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*Tricks Or Treats *

By Finathon

For Revakulgr

Halloween was finally here. Revakulgr was quite fond of all the holidays, but there was something about Halloween that always made him feel particularly happy. It was the only holiday that had a core focus on the kids and giving them the chance to have fun collecting candy or playing tricks on those who refused to play along. Sure, they had Christmas, but that was more of a whole family affair. This was the one night of the year when the naughty and nice list didn’t matter, and they were allowed to be truly mischievous. They were the masters of the streets, and the world feared them from dusk until dawn.

Of course, the decorations were quite charming and added to the appeal of the holiday. The entire street went all-out for the occasion, and the dragon often found himself spending the evenings leading up to the holiday going on long walks so he could take his time admiring them all and trying to spot new additions to each front yard. The scenes often remained the same, with giant skeletons that towered over the doors and rows of pumpkins carved to look like terrifying faces to frighten children and evil spirits. But this year, there were also massive spiders hanging in front of the houses as though they were about to pounce on visitors.

The pumpkins felt larger and more clustered this year, but not in a way that cluttered the yards and entrances. They had been carved with such care, each of them possessing an individual expression as they were surrounded by hanging ghosts and spectres that came to life once the sun went down. They were filled with candles to help light the way in the evenings, and Revakulgr always felt a little sad when some of them began to rot and sag earlier than expected, and they had to be replaced with new pumpkins. He wondered if they ever felt disappointed that they didn’t even live long enough to serve their purpose.

It reminded him of the old days - centuries ago when the world was younger, and civilization still felt so new. He remembered how Halloween used to be before it became so commercialized, and children hunted for candy instead of hiding from devils. The pumpkins were his sole connection to those times, and even then, the traditional jack-o-lantern of his time was a carved turnip. In many ways, they were far more terrifying than the modern alternative, but he supposed turnip carving felt less appealing to an industry that was all about selling the holiday instead of celebrating the traditions that made it a reality.

Samhain was his new year, or at least it used to be before the world shifted and traditions changed as they so often did for humans. It was the best celebration of the year, mostly because it gave him the opportunity to terrorise and consume humans with no consequences as they hid from hellish creatures. Dragons roamed the skies freely throughout the year, but Samhain was when they got to walk among the shadows and prey on those trying to hide away or ward them off to protect their villages. They set mighty fires and used their ancient magic to make it an even more terrifying event.

The carved turnips were supposed to be there to ward off evil and keep the spirits and demons at bay. They understood human traditions well, and many of the dragons would respect the sanctity of the homes that had the carvings outside of them. Every year, they continued to be amazed by how intricate the carvings were and how hard they worked to make them as terrifying as possible. For what it was worth, they usually worked, and the dragons would watch as various demons and spirits shrieked and fled when they encountered the turnips. Revakulgr couldn’t say the same for the modern alternative.

Yes, the pumpkins had the potential to be frightening, and it helped that the guts could be used to make his favorite pie of all time, but they had become less about fear and more about creativity. Revakulgr was impressed by many of the carefully carved images he saw in the pumpkins - the silhouettes of arched cats, the swarms of bats as they gathered around their vampiric master, and the lone wolf howling at the moon. It was nice to see such an abundance of creativity in the world, but there were times he missed the old days when people were truly afraid of what Halloween stood for.

“Hmm.” He thought to himself quietly. The idea of pumpkin pie had him hungry for his favorite dessert and he wondered if any of the neighbors had some to spare. Usually, the older woman at the end of the road had a whole selection of seasonal baked goods that made him feel warm and happy. She didn’t have anyone left to bake for on account of her husband’s passing some years ago, so she adopted the rest of the street as her new family. There wasn’t much for her to do during the day, so she spent her time baking everything from delicious loaves of bread and fresh rolls to pies, pastries, and French delights like pain au chocolat.

She knew how much he loved pumpkin pie, which meant she was almost guaranteed to have one waiting for him. After all, it was the most important night of the year and the entire street was relying on him to keep their children safe and sound. He couldn’t help but laugh to himself at the thought, and it never became less funny each Halloween. It wasn’t that long ago that he was terrorizing the town and gobbling up children who dared to leave their homes after the moon rose from her hiding place. He was feared and seen as a cautionary tale as to why it was important to stay safe during the hallowed time.

