FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Akava traveled for several days from the capital city for this job. She desperately hoped the rumors were true and the Middlemen would once again look past her race to give her this difficult assignment. Several rogues in the organization left for the exact same job and none returned. The dragonborn was hopeful that the losses would be significant enough to allow someone like her to take the job.

She wasn't inexperienced. A skilled rogue training her entire life on the streets of the destitute slums gave her the skills that would rival some of the best. From assassinations to stealing from notable nobles. She robbed other criminal organizations. Yet the guild never appreciated her skills. There was a hatred of scalekin in the country of Ethal. Dragons are a bad omen and all subspecies of dragonkin were seen as working for the legendary creatures. Recently, guards robbed her in broad daylight claiming it was a scale tax for her hide. They took every coin she had. This job would change her fortunes.

The eight-foot-tall dragonkin shadowed the doorway of the Middlemen's establishment. A group of disreputable individuals that deal with every nefarious act they can get their grubby fingers on. One of their chapters fronted as a tavern in the outskirt town Ten Pennies. There were side glances from every scruffy, rough, scarred patron in the bar when the dragonborn entered. She stepped lightly. The long brown robe she wore was dirty with dust and caked mud. It gave her the appearance of a miscreant that would match the rest of the rabble around the tavern. To hide her draconic appearance, she tucked her long tail between her legs. The hood helped hide all but her draconic snout from prying eyes. Her stride mimicked a human with a weak limp. She wished to seem human as possible in this small outskirt town. Some towns offered quite a bit of coin for a dragonkin. Either as a slave or their hide.

The bartender is who she sought. The job paid enough that she could buy her way out of the country. In short, some wizard towers needed looting. Many entered, but none returned. Akava sat on the stool and waited for the barkeep to finish discussing business with another shady individual. The barkeep slipped a pouch of gold for a package and then the package slipped behind the counter never to be seen again. After the other man turned and left the tavern the barkeep turned his one good eye toward the cloaked rogue. His voice was ragged with black lung from working the mines. A common ailment for criminals that were caught before.

"I was told ye would come. Not many fit yer profile missi." The dragonborn nodded and slid a card forward. Her black-scaled claws held a simple card carved from aspen wood with runes burned in it. The man picked up the card and slipped it away with a sleight of hand. "Yer lucky no one else wants this job. I'd rather hand it off to a halflin' than any of yer kind."

The barkeep pulled out an envelope and handed it to her. She pocketed it into her studded leather armor that was hidden under the cloak and walked away. The faster she leaves the better. There was tingling on the tip of her tail. It always told her danger was afoot. The crowd behind her grew quiet. They were expecting something. In the deafening silence, she could feel their eyes burn the back of her head. She was outnumbered and if she stayed, they would realize that same fact.

Before she was even halfway out of the tavern a massive hand grabbed her shoulders. Pale green and as big as hers. The half-orc spoke up making her nostrils burn from the scent of moonshine. "Did I hear that right?"

Akava turned to face the brute. His bared chest was hairy and unwashed. His hands were callused from handling a poorly crafted weapon, probably a heavy club or ax. Other shadows were gathering beside her, it seemed that they figured out she was alone and had no backup.

"Thar rumors that you'd be commin'." The half-orc's breath somehow got worse as he continued talking. "Yer a female scalekin ain't chya."

She nodded slowly, aware of the closing gap on her flanks. Each face uglier than the last.

"Me and da boys were wonderin' what kind of slit ya got down there." He produced a small dagger out of the back of his pocket and pointed it between Akava's legs. The half-orc then turned to his friends amused, "Ain't that right boys?!" There was a cheer from his companions from all around the bar. Akava's nose flared in embarrassment at such a topic of discussion. The man grabbed her shoulder again and pulled her hood off. Her ebony horns were the first to be revealed. They arched forward symmetrically on each side of her angular head. Gifts from her black dragon heritage. Her emerald eyes were next. The black-slitted pupils shrank as the light penetrated her eyes. Her nose was still flared from the embarrassment.

Shock took the man's face as her pointed horns were aimed right into his bulging eyes. Menacing black points that could carve a beast or man with great ease. He composed himself with a cough. "ay personally said tis none of thar business. But then I was left to wonderin'" he paused for a moment using the dagger to part her cloak to examine her egg-laying hips further. “Is it a vertical slit or a horizontal slit?" The ugly pig licked his upper lip. There was lust in his eyes. He grabbed his crotch messaging his package through his trousers.

