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_Expendable: Part 3 _

Queen of the Lizards

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

*<Time: 5:40pm>

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

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

Time seemed to freeze as Layla watched the dragon's jaws slowly move towards her. Perhaps it was the fear that gripped her, or the fact that Belial was indeed taking his time in scooping her up. There was nowhere for her to run, and the dragon knew it. There was simply no possible chance of escaping such a large, dominating beast even if she tried.

The dragon was several stories tall, with a long, serpentine body covered in shining white scales. Even laying down as he was, his head stretched upwards several stories in height, which meant it had quite the long way to travel before it could reach Layla's position. She knew it was pointless to try and escape however; there was nothing she could do. It really didn't matter how much time it was going to take. That maw was going to suck her up and swallow her down as if she were no more than a tiny insect being licked up by a giant frog.

There were worse ways to go, Layla thought, as she felt the hot, rancid moisture of the dragon's breath mat against her fur. The lizards had given her one last taste of what she loved… the evidence of which was still dripping out from between her legs and wetting the inside of her thigh. She'd never experienced something quite like that. To be taken by so many savage creatures at once could've been a nightmare to some, but to her, it was paradise.

With one last sigh, she looked around at the groups of lizards surrounding her and smiled. They were terrifying to her at first, but now she could see how attractive they all were. They were tall, muscular, and well-endowed. There was nothing like them on Earth or anywhere else. If she looked at it a certain way, she could almost consider herself lucky to be a part of the ritual, even if it meant feeding the strong, powerful dragon in front of her as her final act.

Layla closed her eyes as the jaws loomed closer, waiting for the end before she was roughly shoved aside.

The vixen fell to the ground with a surprised grunt, quickly rolling onto her back in surprise and backing away to find one of the lizards standing in her place.

Belial snapped his jaws shut and let out a fierce growl. “Why do you interfere, follower? No creature is permitted to interrupt me, and doing so will cost you your life."

The lizard froze as he stared up into the dragon's angry gaze, much like Layla had done before. He seemed unsure of his actions now, as if he were a child being caught doing something disobedient. His scaled body shuddered once and his tail twitched with nervousness before he lifted a paw and pointed directly at Layla, shaking his head.

“The fox is my food, follower, as you well know," Belial growled, bringing one of his massive paws forward and dragging his claws along the ground. “Get out of my way and let me have her, or I'll eat you first."

The lizard looked over at Layla, seemingly considering doing just that. He took a step back in fear, getting ready to move back into the group of his companions before another two lizards stepped forwards to join him, shaking their heads as well.

Layla watched in utter confusion as the three lizards all pointed at her and shook their heads. They hissed in unison and bobbed their heads excitedly, trying to convey some sort of message to the giant, hungry dragon in front of them. She had no idea why the creatures would put themselves at such risk for her sake. She half-expected Belial to simply eat them all and be done with it, but for some reason the dragon was pausing, looking at them with intelligent, understanding eyes.

“You don't want me to eat her?" Belial asked, prompting a frantic series of nods from the three lizards. He huffed with annoyance before scanning his eyes over the rest of the gathered lizards. “And what about the rest of you, do you share their opinion?"

Most of the lizards turned their heads to the ground as the dragon looked at each of them individually. They were timid when under the gaze of their God. It meant death to disrupt the ceremony, or disobey the wishes of their giant leader, yet still some of them nodded their heads and looked over at Layla with concern.

Belial smiled and looked back at the fox on the ground. “It seems like you've had a positive effect on my tribe little Layla," he said with amusement. “They don't seem to want me to eat you. Some of them have even worked up the courage to interrupt me in my meal. This hasn't happened before…"

Layla kept quiet as the dragon thought about her predicament. She considered saying something to sway the beast's decision, but she was too terrified to speak.

“Oh please, you've eaten all the last ones I've brought you," Meirith suddenly piped up. The large wolf walked forwards and stared accusingly at the three lizards grouped in the center of the tribe. “You shouldn't balk at the mutinous actions of three creatures. Simply eat Layla and be done with it. I'll have a new one for you in a few months' time."

“That may be true, but you've never brought us a female before, and never one of such beauty and eagerness," Belial said. “She seemed to enjoy every moment of her treatment."

“Yes, because she's a slut," Meirith retorted with a snap of his jaws. “I told you she would be good, and she was, but now is not the time to balk from the ceremony."

Belial narrowed his eyes on the large wolf and let out a dangerous growl. “Get back in line, wolf. I've already told you what would happen the next time you spoke out of turn."

Meirith let out a frustrated growl and took a step backwards, crossing his arms over his chest and giving all the lizards around him an annoyed glare. There was a brief moment of silence as the dragon continued to stare at him before the conversation continued.

“Now then, my little servants, you know very well that I need food after you've all done such a wonderful job pleasing me," Belial said, tilting his head as he regarded the lizards with curiosity. “Why do you protect this one?"

The lizards looked around at each other dumbly. Their mute faces seemed to search for an acceptable answer, though none of them had the intelligence to discover it, much less put it into words.

Belial sighed. “Is it because she's a female?"

The lizards continued to look at their leader with blank faces, though some of them slowly nodded their head.

“You wish to keep her instead of me eating her?" Belial continued, letting out a small growl as his followers nodded their heads nervously. He turned his head towards Layla, narrowing his eyes with annoyance. “It seems you were pleasant enough for some of my lizards to actually like you. Such a thing is rare with these simple creatures. I'm impressed."

Layla felt a soft blush come across her cheeks at the dragon's words. Were the lizards really standing up for her? Her eyes scanned the crowd of creatures to look for an answer. Although most of them were looking at the dragon, some of them were casting the odd look in her direction, regarding her naked body with lustful eyes. So it wasn't love or infatuation really, but more of an instinctual need. Some primitive part of their brain was telling them that she was a suitable mate: a female that could provide them with a means of breeding.