Revakulgr had lost count of the number of people he had eaten on Halloween, and it was probably his favorite annual tradition. But he didn’t swallow bad children or idly pick whoever was out after dark anymore. Instead, he had received a promotion that allowed him to have his fill on the scariest night of the year while also being able to enjoy an active and loving community. As the human race progressed and their world became smaller, dragons had to adapt if they wanted to survive and be accepted by society. Many of them had refused or seen it as too difficult and fallen victim to the wrath of humans, but Revakulgr was different.

Dragons were notorious for being stuck in their ways, stubborn and proud creatures who refused change at every possible turn. But Revakulgr had always had something they didn’t - the willingness and capability to adapt. He was a chameleon of culture and society, and he had been quick to blend in with humans as soon as he realised that the reign of his species was coming to an end. As soon as they started to conquer the skies, he felt the fall of their empire and knew it was a matter of time before they would be forced into something different. He was ahead of the curve, and it was what made him an excellent survivor.

The community had taken him in decades ago, and so long as he protected them from criminals and interlopers, he was allowed to stay without issue. He had been loved and revered for generations, and he had his fill of burglars and troublemakers on a regular basis. But Halloween was his favorite. It was strange to him that no one had learned not to target this particular neighborhood after how many people had gone missing, but he tried not to question it. Every year, plenty of people would sneak around trying to ruin Halloween for the children or play tricks that were nasty or borderline dangerous, and Revakulgr would put a stop to it.

While his main focus was making sure the holiday was good for the kids, it was for the other residents on his street as well. It was for the older woman who had been through enough in her life and didn’t need more stress. It was for the single father four doors down who was struggling to get by and did his best to make Halloween better for his son and daughter every year despite being on the edge of poverty. He did it for the community that had taken him and loved him for so many years. It wasn’t something he wanted to lose, even if he liked to play his cards close to his chest. But he knew they knew how he felt about them and how loyal he was to them all.

“Getting ready for your rounds tonight?” The older woman smiled as he passed her front yard.

“I am.” He smiled. “Your display looks resplendent this year.”

“Thank you. I got some help from the new couple who moved in last week. Mark and Jake, if I remember correctly. It’s good to have some strong young men around - lord knows I’ve needed the help lately, and you don’t quite fit in my house.” She chuckled.

“That’s true.” He joined in with her laughter. “I’m glad you got some help. I often worry about you when I’m walking past, it’s why I always try to stop and say hello.”

“Well, I’m glad you did today.” She said cheerfully. “I made you a pumpkin pie, and not one of the small, human-sized ones I usually have for you.”

“Oh? Mabel, you have truly piqued my interest.” He purred.

“If you’re careful through the yard, you’ll see it cooling on the front porch for you.” He peered over her, his eyes widening and his jaws salivating at the sight of the massive, dragon-sized pumpkin pie that was waiting for him. It was perfection, and he could just imagine how delightful it would taste with lashings of whipped cream all over the top. It would be the perfect reward for his hard work tonight. “I slaved over that all morning.” She beamed proudly. “Make sure you take it with you now. We all know you’re going to do a great job tonight, and we wish we could do more to thank you.”

“I don’t know what to say.”

“You don’t need to say anything.” She reached out and placed her hand on his neck. “Even when I was just a wee one, you were here to protect us, and you kept this neighborhood safe. I might be one of the last to remember you from so long ago, but no one will ever forget it. You mean everything to us, Revakulgr. You’re worth a lifetime of giant pumpkin pies.”

“I am eternally thankful to have found my home with all of you.” He said softly. The dragon lowered his head and nuzzled her with his snout before picking his way through the yard and carefully collecting the pie in his massive front paws.

His heart was filled with warmth as he walked back to his home right on the edge of the neighborhood. Human houses were too small for him to live in comfortably, and he needed his hoard to survive, so he had to learn to adapt. His house looked like any other from the outside, with the exception that the front doors were more like those you would find on a barn. On the inside, it had been hollowed out and led to a series of chambers and hallways that he had constructed underground to make his home. It was there that he kept his hoard of books and treasures, and he had enough space to live and sleep freely.