Normally a rogue with a Middlemen mission would be off-limits to such attacks. However, that protection didn't extend to her. Akava was used to it, she'd been double-crossed many times and even stiffed on pay. It was the only life she knew. Stealing for a plate to eat and sleeping in alleyways because no inn would house her. A few people tried to make such sexual attacks on her in the past, she never allowed such events to unfold. She clenched her jaw and narrowed her eyes at the half-orc. A deep guttural bellow shook her as she threatened the man.

"Look she's mad, better grab 'er quick before she runs off." A voice sounded off from behind.

She acted quickly as their hands were getting close. She opened her maw right at the half-orc. Her rows of razor-sharp pointed teeth could snap an arm off as easy as plucking a flower, but rather than ruin her pallet with the taste of a disgusting unwashed thug she let out a breath of acid that splashed across the man's face.

The green glowing liquid dripped, flicking away at his flesh as he screamed in agony. He fell back kicking while his hands tried to wipe away the offending acid. She closed her mouth in a wide toothy smile at the man. The room backed away from her as she pivoted to turn away. If they knew she only had enough in her breath gland for one attack they would have charged her. Their ignorance worked in her favor.

Comfort came to her in the darkness on her travels. She hid and slept in the woods along the winding roads. Under the candlelight of her makeshift camp, she read the envelope. The vallum inside had the Middleman's wax seal. Two half faces looking at each other making a whole face in the center. With a simple flick of her claw, the seal was broken, and the wax evaporated into flameless ash.

Inside the envelope was a map of the location and a letter of the item that needed to be procured. The letter in question only carried a drawing of the object. It appeared to be a red gemmed princess' crown. The crown was a simple coal sketch, and the gem was painted with blood. The map was equally as helpful. Just a direction and landmarks to where the keep should be.

An easy journey, three days travel to get to the general vicinity. The roads were quite safe as burglars tended to shy away from the poorer farming communities. Whatever loot they could squeeze out of the locals usually sent the ravenous bands of miscreants to beat the shit out of themselves for the scraps.

As she strayed away from civilization the trees grew taller and more numerous. The thick forest blanketed her in perpetual shade. Thin rays of light shimmered along the green flowering underbrush. The only time she loved her job was traveling outside of the cities. She dreamt of what she would do when she got the full amount the job paid. A lovely home away from humans would be nice.

In her daydream, she stumbled upon a sparkling creek. The water-cooled her talons. She smiled at the brief reprieve and stripped herself. Loose scales fell away from her armor as she undid the tight bindings. Her thick tail arched and the joints popped. It hurt keeping the appendage hidden under the cloak. She scratched at her irritated back and stroked sore spots on her body.

Then she sat down in the running water. Her aching muscles welcomed the cool water. It cascaded on her scales easing the irritation of her hide. Her reflection stared back in the calmer water in front of her. The dragonborn frowned and touched her horns. Her life had been rough, there seemed to be more cities that won't even tolerate her kind. The closest thing she had to a friend was a kobold named Keev. She used the word friend lightly here as the small lizard was constantly flaking out on jobs. He eventually met his end with the knights of the royal army. Probably decorating some noble's mantel as scaled wall art by now. A popular trend in major cities. Akava splashed the water rippling away the reflection. She finished washing the mud off herself and her robe. She needed to get back on the road.

Unfortunately, she ran out of landmarks to follow. Smack in the middle of the forest the keep was supposed to be located. If it weren't for the Middlemen's reputation, she would have thrown away the map and called off the snipe hunt.

She climbed one of the towering pines to gain perspective on her location. Over the horizon, she saw mountain peaks and a massive clearing in the forest. There was a sprawling low profile castle dead in the center of the woods. Pointed towers marked the corners and the center of the keep. The manmade structures taunted the trees, doubling their height. Several large balconies pocked the towers haphazardly. There were no roads that would lead to the keep. A heavy sigh escaped her lungs as she dropped down the tree. She had a heading and would make it to the target by daybreak.

As she approached the castle. Doubts settled in her mind if she could accomplish this mission. No other rogues returned from this particular assignment. The roads were safe. The forest was monster free. No goblins or orc encampments. Nothing. What could cause such an item to be this elusive to the Middlemen?

