Watching the Flock (Whitebrand and MasterGryph)

[MasterGryph]

That all sounded unbelievable, but Brianna knew there were many things outside her experience.

"Is this something all dragons can do?" she decided to ask. It wouldn't help her understand how it worked, but it was a way of addressing the normality of it from an angle.

[Whitebrand]

"Ah...no," Brand said, looking a little uncomfortable. "I'm...um...cleverer than...um...a lot. I'm kind of a prodigy when it comes to magic."

[MasterGryph]

"It doesn't sound like any magic I've heard of," she muttered, "...But I haven't heard of that much."

Brianna breathed out, pushing herself to try to relax as she set down her bag. "I guess I'll just have to see for myself. Uh, is there anything else I should do to... ready myself?" She looked the dragon in the eye, her own confused, nervous... but also curious.

[Whitebrand]

"Just...relax," Brand said. "And remember that I would never hurt you."

The young dragon waited a moment. He stared at her for a moment with this golden eyes. Then he opened his mouth...

[MasterGryph]

Brianna stared into the dragon's maw and continued concentrating on breathing deeply. This was really happening... She was about to be swallowed by a dragon!

She stayed still, reminding herself that she liked Brand and trusted that he wanted to make her happy.

However, her composure faltered and she stumbled when someone shout from across the yard. "I knew it'd be back!" Kane was running at the dragon clumsily, sword drawn.

"Well that's going to complicate things," Sorrel muttered.

[Whitebrand]

Brand turned, putting himself between Kane and Brianna.

"Put that thing away before you cut yours-"

He had to duck his head quickly to avoid the weapon. Even in inept hands the sword could still hurt.

The dragon grabbed at Kane's wrists, trying to stop him from hurting anyone.

"I'm warning you, BACK OFF!"

His voice was raised until it was almost a roar.

[MasterGryph]

Brand was able to grab Kane by the wrist, though this almost caused him to lose his grip on the sword and hit the dragon anyway.

"Back off? No way I'd lose this opportunity!" the young man said, though it sounded like he was trying to convince himself as much as anything. He was able to continue his reasoning, "If I rescue a damsel from a dragon, she's sure to join me!"

After a few seconds of consideration, Sorrel decided she should do something to prevent injury. She slipped around and grabbed the sword from the two of them.

"Don't kill him!" Brianna called out, "He's... he's not worth that." While she'd voiced suspicion of Kane, it was also true that he had yet do do anything really vile in front of the dragon.

[Whitebrand]

Brand lifted the man's wrists and transformed into his anthro form. It was only a moment, but its was enough to deliver a fierce kick to the gut. The blow was delivered more for distance than damage.

"Back down now, Kane," Brand snarled, spitting the name as he resumed his quadruped shape. His legs were splayed and slightly bent, ready for another attack. "She won't be going with you anywhere."

[MasterGryph]

Kane tumbled over, ending in a sitting position. "YOU...!" he shouted as he started picking himself up.

"Kane, stop!" Brianna called out, "I was going to get eaten sooner rather than later anyway! This way at least I'll be going on my own terms." Since telling the truth about the dragon's intentions would be unbelievable, she leaned into what the situation looked like.

"That doesn't have to happen! Married women leave dangerous jobs like this. If you come with me-"

"No. This is for the best."

[Whitebrand]

"Marry you?" Brand laughed. "Marry you? I know men like you. Marrying a bandit would have been a better option! She'd be dead within a year at your hands!"

Brand bristled furiously, looking ready to lunge any second. Just give him a reason and Kane would and up in this real belly...no...too foul. Brand would settle for decapitation...

[MasterGryph]

The young man was briefly taken aback by the idea that being eaten by a dragon could be a preferable experience to spending time with him. "That's not...!"

"Just... stop. The village won't miss me much. It seldom does," the shepherdess turned to the Dragon. "Just take me and fly off. He can't follow where you're going. Even the top of the roof would be safe from him."

[Whitebrand]

Brand seized Brianna and his wings bought her to the roof of the building. In a fit of immaturity, Brand stuck his tongue out at Kane.

"Watch closely, Kane," he said. "This is the story you're giving the townsfolk."

The dragon opened his mouth and finally...finally...lifted Brianna's pretty head into it. His jaws steadily widened to take in her shoulders. The instant his saliva touched her dress the cloth began to dissolve.

