FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

In a world where the nature of life seems intrinsically random, a single choice can have a drastic effect on following events. Some of those choices may just end up saving your life, or perhaps end up sealing your fate. The choice is yours…

~~~

The hike had been kind to you up to this point. The afternoon sun cast golden streaks through the holes in the dense foliage canopy above, occasionally warming your face as you crossed paths with the beams. The surrounding environment also exerted a sense of peacefulness, with the only sounds being your footfalls, the song of distant birds, and the wind rustling between the tree leaves. Even the smell of the forest itself was present, a combination of leaves, pine, damp earth, flowers and wood all meshing together in a woven tapestry, exuding the essence of the American summer months.

You felt you could stay out here forever if able, still, the trailhead that marked your turn back to civilization neared, and you didn’t pack anything besides yourself and your phone. You felt there was no reason to overstay your visit, so you trekked onward.

The relatively straight path continued alongside the mountain ridge before the sign for the trailhead appeared. Upon reaching the sign, the dirt-laden ground transitioned to be more so consisting of trampled grass and haphazardly placed patches of dirt, suggesting that this trail was significantly less traveled. The sign above you read “Bote Trail – 2.3 miles.”

Curiously, another sign sat along the height of the pole, it mentioned something much more unexpected, reading, “This is a protected habitat! Beware of invasive dragons and please do not interfere with Rangers or their traps. Most importantly, do not approach tagged dragons!”

You remembered hearing about this particular thing a while back. Supposedly dragons were not native to this forest, and they had started to integrate themselves into the ecosystem. As a result, dragon poaching became a career for some. Certain Rangers simply relocated the creatures to their homelands, while others took an alternate route. Dragon ivory was a hot seller on the market, and their teeth, claws, and scales were now common staples of exotic jewelry and clothing attire. This often led to the dragon losing their life, if they were not already killed outright. If a dragon was to be used in the market, it would be tagged.

Perhaps the caution of dragons was the reason the trail looked to be less traveled.

A scowl crossed your features after you considered that information for a bit. The trail back was over eight miles, the very same eight miles you had spent all day hiking. The time you had reserved for yourself meant you needed to proceed down Bote Trail, even if it ran the risk of running into unexpected company. You stalled no longer, taking Bote Trail back down to the base of the glorified hill.

This trail was different from the prior one due to the fact you descended much quicker. This wasn’t much of a surprise; however, this trail had to cover the same altitude in 2.3 miles that the previous trail did in 8. It would sharply decline at times before leveling out to a longer flat expanse as opposed to the gradual slope from earlier. This pattern repeated for a bit until, while traversing a flat section, you heard a curious noise emanating from somewhere off the trail.

It sounded like a cross between a wail and a screech, kind of like the cry of a deer.

The sound made you pause momentarily to assess your surroundings. Nothing of note stood out, and the noise just as quickly subsided into the ambiance of the forest, so you kept moving. You finished traversing the flat portion of the trail before nearing a sharp turnaround that hinted at another region of downward slope. You kept a cautious eye out for rough terrain as you began to turn.

As you did, the same cry from earlier cut through the air, this time much sharper, suggesting it to be closer. With your curiosity piqued, you scanned your surroundings once more, this time with a much keener sense for detail. Nothing stood out along the trail ahead, nothing obviously from behind. You stepped perhaps a few feet from the treadway as you looked through the vegetation.

The ground quickly fell out from under itself into a flat basin shrouded in thick underbrush. From your ascended perspective you could see the source of the noise.

A giant mass of azure scales stuck out amongst the various grasses and ferns. The blue form snaked its way from an oversized head, down its long neck into its lithe body before terminating as its slender tail that thinned to a point. It was mostly unmoving save for the subtle rise and fall of its chest, and it looked to lack wings. Most curiously, however, was a silver contraption circling the curve of its neck like a collar, and a yellow ribbon that started from its shoulder before falling along the ground.

It was a drake… a tagged drake at that. You remembered what the sign had said about staying away from tagged dragons, a drake in this case.

The drake looked barely able to move both from the collar and from exhaustion as its eyes remained shut. The ground by its legs had been noticeably dug up, suggesting an intense struggle. Whatever the case, this drake was clearly clinging on to its life by a thin margin. You figured it wouldn’t be long before the drake succumbed to its exhaustion, or at the hands of the Rangers.

You silently wondered to yourself if the drake was smart enough to know it had been marked for death, it certainly looked like it had given up.

You decided in that moment that you wouldn’t let the Rangers get the chance to exploit it, or worse, kill it. You scanned the walls of the basin looking for a safe way down.

You found a steep slope that you could use to slide down into the basin. Using caution to not accidentally slip or prematurely fall, you paced around the lip of the basin. When reaching the area of slope that seemed the most safe, you seated yourself and slid down. The fall was only about ten feet, and your landing was graceful, the drake lay in front of you about twenty feet out of reach.

Taking deliberate care in your footfalls, you quietly paced around the drake; it remained asleep as far as you could tell, breathing softly as you neared.

Upon rounding the curve of its neck, the silver collar came back into view. After a brief glance you noticed the collar itself dug into the ground, effectively anchoring the drake to the ground. Worse still were the scales of the drake where the collar lay. They were heavily damaged with some completely sheared off exposing the bruised skin underneath. Looking over to the ribbon, you traced its length to its ends. Embedded in the drake’s shoulder was a tranquillizer dart, a small trail of crimson streaked down its scales from the point of entry, and at the end of the ribbon that fell to the ground read, ‘Market Extraction, Terminate’.

You frowned; it was marked to be killed, and for it to be harvested of its components.