She shoved a bush out of her way to give her a clear view of the entrance to this keep. No more than 20 meters of cleared land separated the edge of the wilds and the stone walls. A great observation spot for her to see the daily activity. As a bonus, the forest had plenty of game so she could eat well while she gathered preliminary observations.

A week went by. Many humans bustled in and out of the large iron gate. She climbed up a tree to see inside the massive courtyard. The entire structure squared off a garden. The towers were massive, about 90 meters in diameter at the base and spiraling upwards. The center tower was twice as big. Nobels and well-dressed merchants were entering and exiting every portion of the buildings. Akava tailed one of the merchants' wagons that left the castle to see if she could find the road that led through the forest. Just as the wagon touched the forest's edge she blinked and they were gone, never to be seen. The tracks just ended. If she didn't hear the racket the horses made, she would have thought she was going crazy. She turned back to the keep. She needed to come up with a plan to infiltrate.

The human guards would pick her out in a heartbeat during the day. An eight-foot-tall dragonborn dressed in pauper's clothing was quite an easy sight to pick out from all the guests that arrived. At night the guards were substituted for kobolds. A peculiar choice. The underground dwelling dragonkin were usually in caves and mines like dirtier dwarves. Akava stifled out a laugh when she first saw them. Every kobold she met on her travels were weak and cowardly.

Those prejudices fled as the kobolds picked up the laughter. The kobolds went on search parties for her and were on high alert the following nights. She saw their patterns. They were well disciplined. Keener eyes and more equipment than a duke's bodyguards. Moonlight caught their chainmail, causing them to glimmer brighter than their red and green scales. The dragonborn hid up a tree at night to avoid detection.

The only opportunity to infiltrate she could take was during guard swaps. After hours of preparing, she finished wrapping her talons with a thick cloth to prevent any sound as she scaled the wall. She landed on the soft grass on the other side of the wall.

Akava dashed into the housing district. A collection of houses faced a massive courtyard. Tables and chairs were set up for public festivities. The humans were enjoying dinner with the kobolds who were eating their breakfast. It was a strange sight for the dragonborn. She had never seen the two species cooperating in such a way. They laughed and broke bread with each other. The hidden intruder almost forgot her mission as a red-scaled kobold clinked his mug with a bearded human, smiles on both their faces. She snapped back to reality when the bell chimed sending the kobolds to their posts.

The center tower was the largest. It was her first choice of where to search for the particular object. She ran alongside the interior wall that surrounded the internal garden. With a low squat, her tail danced like a raptor running through the brush to hunt for prey. She closed the distance.

The tower was even larger up close. Ten meters high the double doors seemed pointlessly large. The pure marble steps led to a small door inset of a larger door. She cracked the smaller door open only to find absolute darkness. She plunged herself inside without thinking. Darkness was preferred over the chances of being seen outside.

The door clicked shut, echoing in the vast entrance foyer. Akava's scaled lips parted slightly in awe. Paintings and artwork lined the walls like a cathedral. She couldn't see all the detail as her slitted pupils were still expanding to take in the little light around her. The subject of the works of art was a bestiary of every sapient species in the world. From fur to scale there wasn't one unaccounted for. She took light steps through the hallways gaping at the art till she heard a small tap of claws on marble. They grew closer to the dragonborn.

The taps originated from two kobolds. They spoke perfect draconic, a language Akava wasn't strong in. Her experience with draconic was the yipping draconic tribal kobolds spoke. These green ones carried themselves high. As they got approached, she saw their beautiful jewelry. Their twin horns curled back with gold bangles fitting perfectly around the ivory. On their wrists and above their talons were another set of golden rings. They bounced playfully with each step. Their feminine tails undulated with each alternating step. White transparent gowns sashayed as they continued to talk.

Akava hid behind a sculpture to the side and peeked her head around. It was a curious sight to see kobolds dressed in such a manner. She grew curious trying to pick out the words they spoke to each other.

“Nest mother never lets me spend time with the master. It's always, do this, do that. I've been polishing for weeks."

The second kobold gave an indignant huff of hot air from her nostrils. “Be patient. Your time will come. Master can't spend time with all of us, he's still just one man." The two girls stopped in front of the statue as they continued their idle conversation. “Just keep to your duties, the statues need to be polished daily. And don't speak so harshly around them. They'll remember us."