She blushed once more at the thought. Such a thing wouldn't be so bad…

“Well then, I suppose I could permit the female to stay, as long as you were to offer me suitable replacement for my lost meal," Belial concluded.

An audible hiss of pleasure sounded through the ranks of lizards as Layla visibly relaxed, letting out her own sigh of relief. She was going to live… after all of her fears of what was going to happen, the dragon had decided not to eat her. Now, she was going to live with this tribe of horny lizards to sate each and every one of their deepest needs.

A smile came across her face. Perfect.

“Now, who shall be my replacement meal?" Belial exclaimed, his eyes searching through the crowd of lizards. “It is only proper that I finish the ceremony with a meal: someone who participated in the gathering. Who shall it be?"

The lizards all froze with fear, looking around with concern at each other. Once again they seemed to struggle with coming to a decision, their muzzles scrunched with confusion and fear as they searched for an alternative. As proud of their leader as they were, they all wanted to be around to enjoy the new female in their midst. Nobody wanted to give that up.

After a few moments of searching however, all of the lizards seemed to stop searching as one. All of them turned and stared, their reptilian eyes lighting up with happiness as they regarded the large wolf standing in the midst of them all: the solution to their predicament.

“What the hell are all of you looking at?" Meirith growled. “I'm not the one denying Belial his meal for some pussy, look to yourselves for a replacement."

Some of the lizards growled at his comment before three of them quickly closed in, grabbing the wolf by the legs and arms and wrestling him out into the open.

Meirith snarled and snapped his jaws at the lizards that held him, yanking at their strong grip in an effort to free himself. His claws extended and he tried slashing at them, only to find himself unable as the reptiles held him in place. “Let me go you disgusting animals, I'm not about to be food for your beast," he growled. “Let me go! Or you'll never get another volunteer from me ever again. Is that what you want?" His tone began to grow more desperate as he was carried towards the massive dragon in front of him. His once angry words slowly heightened to a desperate whine as he was unable to free himself, the strength of the three lizards holding him proving to be much more than even a large canine like himself could best.

Layla remained completely still as she watched the events unfold. All around her the lizards chanted and called out happily as Meirith was brought forwards, paying her no more attention as the final act of the ceremony was coming to fruition.

Although a part of her pitied the wolf, she couldn't help but feel a massive swell of satisfaction as justice was carried out. Meirith was the one who tricked them all into believing this was a real mission and not a suicide trip. He, and the heartless company she used to work for were responsible for the deaths of her crew-members and everyone who came down here before.

As the wolf was thrown forwards in front of the dragon, Layla smiled. This was going to be interesting to watch.

Meirith turned and growled at all the lizards surrounding him before standing shakily to his feet. “You're all dead, do you hear me? Once my employers see this they're never going to send another sacrifice to you again," he snapped. “You, Belial, call your mongrels off and eat the bitch. It doesn't matter what they – “

“Shut up, wolf," Belial rumbled. The savagery of his voice shook the entire ground as he spoke, causing the wolf's ears to fall flat on the back of his head with a whimper. “I've told you time and time again to treat me with respect, and yet still you fail. You have no power here anymore, and I'm sure that your despicable position is easily replaceable by whoever sent you here. “ He licked his lips then, a slimy, wet sound as his giant tongue scraped over the plated scales of his lips. “I'm going to enjoy this very much."

Meirith began to whimper, falling to his knees and shaking visibly in front of everyone as the lizards hooted and hollered with delight. “Please, Belial… I'm sorry," he said, holding his paws out in front of him in desperation. “I didn't mean any disrespect, I'm just scared. Please don't eat me…"

Belial rumbled with amusement before bringing his head down to the wolf's level. He kept his mouth closed for now, speaking with barely a whisper. “Nothing would give me greater pleasure than to eat you wolf, but I've been known to show mercy," he said. “Show me that you can obey willingly, and I may consider letting you go."

“Y-yes… anything," Meirith said, wiping a tear from his cheek. “What do you want me to do?" A light chuckle came from deep within the dragon's chest in response, a sound similar to rocks falling down a cliffside.

“All you have to do, is hop inside," Belial said, before slowly opening his mouth.

Meirith balked and whined as the dark, slimy entrance opened in front of him. Although the dragon's massive maw could've easily engulfed nearly everyone in the clearing, it was only meant for him. He was an insect in the face of such a giant, fearsome wall of flesh.

Belial's mouth was every bit as predacious as one would expect. The white, shining fangs lining the creature's mouth were as big as the wolf's legs. A red, forked tongue caked with slime and wriggling with anticipation slowly slid from the darkened depths of his throat, which slowly pulsated and undulated in a continuous flexing of eager and powerful muscles. Copious amounts of drool covered the reptile's palate and lined the pockets of flesh to each side, frothing and visibly flowing along as hot, rancid breath wafted forth.

Meirith stood and took a shaking step backwards as he stared inside the dragon's mouth. He could barely even hope to be a morsel for such a large creature, and yet still he was required to obey. The beast's breath seemed to waft straight up from its gut, smelling of meat and digestive fluids that seemed to visibly weigh on his fur. He couldn't go in there… not like this…

“Please, don't make me," Meirith whined.

A loud growl was all Belial offered the fear-stricken wolf, a sound that vibrated the tissue of the reptile's throat and caused a fresh wave of rancid air to erupt from the depths of his maw.

“Now now Meirith, you heard the dragon," Layla teased, attracting the horrified attention of the wolf for a split second. “Jump in." She grinned as she uttered those words, watching with grim satisfaction as Meirith's expression turned from fear to pure, primal rage.