So, they lure it to a pre-dug anchor, tranq it, then anchor it using the collar so it can’t escape. From there, just wait for the dragon to die, then extract it. The thought angered you.

You walked the length of the neck before circling around its head.

The drake had two prominent swept-back horns just passed its ears, and a single, smaller horn placed just above its nose. Its nostrils flared and its mouth partially lolled open as it breathed in its painful gasps. The size of its head alone was longer than you were tall, leaving you slightly hesitant about your choice. It’s the right thing to do. You assured yourself.

You stepped forward between its forelimbs and neck, careful not to prematurely disturb it, you spotted a combination lock where the collar and anchor connected. Moving very slowly, you reached a hand out toward its shoulder where the tranquilizer was embedded. Using extreme care, you grabbed it and pulled straight out.

Immediately as you did, the drake’s tail swirled into the air off to your right. You froze before turning left where you met its gaze for the first time. The beast had blue-in-blue eyes that were shaded just a tick lighter than its scales. Its vertical slit pupils dilated as its eyes narrowed.

Crap…

It shoulder checked you, forcing you to the ground alongside the dart that you had yanked free. The drake snarled seemingly in pain, and you scooted away to relative safety.

The drake began to try to stand, but the anchor did its job of keeping it down. Its large skull ran into the collar causing the ground to shake and the metal to clank off itself.

“Woah, woah! Relax!” You rhetorically called out to the drake. The drake thrashed out a few more seconds before tiring once more. It eyed you, malice in its eyes as you stayed out of the drake’s reach.

You waited a few seconds before making any other move, instead utilizing the time to study the tranquilizer dart. It was clearly heavy duty and made for taking down large anuimals due to the fact that “dart” itself was about the size of a soda can. You eyed the smaller writing on the ribbon where it connected to the dart. It read, ‘Manual Release Combination: 4761’. You let the dart drop to the ground.

The next step was clear. Release the collar.

You looked back up; the drake still kept its eyes locked onto yours. Its mouth was slightly ajar with its lips pulled back as it bared its fangs. The message was clear, don’t come any closer.

You swallowed and steadily took a step towards the anchor. “I’m here to help, let me help.” You said softly. The drake growled in response. The drake looked to be feral, it very likely didn’t understand your intentions. Still, you had already made up your mind, and you were determined to free the drake.

You took another step. Stay Calm. Stay Calm. You whispered to yourself.

The drakes grown softened into a threatening purr as it tried to gauge your intentions. Perhaps just a few feet from the anchor, you reached for the combination. At the sight of your hands reaching for its neck, the drake snarled violently. Its head jerked causing the metal to clank as the pin held together. You were thankful and resentful at the same time that the anchor and collar worked so well.

You pulled back before reaching again. Once more the drake jolted in its place, you had to duck to avoid one of its horns bashing into your head. The problem was clearly your hands. You took off your shirt and draped it over your hands, cutting off the drake’s line of sight. The snarling ceased, and you reached for the keypad on the ground.

With your hands covered, figuring out which button was which proved to be an annoying obstacle. Still, after a second of cloaked finger placement, you entered the number sequence. Immediately there was a small whir as the components activated, followed by the release of the pin that connected the collar to the anchor.

Not even a half second after the drake was released did its leg swipe out from under you. With your back firmly on the ground it placed its overside paw down on your chest, the points of its claws threatening your collarbone. As the rest of its body joined the picture, you noticed its collar had fallen to the ground; it was fully free.

Not so much yourself.

Its head leaned in as you remained under its paw. Its eyes were narrowed, and its fangs bared as it bellowed a clicking noise that made your skin crawl. Its warm breath sifted through your hair, and its nostrils flared as it gathered your scent while it continued to stare at you without an expression you could define.

You began to realize that freeing the drake may now be your undoing. Despite the fear flooding your system, you reached a now uncovered hand towards the drake’s snout, you had to touch it.

Its eyes darted to the side as it watched your hand get nearer. Just before contact, it reeled its head away, clearly uninterested in being touched any further. Its maw parted as it breathed in. You could see the horrors of its fleshy pink maw as it began to descend upon you.

Shit.

It let out a shrieking roar, very quickly you cupped your ears and closed your eyes. The deafening sound had minimal trouble traveling through your hands as hot air and occasional strings of saliva rushed into your face. After a few seconds, the weight on your chest suddenly disappeared. Your ears rang with tinnitus as you opened your eyes only to see a blurry blob of blue escaping deep into the forest.

You laid back taking a deep breath. After holding it for a few more seconds, you let out a relieved and maniacal laugh, it didn’t kill me!

You quickly up righted yourself still shaking slightly from the rush. The drake was fully out of sight, only a few snapped branches remained in its wake. You saw the release pin half stomped into the dirt, as well as your shirt. You put on your shirt before picking up the slender rod, bringing it in close to inspect it.

The rod itself was maybe a foot long and perhaps the diameter of two fingers placed next to each other. It looked to be made of titanium, explaining how well it held up to the drake’s strength. You put it in your pocket as a souvenir, it only stuck out mildly off to the side.

Now to resume the hike.

Upon turning around, you eyed the slope you slid down, without wasting any time you walked over. A problem you hadn’t considered quickly surfaced. You scratched your head as you thought of a way to climb back out of the basin, forgot about that part…

The slope was too steep to climb so you didn’t bother, and there weren’t any branches or anything to grab a hold of. Well… except for one area, but there wasn’t a firm handhold after that to get you over the edge.

The pin!

By jumping up to the branch next to the basin slope, you could use the pin as your own anchor by digging it into the dirt and pulling yourself up the rest of the way. You pulled the pin back out and jumped up to the branch. The branch bent much more than you expected, so before you could get the pin into the dirt, you quickly found yourself back on the ground.

Okay, quicker this time.

