title: Offering aliases: [] tags: [FA] author: [ArgentVZ] id: [33596649] date: 星期五, 八月 26日 2022, 10:48:43 上午 modified: 星期三, 八月 31日 2022, 11:07:56 上午
[TOC]
Offering
Just as the sun peeked its way over the distant horizon, the ritual concluded in a final burst of song and flame. The yearly event had changed little, even in the hundreds of years since it began. An entire day of silence to reflect the dark times long past was immediately followed by a three-day celebration of the “rebirth” of the human race. It all reached a fever pitch on the solstice, lasting all through that longest day and well into the night.
This year’s celebrations had been even grander than those in previous cycles. The twelve past months had yielded great strides forward for the humans’ civilization. The internal conflicts of earlier years hadn’t reared their ugly heads, diseases and plagues had been kept at bay by new advances in medicine, and the usual wintertime famine had been completely avoided thanks to a bountiful autumn harvest.
However, it all came at a cost. Humanity hadn’t clawed its way back from the brink of annihilation on its own.
First contact between humans and their destroyers-turned-benefactors had been lost to the annals of history. All that was known for sure was that, in the course of a few months, hundreds of villages, towns, and cities were obliterated in the enemy’s sudden advance. It was a threat unlike any seen before, and without any widespread unity in that ancient age there was no chance of stopping them.
“They,” of course, were the dragons. They were towering beasts, only humanlike in their bipedal stature, with armored hides resistant to all but the heaviest ballista bolts, bodies large enough to effortlessly stride over defensive walls, and enough raw strength to topple a keep single-handedly.
Humanity only managed to survive because of how widely distributed their own cities and people were.
Decades of conflict, internal and external, had followed the introduction of this existential threat. Rather than unity, individual kingdoms and city-states chose war. They fought for resources and land even as the dragons continued their ruthless extermination.
At some point—history had not recorded the exact timing—the dragons’ goals seemed to change. Villages were spared under conditions unknown to those outside. The dragons’ sentience, once thought to be just the sharp intellect of an experienced predator, became clear as word spread. “Submit and be spared” was the mantra of the dozens of messengers sent out from these places, in the hope that others would listen.
Some did. Others, believing in their ability to fight and win, did not. They were summarily destroyed, reduced to splintered rubble beneath the dragons’ unstoppable might.
Those who remained had formed the basis of the new society, one carefully cultivated by its devotion to their new masters. The dragons, once thought of as mindless beasts intent on destruction, were now akin to feudal lords, with the humans as their vassals.
The price of their continued existence wasn’t simply complete subservience, nor was it the products of their labor. There were few things they produced that dragons required. What their conquerors wanted was proof of the humans’ continued loyalty—in the form of yearly sacrifices.
Each village, town, and city were forced to submit a small portion of their population to be taken as “true” devotees to their draconic masters, such that they were willing to give their very lives to them. While there were often true fanatics who eagerly volunteered for the “honor,” most smaller communities had to choose randomly from their populations.
Of course, not everyone had an equal chance of being chosen. The dragons had been gracious enough to allow children to be excluded from the process, while the elderly and infirm were excluded simply because they weren’t useful to the dragons’ “needs.” None of these were known for sure, but suspicions ranged from simple consumption to the far more disturbing and humiliating.
James was soon to find out the truth of these rumors. His village, a small logging community tucked at the foot of the continent’s easternmost mountains, had only enough people to offer one of their number yearly—and James had been unfortunate enough to be chosen.
When everyone had assembled in the town square for Selection, James, like most others, had been sick with dread. The random drawing was a simple process that had begun a week before. Each person was assigned a number, which was paired with a small, engraved stone. The rocks, worn smooth from reuse since the Dark Age’s end, were placed into a barrel and coupled to the village’s water wheel. It spun for seven consecutive days; the sound of churning stones was easily heard from outside the building. At Selection, the village’s elder blindly drew one from within the still-rotating cask—and whoever’s number was printed was the unlucky victim for that year. Nobody expected to be chosen, and he hadn’t been prepared for when his stone lay in the elder’s palm.