Layla smiled as the wolf ran towards her. She remained perfectly still as the doomed canine approached with all the savage fury he could muster. She only had to wait a few seconds for her expectations to come to fruition, as there was a sudden, wet snap that echoed throughout the clearing as the dragon's forked tongue struck forwards and curled around Meirith's middle.

The wolf looked down in confusion for a quick moment before he was yanked backwards with a terrible yelp. He flew through the air in, seemingly in slow motion, towards the gaping maw of the dragon. He looked outwards with pure terror etched across his muzzle before he landed with a wet splat in the middle of the reptile's mouth and the jaws closed around him with a violent clack.

The lizards let out a happy cheer as Belial accepted their offering. They hooted and hollered, gathering around the dragon's mouth and rubbing the giant reptile's lips as they moved and tasted the morsel within.

With a small grunt, Belial ushered the lizards away so that he could focus on his meal. For a dragon such as him the thought of chewing simply never occurred. He was going to savour this moment, and enjoy all the little movements of panic and shaking limbs dancing over the surface of his tongue until he was ready to send the morsel down to his belly.

After the lizards were pushed away they simply watched in silence as Belial enjoyed his meal. Heavy saliva drooled out from the corners of the dragon's mouth as his tongue pushed the wolf from side to side, sliding his long, serpentine tongue along Meirith's body before pushing him into the pocket of his cheek and suckling happily. For a moment he pushed his morsel to the roof of his mouth, pinning him there and licking forcefully while the canine wriggled and pushed back. His sensitive tastebuds could pick up every single motion of his prey's pointless struggles, which only served to excite him more.

Inside the dragon's mouth, Meirith found himself in a world of flesh and thick, smelly saliva. He could hardly breathe as drool coated every inch of his body and smeared across his face. He opened his mouth to whine in distress only to have his own maw filled with the rolling muscles and goopy liquids, forcing him to keep his own jaws shut and continue struggling as best he could manage. Surprisingly enough, the dragon's tongue was incredibly smooth, and slid across his body with hardly any discomfort; however, he was powerless to stop the assault, and the inevitable destination of his horrible predicament continued to weigh in the darkest corners of his mind.

The wolf continued to struggle for as long as he could manage. The hot, reptilian breath filled every aspect of his senses. It wasn't long before he began to feel dizzy and weak, his strength fading amidst the continued hopelessness of his situation.

As the wolf began to calm his struggles, Belial let out a happy rumble and gently flicked his tongue backwards to slide his morsel to the back of his throat. He felt the weight of food in the back of his mouth along with generous pool of saliva to accompany Meirith on the long, slimy journey down his neck. Slowly, he cracked his jaws open, revealing the scene within. This was the moment the ceremony would end, and he was going to ensure that all creatures gathered were able to bear witness.

The lizards all let out a hiss of eagerness as the maw opened. Their yellow eyes peered closely into the massive maw to stare at the wolf who lay face down on the dragon's tongue. The canine's furred form was face-down and unmoving on the thick muscle underneath. Reptilian drool fell lazily from the roof of the predator's mouth to land with a splat on the wolf's back, causing the unfortunate creature to stir and look weakly out at his last moments.

Meirith's eyes went wide as he realized where he was, and what he was looking at. With a yelp he quickly tried to lift himself away but it was too late. The dragon's throat opened up beneath him with an audible, wet swallowing sound, and everything became darkness and slimy flesh rubbing at him from all sides as he was squeezed down Belial's throat.

It was mesmerizing for the lizards to have such a close look at the massive dragon swallowing his meal. One moment, the wolf was there, staring at them with wide, fearful eyes. In a single lift and squeeze of the reptile's throat however, he was gone, and Belial let out a happy rumble that shook the ground all around them.

Closing his mouth, Belial lifted his head and swallowed some more, his long neck rippling as he easily worked the wolf down its impressive length. Due to his size there was no visible bulge to be seen from the outside. Only the occasional undulation of muscles was discernable through the wall of scales and flesh.

The wolf proved to be a tiny meal, yet still Belial could feel him travelling down… sliding deeper into his massive body with teasing slowness. He lifted a paw to his neck, slowly tracing it down his scales to demonstrate the journey of his meal to the followers that watched with silent curiosity and attention. He followed Meirith with his claws all the way down until he was touching his chest. At that moment, the wolf disappeared in feeling even to him, vanishing into the hot expanse of his reptilian gut. Nothing more than a morsel to an impressive beast like him, yet welcome nonetheless.

In one last act to demonstrate his satisfaction, Belial dropped back down and lowered his jaws to the crowd. He cracked them open as another, bubbling rumble rose up from the base of his gut. Once the noise reached his muzzle he opened up his mouth one more and let out a powerful, earth-shaking belch. It only lasted a second, but it was enough to send the front few lizards sprawling backwards at the blast of air, while the surrounding creature simply coughed and turned their head at the rancid, meaty stench that suddenly populated the clearing in a heavy, moist cloud.

“I hereby declare the ceremony to be over," Belial rumbled, licking his lips with satisfaction. “I am very pleased. The following months will be rich and plentiful, and you will all find many suitable mates."

At the dragon's announcement, the lizards let up a cheer and called out into the air in harsh, guttural tones of joy. They swarmed around Belial in a happy swarm to rub around the creature's neck and mouth, while some of the more eager creatures ran down the length of his body to throw themselves at his middle, rubbing and licking along the scales of his chest and belly. Their massive leader let out a deep, rumbling growl of appreciation at their treatment and remained perfectly still so as not to squash any of them accidently. They all continued to happily treat their master with love and appreciation, leaving a single figure standing alone.

