User blog:Thrögma/Sands of Nasurabi: Theod

'''This is a continuation of the previous story, hence the same super-title (or whatever it's called). Due to the nature of this project, this is in a way a two-part story; if you want, you can read the first part and this, and not read any following parts, as they will not continue this particular storyline. You understand.'''

“Oh, this is so gross,” I spat, in a vain attempt to rid my dry mouth of sand. Sand, sand everywhere, very uncomfortable. My mind was racing. This was all very new. I was totally out of my element here, and it showed. I was feeling many things in these moments, discomfort, anxiety, and thirst, but a large part of me almost felt regret. It was like the universe was punishing me for my hubris: unsatisfied with the boring stability and safety of my academic studies, I sought adventure. Clearly I had underestimated what challenges an archaeological expedition would bring. But this can’t be for nothing. I came too damn far for this! I was on the other side of the planet, on a different fucking hemisphere! And now just because I almost died of suffocation in a sandstorm I'm gonna call it quits? Fuck that noise! I don’t even know where to go! I physically can’t turn back! I mean, we came from the west, but traveling in a general westward line is suicide; I’m almost guaranteed to overshoot and miss any and all settlements in this vast blanket of burning sand. No, I go onwards. I have a shot then. I know these ruins, and I know where they are. Eastward from here to just beyond the Blackened Ridge, and a little bit northward from there. If I travel east, I’m bound to hit the Blackened Ridge, and from there I can orient myself. I can do this. I made it through the Anbard City slums to my hotel one time; how hard can a massive desert spanning five large kingdoms be? Because if I went on my first expedition and died of thirst, starvation, and heat stroke, that would just be pathetic. The wilderness too scary for a fancy, well-off city-boy? Like hell it is! Here we go. I will find that tomb if I have to walk through fire to get there. Now where are my goddamn glasses?

By the time I made it to Blackened Ridge, I was tired, hungry, and dehydrated. The trek had taken all day, and I had nothing. At this point, it was my tenacity alone that was keeping me alive. As well-studied as I was in the Tomb of Hlitri, the fact was I was woefully out of my depth in terms of survival skills. My rest was short, as I had to keep moving; hyenas stalked these sands at night. I pushed on, my bones aching, my skin burning, and my determination waning. It was almost dawn when I saw it; I had found the ruins. Set amidst a lush and generous oasis stood the ruins of a great mausoleum. Asides for an overgrown citadel, cracked pillars and crumbling walls were all that remained, but this was the find of the century! As magnificent as it was, the only thing on my mind was water. I rushed to the lake, scattering the wading birds, and quenched my cracked lips. I was saved. I sighed, and lay down under a tree, and fell asleep. The ruins could wait for a bit.

A strange noise jostled me awake. It looks like I slept a good 2-5 judging by the sun's placement. I turned to the crumbling fortification from which I heard the noise, as I saw a shape quickly dart away before I could catch a glimpse. I was being watched. I yawned, and stretched myself awake, and rose to my feet. I was inside the mausoleum grounds and outside the main tomb. Trudging forward, I came through what was once a window, and set to deciphering the runes. What I learned on those walls was amazing.

For thousands of years, the role of the Demon Lord was not one of senseless barbarism, but of civilized governance. The first seven generations of demon lords were wise and diplomatic, facilitating trade, establishing embassies, and forming alliances. They were still fed on human death, but it seemed almost balanced; like the brutal harmony between predator and prey. Even still, the monsters were not forces of evil; simply predators, never killing for sport. In this uneasy equilibrium, monsters and people could live in a balance, with monsters and people keeping each other from growing too powerful. But with the ascension of a new chief god 8,000 years ago, everything changed. The new chief god favored humanity, and sent them on a holy crusade. In their conquest, they breached the peace they had with the monsters, and started a war. The war soured everything forever. So much blood was spilt on each side. As legendary as it was, there was no legendary savior, no glorious plot-device to halt the fighting and bring balance. The conflict raged for centuries, and over the course of 300 years, it deescalated and petered out to the point there was no longer all-out war. But the centuries of fighting had taken their toll, and balance could not be struck ever again, as distrust and animosity festered between monsters and people. This became a millenia-long cold war (sprinkled with some regional, smaller wars), leading to the era of Hlitri. It seems it was this state of imbalance and hate which centuries later allowed Lilith to rise to the throne. This changed everything. I heard the scraping of rubble. Whatever was watching me was nearby.