You jumped once more, stabbing the dirt wall as you did. The dirt gave way as the pin did its job. Using a bit of extra leverage from the branch, you pushed yourself up and grabbed a hold of the basin ledge. From there you pulled yourself back onto the trail, making sure to not leave the pin behind.

Looks like you do have more uses than trapping drakes!

You gave yourself a short break to regain your stamina from the short arm and back workout before navigating your way back to the trail path. Time to get out of here.

Time seemed to pass in a blur of footfalls and shifting scenery. The path you walked also seemed to naturally transition degrade as it seemed to narrow even more so than it already had, with the splotchy dirt pattern of the trail disappeared entirely. Ferns began to integrate themselves into the path of your footfalls, twigs began to snap under your shoes, and dew-covered leaves brushed against your skin and clothes. You found yourself having to push aside branches in your way and needing to duck under low-hanging limbs.

Time passed even more as you progressed. The ground never returned to dirt, and you became more aware of the forest activity around you. Bugs had been zipping past your ears, and the call of songbirds fluttered throughout the air. The smell of wood and earth was even more present.

For a moment you wondered if you had strayed from the trail itself. You grabbed your phone from your pocket and pulled up the trail map you had saved. Two quick inputs and the trail map was displayed. It certainly looked like you hadn’t done anything drastic, the only problem was you couldn’t tell for sure, and you had no service to pinpoint your location, likely caused by the dense canopy above interfering with any GPS signals.

You put the phone back in your pocket and pushed forwards as best you could. There was still a visible line of trampled underbrush and disturbed vegetation that suggested a path, and you were still descending the mountain, so you thought nothing more of it.

What became an area of concern, however, was that when you rounded the next corner, the grass under your feet went from appearing moderately swept back, to severely trampled. Bark had been stripped from trees on occasion, branches were pushed back at odd angles, and the wildflowers ahead had been visibly crushed.

You realized this must have been the territory of the drake from earlier. Or perhaps its escape route. You dismissed the second thought quickly however, as it ran off in the complete opposite direction as you walked now.

Whatever the case, this portion of the trail clearly suffered at the hands of the drake, and for a moment you second guessed yourself about your decision from earlier. The sight of the tortured forest was unnerving, and the thought of staying on the trail further made your mind stir with anxiousness.

By coincidence as you shot a passing glance, you saw another streak of trampled vegetation which appeared to lead to a small clearing that opened to the sky. Yes! Now was the time to figure out where exactly you were, any signal at all would be of immense help. The underbrush receded and the vegetation grew sparse as you caught a glimpse of the blue sky once more.

A wave of relief washed over you as you stepped back into the warm, familiar embrace of the sunlight. The surroundings were nothing but welcoming as well, a nice overlook of the mountain range was the main feature the clearing provided. You could see the first trail you had hiked from this morning and a small portion of the trail you were on as it disappeared behind the tree line. Looking outwards, you saw the end of the trail that led back to the mountain base.

Based on your position, however, it did look as if you had accidentally led yourself astray from the trail. Time to see just how far, you thought.

Quickly pulling out your phone again, you opened the trail map, instantly noticing the lack of signal. You frowned, luckily though, the opening was large enough for you to walk around somewhat to try and get a signal. You set your sights on a rocky outcrop that rose a few feet into the air.

You quickly climbed atop the formation and held your phone to the sky. After a few seconds you got what you were looking for: A single bar popped up in the upper-right corner of the screen, and a small blip appeared on the trail map that marked your position.

You pulled the phone close to your face and zoomed in on the trail. It did confirm that you were no longer on the trail, but based on your current heading, it would eventually have you join back up with the trail path for a short walk back to base.

Crisis averted it seemed… that was until you were suddenly tackled from the side, leaving your phone to go flying through the air, and having yourself pinned to the ground. You lay on your back with the wind knocked out of you and an imposing curtain of bronze above you. As you caught your breath and your eyes focused, you came to see what was actively holding you still. Another damn dragon.

The dragon was huge, looking to be even bigger than the drake from before, or maybe it was the wings that made the dragon appear more massive. Its scales were a deep brown but somehow marvelously shiny at the same time. It had a relatively short tail but not without unique spines that lined the length of it. It had four legs, each just slightly shorter than your height, but powerful no less, looking to be larger in diameter than your shoulder width. It had a series of heavily armored scales the lined its chest and the underside of its neck. Lastly was its great head, perhaps a dozen or more horns jutted from its skull in a mostly swept-back manner. It had gilded irises that surrounded its vertical-slit pupils.

Just looking into its eyes was enough to make your skin crawl.

“Hello, human.” The dragon purred in a deeply masculine voice.

What!? It can speak! Does this mean the drake could talk?

“H-huh?” Was all you could come up with, still moderately confused.

The dragon sneered, “It would seem that you have found yourself quite far from the trail, no?” The dragon’s lips were partially separated, showing off his sharp teeth.

The hairs on the back of your neck stood, something about the demeanor of the dragon hinted at something more sinister. “I-I was just leaving… alright?”

The dragon frowned and took a step forward, “No I don’t think so. I’ve got you right where I want you.” He flexed his paw around you, the curves of his claws digging into your shoulders slightly. “Do you ever wonder what happens to those who find themselves in my territory?” he asked, almost mockingly.

“N-no.” You replied hesitantly in a mouses voice.

The dragon snickered before taking its nail and brushing it against your cheek. He forced your head to the side before a blood red tongue spilled past its gums, swiping a sultry lick.