It wasn’t quite the same as living in the mountains and feeling the cool air bristle through his scales every morning, but it was worth it for the family and community he had acquired. When his species had fallen, he had lost his connection with so many of his flight, and it had left him feeling lonely and deeply sad. Dragons weren’t supposed to be alone, not forever, and while they might often spend time in isolation, they always knew where their flight was and how to reach them. His bond had been broken, and so many of them were dead that it was hard to tell if any of his kin were even out there anymore. As far as he knew, he was the last one.

He had heard similar tales from other dragons he had come across, each of which had lost their flight and learned to adapt to the new world order. Revakulgr shook the thoughts from his head; tonight wasn’t the time to dwell on such things, and he had stuff to do. He put the pie down next to the buckets of candy he had for later and stretched his limbs before preparing to head back out. By now, the sun would be setting, and the kids would be getting ready to go out and look for candy, which was his cue to get out there and start his patrol. The youngest children were always the easiest targets, and he wasn’t going to let anything happen.

Halloween had the ability to bring out the best and worst in people, and it was the latter that Revakulgr was sniffing out. He could see the littlest ones scurrying from their homes so they could be the first in line to get some candy, and he smiled as he watched them race to his house first. Everyone knew the dragon had the full-size candy bars on offer, and he had enough that everyone got at least two. It helped that all the kids were secretly a little bit afraid of the fact he might decide to eat them if they were greedy and didn’t leave enough for the other kids who lived there or the ones visiting from other streets and neighborhoods.

The dragon slunk through the shadows, creeping between the houses and keeping his eye on the world from the ground and the sky. It seemed like a fairly quiet night in the grand scheme of things, and he remembered that last year, there were punks who had tried to play nasty tricks on the kids before the sun had even started to set. This year seemed more peaceful, and he was thankful for that. Well, part of him was. His stomach growled in angry protest, waiting to be fed as he kept scanning for a troublemaker who might be able to fill him up. He huffed to himself, almost disappointed that no one had tried to cause problems yet.

But it wasn’t long before his dreams became reality, and he caught a group of youths skulking nearby with a bag of tricks between them. He could see the carton of eggs in their hands, the clumps of feathers they had prepared, and the glue and toilet paper that they were chuckling over. These weren’t teenagers either; they were grown men who were hellbent on causing problems in a quiet neighborhood and just wanted the freedom of peaceful trick-or-treating. There were five of them in total, and the dragon grinned as he swooped down to meet them so he could put a stop to their antics.

“Gentleman.” He purred as he landed behind them, cornering them against the building with his impressive wings. “Might I ask what you’re doing here with that little bag and those eggs?” All he got in response was terrified eyes and silent screams as each of them tried to process what they were seeing. This was probably his favorite part, and he looked on with an amused smile as they dropped the bag, and their hands trembled in fear. “What’s wrong? Cat got your tongue? You weren’t planning on using that nasty bag of tricks to terrorize the good people on this street, were you? That wouldn’t be very nice.”

He got a series of shaking heads in response, each of them praying that he believed them even though it was clear they were lying through fear. They backed up further against the wall as if it might magically turn to liquid and allow them to pass through to safety. But there would be no miracle for these men, and Revakulgr brought his wings in closer to make them feel even more trapped as he tried to decide which one he wanted first. The middle one was quite plump, deliciously so, and he immediately knew he wanted to save that one for last. The others were varying sizes, bordering on skinny or slightly chubby, and each of them looked tasty.

The dragon lifted one of his front legs, trapping two men against the wall with his thick, powerful claws as the other four tried to flee but were prevented from getting away by the wall constructed from his wings. One attempted to slip through his legs and under his plump, purple belly, but the black dragon simply laughed and dragged him out with one of the claws from his other front paw. Their attempts were futile, but that didn’t make them any less entertaining. This was his treat every year, and where most humans enjoyed candy and chocolate on Halloween, he got to delight in a delicious troublemaker whenever they made themselves known.

