The whole adventuring party was focused on preparation as they broke down their camp. Wald was sharpening his sword. Asa was undergoing the involved process of putting on her heavy plate-mail armor. Lesan was examining and adjusting a small metal lantern, the locus he used to cast his spells. Nathke herself was running drills in her head, making sure she was ready with her healing magic at a moment's notice.
And Pyra was a little ways off, packing her things into her saddlebags.
Pyra, of course, wasn't technically a member of the party. She hadn't been there when they had met at the Adventurer's Guild. She didn't join them in battles or share in their loot (at least not directly.) And actually, she kept to herself most of the time.
The party had run into the little raccoon merchant while traveling, and she had asked their permission to tag along. She had an impressive array of wares, exactly the kinds of potions and magical items any adventuring party needed. She did occasionally disappear (presumably to restock her supply) but would always return, sometimes days or weeks later, with new merchandise to sell. Nathke and her teammates were happy to share some of their coin with her in exchange for her top-tier goods; it was so much more convenient to have a merchant traveling around with you, instead of having to trek back to a town or city to resupply.
It had reached the point that Pyra felt like a member of the party. She would join them for dinner around their campfire, though she would always bring her own food, and often she wouldn't eat at all. She would ask the party members how their magical gear was working or if they were having any problems, as though she wanted to personally guarantee that her wares were worth the coin. And they would share stories with her, telling her about their adventures each time they returned.
Well, hopefully they would have a good story for her this time.
Nathke wandered over to where the little raccoon was working. "Need any help with that?" She asked.
"No, I've got it," Pyra responded. She turned to face Nathke. "Are you ready for your big quest?"
"I sure hope so," Nathke said.
Pyra tilted her head to one side. "You don't sound too confident."
"We've never faced anything like this before," Nathke admitted. "We've fought monsters and bandits and even wizards, but this is a dragon. Do you know how many adventurers can actually say they've slain a dragon?"
"Only the best!" Lesan's voice came from behind them as the male mouse stood up. "And that's us! So you don't need to worry, Nathke. We're gonna be fine."
"Yeah, we've handled things bigger than this," Asa said, tightening the buckles on her armor. The female bear beat her gauntlet-clad fist against her chest with a clang. "I know that you rabbits are naturally timid, Nathke, but we can handle it."
Nathke furrowed her brow. "That's a stereotype, and you know it, Asa."
"Have you given any thought to my suggestion?" Pyra asked, her voice neutral.
"You mean, trying diplomacy?" Lesan shrugged. "You really think we can reason with a monster?"
"My experience is that very few 'monsters' actually think of themselves as such. Dragons are very intelligent, this one might listen if you try talking to her first."
Wald stood up, sliding his sword back into its sheath. "We already have a plan," the wolf said, his voice a characteristically deep-throated growl. "We sneak up on it in its lair and get the drop on it. We'll need every advantage we can get, and talking first will just let it know we're here."
Pyra looked between them and shrugged. She knelt down and began putting on her things, slinging saddlebags, boxes, and packs onto her back. "I wish you the best, then. I hope to see you all again soon."
Asa grinned. "You will, and we'll have more loot to sell you."
Pyra smiled. "I'm looking forward to it." Then she turned and started to walk off through the trees, looking for all the world like a tiny, four-legged store.
Nathke joined the others in breaking down their camp. "Do you think maybe she's right?" Nathke asked.
"She's a merchant, not an adventurer," Wald responded. "We're the experts here. Don't let her shake your confidence."
"Right, right, of course."
"Good." Wald turned, looking at the mountain that they could see rising up beyond the trees. "Now, if everyone's ready, let's go slay a dragon!"
--------
Nathke stumbled through the woods, using her staff to support her. Her legs felt weak, like they could collapse out from under her at any second, but she forced herself forward, one step at a time. If she collapsed here, she doubted she would be getting back up. She was wounded, fairly certain she had a few broken ribs, and she had burned all her energy during the escape; there was no way she could muster the focus and concentration necessary to do any healing magic. Her only hope was to find help.
One of her large ears twitched, turning towards the trees. She had heard something familiar. A rythmic jangle of gear and supplies jostling around.
"Pyra." Nathke wheezed, then managed to raise her voice to a shout. "Pyra!"
The jangling stopped, then started moving towards her. After a minute or two, Pyra stepped out from the trees, her supplies still on her back.
Nathke let out a sigh of relief. Thank goodness! Pyra would surely have some potion or trinket that could restore her. Or even if not, all Nathke really needed was someone to watch over her for a few hours while she rested and got her strength back.
The raccoon looked Nathke over, taking her in, then started sliding her gear off her back. "I take it, from your appearance, your ambush on the dragon didn't go well?"
Nathke let out a a sharp, raspy laugh. "No kidding. We were completely outmatched, even with all four of us. That monster tore us apart. The rest..." Nathke hesitated, biting her lip. "They're all gone, Pyra. In the belly of that beast."
Pyra nodded, looking in the direction of the mountain, her expression thoughtful. "That is a shame. They had some very nice gear -- especially that magic sword Wald was using. Unfortunately, dragons tend to claim that kind of thing as trophies."
Nathke furrowed her brow. "W-what?"
Pyra turned her attention to Nathke. "How fortunate, though, that you managed to escape! Your ring, it generates a magic shield, correct? I assume that's how you escaped?"
"Y-yes," Nathke answered, not entirely understanding what was happening. She was obviously injured and needed help. Their mutual friends were currently digesting in a dragon's gut. But Pyra didn't seem at all concerned. It was like she was... appraising the damages? "I did use the ring to shield myself from the dragon's fire while I escaped. But..."