Knowing that his life had a literal expiration date had made him shut down for the week between Selection and the final celebration, inconsolable as he simply lay in bed, unable to bring himself to do anything but wait. People tried to comfort him, especially those many years older than him with more experience with the rituals; but there was little they could do. His despair was total and debilitating.
However, following the Day of Silence, James had felt a change within himself. He’d realized that his sacrifice was necessary, needed to keep his village, and humanity as a whole, prosperous and safe. He’d risen from his depression and joined in the festivities as the sole guest of honor, the true focus of his community’s collective joy and release. It had been a wonderous celebration.
And then, the ritual had ended. His peers, friends, and family had crowded around him only an hour earlier, quietly wishing him eternal peace and telling him that he would be remembered. The town had a plaque inscribed with the names of those taken in past years. While James hadn’t seen his name added, he knew that it would be by the end of the day.
Now he was alone, surrounded by the smoldering fires from the night before. Moss had been dumped atop them, creating thick clouds of smoke that rose high into the early morning sky—a signal to the dragons that their offering was waiting. James sat, holding his knees against his chest as he tried to resist the urge to flee. The acceptance from the night before had faded into that wonderful memory, replaced by the cold reality of what was soon to happen.
He was going to die.
The first indication of that doom came in the sudden fluttering of birds in the nearby forest. They took flight and arced into the distance. James wished it were so easy for him to flee. Attempting to elude his fate would only make his entire village the sacrifice rather than a single man.
Then, the earth began to tremble. What started as a subtle trembling soon became a shaking that sent apples tumbling from nearby trees and forgotten cups clattering from the nearby tables. James screwed his eyes shut and hugged his knees against himself, trying to block out the sensation and sound of the titanic creature’s approach.
Those other noises were soon overwritten by the sound of the dragon’s footfalls. Deep, booming thuds, followed by the softer cracking and crumbling of soil, heralded its approach. The sound filled his ears, and soon reached a point where he thought the colossus would simply squash him then and there. At least it’d be quick.
But with a single boom, the impact of which nearly sending him sprawling, the dragon’s steps halted. It took a James a moment to realize that the shaking had stopped, and what movement he was now feeling was his own body, wracked with dread.
The silence that followed was terrifying. He knew it was there, he could feel its presence above him. The air seemed heavy, as if even it lowered itself in submission to the titanic being. A minute passed, the only sound the subtle groaning of the strained earth beneath the dragon’s feet and the warm breeze that ruffled James’ hair and clothes.
The human finally managed to work up the courage to look up and face his fear. It had to happen eventually, and there seemed to be no use in prolonging it further.
When his head lifted and his eyes opened, he found his vision filled by a colossal mound of orange scales. Without context, James could’ve believed that it was simply the red granite face of the neighboring town’s quarry. The pattern of scales and the subtle way it pulsed with organic life made that illusion impossible to believe for longer than a single moment.
He began to tilt his head back, tracing his eyes upward from what turned out to be one of the dragon’s paws. A scale-clad, muscled leg led to the dragon’s hips, where a thin slit replaced the external genitalia James was used to. It made it hard to tell what sex the dragon was, but James chose male. For some reason, it seemed more accurate.
Moving further up, the titan’s body widened to his toned torso. The drake—given his lack of mythical wings—was eerily human from waist to head, whereupon the reintroduction of those inhuman features reminded him of the giant’s nature. His vision froze once he reached the dragon’s head. James’ eyes managed to find the titan’s—which were fixed directly on his tiny form.
Yellow-irised, slit-pupiled eyes regarded him with a calmness that the human found surprising. He’d expected contempt, annoyance, or even excitement. Perhaps he was simply unable to read the drake’s inhuman features, but there seemed nothing special about his gaze.
He soon defied James’ expectations once again. Without a word, the giant bent down. James could hear the creaking and popping of the dragon’s joints as he lowered himself, as well as the quiet compression of the dirt beneath the dragon’s wide paws. The human jumped as one of the drake’s hands thumped down next to him, resting on the backs of its scaled fingers. Only feet from James’ comparatively tiny body, he was able to clearly make out the details in those layers of overlapping scales. His attention returned upwards as a different, warm breeze blew across him—which he immediately realized was the dragon’s breath.