For Layla, it was an entirely odd experience to witness the final closure of the ceremony. Although it was all unfamiliar to her and quite strange, she could recognize the level of obedience and loyalty the lizards showed towards the massive dragon. With such a creature around, the lizards were protected from many of the other predators on the planet. It made sense that Belial would protect them all in return for… well… sexual favours, she supposed.

If she played her cards right, she could fall under that protection as well.

Layla walked towards the center of the clearing, directly in front of the dragon, and waited patiently while the reptiles enjoyed each other's close company. It didn't take long for one of Belial's eyes to crack open and focus on her curiously.

“Mm, I was expecting you to run as well," Belial mused.

“I saw what happens when you try and run," Layla responded with a smirk. “That wolf deserved everything you gave him. I'm grateful that you chose to him instead of me… thank you."

The dragon licked his lips as his eyes flashed in amusement. “Don't thank me, thank my loyal followers. If it wasn't for them you would be sharing the wolf's fate at this very moment."

Layla shuddered at the thought, remembering the hot sting of the dragon's breath as those jaws hovered close to her. She could only imagine what Meirith was going through at this very moment, if he was still conscious.

“I'm sure I'll be thanking them for a very long time," Layla answered with a smile. “I hope I can please them."

“I hope you can as well, for your sake," Belial answered with a rumble, eyeing the area in front of him as the lizards began to slowly trickle back into the opening between his massive forelegs, staring at the female fox with lustful, glowing yellow eyes. “If they grow bored of you, then I'm going to eat you."

Swallowing her fear and taking a step forwards, Layla swayed her hips and swished her tail slowly from left to right, flashing the dragon her best smile. “If that's what you wish, Belial, then I will be yours," she said.

“I doubt you'll be as willing when the time comes," Belial said with a smirk, licking his lips in a long, teasing motion.

“If the time comes," Layla responded quickly, giggling softly as she stopped to stand only a few feet from the foremost lizard, with the large group standing directly behind and studying her with silent curiosity. The dragon's head hovered directly above them all, casting a darkened shadow on the gathering even as the last rays of sunlight began to dip behind the trees.

“Perhaps," Belial answered with a grin. “I must admit you're starting to show some promise at least. Most of the creatures Meirith brought us before cowered before me until the very end, and none of them were appealing enough to convince my lizards to protect them." The dragon lowered his muzzle and curled his neck around the group of lizards to give the vixen a close inspection, his nostril flaring as he sniffed Layla curiously. “What makes you so special?"

Layla froze once more as the dragon's mouth hovered close to her. A sharp jolt of fear jabbed through her breast at the close proximity of the reptile's maw. Every instinct in her body screamed for her to run, but she stood firm. She knew what she had to do to gain this dragon's trust, but it was more difficult that she could've imagined.

With a single swallow to calm herself, Layla turned and took a few steps towards the dragon's jaws. Then, without a single pause, she pushed herself into Belial's snout, stretching out her paws and rubbing at his jawline gently before opening her mouth and giving the beast a few long, loving licks directly across his scaled lips.

“If you give me a chance, I'll show you what makes me special," Layla answered softly.

Belial rumbled with pleasure at the vixen's licks, his hard gaze softening to something of consideration. His followers remained silent, watching him, waiting to see if he would accept the female's offer. As soon as Layla had licked him, he'd come to his decision about her, but there was one more task that needed to be fulfilled before any final decision could be made.

Belial offered no words in response. He simply opened up his mouth directly in front of the vixen and laid his tongue flat on the bottom of his mouth, waiting to see what she would do.

Layla flinched backwards as the dragon's maw opened, bathing her in the familiar stench of rotting meat and hot, palpable moisture. She half expected the reptile's forked tongue to zip out and snatch her in that very moment, but it remained still. The flesh of beast's maw pulsed lazily in front of her while the long, winding appendage twitched gently in expectation. She realized with a start that it was the same offer the dragon had made Meirith only moments before.

All you have to do… is hop inside.

Without hesitating, Layla reached forwards and grabbed the tip of one of Belial's massive fangs. Her mind was numb with fear, and her legs felt like jelly, yet still she forced herself to proceed. Being mindful of the pointed tips of the beast's fangs, she nimbly hiked herself over those fearsome teeth and rolled down into the center of the dragon's mouth.

It was dark and smelly within the depths of Belial's maw. Even from the short roll Layla found herself coated in the heavy weight of thick drool that matted against her fur. She shifted her body awkwardly, straddling the creature's smooth tongue with her legs and waiting for what was to happen next. She half-expected the jaws to shut around her, but they stayed open. In complete contrast to what had happened to Meirith, she was able to lay perfectly still within the massive maw, completely unmolested by the massive tongue that simply allowed her to lay there unmolested.

“D-do you see now, Belial?" Layla whimpered, unable to hide the fear from her voice. “I'm not going to run. I realize now that such a thing would only mean death; if not by your paw then by something else in the forest that catches me as I make my escape." She cried out as the tongue twitched underneath her, causing her to slide backwards a few inches towards the reptile's blackened throat. A large rumbled echoed up from the depths of the creature's gut, a sound the reverberated through every portion of her body as she lay completely at the dragon's mercy.

“P-Please don't eat me," Layla begged, pushing herself into the dragon's tongue and wrapping her arms around the slimy muscle. “I want to –“ Her words were cut short by a terrified cry as her environment tilted vertically. She slid down the reptile's mouth as if it were giant, fleshy slide. She closed her eyes and reached around desperately for any sort of grip, but could find no purchase. There was nothing she could do to stop the beast from gulping her down. It was foolish of her to try and appease such a mighty creature, when all she was to him was an exotic snack.