“I just wish for a warm bed, the sleeping pile is too cold." The First kobold's nostrils flared in embarrassment of her own words.

“Sig eyed you from afar. He's one of the day guards, a cute one too. I'm sure nest mother will allow the union. Master might make him your master if asked."

The first kobold clutched her claws together and bounced on the tips of her talons. “My own human master? That sounds dreamy."

Akava's eyes glazed over as they continued their girly talk. The thought of being owned by a human as dreamy disgusted her. Her eyes danced up and down their bodies once again. The fabric draped loosely around their scales was made of fine silk. Their green bodies were still on full display.

Who was their master? What kind of master dresses his kobolds in such a manner when kobolds are perfectly content running around with just their scales? Their talons clicked and clacked away as they went to gather metal polish.

Once they were out of sight the dragonborn jumped over the statue to the hallway. She turned to see what she hid behind. The marble statue was of a gorgeous woman on a casket. The marble looked like butter that was caressed and folded. The woman in question was nude. A look of longing on her face.

Akava looked around, her eyes finally adjusted enough to see the artwork in detail. All of it was in some way perverted. This didn't seem out of place though. Nobles always collected artwork of this type. Some fetched quite the high price for the more risqué pieces.

She decided to travel the path that the two kobolds originated from. The rogue had a seedy smile on her muzzle as she concluded that this tower was a museum of some kind. A dream come true for a thief. She pulled off her cloak and tied it into a large bag, she was going to be taking a dragon's hoard of treasure before making it out of here.

Her admiration of the artwork was interrupted by two wyverns on her flanks. The pointed poisonous tails aimed right at her eyes. They were of course statues like the rest of the artwork, but she couldn't help but be startled by the fiends. Wall-to-wall artwork of nude women and men then pointed poisonous tails of a wyvern. The outstretched beasts were quite the contrast.

She caught her breath and redoubled her efforts. Find the crown and then grab the treasure. She could dispatch kobolds that got in her way, but the clever little bastards would make quite the noise alerting the entire castle of her presence. Who knows, some of the statues might be enchanted to come to life and defend the castle. That thought sent chills down to the tip of her tail.

She ascended a staircase deep in what she believed was the middle of the tower. All she had to do was find the jewelry exhibit. Or an armory, enchanted daggers would make for a great upgrade to the shabby ones she currently owned. She was greeted by hallways lined with doors. Each one opened1 to nothing of importance. A storage closet, a cleaning room, a latrine, and a balcony. None of the doors were locked or magically sealed. Akava was baffled that a wizard tower that disposed of high-profile rogues would be so non-magical.

She stopped as she heard a rattling inside a partially opened door. Akava carefully peered inside. The sound originated from a kitchen. A thick kobold tail swayed back and forth just outside the pantry inside. The kobold was female, her vent was swollen with arousal. Practically flaunting her sex by the way she moved her hips. She rummaged through the larder for a minute and then stood up straight carrying several arm lengths of smoked sausages. Her pink transparent dress dropped elegantly around her slim figure as she stood up. It was the same style as the other two kobolds.

Akava ducked around the doorframe just in time to not be seen. The kobold exited the kitchen holding the sausages and then stopped. The dragonborn held her breath. The kobold blinked several times then hopped back into the room forgetting something. Akava exhaled and looked back into the room to see the kobold grab a basket of mana biscuits. She hummed a tune carrying a meal fit for a king.

The happy kobold took one link in her mouth as she left the kitchen once again. Jealously filled Akava's heart. How could such a lowly creature be given such lovely food? Was she stealing from her master's kitchen as noble maids often did? The candlelight reflected off the kobold's golden jewelry. She was dolled up like the other female kobolds.

Curiosity clouded the intruder's mind once again. She tailed the kobold. The light clicking of talons masked the silent approach of the larger dragonborn. Akava stopped once the kobold entered a massive corridor. The hallway was T-ed off one lead to what she believed was an outside balcony, moonlight beamed through the stained-glass doors giving her a glimpse of a large platform outside. On the opposite side was another large door with a small door inset inside. The kobold's tail disappeared behind that door.

Akava approached the door, and the stench of sulfur filled her nostrils. A flick of her forked tongue tasted the air to try and discern the origin. All she could tell was there were lots of kobolds nearby. It was overwhelming, at least two dozen kobolds were inside that room. She peeked through the seam of the large door. The dragonborn was mesmerized.