His awe managed to keep him from panicking as the dragon continued to examine him from above. He seemed curious, and almost expectant in a way. James found himself wondering if the dragon had previous experience with humans. Nobody was allowed to observe their arrival, so nobody should’ve known what a dragon looked like until their final moments as a sacrifice. If anyone had broken that rule, they obviously wouldn’t say. Some thought the dragons had the ability to read minds, and as such punishing offenses through banishment was common in larger cities.
James wondered if the dragon was curious as to how this latest creature would react to his overwhelming presence. So far, the human had found himself shockingly calm, despite his fears. He hadn’t tried to run or cry and beg for mercy. He simply watched, morbidly curious about the titanic being he’d heard so much about but had never actually seen until now.
From his left, the dragon’s hand began to shift. James looked over, anxiously watching as the giant’s fingers uncurled and slid behind him. The human felt his stomach tie itself into a tight knot as he helplessly waited for what the drake planned to do. His thumb swung downward, briefly blocking James’ view as it hovered before him. A whimper escaped the human’s throat, followed by a frightened yelp as the giant’s fingers bumped against his back. Still, he didn’t resist as the dragon’s thumb closed in against him. It eased against his body, covering him from neck to waist in warm, soft flesh. James shuddered as he felt the pressure close in from both sides. He was getting picked up, and there nothing he could do to stop it.
With the dragon’s thumb firmly pressed against his torso, somewhat restricting his breathing, James could only mentally hold on as he began to ascend into the sky. It was sickening; his stomach managed to unknot itself—only so it could do a few flips—as he accelerated far faster than any horse could. Even cliff jumping into the nearby river had never been so disorienting.
He was shaken for a few seconds when the drake finally stopped lifting him. The giant’s hand shifted, and the pressure from his thumb eased off. It still rested in front of James, but now merely hung before the human instead of squeezing against him.
The human once again looked to find his captor’s eyes. He quickly realized that he’d been brought only to the level of the dragon’s chest. Horizontally, he could look at the broad, cliff face of lighter-toned scales that made up the titan’s torso. Looking up was, once again, the only way to meet his gaze.
The giant’s eyes were still unreadable and calm, continuing to watch his little catch as warm exhalations flowed over his palm. It was only for a few seconds, however, as the dragon’s attentions quickly turned upwards as he started to walk.
It was hard to tell if the dragon was trying to keep his hand still. James could feel the bouncing each time the dragon took a step; even so high up, he could still feel the barest hint of the sharp jolt that shot up from the drake’s paw each time it connected with the earth. A few times, the human tried to look out to what wasn’t hidden by the giant’s body or hand. Each time, he regretted it. Being reminded of how high up he was and how far he was traveling only contributed to the sickness occasionally flaring in his gut.
He was relieved, then, when the titan finally decided to stop. James had no idea how long it had been or how far they’d gone, but from what he could see of his surroundings as the dragon lowered himself to the ground, it could’ve been over a hundred miles or only a dozen. There was no way to tell for sure.
The dragon eased himself into a sitting position, seeming to take care to keep his tiny captive from sliding off his hand. His thumb closed down when he seemed to think that James might slip free— never tight enough to be painful, merely reassuring in some strange way. On some level, he did believe that the drake cared about him. Although he suspected it was in the same way one would keep a chicken healthy before slaughtering it.
The giant’s attention returned to James almost as soon as he had settled. His thumb drifted away as his hand leveled out, making a firm, warm plateau for the human to sit on. James looked up anxiously, once again wondering what the dragon planned to do now. Perhaps he’d simply wanted to privacy before truly accepting his sacrifice.
Instead, the drake opened his mouth—and spoke. “Hello, little one,” he rumbled, his voice deep and reverberating. It almost seemed as if the dragon’s voice came from his chest rather than from between his jaws. James found himself too stunned to even think to respond; it must’ve showed, as the dragon’s following chuckle made clear.
“It’s always fun when you humans realize we can speak.” The drake seemed oddly pleasant for one talking to someone whose life was essentially forfeit.