Layla went limp as her body fell down the creature's tongue, expecting at any moment to be swallowed down into the darkness. She let out a gasp of surprise however, when she suddenly found herself flying through the air and landed with a thump back down on the ground.

Layla kept her eyes closed for several moments as she lay against the grass, her body caked in slime and drool. Her chest expanded rapidly as she panted with fear and exhaustion, her breath blasting softly over the greenery as she regained her senses. With a small whimper she lifted her head and opened her eyes, looking upwards to find a delighted circle of lizards staring down at her, their scaled bodies pressing in close around her sprawled form while the dragon looked down at her from above, his muzzle nodding with approval.

“Welcome to the tribe, follower," Belial said.

---

Escape

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

*<Time: 12:00pm>

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

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

Being alone on Syra was more terrifying than Andy could've ever anticipated.

Suffice to say, he hadn't obeyed the dragon's command to stay put. As soon as the terrifying beast left him he immediately stood up and headed along the path back to the ship. Leech had ran back this way just a moment before, and although he didn't think Leech to be the most likable companion, he did have the right idea. They weren't supposed to be here. They had to get back to the ship and get out of here while they still could.

As Andy ran, he couldn't help but consider why the dragon let him leave. He was at the beast's mercy after it ate Daimon. It would've been a simple matter to gobble him up right after, but it seemed that the creature had other plans.

Or maybe it simply enjoyed toying with him.

He paused by a tree for a moment to catch his breath, shuddering as he thought of making the same, horrible trip that he'd watched Daimon take. The dragon had brought her mouth so close… allowing him to smell the hot, fetid breath wafting forth from the depths of her gut. It had been a nauseating experience. He could only hope that if he was fated to be food for some reptilian creature that he would be dead beforehand.

A jolt of shock went through his body as he saw the blue dragon take to the skies in the distance. He cursed and moved back behind the tree, not believing his luck at having decided to rest at that very moment. The beast was still quite a ways off, but surely any predator could've been able to spot a lone human running down an open path.

Andy took a deep breath and watched the dragon, hardly daring to breathe despite the distance between them.

He waited for several minutes, keeping himself hidden as the dragon flew in circles over the forest ahead. The suit covering his body felt hot and sticky against his skin. The heady odour of that sickish, green spray Meirith asked them to smear on themselves permeated in his nostrils with uncomfortable clarity. He could only hope that would mask his approach, and hide him from any predators along the way.

Once the beast finally disappeared into the foliage, he determined that it would no longer be safe to keep travelling in the open. There was no alternate path back to the ship that he knew of, and there was no telling what hidden dangers the forest contained. He would have to stick to the edges, keeping the path in sight while pausing every now and then to take in his surroundings. If he was careful, perhaps he could make it back in one piece.

It was at that moment of his thought process, that he felt something hot and slimy splatter down onto his shoulder.

He reached up to his shoulder in confusion, his hand coming back coated in some sort of thick, clear liquid that stretched between his fingers. He made a funny face as the meaty stench wafted up to his nostrils. It was at that moment that he looked up to see the source of the alien substance, only to freeze in horror as he found himself looking up into pointed muzzle of yet another dragon.

“Oh my… when Hale told me there were others, I never imagined them looking as tasty as you."

Andy let out a shrill scream and shot back out to the path. He managed a few frantic steps before something connected with his legs, forcing him to trip and fall hard onto the ground. A sharp jolt of pain lanced up his arm as he hit the dirt, but he quickly placed it at the back of his mind. Fear lent energy to his numb limbs as the earth around him shook with each step of the dragon's approach.

“Don't run from me human," the dragon growled. “I wish to speak with you, but if you insist on taking another step I may decide to simply eat you rather than deal with the trouble."

Andy froze at the dragon's words. He looked at his surroundings quickly to determine if he could chance bolting into the woods, before the dragon's tail came crashing down right next to him with a massive thump, forcing another scream of terror from his lungs.

“Don't even think about it. Turn around and face me, human. It's only polite…"

With shaking limbs, Andy slowly rolled over onto his back, biting back a small whine of fear as he found himself looking up at a massive, green dragon, its muscled limbs shining brightly in the pale sunlight.

The beast was the same size as the female dragon from before, though with more prominent features and sharp spikes lining the creatures' brow and jawline. Two curved horns jutted out the back of the dragon's skull, just above a pair of intelligent, menacing yellow eyes that looked at him with a mixture of amusement and hunger.

Andy shivered, and waited for the dragon to make the first move.

“That's more like it," the dragon cooed, a sound much like an avalanche of rocks down a cliffside. “For a moment there I thought I was going to skip our pleasant conversation and get right to what I want."

The dragon idly licked his lips, running a forked red tongue along the outside of his mouth. When Andy didn't move or respond, he let out a soft chuckle.

“And just when I thought you were going to be polite, it turns out I'm mistaken," the dragon said, the corners of his lips lifting in a smirk. “Honestly, how did you expect to escape notice when you're walking around, smelling like that in MY territory of all places."

Andy froze in horror, looking down at his suit and wincing as the stench hit his nostrils. Had the wolf tricked them all?

“Oh well. I can see that you're more ready to wet yourself rather than speak, so allow me to introduce myself." He tilted his head and rumbled deep within his chest. “My name is Jurmonir, what is yours?"

“A-Andy, my name is Andy," he managed to stutter. He could smell the dragon's powerful odour: a dry, reptilian smell coupled with powerful warmth that seemed to weigh down upon his limbs.

“Andy? Hmph, human names are so dull and boring," Jurmonir mumbled, his tail flicking back and forth behind himself. “First Hale, and now Andy. Is every human I meet destined to have such short names along with a short lifespan?"