You squirmed under its grasp as its nail forced your face to the other side, its tongue making short work of your other cheek, this time starting from the base of your neck up to your cheekbone. You could feel a thin layer of his saliva leave its mark on your skin. Still not yet satisfied, he placed the point of his claw against the underside of your chin forcing you to look up at his great head.

His maw parted, revealing the fleshy cavern in all its glory. Dozens of sharp yet irregularly shaped teeth lined his dark red gums. The spaded tongue from before danced tauntingly between its jaws before giving way to the black pit that marked the entrance to his throat. It quivered in a way that almost made it look eager.

All you could do was whimper as your face flushed both from the heat of his muzzle, but also from fear that began to take control of your thoughts. A few strands of saliva dropped down onto your skin, leaving its slimy trail in its wake as it fell further to the ground. He clacked his jaws abruptly, making you jump between his fingers.

“Now do you know what happens?” He mocked.

The hint was obvious, you’d surely be his dinner if you don’t find a way out. In a pleading voice you said, “L-look, just let me go, please. I’ll leave your territory immediately, I swear.”

The dragon frowned a moment before a deviant smirk found his muzzle, “I’ll tell you what human, it wasn’t exactly fair for you that I snuck up on you without warning. How about I let you make a run for it? Does that sound fair?”

Your eyes narrowed a moment as you tried to gauge the game it was playing. It wanted you to run, that part was obvious. At the same time, you wanted to run. If it’s going to give me a chance, I might as well take it.

“Yes…” You said meekly.

The paw suddenly wrapped around you and lifted you off the ground leaving you both standing and being held upright. “I’m sure I don’t need to explain what happens when I catch you?” He asked.

You shook your head.

“Then run, run like your life depends on it… because it does.” He taunted before releasing his grip.

You fell onto your rear underneath him, “How much time do I get?” You asked, hoping for the vital information that may just save your life.

He simply stared, his eye twitching ever so slightly, “Run…” Was all he said.

You became immediately aware of your heart beginning to pound away in your chest. Without another second’s hesitation, you fully stand and sprint past the dragon and back into the cover of the dense foliage. You didn’t bother staying along the path, you simply made a beeline for the base of the mountain.

The greenery from the trees above and the browns and grays from bark and rocks blurred together as you zipped past them. The sounds of your heavy footfalls and ragged gasps echoed in your ears, and your lungs quickly began to burn as you continued your ambitious pace.

Just the thought of being hunted by the dragon was enough of a weight to overwhelm your panic-stricken mind. As you do your best to shake off the fear, a dead log suddenly appears in your peripheral vision, leaving you just enough time to leap over it. Your foot catches its odd shape, and you stumble for a moment. Just as you stand upright a roar etches itself into the sky… your time was up; the dragon was coming.

Panic claws at your throat as you bolt off with renewed energy. Not even the stray sticks and thorns that scrape at your skin are enough to silence your determination to escape.

By now you can feel faint ripples traveling through the forest floor as if the ground itself was trembling beneath the weight of the oncoming dragon. You could hear the distant shattering of branches and other growth as the dragon tears through the foliage. It was gaining on you no doubt.

You dared yourself to look back, swiping the faintest of glances as a small ball of bronze barreled through the trees. Everything began to slow down as you realized you wouldn’t be able to run much longer.

Still, you had to run, you couldn’t give up.

You desperately clung onto the little distance between yourself and the dragon, your legs feeling as if they were on fire. You could hear the beast’s horrid chuffs and how its claws dug up the Earth under its footfalls. The ground shook harder with each passing instance.

The slope ahead steepened abruptly, and an idea formed in your head. If you could reach the slope in time, you could turn just before actually falling down the slope. The dragon was larger, and it hopefully wouldn’t be able to stop its momentum as it fell down the slope.

The last few steps seemed to stretch out impossibly long… now!

You cut hard, and you could see the shadow of its body pass overhead. Pain suddenly shot through your thigh as the dragon slid past you. You fell to the ground as the bronze scales disappeared below the ground where the slope fell off.

You heard the heavy splintering of wood as entire trees were uprooted, likely from the dragon crashing against them. You attempted to stand before your leg gave out, you softly screamed at the pain. You looked down at your leg, three gashes had appeared on your outer thigh. The lacerations were deep, and crimson streaks were already falling past your knees.

You placed one hand over your mouth as you tried not to scream at the sight. You tried to take a step, to keep running, but it was too much. Your stunt had gained you some time, but at a perhaps fatal cost. You couldn’t run… not on your leg. Not when you knew the dragon would soon recover and once more be on your trail.

You remembered a rock formation perhaps a hundred yards back. Maybe if you doubled back, the dragon would lose track of your scent, giving you enough time to slip behind the stony shelter. The only problem was physically getting there, the act being nothing short of improbable on your depreciated leg. Still, you had to try.

You begin frantically hobbling back where you came from. You wince through the pain, gritting your teeth as your fingers ball themselves into fists with each aching step.

The displacement of trees and leave silence some distance behind, suggesting the dragon had stopped falling. He would soon be on his way back up… too soon. Realizing you’d be caught before you ever made it, you had to use your leg. You threw part of your shirt in your mouth and attempted to maintain a slow gait. Pain shot through your leg, but your determination held you up. You had to survive.

The rock formation came into view, and you began to swing your arms forward in between steps, doing anything you can to get there faster. Your internal clock chips away as you get nearer to it. You can hear footfalls once more, and based on the sounds of its growls, it seemed to be… very… pissed off.

Almost there.

_ _ You dive forward from the makeshift path, the leaves crunch under your weight as you drag yourself behind the rocks. Once seated facing away from where the dragon would be, you allowed yourself to consciously breathe.

You could feel the sensation in your leg fleeting as it grew numb. The amount of blood that had trickled down your legs and into your socks made your stomach turn. You took off your shirt and wrapped it around your thigh, just something to slow the bleeding. The pain was intense, and again you found a wail trying to escape your throat.