James tried to open his mouth to reply, but couldn’t think of anything to say. What could he say? Asking for mercy was obviously out of the question, and being conversational seemed ludicrous.
Yet, the dragon had initiated, and James realized that it couldn’t hurt to reply.
“I…I didn’t know…” James’ voice was pitifully small compared to the titan’s; he wondered if the dragon could even hear him.
He seemed to be able to, as the pleased smile that flashed onto his snout indicated. “Not many do. But I forgive your ignorance. We don’t exactly make it easy for you to find out.” He chuckled again, an even deeper sound than his speech. It wasn’t too dissimilar from a set of boulders tumbling down a hillside. “Now then, you obviously know why you are here—and what I am to do with you.”
James nodded, his shoulders slumping. When he managed to return his eyes to the drake’s face a second later, he found that the giant was faintly smiling. It wasn’t malicious or pleased, however. The dragon seemed regretful, in a way. “You don’t need to be afraid. Such is the way of the world. Just know that you will not suffer long.”
James nodded again, swallowing hard. It was reassuring—but also terrifying to be reminded that, despite his friendly demeanor, the dragon was eventually going to kill him. It made the human unable to respond. The drake waited a few seconds to give him a chance to reply; when James didn’t, the dragon continued speaking.
“Anyway, that won’t happen yet. What’s your name, little one?” The dragon’s head cocked ever so slightly to one side. He seemed genuinely curious. James found it strange that the drake would want to know his sacrifice’s name.
“J-James…” He hesitated for a moment, unsure of if he should continue. “Do…do you have a name…?”
The dragon chuckled yet again. It seemed as if James would be hearing that a lot; the giant seemed endlessly amused by his ignorance. “Yes, of course I do. I am Khardesh. Don’t be afraid to call me such, I won’t be offended.” The dragon smirked, showing the barest hint of his teeth. James trembled at the mere sight.
“So…you’re probably wondering what I intend to do with you.” Once again, he was given a short, fearful nod in reply. “I have a few simple things for you to do. If you do as I ask, do it well, and give yourself willingly…then I will grant you a painless end. Do you understand?”
It took James a moment to reply. The casualness in which the dragon spoke of his death was sickening to hear. Yet, a predator allowing his prey the chance of a quick death…it was certainly better than whatever the alternative was.
“I…I do. Wh…what do I need to do?”
Khardesh smiled broadly. “Ready to start so soon? Good.”
The dragon’s hand shifted into motion, and James found himself descending once again. This time, it was all the way to the ground, where Khardesh’s hand tilted upwards to send the human sliding to the ground. He managed to stay on his feet, taking notice of the stripped-bare, heavily compressed dirt before his eyes rose back to the dragon. What he found was frightening, confusing, and unexpected all at once.
Two walls of flesh rose up to either side of him, in a similar light orange color to the dragon’s chest. However, the texture appeared to be closer to that on his palms, being covered in firm, leathery skin as opposed to tough, armored scales. Where exactly he was didn’t become clear until he looked towards Khardesh’s body, and realized that he was between the dragon’s feet. The gently shifting octet of toes behind him confirmed it.
As if he’d been able to see the human’s exact moment of realization, a slight grin appeared on Khardesh’s muzzle. “I’ll admit, this is an odd pleasure of mine. Just rub—for now. I’ll tell you when to stop.”
James trembled and looked at each vast paw in turn. There seemed to be no difference in the walls of flesh, each subtly wrinkling as the colossus continued to flex his toes. He gulped, continuing to hesitate—although a quick glance towards Khardesh showed the faintest hint of his patience running low. James made a quick decision and stepped to his right, towards the dragon’s left paw.
The human stopped just inside arm’s reach, feeling humbled at the sheer size of the dragon’s foot. Even if he reached his arms over his head, he’d still have to jump to have any hope at touching the scaled top of a single toe. The drake likely could’ve flattened his house beneath a single step. He felt insignificant compared to it, like nothing more than an insect to be crushed beneath it. He briefly wondered if Khardesh had ever stepped on someone, and visibly shuddered at the thought.