"And your staff is a magic amplifier, too, if I recall correctly," Pyra continued, interrupting Nathke. "Both very valuable. It's good that they're not lost."
Nathke's legs finally gave out, and she slumped down to her knees, still clinging to the staff for support. What... what was happening here? "You... you only cared about our things?" Nathke stammered.
"No, no," Pyra said, shaking her head as she walked up to Nathke. "I merely hate to see things go to waste. It is a shame what happened, of course. You and your party were an excellent source of both income and merchandise. But it seems like your adventure is at an end, which means it's time for me to move on."
Pyra reached out and took Nathke's hand. For a moment, she thought that maybe she was going to help her up, but then Pyra slipped Nathke's ring off her finger.
"B-but..." Nathke's voice was catching in her throat. "I... I still..."
"Ah, yes," Pyra said. She cupped Nathke's chin in both hands, gently tilting her head up so they could look each other in the eyes. "As I said, I hate letting things go to waste. And that includes defeated adventurers just as much as their gear."
"What do you...?"
But Nathke didn't have a chance to finish her question before she received her answer. Pyra leaned down, bringing their noses close to each other. Then she opened her mouth wide.
At first, it almost seemed silly. Pyra's mouth didn't exactly look huge. But the raccoon used her hands to guide Nathke's face forward, sliding her nose and muzzle into the open maw. Pyra's lips enveloped Nathke's nose, the rabbit's chin resting on her tongue.
Then Pyra kept going, her mouth opening wider, and her lips starting to stretch over the rest of Nathke's head, pushing her large ears back. Soon she was encased in the warm, wet darkness of Pyra's mouth.
When Nathke felt those lips start to slide around her shoulders, she snapped out of her daze and started to panic. Pyra was eating her! She tried to push her away, frantically attempting to wiggle backwards.
Pyra grabbed Nathke's upper arms and pinned them to her sides. Maybe it was just the fact that she was so weakened after the battle, but Pyra was stronger than Nathke expected. Nathke couldn't make any headway against her. With a loud gluk, Pyra swallowed, her tongue pressing against Nathke's chin, and her head was yanked forward into Pyra's throat. Another swallow, and her shoulders and chest joined her, squeezed into the too-tight tunnel.
Nathke's downward progress stopped for a moment, though the peristaltic movement of the throat continued around her, trying to tug her further. Pyra had gotten stuck on her hips, Nathke realized. This left Nathke's upper body stuck inside Pyra's upper torso -- she must be making a bizarre bulge right now. Maybe the raccoon wouldn't be able to get her all the way down?
Nathke kicked frantically, but she couldn't find any purchase -- Pyra had lifted her up, turning her upside down to let gravity assist. Other than that, with her arms trapped at her side, all she could do was wiggle in place.
Something else was worrying her, too. From above -- below? -- she could feel heat, radiating out from deeper in Pyra's gullet. It was already hot enough here, but this felt like something more, hotter than a normal living creature should be.
Gluk. Pyra swallowed, trying to force Nathke down.
Gluk. The throat pulled at Nathke, trying to tug her towards that unnatural heat.
GLUMPH. Nathke jolted, and she felt the wet warmth of Pyra's maw wrap around her hips and tail. She had managed to get them in. With the widest part of Nathke's body past, the rest of the process was easier. The rabbit was pulled further down as Pyra slurped up her kicking legs.
Then, Nathke's head entered the stomach.
"Hot" didn't even begin to describe it. She felt like her head had just been shoved into an oven. She let out a gasp as the humid, acrid air assaulted her nostrils and throat.
The situation only became more hellish as Pyra finished swallowing her, forcing the rest of her body into the raccoon's furnace of a gut.
It was too tight, like it wasn't really big enough for something her size. Her body was contorted into a painful ball as the burning hot walls squeezed in on her, and she felt several snaps and cracks in her chest -- if her ribs hadn't been broken before, they definitely were now.
"Pyra!" She shouted, tears pouring down her cheeks. "Please, let me out!"
There was no response other than the cacaphonous gurgle of the raccoon's stomach.
Nathke tried to recoil away from the heat, but of course that was impossible. The stomach walls kneaded her, crushed her, burned her, and any attempt at push out at them only resulted in them snapping back, often forcing her into an even more uncomfortable position.
"Pyra, please!" Nathke's shouts were turning into high-pitched screams. "Please, I thought we were friends!"
The chamber suddenly rolled, turning Nathke upside-down and momentarily disorienting her.
"P-please... Pyra..." she whined. "Please..."
The stomach around Nathke rumbled, then tightened painfully as the raccoon let out a belch.
--------
"Urp. Excuse me," Pyra said, to no one in particular.
She had laid down in the clearing, lying on her back and resting her upper body on one of her packs. Her forepaws rested on her belly. Her belly was still wriggling, and she could hear muffled screams and sounds coming from the inside, though she couldn't make out any words.
Her stomach felt painfully full, even bloated. Even a single prey the size of the rabbit was really too much for her. Pyra didn't make a habit of doing this, but she hadn't been able to turn down the opportunity -- a single potential prey, alone, out here with no one else around. Already too weak to put up much of a fight, though she was finding a second wind now. Pyra had doubted she would ever see the rabbit again, anyway, now that her adventuring party had fallen.
So why let her go to waste?
Pyra sighed, then rolled back over onto her feet and started packing up her things. A few minutes later, she was laden with her merchandise again, and ready to continue her journey, her belly swinging beneath her with every step.
Traveling with these adventurers had been a successful endeavor, overall. And as she walked, she wondered what the next group might be like.
Maybe they would have a meal for her, too.
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Voretober Day 3! A story demonstrating Pyra's normal modus operandi.