I moved to another wall. This one seemed to depict demon lords of ages past. On this wall was carved the first seven demon lords: The seventh lord, the demon Dreklos, and the sixth lord, Ulars the demon lay kneeling on either side, hands clasped; Korveg, the fifth demon lord, a mighty cyclops held high his mighty hammer of ivory, and the fourth lord, the trigoloth Hgora, wielded a bident of carved bronze raised on either side towards the center; flanking the illuminated center were the third lord, the silver dragon Rakathga, and the second lord Santamu, a twisting apophis. These two gigantic coiled reptiles faced the first demon lord, Thrögma. I gasped. This was the oldest depiction of that long-dead king even found. He towered above even the mighty reptiles, a giant with bones lining the outside of his skin. His head (or rather, his skull) was that of a lion, and his mane bristled with three sets of horns. He wielded a three-headed serpent as a whip, high above his head. It was breathtaking. Below it was written simply “The Age of Blood and Gold”. On the opposite wall was carved an image of a giant girtablilu, who I could only assume was Hlitri himself, surrounded by tiny monsters bowing before him. Held in his claws was an elegant golden disk representing the sun, carved with intricate patterns and studded with amber. I reached out, and touched it. I laughed. This was incredible.

Suddenly, I was knocked to my feet. Looking down at me was a mighty griffon. She snarled.

“You dare sully the treasures of Hlitri’s tomb? You will pay for your hubris!”

“Ffffffuck on a stick!” I shouted. I tried to scramble away, but the griffon swiftly pounced, pinning me to the ground with her paws and talons.

“Answer me, mortal!” she growled.

“I just wished to gaze upon the ruins,” I whimpered in abject terror.

“Liar! You planned on stealing these priceless artifacts!”

“I was just going to give them to a museum,” I cried.

“Museum or not, you planned to steal them, so as punishment I shall steal your virginity!” With that, she brandished her claws, and tore the clothes from my trembling body in one swing.

“Nnnnno stop,” I cried out, “we don’t even know each other’s names!”

“I am Ophinica, and my family has guarded this ruin since the death of Hlitri himself,” she said sternly, as she cast aside the thin poncho that barely hid her nipples.

“I’m Theod, and I’d very much like to go now,” I said, unable to look away from her naked body. I swallowed. I had never seen such a beautiful woman. I could almost admire her beauty, if I weren’t pinned down and about to be violated.

“Hello Theod,” she smiled, “you will make a fine addition to my collection.” Without a second thought, she mounted my towering flesh, letting loose a squeal. I gasped as a wide grin crept upon her face. She began shaking her hips wildly, grinning as she crashed over and over upon my quaking, fearful body. I groaned with the immense pleasure that flooded me, as Ophinica lowered her head to my body, licking my shoulders, her uncovered breasts brushing against me. I moaned, overwhelmed by my subjugation. Never before had I known anything like this. It was incredible, this feeling of being dominated by such a powerful woman. She leaned in and kissed me, vigorously chasing my tongue with hers, as she crashed her pelvis into mine, chewing my lip and grappling my tongue. Suddenly, as if a damn burst, I felt myself explode into her, as she gasped, raking her claws against my skin in rapture, her head arched to the sky. Her hips began to slow down for a little, before speeding up like never before, hungrier than ever. Panting, she looked into my eyes, smiling. I sheepishly smiled back, overwhelmed by the cacophony of sensations. All regret over my bold decision for this expedition washed away, as I basked in my destiny. Here among these ruins I will remain, to be ravished by my guardian, in an oasis of wonderful, bottomless subjugation.