It didn’t stop him from reaching forward to do as he was ordered. The warmth of the dragon’s sole was evident even from where he’d been standing, and leaning forward to reach in only amplified that heat. James took a moment to brush away a few stubborn clumps of dirt, compressed into thin sheets beneath the countless tons of draconic weight brought to bear on them, before he pushed his hands in and began to rub.
The dragon’s soleflesh was more malleable than he expected. While rough and dense from the dragon’s constant walking completely barefooted, and need to protect his soles from whatever he might tread upon, James didn’t need to apply too much force to get the flesh to squeeze inwards. Before he could even wonder if the dragon could feel his efforts, a pleased, purr-like sound emerged from Khardesh’s distant head.
He didn’t need to speak for James to know he was doing something right. He pushed his hands forward again, this time running them in an up-down motion along the dragon’s foot. The rumbling continued, lower now; it was obvious that Khardesh was so far pleased with his performance. Another test followed, this time drawing wide circles on the drake’s sole, and once again the giant seemed content.
Unable to think of another way to massage his captor’s sole, James fell into a regular rhythm, alternating between the three motions he’d come up with. He even managed to find a few areas that seemed particularly sensitive for the dragon. One such area was just below the base of the single toe he could reach; pushing hard into it made the dragon’s colossal toes curl inwards and his bassy rumble deepen in pitch. Feeling the musculature of the dragon, with tendons far longer that he was tall, shifting just beneath James’ hands was fascinating and awe-inspiring.
He worked along the entire length of the drake’s walking section, from the bases of his toes to firmer rear edge, where its surface returned to scales and curved upwards towards his lifted, digitigrade heel. Despite not knowing what else the dragon had planned, he still gave the job as much effort as he could. By the time Khardesh finally rumbled for him to stop, his arms were aching with exertion.
But instead of truly being allowed to halt, Khardesh merely directed him towards his other paw with a casual wave of one hand. “Keep going, little one. You’re proving to be quite…talented.”
James nodded wearily and began to turn—only to catch a glimpse at what the dragon’s other hand was up to. All he needed to see was the way the drake’s fingers teased at a growing organ between his legs. The fact that servicing the giant’s feet aroused him didn’t surprise James; what did was how open and seemingly unashamed he was about it. Although perhaps it was similar to how humans felt little shame in doing the same with insects and rats that could potentially see them.
The human blushed, embarrassed, and stepped over to Khardesh’s other sole. He found it hard to concentrate for a moment as he realized what was really causing those deep rumbles, but managed to find the focused concentration that he had with the drake’s other foot. His massaging resumed, with James’ motions continuing to please his draconic captor.
He managed to ignore the dull pain in his arms even as he began to tire. The constant exertion of forcing his hands against the drake’s firm sole had begun to sap at his energy, and he hoped Khardesh knew that what he’d asked was surprisingly hard work for someone so small.
To his relief, Khardesh seemed to remember that his captive did have a finite amount of energy. “You can…rest…little one,” he soon rumbled, his voice broken up by what James could only assume was his continued self-pleasure.
Pivoting to look at the dragon only confirmed this. What had once been a protruding lump was now a bright, pink-ish spire of tensed flesh. From how it compared to Khardesh’s hand, it was clear that James was minuscule, even in comparison to the dragon’s cock.
James tried to avert his eyes, instead focusing on Khardesh’s face. The giant was still alert but already somewhat heavy-lidded, clearly moving towards the inevitable conclusion. There was no ignoring it for James, as even looking at his head the occasional grunt and twitching of his mouth reminded him of how much the dragon “enjoyed” his service.
“A-alright,” Khardesh said, seeming to momentarily pause his stroking to address his servant. “Now…you’re going to lick. Complain, and you’re going to directly help me. Understood?” A hardness entered the dragon’s voice and eyes as he gazed down at James. The niceties seemed to have faded.
Khardesh knew what he wanted, and the human would pay if he didn’t get it.
James held his tongue because of it. While the thought of licking the dragon’s feet was disgusting and humiliating, incurring the dragon’s wrath seemed wholly unwise. Especially when it entailed being in a far more dangerous spot than down by his paws. The idea James imagined for what “directly” helping meant only seemed to end with him broken and battered between the dragon’s broad palm and colossal member.