You muffled your mouth with your hand, even the slightest of sounds would likely give up your position. You looked to the side just for a moment, trying to catch a glimpse of where the dragon was. On cue, as you did, his bronze head scaled up the side of the slope, his eyes burning like molten gold. You quickly retreat behind the rock once more.

You sat in eerie silence while remaining motionless, too scared to even move a finger. After a brief second, the ground shook beneath you, then again, and once more. The dragon was walking and based on the incremental increase in the weight of his steps, he was nearing at a disciplined pace, suggesting he was in no rush.

Each step rattled your bones more and more as he neared. The looming threat of being found taking total control over your mind.

The steps stopped… you held your breath. You heard him sniffing as he attempted to track your scent; he was easily within a hundred feet of you. You heard him take in a breath, “Come out human and I shall grant you a quick death.” His voice was egregiously reserved.

You said nothing.

Perhaps thirty seconds passed before another noise was made, “Very well then.” he said, his voice dripping with disdain.

A shadow flicked overhead off to your right. Your eyes followed it before his tail came into view, it lazily swiped across the ground. You heard the sharp swipe of nails on stone to your left, and as you turned, the dragon was already moving to strike.

You stuck your arm out in defense, to which he bit down right onto your shoulder. You screamed as his teeth sank deep into your shoulder joint nearly to the bone. His head pulled back dragging you along with it. Your shoulder ripped from its socket as you were lifted into the air.

As your feet dangled above the ground, your hand was being assaulted by the beast’s fleshy tongue. It wrapped around your fingers as it pulled and suckled on your arm. You looked into its eye looking for any sign of humanity. Nothing, the dragon simply reveled in the sight of his caught prey.

You couldn’t let yourself go down without putting up at least some of a fight.

You could feel the skin shearing as you thrashed hard against the grip of his jaws. Blood seeped from your shoulder, mixing with his saliva that leaked past his lips. You brought your free hand to his muzzle, trying desperately to pry the thick lips apart to no use of course, his strength was well beyond your own.

You crunched your abs bringing your uninjured leg to the underside of his jaw. You kicked hard against his neck and jaw, your knee hitting the tough scales with authority. Still, no matter how hard you kicked, the only injuries you inflicted were on yourself.

His jaws began to bite down more firmly, and you could feel your arm beginning to crush under the force. His teeth hit the bone, and your nerves ignited with fire. In a matter of moments your entire arm was going to be sheared off.

You pulled your free arm back, bringing it to punch his face. Your fist crashed into the armored scales of the dragon’s face. Much like with your kicks, you struck repeatedly and blindly in hopes of hitting a weak spot. Your knuckles bruised and you felt a finger break as you accidentally hit a horn.

You yowled in pain, to which the dragon seemed to laugh.

In your frenzied state, you spotted its eye, and it was within reach. You had only one shot at it.

You pulled your arm back once more out of pure spite. In a rage driven entirely by the will to live, you shot your fist directly towards his eye. He didn’t have time to react as your knuckles plunged past his eyelids, striking the intended target purely.

The dragon snarled as his jaws flew agape, your arm releasing from his grasp, causing you to fall back to the ground. You flailed incidentally, falling directly onto your mangled shoulder. Lightning shot through your arm as the collision forced your shoulder back into place.

You rolled over as the dragon reeled above you. Its paws crashed against the dirt as he shook his head frantically. He continued to stumble backwards until steadying himself, his head locking into place in front of you. You stood upright on one leg having no sensation in the other, holding onto your shoulder as your arm dangled beneath it, and panting deeply as you caught your breath from the intense struggle. Despite realizing you could physically fight no longer; it was the first time you felt any control in the presence of the dragon.

“ENOUGH!” His voice boomed.

He opened his eyes, one remaining half shut from being punched. Both still burning with the same fiery rage from before, if not more so. “This little game ends now, I’ve let you live for far too long…”

You stood your ground, embracing what was to come. You fought well in your eyes; you didn’t think the dragon had being punched in the eye on its mind when trying to make a meal out of you.

Still… you lost.

The dragon’s patience was at its end, just as you were surely at your own end.

You watched the dragon’s claws dig themselves into the ground. His chest lowered and his tail swung out to the side; he licked his lips menacingly. Any second now he would pounce, you simply waited for that moment to come…

…And then he did.

His form blurred as he lunged forward, the ground shaking violently as he flung his jaws agape. You closed your eyes as you braced for impact.

You heard a tree suddenly snap before the sound of a heavy collision echoed just in front of you. You could feel a rush of wind as something rushed past you. You opened your eyes…

Off to your side, the dragon had been tackled to the ground by the drake from earlier. A frenzy of snarls and roars escaped the throats of both beasts as they clashed. The dragon pushed the drake off of him using his dominant strength, but very quickly did the drake reengage using its formidable speed and agility. The precision in their attacks was mesmerizing, the use of claws and teeth all being used with the intent to kill. But who would win?

By now the fighting happened at such speed that you had trouble catching which creature was landing attacks. That… and you could feel the need to pass out rapidly approaching.

The last few seconds you could stand, you watch the two bodies continue their brawl. Your good leg gave out as you fell onto your back. Your breathing was hoarse, and this overwhelming sense of calmness crept over you despite what was going on a few dozen feet away. Their roars faded as you grew more and more tired. Your body had exhausted its resources to keep you awake and fighting, and the need to fight was over.

Your vision spun as you lay in the dirt. You knew very well that if you fell asleep now, it was likely going to be the last time you ever did. Your injuries were far too great, you had lost too much blood. You could feel a dreadful warmth flood your system starting at your toes and working its way up. As it crept nearer to your head, a fuzzy blob of blue filled what remained of your sight overhead.