Revakulgr chuckled triumphantly as he stretched open his wide jaws, rolling his tongue from between his sharp teeth so that he could place the escapee he had hooked onto it. He rolled him around playfully, delighting in the salty taste of the sweat dripping from his body as he struggled to break free from his closing mouth. He used his tongue to push the man further inside, teasing him with the prospect of slipping down his throat and down into his stomach. He could feel his fear as he continued to fight, and the dragon smiled to himself. He did love the feisty ones - they always brought a little more spice to the meal.

He knew it was greedy, but he quite fancied swallowing three at once, so he grabbed two of the men who hadn’t been restrained by his intimidating claws and hooked them up before tossing them into his gaping maw alongside their friend. He could feel how much they wanted to cry out, but he had stolen their voices, and only air managed to escape their lips. He could feel them being jostled around together, their sweat and fluids mixing to create a spicy and eclectic flavor profile that left him feeling genuine excitement over his meal. They were absolutely delicious, and he could hear them choking on his saliva as his mouth filled.

The dragon hadn’t expected them to be quite so tasty, and he found it hard to push them down his throat as he continued to enjoy the flavors they were producing. Slowly, he swallowed them together, feeling his esophagus expand in the most pleasurable way as it was forced to stretch to accommodate the first course of his meal. They didn’t go down without a fight, and he could feel them punching and pushing against him as he allowed them to linger in his throat before making the final push. It would have hurt a little if it didn’t feel so good, and they plopped into his stomach effortlessly as he swallowed one last time.

He could feel the fear from the others as they watched the three men push against his stomach, his black scales shimmering in the dimming sunlight as they tried to break free. He loved the way they felt as they ran around inside him, and their desperation only made him hungrier. He was eager to add more fuel to the fire, and the more footsteps running around in his belly, the better. Revakulgr scooped up the two men he was holding in his claws, keeping them wrapped tightly in his fist as he squeezed the air from their lungs and felt them wriggle helplessly in his grasp. He left the plump one to stand there trembling, stewing in his own juices.

There was no time to spare, and Revakulgr lifted his head to the sky and opened his jaws dramatically before tossing the two men up into the air with such flair and expertise that it rivalled even the greatest TV chefs in the modern world. He smirked smugly at how it must have looked to the remaining man as his two friends crashed into his mouth and were engulfed by the great black void that was waiting for them. They landed on his tongue, slipping and rolling across the rough surface as his tastebuds came to life and began to run over every inch of the visitors to determine how they tasted.

One was decidedly sweet compared to the others, and the dragon was certain he could detect a hint of pleasure and arousal as he was tossed around like a ragdoll. The idea amused him, but the flavor worked perfectly with his salty companion to create a combination he rarely got to experience. He wrapped his tongue around them, unable to resist sucking on them a little as he allowed their taste to linger on his tongue for as long as possible. They didn’t struggle as much, likely due to the shock, and the dragon didn’t spend as much time on them before he swallowed them down his stretching throat, and they joined their friends.

When they reached his stomach, they woke up a little and joined their friends in hurriedly attempting to escape before they were digested. He took that time to pick up the last of them, the plump man who was so covered in sweat and terror that he tasted just like a tender gammon ham served on Christmas. He was so succulent and juicy that Revakulgr could feel the jaw pouring from his jaws and onto the ground, which formed a large puddle. He couldn’t get over the intensity of the taste, and it was hard to keep from chewing him up just to get more out of him before he was swallowed.

But he was strong, and he closed his eyes as he sucked on the final man a little more, extracting the last of his delicious, meaty juices before swallowing him whole just as he had with the others. He almost regretted the action as his tastebuds rippled and protested at the loss of the most delicious thing they’d had in a while, and he made a note to try and look out for particularly plump interlopers on his next patrol that evening. For now, his belly was full, and he wanted to cherish the time he had with them while they exhausted the last of their strength and the digestive powers of his stomach became stronger.

Revakulgr settled outside of his home, his purple belly swollen as he surrounded himself with carved pumpkins that the locals had made for his front lawn. He cradled a giant cauldron of full-size candy bars in his front paws, happily giving out sweet treats to the children and teenagers who came to visit. He would go on patrol again a little later, but this was the best part of his night - giving out treats to the community he loved while he slowly digested those who dared to try and disturb the peace. Halloween might be a spooky time for most, but it was truly horrifying for those who intended harm against the dragon’s loved ones.