So, under the drake’s sharp, lustful eye, James stepped back towards his right paw. He couldn’t imagine that Khardesh would have much patience at all anymore; as such, he didn’t hesitate for long. After quickly wiping at the section of warm, dusty dragonsole he’d decided to start with, the human leaned forward and quickly lapped at the drake’s flesh.
He could feel the dragon’s muscles twitch as the soft sensation of his submission flicked through the titan’s nerves. As Khardesh let out his deepest, most satisfied purr yet—and began to once more stroke at his ever-lengthening cock—the human leaned in to lick a second time. The dragon’s sole was rough against his fleshy tongue and filled his mouth with a bitter grittiness that he doubted he’d ever be able to forget—if he were going live, anyway. Yet, he continued, unwilling to disappoint his captor and end up a shattered jumble of flesh and bones, a casualty of the dragon’s pleasure.
Lick after lick followed, with each dropping James’ inhibitions further. There wasn’t shame in it anymore. Nobody would see, nobody would know, and he’d be dead within the hour regardless. Spending his final moments humiliating himself literally at the feet of a titanic god was well worth the tradeoff of being eternally remembered as a hero to his people. They’d never know the true sacrifice he’d made. Not merely his body, but his dignity and pride as well.
He dropped to his knees, continuing to worship as the colossus’ rumbling intensified. The dragon’s paw remained shockingly still, allowing him to nuzzle into the gritty, warm wall without fear of having his back broken by an errant twitch of the drake’s leg. From this close, the natural, earthy scent of Khardesh’s paw became apparent, filling his nostrils as he pressed his face and mouth against the titan’s sole.
Khardesh, on the cusp of orgasm, decided to push himself over the edge with a forceful, risky move. Just as James had discarded his pride in favor of satisfying the dragon, Khardesh had temporarily dropped his gentle care for the little human. He eased his left paw against its opposite, groaning as he felt the tiny creature’s body compress between his soles. The final courtesy he gave the human before his life was left completely to chance was in not slamming his feet together. Humans had turned out to be more durable than he’d expected, but they were still fragile little things. Too much pressure too quickly tended to shatter them.
There was no time for James to react. One moment, he was totally devoted to Khardesh’s paw; the next, he was in complete darkness. Crushing pressure squeezed in from both sides, which his pained and confused mind managed to realize was Khardesh’s feet. He trusted the dragon, but found himself terrified as his breaths became too short to supply him with the oxygen he needed—and when the drake’s paws began to knead around him, pulling him further between the two vast plains of firm soleflesh. He became lost between them, forced to pray that Khardesh didn’t flatten him as the drake’s grunts of pleasure reverberated through his broad soles.
Khardesh cared little at this point. He was so close. The way the human began to squirm fruitlessly against his soles’ pressure only heightened his excitement. It was helpless, nothing but a little bug beneath him, a toy for his amusement, its life forfeit should he chose to end it. And he would…just not right now.
As he tipped over the edge into release, Khardesh pulled the pressure back from his paws. While hardly noticeable to the human clasped between them, it saved him from being crushed as the dragon orgasmed. He let out an earsplitting roar, sending animals fleeing in terror for miles around as his cock shot streams of draconic seed into the air. Khardesh squeezed and pulled every last drop from himself, grunting with exertion as his body involuntarily shuddered and trembled in total ecstasy.
He wasn’t able to play with humans very often, and it showed. It was yearly at best, as catching the little things alone in the wilderness wasn’t nearly as common as it used to be. And while his mate could certainly satisfy his needs, having a tiny, sentient creature worship you like a god was a completely different experience.
As the euphoria from his orgasm faded, his once-discarded care returned, and he remembered that he needed to check the human to make sure he was alive. The first good sign was the lack of a wet, mushy splotch between his feet. He was all too familiar with that feeling—not nearly as satisfying as worship, as the former was one quick burst of pleasure, rather than the drawn-out excitement one could get from the latter.