~~~

Your head spun wildly as your body barely clung to life. Your body felt as if it were the influence of alcohol as you struggled to maintain a steady state of being awake or asleep. Fleeting visions came to you while you were unconscious, making you question the difference between reality and whatever lay beyond the line of death. You saw yourself being carried somewhere… the trees moved around you and the skies grew dark as time seemed to press forward.

You felt this coolness fall upon your back before a warmth began at your side. In between blackouts you could see stone above you, it seemingly expanding out infinitely in all directions. Your mind struggled to comprehend what was going on or where you were. Surely you were dead.

You slipped out of existence once more as your mind gave way. This time however, your sobriety seemed to return. You groggily opened your eyes…

Stony ceiling.

_ _ You had thought for sure that what you saw were simply hallucinations, and maybe they still were, but you weren’t sure anymore. Your back was cold as you were laying down, you turned your head, and a short distance away was a small fire. You looked down, meeting the familiar blue-in-blue eyes of the drake. It too laid down, but it rested with a paw half extended to where you lay.

You didn’t have the mental strength to be shocked by its company, as a matter of fact, you weren’t even sure it was really there. “I’m dead, aren’t I?” You asked rhetorically.

The drake stood as its head leaned forward, dropping a slender metal rod onto your chest, the pin. The drake pulled back, speaking as it did, “Without me you would be, then again, you can say the very same about me.” Its voice was soft and soothing. It held a relatively higher pitch as her femininity was displayed.

You looked down at the pin… and past your chest… why am I naked? You brought your good arm up to cover your shame, the dragon frowned.

_ _ “Where are my clothes?” You asked somewhat concernedly.

She looked off to the side, “I took them off so I could see how bad your injuries were. “

You traced her eyes to a small corner. Your clothes were piled there, or at least what remained of them. They were utterly ruined, covered in blood with several cuts in the fabric. You returned your studying back to your body, frowning as you did a thorough check over.

Your skin was pale leaving you looking as if you were a ghost. The only real color on your body were the deep lacerations in your thigh, and the dozen or so puncture holes in your shoulder. Even with surgery and stitches you knew that neither your leg nor your shoulder would ever operate with the same capacity as before. That was wishful thinking anyways, you wondered if your arm could even be saved as you could barely feel the tips of your fingers.

“Why didn’t you talk earlier?” You asked, changing the subject to a much more interesting one.

A look of curiosity seemed to fall upon the drake as she considered what to say. “I’m not exactly fond of your kind. What they’ve done to my kind, and what they’ve done to me…” Her voice trailed as her hand found her neck where the collar once was. For the first time you allowed yourself to look over her, she too had picked up injuries from the dragon, though, none as grave as your own. You felt sorry for her.