Andy perked up at the mention of Hale's name. “Hale? You've seen Hale?"

Jurmonir smiled. “I did see him yes, albeit quite briefly," he replied, looking back towards the small bulge in the middle of his long, serpentine body. “He wasn't very good at the little game I arranged, so unfortunately he became my little snack. Such a delicious creature…" He mused, licking his lips.

Andy's eyes went wide for a moment, staring at the dragon's belly with absolute horror. With a yell he turned and ran along the path as fast as his legs would carry him. He managed to make it four strides before the earth shook under his feet as the beast took off in pursuit behind him. Something hard and scaly impacted the side of his legs and he tumbled onto his side, hitting the ground hard and rolling across the dirt before staring up into the dragon's angry gaze.

“I thought I told you not to run, Andy," Jurmonir growled, his body rumbling with anger. “You should expect nothing less from me when you come into my home… MY territory, and disturb my sleep by wandering around with that horrid stench coating your entire body." He brought his head down, snapping his jaws and causing the human to flinch as his nostrils flared, taking in Andy's scent.

“Mm, yes, the same hormones that were coating Hale before I swallowed him," the dragon mused. “Nothing makes me hungrier… or hornier." He was, allowing a smile to cross his scaled lips. “Lucky for you, one of my appetites has been satisfied for the moment, so I have something else you can help me with."

Jurmonir bared his fangs and brought his maw close to Andy. The human flinched backwards as he licked his lips in a tease and hot, rancid breath leaked from his maw. “Let's go find that lovely, female dragon that's been searching for you.

Andy cried out at the dragon's paw suddenly reached out for him, grabbing him and lifting him into the air. The air was forced from his lungs as the paw squeezed his chest, showing little care or concern for his well-being or comfort. The dragon spread its wings and carried him unceremoniously into the air, eliciting another cry of fright as the ground sped away. He was completely at the mercy of the massive creature, and there was no telling what sort of sinister plan that was in store for him…

And what was going to happen to him once they found the blue dragon.

---

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

*<Time: 12:00pm>

*<Cameras in Operation: Landing 1- 3 >

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

Captured

As Andy flew through the air, clutched in the dragon's claws, he couldn't help but dwell on a few thoughts on the subject of luck that were similar to when he was landing on the planet four hours ago.

Fear and terror gripped him just as hard of course. He was terrified of heights, and the forest floor must've been hundreds and hundreds of feet below him, with nothing separating him from the deadly fall other than the scaled foot of a dragon that couldn't care less if he was broken or whole. Food didn't need to be conscious when it was eaten.

His predicament was a perfect example of the luck he was thinking about on the ship. A few moments ago escape had seemed so manageable. Although he was sure there was a reasonable explanation or series of events that led to his capture, or that escape had never been a possibility in the first place, he still couldn't help but believe that the fates were conspiring against him: that there was some cosmological force out there making sure he was getting the worst possible scenario at every turn.

What shitty luck.

A wordless cry sounded from his mouth as Andy suddenly dropped, the dragon tilting downwards and aiming towards the ground with a flap of its leathery wings. His eyes were watering from the thick air whipping against his vision. Although the air was much cooler up in the skies, Syra's atmosphere remained a heavy experience for any human.

Through his blurred sight he could make out the shape of the ship, growing larger with each passing second. The dragon was taking him to his destination, but with no intention of allowing him to escape. He could already feel the desperation welling up in his chest: to be so close to escape, but not able to leave.

Suddenly, Andy felt his stomach fall down to his feet as the dragon pulled up, flapping its wings powerfully and blasting air to rustle the bushes and trees surrounding the landing pad before dropping to the ground. Three, muscled limbs absorbed the impact while the dragon held him tight against its scaled chest. For a moment, he could feel the dry, musky heat of the reptile's body and the strong rumble of its presence. The sensation lasted for only a moment however, before the paw dropped and deposited him unceremoniously on the ground.

“We're here, at the place of your arrival," Jurmonir rumbled, his yellow eyes scanning the surrounding area with an unreadable expression. His nostrils flared, and his serpentine tongue flicked out with amusement. “Hm, I was certain she would be here, but it seems that she's still looking for more." He said with a small chuckle.

Andy winced and rubbed his arm, picking himself off the ground and into a sitting position. He lay just ahead of the dragon's front paws, looking around the area himself before his eyes locked on the open hatch of the ship. The metal cabin was no more than one hundred meters in front of him. It would be a short run, but there was no way he could make it without the dragon catching him, nor could he be certain that the ship would take off. The dragon would be able to fish him out of there no problem.

He let out a sigh. It was hopeless.

Jurmonir looked down at that. “Don't worry, Andy, I'm sure she'll be here in a few moments. She would be expecting any stragglers to come this way," he said, licking his lips before settling his haunches down to the ground.

Andy looked up in confusion for a moment, before his eyes went back to the ship. It was so close…

“Just to be sure we're not waiting here for too long however… let's let her know that we're here, shall we?" Jurmonir said, before closing his eyes and sucking in a deep breath. After a moment his jaws parted and a thunderous roar blasted out from his maw, his tongue undulating with the strength of air rushing from his filled lungs.

Andy involuntarily threw himself back to the ground in fear, covering his ears as the deafening roar sounded all around him. From such a close proximity the noise was unbearable. It surrounded him with the frightening power of a jet engine right next to his head while slimy drops of drool to fell down to wet his suit.

When it was over, Andy slowly lifted his head, his ears ringing slightly despite managing to cover them for most of the roar. He felt slightly nauseous as he looked back up at the dragon. His fear of the beast renewed itself and gripping his chest with an uncomfortable sickness. He was truly defenceless in the presence of such a creature: one that could cripple him with the mere call of its voice.

