fox and placed a hand on Delnom's shoulder.
"That's not the attitude. Think positive. If you think negative, it will restrict your natural talent."
Delnom paused for a second, and then nodded, smiling a bit. "That looks like fun, can I have a go?" I let go of the makeshift sex toy, and Delnom began giving his boyfriend a gentle orgasm. I got up, pulling up a seat beside a group of Hunted, Simba, and Abigail.
"Ah, ladies and gentlemen, THIS is a Hunted character." Abigail smiled, motioning to me," His dodge skill was uncanny."
"Still is uncanny." I replied,"And wasn't it because you were firing your taser at me?"
Hadia, with a small but heavy looking bag, was staring at me thoughtfully. Emery came over and climbed onto me, hanging off my shoulders with his one good hand and his legs around my waist.
"Is it true, Alduin, you avoided Silverine and Draco?"
"Only the once, and not for very long, Emery." I said with a smile over my shoulder." My waltz with Time Dancer is what everyone heard about."
"Yes." Qwa'kiana replied," According to her you almost dislocated her shoulder with that move."
I rolled my eyes."I did, and almost did the same to myself." And then Giancarlo came over and ruined any chance of them being unaware of what I could do.
"Alduin, what forms do you have today?"
Hadia, Emery and Qwa'kiana looked at me faster than a traffic light.
"Thanks, Giancarlo, could you have left that question til later?" I sighed.
Hadia looked at me curiously."He can transform into other things? Now I understand the rumours. Well, what are they?"
I changed into my Pheonix, and lifted off, moving only on hovers, the semi silent nature of the jets thanks to my modifications meant I could hear everyone talking about it. I landed again.
"It's for going up and down." I replied, changing back into my human form. "And now I am definitely hunting you, Giancarlo."
"Me! Why?"
"Who just told everyone I can change forms?" I looked up the avian, who looked at his fellow Hunted.
"Nice knowing you, Giancarlo." Hadia chuckled. Emery laughed, I laughed, and the metamorph flushed.
As this went on, Silverine stood at his high seat, hitting his halberd against the ground. As everyone turned.
"It is time for the feast. Will the Hunted please come up here?"
I sidled past the four Hunted and sat down next a pumped up Ryan Lewis. He looked awesome, as usual.
"Well?"I asked.
"Now I'm Hunting, it is a lot more fun." Alecto tapped me on the shoulder.
"Gareth is going to be telling everyone where the Hunted are, I'm hunting this year."
"Really, why the change?"
"My boyfriend is up for grabs, and I want him."
"Fair enough. How did you get the edge?"
Alecto chuckled. "I placed a tracer on his staff.I can follow him from here to Earth and back."
"Good show. Would you mind if I caught him?"
"I'd prefer if you didn't, but I won't stop you."
"I've got some delaying tricks, if you are near him,I will help you capture him."
"Cheers Alduin." the fox stroked my back, and I turned back to Lewis.
"So, who are you after?"
"Ideally? Nord or Tabaxi." my compatriot replied, as everyone began to vocalise what they wanted."What tricks have you got?"
"Two sleeping grenades, short term effects only, a net, and my missiles are a bit nasty now.They have no explosive power, but they touch you, you are going to appear like a beacon on everyone's glasses."
"Heh, nice.Anything else?"
"Just one other." I nodded at Abigail across the table, and she slid a small kit bag to me. "In here is a new device she wants me to test. What happens is you drop it at a person, and a bubble shield will appear around someone."
"Doesn't exactly sound helpful to us."
"An Inverse bubble shield." I added, smiling, and Ryan winced.
"Owch. So they are trapped?"
"People can walk in, but not out." I nodded, strapping the small shoulder bag into it's four point harness.
"I have some tricks too, Abby and Arachno gave me this to use." Ryan held up a grenade," It blasts love potion, and it absorbs through the skin."
"Use it near me, and you will have a Tripod doing it to you." I replied rapidly, and Ryan laughed.
"That's only encouraging me."
"I'm serious, I don't like the idea of that stuff." and my boyfriend nodded and pocketed it.
Billy had loaded himself with oil grenades, the same thing that almost sent me sliding into a wall, Abigail had her taser, Javid now had darts with a light sleeping agent, everyone had equipped themselves with entirely non lethal weapons which never the less had a powerful chance of capturing.
My kit bag was only large enough for all my devices, and was about the size of a laptop.
After a light meal, and while steadying watching half the Hunted get nervous, I sat back, getting up. It was such a strange sight to see eleven creatures barely picking at their feet, and the Lupogriff wolfing (sorry) down hunks of raw meat, all at the one table. I moved over to Draco, and leant down to him, as he was still eating.
"What forms have you got?"
"A Saab Draken, and a Dodge SRT-10." I knew both, one of a few planes that could perform the Cobra manouver, and a toughened and beefed-up Viper. He was going to be difficult to avoid, but he continued.
"Simba's still his Apache, but he's now gone with a MP4-23." the dragon sounded nonchalant, but I knew his game, he was thinking I didn't know the vehicle.
He was only just wrong. He was in fact reciting the McLaren F1 car of 2008. I only remembered it because it was a marvel of engineering, and somebody bored me to breaking point on it's details. I had forgotten the detail, but thanks to him I could not forget it's full name. Draco was aghast when I told him I knew what it was.
"So what are yours?"
"Pheonix and Tripod. And don't say it."
Draco just laughed." You wouldn't tentacle fuck me in that form anyway."
"True, I prefer it naturally with both my boyfriends." I nodded. It was now nine o'clock, and I shifted over to the upright piano, and began to play quietly. As Silverine formally finished the feast, people began to mingle with one another as usual, and Emery came over to me, and he sat on the piano stool.
"You play so flawlessly, Alduin. You have many talents."
"I am not a flawless piano player. I can improvise, and I can play, but I am not as good as all that." I stroked the little Tireanite's shoulder, and began to play Primavera.
Grant and Felicia were nearby, and I felt them approach, standing behind me. As I swayed through the piece, I could feel a lot more silence in the room. It was just such a beautiful piece to listen to. I was no longer the only one who could play it as a result, Iris had learnt it, and it was now in several people's playlists of music, including Draco and Simba's, solid fact. It was the calm before the storm, I wanted to reserve myself until all hell broke loose in half an hour.
I played a couple of songs, before Iris had a go herself, and I sidled through the crowd to Silverine. He was looking fairly casually, with the irrepressible Kodey by his side.
"So Kodey, you Hunting today?"
The reindeer smiled, and nodded. "Silverine suggested it, and I thought, yeah, why not? Just don't make a bet against me."
"Why, is Silverine holding one already?" I teased, and the Lupogriff chuckled.
"So..Kodey, care to hold..."
"No." the reindeer tried to say with a straight face, and I laughed, ruffling the reindeer's fur behind his antlers.
"Good luck, Kodey. Everyone should catch at least one Hunted."
"Unless of course you don't want to take part." Silverine reminded. "Several know it's our culture, but would prefer not to chase."
I nodded, it wasn't always bread and butter to some. A few of the elves, most of the G'zara, and one or two others didn't really fancy being involved.
Gareth tested his headset, making sure he was linked to everyone he intended to be guiding, and I likewise tested to each of my little group. Draco, Alecto, Ryan, Silverine and Kodey all reported hearing me through the headset fine.
Then Silverine stepped back onto the dais.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, could we have the Hunted come forwards?"