“I wanted to kill you; I really did. But I couldn’t after you did what you did. I owed my life to you. So, I just wanted to scare you off instead. Truth be told I hoped I would never see you again.” She continued, her voice stern, but honest.

You considered her words, “Well… I’m glad you didn’t kill me. Though I suppose it doesn’t matter much now.” You spoke with a hint of subtle amusement.

She seemed to pick up on the attempt at humor as she softly laughed. “Yes well, I’m actually trying my best to keep you alive. I was able to stop the bleeding and clean the wounds, but they are still open. I’m sure you can tell, but you’ve lost a lot of blood.” She said, trying to sound empathetic.

You never considered the fact that you weren’t covered in your own blood, the lack of it obvious in hindsight. You also noticed how the wounds themselves felt relatively painless. “Thank you, they actually don’t hurt right now.”

The drake smiled, “That was my hope, my saliva helps alleviate the pain. I‘ve been tending to my own cuts the same way.”

You internally cringed as you realized what the drake had been doing while you were out, but at the same time, it was very likely a necessity. She showed off her forearm, there was a nasty bite mark just above the wrist joint. “What happened to the dragon?” You asked.

She waved her arm idly before setting it back down, “He was alive when I left him, I very much doubt that now.”

You sat relieved at the thought of the dragon getting what he deserved.

The drake spoke once more, “Look, I’m not going to stall any longer. I needed you awake for what I’m going to say next. I had a feeling that if you woke up… elsewhere… that the realization would’ve been too much to handle.”

A twinge of confused anticipation bubbles under your skin as you tense up before her. “What are you saying?”

“You’re alive for now, but I fear you will not make it through the night. The ground is not the best place for you to heal.” Her voice filled with concern.

“No, I suppose not, but it’s the best I’ve got. I can stay here to recover, thanks.” You say firmly. The cold stone was not ideal, but the fire was soothing. Overall, you were content staying where you were.

I can keep you safe and warm, giving you time to recover from your injuries, and most importantly keeping you alive. The numbing properties are just the beginning my intentions for you.” she stated, trying to sound persuasive.

“I’m not sure I understand.” You say, unable to read her implications.

“I can guarantee your survival. It’s just… the only way I can do this is by…” Her eyes wandered the cave. It was as if she were hoping the words themselves would be painted on the walls. “…by keeping you in my belly.”

WHAT!? She had just admitted to wanting to eat you. Her words left you feeling utterly betrayed.

“How can you say this? After what I went through!” You grabbed the metal pin on your chest, no longer caring if you were exposed in front of her.

She saw the fear building in your eyes. “My stomach can heal you. I understand it sounds crazy, but I promise you’ll be safe. I only want to help you.”

“I- I can’t.” You speak, half choking in the process.

The drake gets closer, and you use what remained of your strength to scoot yourself back. Still the drake presses forward. “I know you’re scared, but I just want to help you.” She assures.

“By eating me!?” You ask genuinely curious to hear her response.

She chuffs before you, “I understand the irony, but I need you to trust me. I’ve yet to lie to you, nor have I harmed you.”

You throw your arm under you as you attempt to stand. The effort is great, and as you rise, your head begins to spin. You begin to stumble back. The drake sees you begin to fall, and she jumps out at you.

As the drake nears, you swing the pin in your arm in a desperate attempt to keep her at bay. The metal strikes against the sensitive scales on her snout, and she growls in pain. She steps back while pawing at her muzzle, you take the moment redouble your stance and fully settle yourself.

She takes a moment to calm herself, choosing to ignore the small mark you had left between her nostrils, “You saved my life… now let me save yours.”

You gaze fell past her as you looked for a way out of the cave. “You already did, now let me leave.” You reply harshly.

“I’ve only kept you alive, your injuries are still severe. Just look at your arm!” She pleas.

You look down to your left shoulder. Blood was oozing from the puncture wounds, a small puddle already forming underneath your fingertips and onto the cave floor. Your effort in defending yourself had clearly aggravated the clotting that was once in place.

“Please don’t make me use my strength against you.” She adds on, hoping to reinforce her claim.

You scowl, “You’ve already been doing that.”

The drake’s neck unfurled upwards, “I’ve actually been quite reserved considering the condition you’re in.”

“And yet you’re still trying to eat me! You’re no better than the dragon… you drakes and dragons are all the same!” You scream out.

The drake’s eyes narrow as the anger you saw from the forest trap resurfaces. She lunges forward, and before you can react, you’re once more restrained under her claws. Your good arm that held onto the pin was secured under a single claw while her other paw fell atop your chest. “That dragon was going to tear you apart if I didn’t stop him. This is your last chance, go willingly or by force.”

No words came to you, only shock. Her voice was stern, and her words were so harsh it only convinced you to be in immediate danger.

“Very well.” She says while frowning.

Both her arms keep you in place as she bites down on your shoulder and flicks away your weapon of choice: the pin. Her teeth slide into the punctures as if sheathing a blade, and you can feel the foreign pressure pressing deep into the surrounding muscle. You scream, expecting pain.