“There we go, she should be here momentarily," Jurmonir said, completely oblivious to the pain he just caused the human at his feet. That or he simply didn't care. “We'll wait here until she gets here."

Andy groaned and pulled himself into a sitting position. His chest felt heavy, and there was a discernable thickness of bile and saliva collecting in the back of his throat. He grunted and swallowed, before eyeing the opening of the ship's cabin once more.

“I wouldn't try it, human, you wouldn't get more than ten feet," Jurmonir said, letting out an amused chuckle. “Besides, your little ship won't be taking you anywhere. Your clan has abandoned you to your fate, and there's nothing you can do."

Andy looked up at that. “W-what do you mean?" He managed to croak.

“Hale was just as surprised when I informed him of the betrayal," Jurmonir said. “Your mission was never meant to succeed, you were simply sent here to die, human. You weren't the first to be sent down here to perish in our bellies, and you won't be the last." He licked his lips, clicking his jaws together with amusement.

Andy felt a cold fear grip his shoulders, running slowly down the length of his spine. What the dragon was saying made sense. DiamondSky was a heartless cooperation: focusing on nothing more than profits and how to accumulate more money. There was nothing stopping the company from getting rid of its most useless employees, especially when they could pass it off as an accident. Nobody would know.

“How do you know this?" Andy replied, hoping to coax more information from the fearsome reptile in front of him.

Jurmonir flashed his fangs in a smile, forcing the human to cower. “Why, isn't it obvious?" He asked. “Did you not even stop to question why you're absolutely covered in reptilian hormones right now? If it weren't for me and Melusine in the area, you would've been abused, fucked, and eaten by the nearest predator that wandered across your path, instead of being abused, fucked, and eaten by us."

Hopelessness added itself to the fear Andy felt in that exact moment. The dragon was right, of course. It was he himself that voiced suspicion in the first place. He never trusted Meirith, and he should've listened to his gut. Instead, he'd listened to the wolf and followed him into the forest like all the others, right into the trap that was waiting for them.

“Yes, now you see," Jurmonir said, nodding his massive head. “The first humans that were abandoned down here were set upon by just about every predator in the area. They didn't make it more than fifty feet from the ship before they were gobbled down by some creature or another." He laughed at that, his cavernous chest shaking with mirth. “But now, we've made this area our territory, so that all the humans that come with way are ours for the taking."

Andy didn't bother trying to respond. His mind became an empty husk as his worst fears were confirmed. Whatever fate this dragon had planned for him was coming to fruition, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

“I must admit I was growing rather tired of all the humans they've been sending us," Jurmonir continued as the pair waited for the second dragon to join them. “It was my intention to sit this batch out and let Melusine fill her belly; that was, until Hale came stumbling into my lair and woke me up." His spines bristled with annoyance at the thought before he returned his attention to the cowering human at his footpaws. “I suppose you should blame Hale then, for what you're about to endure."

As the dragon laughed, Andy considered asking Jurmonir what the merciless beast had in store for him. He expected nothing good to come of it, especially if it required two dragons. He was probably going to be shared as a meal, or simply given to the female as a sort of offering.

The thought of being eaten by a dragon made him shudder, and once again he was scanning the forest, looking for a way to escape. Perhaps if he ran to the brush closest to the right he could make it…

And that's when he spotted movement.

Another human appeared at the edge of the treeline closest to the ship. He was a man of average height, with a curled, black patch of hair and a slightly hunched stature. He wore the typical, navy blue jumpsuit of a pilot, with the white logo of DiamondSky etched on his breast.

Andy regarded the newcomer with a mixture of fear and indecision. He had no idea where the other man had come from. If he was the pilot tasked with bringing them down, why hadn't he simply taken off as soon as they'd left? And why was he outside of the ship, wandering around the forest?

The only reasonable explanation for Andy, was that the pilot was another victim like himself. Perhaps he'd been ordered to go out and look for them. It would've been easy for a simple command to make the man leave the safe confines of the ship, and now it was too late to get back.

The pilot remained at the edge of the forest for a few moments, gasping for breath as if pursued by something. There was terror and fear in his eyes as he looked around, his gaze coming to a sudden, heart-wrenching halt as he spotted Andy and the dragon.

Jurmonir tilted his head, his muzzle lifting in a vicious grin. “Ah, another one…"

With a yelp, the pilot darted out from the underbrush, speeding towards the front of the ship and the safety of the cockpit. His feet kicked up dirt as he moved, his heavy boots stamping in a mad dash to the only vessel able to get himself, (and Andy), off the planet.

Andy flinched and looked back at the dragon towering over him, half expecting the large beast to leap past him at any moment in pursuit. Jurmonir simply sat there however, remaining perfectly still and regarding the fleeing human with a pleased, knowing expression.

“He's not going to get very far," Jurmonir rumbled, bringing his head down and flicking his tongue out to taste the air. “Look… do you see?"

Andy didn't see what the dragon was looking at, but he wasn't about to let an opportunity like this slip from his grasp. There was almost zero chance of him making it, but perhaps with two of them running for it...

It was hopeless and foolish, but he had no choice.

Without giving the beast an answer, Andy ran, taking off in the direction of the ship.

His heart was pounding in his chest as he moved. The thick, muggy air whipped past his head as he sprinted towards the ship. He heard a heavy sigh emit from the beast behind him, but there were no immediate sounds of pursuit. He expected the dragon to not let him get more than a few feet, but when it became clear that he was further than his reptilian captor could reach, he felt a momentary spike of exhilaration and hope.

That was… until he saw what the dragon had been looking at.