A room filled with scaly bodies and a single human. Most of the kobolds were sleeping soundly in a pile on a large bed made of glimmering copper scales. Flowing red curtains were half pulled on the edges of the massive bed. The human was completely naked, his sizable dick resting between his splayed legs. He looked like a noble with some martial training but not the physique of a knight. His pale skin betrayed him as a scholar. But he had a regal look to him. Akava couldn't explain why, but there was a magnetism about him. His hair was blond and shimmering. He looked forward at the approaching kobold with ocean blue eyes. The young man in the room was off-putting, nothing about this keep would be run by some young noble.

The kobold in the pink dress ran over with the food. Several kobolds shot their head up and left their sleeping pile to partake in the refreshments. The human smiled and caressed the kobold saying something in draconic. The kobolds quickly devoured the sausages without the human taking a single bite. Akava's stomach ached at the sight of the food. Everything she ate was unseasoned and undercooked. The search parties gave her little time to prepare a properly cooked meal.

The human picked up a biscuit and ate it. He seemed to enjoy the experience and threw his head back thanking the little lizard. He sat up on the scaly bed and stretched. The kobold was quite excited about what was to come next, hopping from one leg to the other. Her tail was hiked up high revealing her aroused vent. Akava's eyes dilated, and her nostrils flared at the sight. The pink dress fell to the floor and the pristine green kobold was caressed by the human. Akava could almost hear her moan in pleasure as he kissed the nape of her neck.

As she fell into the man's touch the other kobolds watched, some more interested in others. A few were participating in their mating rituals. A female was splayed on the top of the sleeping pile with a glass rod entering her vent, much to the annoyance of the kobolds below. Akava couldn't help but feel arousal build in herself. She neglected her needs for so long.

She was just a voyeur, unable to break her gaze as the human caressed and messaged the smaller lizard. His penis slowly became rigid as he sat back on the large scaly pillow. The kobold kissed his stomach and then up to his chest. Her tail flicked around and caressed his manhood as she stood over him. The kobold tilted her head to allow the human to play with her forked tongue. Akava held her breath when the two kissed passionately. He grabbed her hips and guided her onto his cock. It slid slowly into her cloaca. She broke the kiss and mewled out to the ceiling in pleasure. “Yes!"

The human looked quite pleased as well. Throwing his head back. But he never let the kobold go. He caressed her carefully. Appreciating every green scale on her small body. She was shaking, impaled on his rigid body. Either from stimulation or anticipation. The human then spun the kobold around to face away from him. She wrapped her tail around his back. Her claws soon found activity as they rested with the human's hands on her hips. His hands were probably the strongest part of his body. Callused and large. The smaller green claws touched them gently. Akava watched as the kobold's eyes rolled to the back of her head, “Yes. Fuck me, hard master. Use me." He manipulated her body on his dick, fucking her hard and fast.

Akava's maw hung open as the kobold's abdomen bulged slightly every time he pushed down. The kobold wasn't making words at this point, just moaning sounds. “Mmmmng… ghsh… mmm!" The kobold's forked tongue refused to stay inside her mouth. She was fucked like an object, Akava thought the little kobold was going to die, but her tail wrapped around the human's stomach giving a loving caress.

The smell of kobold arousal was hard to ignore. Akava couldn't smell the human in the room at all. She didn't even know some humans wanted to have these kinds of relations with kobolds. But it unfolded in front of her own eyes. And the sounds. The wet slapping and moaning echoed even in the large chamber on the other side of the door.

Akava's sex ached for attention as the kobold experienced the pure bliss of orgasm, one after another. An incessant itch that begged to be scratched. She imagined what it would be like if she replaced the kobold. Not caring that he was a human. She was desperate for that level of care and attention. Then the human pulled the kobold's head back and kissed her scaly neck just as he finished inside. Cum leaked out of her vent as he thrust one final time inside. The dragonborn let out a small sympathetic moan as the kobold's legs flexed in a final climax. The kobold's talons clenched as her body seized the flow of pleasure.

The human hung onto the embrace and then kissed the tip of her muzzle. Their chests heaved heavily with each breath. The other kobolds seemed to be finishing up as well, leaving only the dragonborn on the other side of the door unfulfilled. Akava let out a huff of frustration as the orgy finished. She tore her vision away from the crack of the door as the occupants returned to their cuddle pile. She cleared her mind and tried to ignore the trace of moisture on her underwear bound inside her armor.