After a second, she backs off, and you can see a faint blood smear left on her pink gums. “I know it doesn’t hurt, now hold still.” She commands.

She was right, it didn’t hurt, the numbing effect still well in place, it wouldn’t stop you from squirming under her claws, however. You continued to resist for a moment before a warmth began to form in your shoulder. The warmth began to rapidly crawl through your chest, arm, and even down your legs as you struggled to understand what was going on.

She releases her grip, and you’re ready to escape by any means possible. Instead, your limbs move at the speed of snails. Your brow furls as the signals from your brain struggle to reach your limbs.

“What have you done to me!?” You ask desperately.

After a few seconds of no response, her head creeps in and her pink tongue spills past her lips. The wet sound of her tongue lapping at the blood on your shoulder made you wince. “Stop, please.” You begged.

She stops for a second to speak, “I’m stopping the bleeding, just don’t look.”

The drake nudges your head to the side, leaving you looking away from her. You couldn’t even turn your neck back at this point as you were essentially fully paralyzed now.

You close your eyes, fighting off the desire to cry.

After perhaps a minute of her “stopping the bleeding”, did you hear her voice again. “Hear my words, you are safe with me, you will not die tonight.” She said, still hidden outside your field of view.

You want to believe it, really. But the vivid reminder of nearly being eaten by the dragon pushed to the forefront of your mind. You lay there, unable to resist as you waited for the drake to make her move.

You didn’t have to wait long as she reappeared over your face in the form of an open maw.

Her tongue slid under the back of your head as her lips cupped your back. More and more of you lift off the ground as her jaws wrap around you further. As she takes more and more of you in, the more of your vision is filled by the pink flesh of her soft palate.

You feel gravity flip, it’s about the only thing you can feel at this point, as her head tilts upwards. You slide down, and you can only close your eyes as a swallow echoes around your ears.

More swallows follow in quick succession as you slip further and further into her throat. Before you know it, you’re fully stretched out as you slide down the length of her slender neck.

Her throat ripples around you as the gentle waves of constriction guide you deeper. You continue to fall past her booming heartbeat and whirring lungs until your head presses into a tight ring of muscle. Your descent stalls for a moment before you’re suddenly expelled in one swift motion into the confines of her stomach.

The darkness is absolute, and the faint stench of sulfur makes you crinkle your nose. You couldn’t believe it… after all the torment and threats of being eaten, it had actually happened. You were in the belly of the beast.

Her stomach gradually undulated back and forth, or was it up and down? You really didn’t know as your sense of direction was of no use within the natural sensory deprivation chamber. Instead, you allowed the gentle rocking motion to filter out your fear.

Perhaps it was the paralytic venom that coursed through your veins, or maybe the lack of oxygen, it even could’ve been that you were simply too exhausted to stay awake. Whatever the case, each passing second lulled your mind closer and closer to rest.

No longer willing to fight to stay awake, you drifted off to sleep.

You jolt awake suddenly.

It’s dark, even with your eyes fully open. The surrounding heat makes you sweat, and the random gurgles immediately tip you off. Memories come flooding back as you come to remember where you were. You run our hands over yourself, checking to see if you were still all there. To your surprise, you were.

You hadn’t been digested, as a matter of fact, you felt fine. The only thing that felt odd was your pruned hands. You held them just in front of your eyes without much luck, oh right, no light.

You realize you just moved. You push out with your arms and legs, relieved to have control again. Your arm and leg were still slightly sore as the slick stomach walls pushed back against them, but they didn’t hurt.

You felt the world shift gradually as you were forced against one stomach wall in particular. After a brief pause, the stomach collapsed in on itself, restricting your regained ability to move. The stomach he contracted, forcing your body against the tight sphincter that had initially sealed you away.

The resistance gave way as you were forced back into her throat. The pace of being regurgitated versus being swallowed was much quicker and forceful. You wince as the stiff throat muscles ripple over your skin before the moderate crushing pressure gives way.

Cool air rushed over your skin as light reentered your eyes for the first time in what felt like forever. Something blue caught your fall as your nude form reentered the world. You sputtered out the taste of saliva before eagerly sucking in the pure air your lungs had patiently been waiting for.

You look up only to meet the gaze of the drake.

“You look well.” She says.

Within her grasp you look over your body. Your skin overall is slightly puffy and pink. What is most remarkable however is that the lacerations on your legs had mended together, and the gashes in your shoulder had faded into faint indentations surrounded by bruising under the skin.

You were alive, you were better than alive!

You realized you had made a severe lack of judgment in the drake’s character. You felt foolish for resisting as much as you did. “I’m sorry for not trusting you. You saved my life.”

She smiled softly, “It’s alright, I’m sorry too. I didn’t exactly do a good job making you feel safe.”

She set you the rest of the way down onto a makeshift bed of mosses, a nice upgrade from the stone floor you rested on earlier.

She continued to look over you, ensuring you were in good health. Once satisfied, she laid down by your side, cupping a paw around your side and pulling you close.

“I guess we’re even now, huh?” You ask aloud, not really looking for a genuine response.

“I suppose we are, though, it’s probably for the best you stay until you get your strength back.

You leaned against the base of her neck and chest, “Thank you… for everything.”