The female dragon never revealed herself until it was too late. She came crashing out of the forest behind the ship, and the pilot's run was cut off with relative ease. The massive predator took two lengthy strides, covering the distance with a swiftness that seemed impossible due to her size.

Andy let out a yelp, his legs giving out as the large beast approached. He tumbled to the ground and grunted as his shoulder impacted the dirt, sending a jolt of pain lancing up his arm. As he fell, he realized the total hopelessness of his situation. Making a run for it in that moment had been the worst possible decision he could've made. There was going to be no escape for him or the pilot… they were doomed.

Andy rolled twice before coming to a sudden, painful stop on his stomach. As soon as the world stopped spinning he lifted his head and looked back in the direction of the approaching dragon, only to find the female sitting back on her haunches, and the human clutched firmly in her massive jaws.

The pilot kicked his legs uselessly out from the reptile's sealed lips. The muted sounds of screaming and struggling sounded within the dragon's maw as he continued to uselessly try and free himself. The actions only seemed to please the beast more however, and those legs were kicked with less and less energy as the dragon tasted its latest meal.

Andy froze as he stared at his doomed companion. He'd been in this position before: lying in front of this massive creature as it played with its latest victim, and like before, there was nothing he could do to prevent what was going to happen next.

There was a flicker of slimy flesh as the dragon slid her tongue down and around the human's legs, pulling her meal deeper into that wide, cavernous maw. Two massive drops of drool trickled from her mouth as she did, staining the leather of the pilot's kicking legs as they were slurped past those scaled lips and beyond the curved fangs that once held him. Once the tongue had dragged him past, she opened her mouth wide and tilted her head back. The slippery flesh offered little hold for her scrambling meal as gravity dragged the pilot down into the darkness of her undulating throat.

Much to Andy's surprise, the dragon continued to keep her mouth open even in this moment. She seemed much more occupied in enjoying the taste and experience of having another human as a meal, despite having two earlier. The reptile's gullet took the pilot in easily, offering him a pocket of slimy flesh to curl in before his final journey down that long neck. Her jaws widened around her meal much like those of a snake: the scales and flesh of her gullet expanding in a round circular bulge with the added weight. The yelps and helpless whimpers coming from the depths of her maw were barely audible amidst the wave of pleased growls and wet, slobbery motions of her tongue and jaws.

The pilot however, didn't have the opportunity to whimper for much longer. With a sudden, audible swallowing sound, his cries were cut off.

After the first swallow the female dragon shut her jaws tight, closing her eyes as she began to work the human down her long neck. The first gulp only took the pilot in a little ways, and her meal has a long way to go…

The dragoness swallowed again, the bulge in the scales of her neck slowly traveling down the muscled tube with a slow, yet inevitable descent. A heavy rumble of pleasure coursed through her form as her muzzle took on an expression of pure satisfaction. Despite the two humans she'd swallowed earlier, it seemed as though her delight in another wriggling meal was undiminished.

Her mouth cracked open a bit more, her tongue curling with the effort of a final, powerful swallow that echoed throughout the clearing. After that the descent of her meal picked up its pace, sliding down her sinewy neck with relative ease. She visibly relaxed when this happened, her tongue lolling out to the side as she licked a trickle of drool from the corner of her lips. Only when the bulge met her chest did she wince for a moment, closing her eyes before opening them with a deep, ragged sigh of happiness as her meal was pushed past her ribs and into her gut.

The dragoness looked over at Andy, smiled, and stalked up to where the human lay.

Andy shrunk back from the fearsome predator, crawling backwards on all fours before he heard a violent growl sound from behind him. He looked back with a cry of fright to find Jurmonir walking towards him as well, a hungry light shining in his reptilian eyes.

There was nothing he could do with such death surrounding him. The speed and ferocity of these creatures was unmatched, and he was between both of them. This was their world, and their territory. He was at their mercy.

As a single tear rolled down his cheek, Andy looked up to find the female dragon's mouth hovering a few inches from his face. The familiar, dry air of the large creature's presence tickled his face, right before he winced as the hot, fetid breath of the carnivore washed over him. Those terrifying jaws parted, showing off a set of white, gleaming fangs lining a darkened set of gums. Humid, meaty rot and a palpable wave of thick moisture filled his senses as the familiar sight took up the entirety of his vision. Though the reptile's forked tongue wavered across his sight, what drew most of his attention, more out of fear than anything else, was the blackened depths of his tormentor's wide, gaping throat. He heard a rumble from deep within, followed by a horrible, threatening gurgle.

Then, as the dragon's throat widened a bit more and an audible bubbling sound came echoing out, Andy already knew what was coming. Strands of saliva slid down the red muscles as they widened in the hot darkness, before coming blasting out in a fetid, acidic blast of air as the giant reptile burped.

Andy closed his eyes and buried his head into the ground as the creature belched in front of him for the second time that day. Even that wasn't enough to block the horrible stench of the creature's gut, which came rolling out to fill his nostrils with its hot and heavy smell. The thick strands of saliva collecting in the dragon's throat came lightly splashing out onto his back, coating it in a layer of slime that felt oddly heavy and cumbersome. He shivered despite the heat, and buried his head harder into the ground. Despite his desperate efforts, he couldn't shake the overwhelming aroma of digesting meats. The dragon had eaten three of his companions now, and he could only imagine how horrible it must've been for all of them to be swallowed whole: to be gulped down those fleshy confines to meet their end in an alien reptile's tummy.

The dragon's belch came to a rumbling halt, and Andy slowly lifted his head. He whimpered as those serpentine lips continued to hover in front of him. They lifted in a teasing smile, before they opened up once again to speak.

“I told you I would come back for you later."

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