Her mind kept repeating the scene that played before her as she continued down the hallway. Only to slowly fade as she opened unexplored doors. Much to her displeasure, every new door she tried was unlocked and contained nothing new. Art supplies, more sculpture, and materials for new sculptures. She grew annoyed. Then with a stroke of luck when she found the first locked door in the entire damn tower. It was an older wooden door with rusted iron bands for support. A wide toothy smile spread on her muzzle as she pulled out her lockpick to gain entry.

The lock was equally ancient. Several of the pins were quite sticky. The dragonborn was tempted to just breathe acid and dissolve the ancient lock until there was a click of success. The lock sang with her tools. After the final pin was locked into place, the door creaked open.

Stagnant air stung her sensitive nose. Each step she took introduced a new cloud of dust to be displaced. The room was pitch black. Akava sighed and pulled one of the candles from the main hallway. The candle seemed to be enchanted with longevity as there was no melted wax dripping on her claws.

It was a book room. The thief slumped her shoulders in disbelief. Hopes of valuable artifacts or an armory shattered in her mind. She pulled some of the books out and inspected them. They were written in draconic. Her illiteracy of draconic caused her to have a fit of rage. With a growl of anger, she slammed the book back onto the shelf and slapped the books off the shelf. The books retaliated by causing more dust from the old floor to be knocked into the air.

After a minute of coughing, she has had it with this miserable tower. She pushed the bookshelf toppling it to the floor. She stomped on a few books to relieve some of her frustration. With a grunt, she was about to toss the candle at the defenseless pages scattered about her. Then she spotted something in the settling dust. A stand on the opposite side where the bookshelf was toppled. In a large display case as big as her with a very big book, it would take two hands to turn the pages. This book seemed to be important as it had its display case.

A dragon embossed in gold leaf was centered on the cover. Expensive and exquisite. She carefully removed the glass box and took the book. She won't be leaving here without some kind of treasure. As she moved the book, she felt a strange air below her. The scent of salt wafted.

She looked around determined to find the origin of this scent and discovered the dust that hung in the air moved away from the base of the display. The dragonborn smiled smugly to herself. With a shove, it slid out of the way revealing a hidden staircase.

The secret passage descended into more unknown parts of the tower. The walls shrank around her the further she went. Her expert directional skills placed herself below the tower as the walls were more natural and cave-like. A tiny salt cave. Very small, she nearly hit her head on the ceiling a few times. When she arrived at the bottom of the staircase she entered a small room. The floor was coated in grainy salt. On the walls were more wizard shit. Reagents and crafting material lined bookshelves. She shook her head and checked the vials for anything that could be considered valuable. Bat wings, preserved butterfly cocoons, small onyx stones of little value, and various vials of liquid she dared to not touch. Just another workshop.

The candlelight flicked the light back into her eyes through the dust and salt. There were tiny gold shavings on the floor. She was pleased to find a small jeweler's station with boxes filled with bangles of gold. The boxes were marked with sizes. Her tail lashed out giddily wondering if she should keep a pair for herself or sell all the rings. The boxes disappeared one by one in her pack. Once she finished looting the gold she glanced over to the workstation a final time. A Small cloth was covering a work in progress. She moved it out of the way to pocket the final gold ring but was shocked to find the crown she sought.

The jewel in the crown looked nothing like the picture. It appeared to be a silver sphere dyed with blood rather than a crystal. The crown itself had seen better days. Chips of gold and broken tools lay next to the crown. Someone was trying to pry the gem out. Much to the jeweler's frustration, the crown gave quite a bit of fight back. The dragonborn worried about the condition and if it was still worth the original price that had been claimed. With one step forward she touched the crown ready to add it to her loot sack.

Time stopped, something sizzled as she stepped forward. She looked down and saw she had stepped onto a rune that was hidden under a layer of salt and metal shavings. Then she screamed as her body felt like it was being burned by a dragon's fire. She vanished with a puff of smoke.

“Theif!"

“Call the guards!"

An ear-shattering ring and kobold cries sounded off to her as she lay on a stone floor. She stepped into a teleportation trap. She groaned in pain as the transportation was rough. Her senses slowly returned as she got to her legs. With a few blinks, she realized she was in the center of the master's chamber. The kobolds scattered peering over the large pillowy bed, curtains, and behind the naked human. The look on his face was puzzling. He was examining her from afar like a painter overlooking a scenic vista.