Khardesh eased his soles apart and let out a relieved sigh as the human slid down from between them. He slumped over against the dragon’s sole, breathing quickly but regularly against the drake’s smooth flesh. The human was alive, and seemed mostly intact.
The dragon let his fading erection drop to the ground as he leaned forward to inspect his tiny captive. James was exhausted, aching, and bruised—but alive and uninjured, just as Khardesh wanted. He couldn’t help but smile down at the human. It was almost a tender expression, in a way. He’d been so enthusiastic towards the end—and it was a pity Khardesh couldn’t keep him around. It wasn’t the way of their world, after all.
He reached down, and lightly brushed the back of a claw against the human’s side. The creature trembled and looked up, still clearly stunned. Khardesh’s smile remained gentle as he lightly chuckled. “I’m sorry, little one. I got carried away.” The human faintly nodded in response and leaned back against Khardesh’s sole. “You did well…very well. But…it’s time. Are you ready?”
James returned his gaze to Khardesh’s. He was stunned, sore, and humiliated—but most of all, he was tired. Exhaustion, both physical and mental, hung over him just as much as Khardesh’s proverbial guillotine did. Looking into himself, the human found that nothing left but the resignation to his fate. He was ready. Khardesh had broken him with a gentle promise, given him a purpose that would grant him that, and having fulfilled that purpose, James was simply finished.
And so, he merely nodded, stepping away from Khardesh’s paw as the drake’s fingers descended. The huge digits slipped around the human, pinching gently against his torso and back before Khardesh brought the little creature before his mouth. Khardesh had planned such a thing since the outset—the dragons had their own rituals, after all—but kept it secret from the human. Prey tended to get flighty when they knew they were going to be consumed, rather than simply killed.
James didn’t seem to be—at least for now—as he hung before Khardesh’s still-closed maw, trembling as the hot breaths flowed over him from the dragon’s nostrils. No words needed to be said as the dragon eased his lips apart, hotly exhaling across the human as his mouth yawned open. While he couldn’t see his prey anymore, the drake could feel the faint squirming as it began to realize what its fate truly entailed.
His tongue slipped forwards just over top of his bottom jaw’s row of sharp, carnivorous teeth, forming a wet, squishy platform for the human to fall onto. Khardesh’s eyes blissfully closed as he used touch to guide it downwards. His fingers lowered until he felt the creature’s feet kicking against the long muscle. He sighed as he released it, casually closing his jaws as his tongue retracted to pull the human fully within his cavernous maw.
The ancient prey of the dragons were many times larger than humans, necessitating the need for the dozens of spire-like teeth. They wouldn’t be needed for such small prey, however—Khardesh could effortlessly swallow the human whole. Chewing was unnecessary, and also against tradition.
He briefly sloshed the human around to savor its flavor. While nowhere near a meal, or even a snack, its terror-fueled squirming and kicking was far more satisfying than any truly-filling meal. But, not wanting to prolong its terror any further than necessary, he slowly tilted his head back. It slid down his tongue, grasping and clawing at the slick surface—as they all did. The human briefly bumped against the top of the drake’s throat, greedy muscles tensed and ready to pull it down to his stomach. Khardesh barely let it sit for an instant before he swallowed. Effortlessly, the human was tugged into his throat and squeezed downward. Its tiny form squirmed throughout its descent, making Khardesh let out a second, satisfied sigh. While its death wouldn’t be totally painless—he doubted suffocation from lack of oxygen was a pleasant way to die—there were worse ways he could’ve killed or maimed it.
Khardesh yawned and rose to his feet. After taking a moment to kick some dirt over the small puddle of swiftly drying cum, the dragon turned to lumber home. As a dragon’s plaything and snack, James would soon be forgotten. Khardesh would find more, and the human would simply be another casualty of his desire to dominate and the centuries-old pact that enabled it. Being sacrificed to save his home would still leave him a casualty of that agreement; yet in the minds of his people, it was a heroic deed. He, and the hundreds of others before and after him, would be remembered for as long as the records were kept. While it was not a fate James would’ve desired, it was one far more noble and important than he ever would’ve expected—at least to those who didn’t know the complete truth.