Determined to put on a good show, the dragon shoved the shepherdess deeper into his mouth. He head filled his throat as she was squeezed into the tight muscular passage.

[MasterGryph]

Brianna squirmed as the dragon's tongue slipped through her dissolving clothes to touch her skin, giving the dragon a strong taste of her front. As the girl's life as a shepherdess drew to an end, she squinted as she looked down the dragon's throat.

"Maybe I really am just a weak-hearted fool," she mumbled to herself, unsure whether the dragon would hear. "I held to my duties so long, but when I finally gave up, I folded completely... I can't hate Isabelle, the village, Kane... and I certainly can't hate you..." she trailed off there, slipping into almost an entranced state as she allowed the dragon to do what he would with her.

[Whitebrand]

Brand, oblivious to her troubling thoughts, deliberately gobbled the rest of the girl down, making sure Kane got a good view. He swallowed her feet down with an exaggerated gulp.

The dragon snatched up Brianna's things in a flash. He paused just long enough to give Kane a very rude gesture. Then he took to the air, cradling Brianna's things like precious treasures.

[MasterGryph]

Kane gaped in shock, anger, and... was that... a twinge of jealousy deep down? ...As another perfectly good young woman was lost to a predator's taste for shepherdesses.

Once the dragon had flown off, his attention turned to Sorrel, smart enough to realize that her position next to the dragon as he readied himself to take his meal before the interruption made her an accomplice to the creature. Sorrel argued that the arrangement between the dragon and shepherdess was practically finalized before she turned up. Sorrel acknowledged that Kane's story would likely be believed by the townsfolk over hers as an outsider.

"But, does that matter?" the adventurer cocked her head, "Even if they do believe I was working with a monster, I doubt they'll want to get rid of me. Not when I'm volunteering for the job, and look like I can last. Really, a long line of one shepherdess at a time was just slowing the bleeding, it wasn't a solution..."

One way or another, the disguised weresheep would likely be fine.

---

Brianna slid down the dragon's throat, unsure what sights she might see. Brand had said she wouldn't really be going into his stomach, but she had little idea what to expect. All she could do was allow her ride to take her where he would...

[Whitebrand]

The gentle swaying of the stomach was oddly relaxing and warm, despite her nakedness. In due course she found herself nodding off...

When Brianna awoke she was in a grand bedroom. Fine woods were used for the furniture and wall paneling. Her bed was a huge structure with dark oak columns at the corners supporting silk curtains. Her nightgown was also of fine cloth that draped flatteringly over her body.

A large wardrobe stood across from the bed, elaborate and professional carvings featuring exotic creatures from all over the world. A makeup and jewelry mirror and table sat next to the wardrobe. The wall on her left was dominated by great windows and a pair of large doors that PE ed to a balcony. To her right were two doors, one open to a luxury-sized bathing area. The other, stronger door was closed.

The dragon had not been kidding about his offer. In fact her seemed to have undersold it.

[MasterGryph]

Brianna looked around, taking in the beauty of the room and its furnishings. Even after everything, she still had trouble believing it.

Finally, Brianna broke into a huge grin, even as tears began spilling from her eyes. She had survived. She was alive. She had no idea what she would do with herself in this new life, but at least she had it.

She let herself fall back into her bed and curled up against herself. She would take a better look around later. Probably try out the bathing area, in particular. But in the meantime, she just wanted to rest while everything sunk in... and hopefully softened the stress she'd lived with for much of her life.

[Whitebrand]

A short time later there was a knock at the door.

"You decent?" A familiar voice called.

[MasterGryph]

Brianna sat upright and looked at herself. Nightgowns weren't really suited for going outside, but she wasn't outside. Also... he'd had to have been the one to dress her in it...

Probably little point dwelling on it. "Decent enough, I suppose," she called out. "Good morning?"

[Whitebrand]

The door opened and Brand shouldered his way in. He was in this anthro form, and he was carrying a tray that has it least three dishes of breakfast food. Bacon, sliced turkey, oatmeal, tools of bread, pancakes, and eggs. All expertly prepared to near perfection.

"Morning," he said as he came in. Her walked over and set the tray down next to the bed. Finally he turned to here...and stared. As if he'd been poleaxed.

"You look...I told you...amazing."