Two kobolds picked up short swords from the pile of discarded belongings and stepped between the human and the dragonborn. “Surrender or die, intruder!" One kobold shouted with barred teeth. The dragonborn regained her composure and pulled out her daggers to defend herself. Her show of teeth wasn't as confident. She backed herself toward the large door when the human asked a question.

“There's no blood on your daggers. Did you hurt anyone when you entered here?" His voice threw her off. It held the candor of a concerned parent for a misbehaving child.

"No. I didn't lay a claw on anyone." Akava's voice was dry and raspy. She swallowed reflexively ready to spring and run away at any signs of trouble.

The man relaxed into the pillowy bed. "Good, good. How about you, were you hurt in the teleportation?"

Her head was still ringing from the spell, but she was too terrified to check the rest of her body. She didn't move, like a deer stalked by a mountain lion.

“That's also good. What is your name?"

She had no reason to answer this question. But her mouth spouted off, “Akava" quickly.

The human gestured toward the kobold guards, “It's alright, we won't hurt you." The two kobolds lowered their weapons and backed away slowly. The rest of the kobolds slowly peaked up around the bed and stood in the corner to get a better view of the intruder. Akava returned the favor by lowering her weapons. The human tilted his head waiting for her to continue but she didn't have anything to add. “No clan name?" he asked puzzled.

Akava was confused by this question. She looked around grasping for an answer but all she got back were some looks of pity from the kobolds. The naked human got up from the scaly bed causing her to jump a little with daggers clenched tight.

“What did you steal Akava?"

Her mind raced. But she was caught. “A tome, horn rings…"

“And?"

“That's all..."

“Please set the stolen goods next to the door. They're gifts for kobolds that come of age. If you do so, I will see that no harm comes to you."

Akava was confused, should she be insulted or terrified? The way she was spoken to was like she was a child rather than a rogue caught in the act. She set the stolen property aside. Even if it's just a naked man's word she didn't want to be run through by swords, or worse.

“Do you know what you were trying to steal before you got teleported here?"

She shook her head. The Middlemen don't give out those details, at least not anymore. Rogues would often take an artifact and use it themselves. Usually, end up destroying the artifact or killing themselves.

The human continued to question while stepping toward the dragonborn. His naked feet let out light slaps on the stone floor. "How much were they going to pay you if you got the artifact?"

"10,000 gold." She felt like she was being manipulated to answer these questions. She looked around for sigils or runes but couldn't find anything. She swallowed unable to find any enchantments.

"Hmm, interesting. That's about half what the last one said." Akava scowled that she was going to be cheated again. The human softened the blow to her with praise. “You're quite skilled, the others snuck in during the day pretending to be nobles. But they refused to tell me who sent them. Will you break that trend?"

“What did you do to them?" Akava asked. Not worried about her predecessors but her safety.

“I had them killed. They injured one of my guards and two of my precious dragonkin."

She swallowed hard. She would be banished from the guild if she said the name of her employer. Not only that, but they would also stop it nothing to come after her. Countless years of hard work got her into the guild despite the prejudices. She tightened her jaw trying to fight whatever was possessing her. Then she relaxed, she was dead no matter what. They were going to stiff her with half the true bounty for the artifact. This strange human and his cohort of kobolds would probably kill her if she didn't answer.

“I got the job from the Middlemen in Ten Pennies." As she uttered those words she felt a cold, she might as well be dead. Tears pooled in the corners of her eyes. It wasn't a great life, but it was her life. There was some sympathy from the crowd of kobolds. One was about to step forward, but they were stopped by the guard.

The human smiled wildly. “Thank you, dear." He whispered to one of his kobold concubines and she giggled running past the dragonborn. Her talons clicked with every happy step. “A thorn in my side will now be removed."

He continued to step closer and she reflexively pulled the daggers up to defend herself. There was an audible gasp from the observers. Then a deep voice bellowed out that weakened Akava's grip causing the daggers to clink to the floor.

“No violence in master's bedroom dragonborn." The scaly bed shifted, and a dragon's head arched back to face the rogue. The bed was a breathing body of a copper dragon. The scent of sulfur doubled as the dragon spoke. Akava's heart pounded wanting to flee and scream but she was paralyzed. The dragon's twin horns were massive pointing back. Like new copper melted together and polished to a brilliant shine. The dragon's copper eyes blazed like beacons when they turned on the dark-scaled intruder. The human stepped closer with an open hand.

"Join me for a moment. No harm shall come to you."

He led her to a passageway in the back. The dragon traced Akava's movements as she followed the naked man. Akava couldn't take her eyes off the dragon as she was led into a tiny room. She never laid her eyes on a dragon before. One that was alive at least. Lots of trophies and armor made from dragon scales. There was a chorus of giggling kobolds as the door was closed behind her.

The room was intimate. A small study with a bookshelf with some vials and tomes along with a writing station and a strange chair. The chair had a strange slope in the back, it seemed to be built with tailed creatures in mind. The human brushed off the chair and offered her seat in the center of the room. “Let's get a good look at you."

Akava took a seat. It was quite comfortable as her tail draped through the hole and rested on the divot. She was quickly thinking of plans to escape but concluded that even if she wounded him or ran away the dragon and countless kobolds would kill her. Not that she had a life to return to, no doubt the Middlemen would kill her when they found out she spoke about them. No secrets got by the organization.

The human stepped uncomfortably close to the dragonborn. In his hand, he held the magnifying glass and started to look over my head and eyes. “Mind if I touch you?" She preferred to not be touched but she wasn't in a position to disagree. She gave a slow steady nod and watched his hands carefully. He started with her muzzle and then worked his way to her horns. His warm fingers danced across her head. His masculine hands were rough up close. Callused and strong, she closed her eyes as he pressed into her face. he massaged her scaly face and then caressed her horns. The uncomfortable feeling of her horns being touched caused her to wince.

“How old are you?"

“22."

“Interesting. And you were raised by humans?"

Akava stared through the man. It was a touchy subject. Being kicked when she was a hatchling by the headmaster in the orphanage was her earliest memory of human hospitality. She ran away as soon as she could bite and scratch on her own. She lived on the streets ever since. The human realized she was lost in thought and snapped his fingers in front of her.

“Are you okay?"

She shook the bad memories away. The room was clear in her eyes. “No, I raised myself." No hand-outs, no lucky breaks, just her claws, and prowess. Every skill she had was learned from trial and error.

The man wasn't impressed. The corners of his eyes sagged in a saddened state. “You had a hard life." He pulled his hand away and in his palms was a handful of loose scales. They were grey in his palm and transparent on the edges. “Can you remove your clothing for me, dear? I need to look at the rest of you."

She swallowed hesitating on the spot. She shook a little in the chair as thoughts of the half-orc and several others asked her the same thing. The human stepped back, and the full scope of his nudity sank into the rogue. “I don't want to."

“I need to take a better look at you. Your scales are a mess and I'm afraid you will need treatment for scale legions." There was soft, genuine concern for the well-being of the dragonborn in front of him. She huffed out a puff of air from her nostrils and started to unbuckle her leather armor.

Piece by piece it fell next to her talons. The belts were buckled tightly to her to prevent unnecessary noise, but as a tradeoff, they pinched at her back and hips. Once the belts were unlatched the irritation ceased. She was in her underwear. A small cloth was wrapped around her chest. A purposeless flair for the dragonborn. She just wore what the other females wore. She had a bit of a feminine figure for human standards but no chest to show off. On her wide waist was a strap of cloth that entwined her legs and wrapped around the base of her tail.

The human looked her up and down in disbelief. “It's a shame you wear that armor, your scales would be so lovely if they weren't confined from the sunlight."

“I had no choices," Akava said irritated. “Why do you care so much about it anyway?"

“Because… in a way I'm at fault."

Akava squinted skeptically. “What do you mean?"

He sighed and grabbed a bottle from the shelf and proceeded to coat his hands with a lemon-scented oil. “It doesn't matter. They are all dead in the past. The only thing we can do is move forward-"

“Please don't monolog to me. I'm already stripped to my shame. I don't need history lessons about dead men."

The man snapped back, “And I don't like taking orders from a thief that tried to steal from me." It was the closest thing she heard to anger in his voice. He cleared his throat and returned to the soft-spoken speech he originally greeted her with. “A thief that wears too much tight armor that's causing massive scale legions. Now let me treat you and then we can come up with a punishment for you."

The dragonborn recoiled. “Punishment!?"