To Dance With Death Part 1

(Warning, the following story includes vore, soul vore, death, and zombies.)

Barracked behind multiple pieces of steel and wood. A grey wolf anthro sat in a chair, slowly spinning the green ring on his finger while his crossbow sat next to him. He looked over at the door with his pale blue eye. His other eye being a pale white since it was blind. He sighed, seeing it was nothing and looked down at his ragged tan jeans. He readjusted his black leather jacked and went back to adding boards to the windows to keep the cool winds out.
Sitting atop a large tree was a small, bipedal dragoness. She was a mere eleven feet tall, half of the rest of her race. But she didn't care for size. Or her race for that matter. She was interested in technology. Weapon technology to be exact. She had 'found' a pistol, she had no clue what it was called, but she knew it was great at killing prey.
The wolf nailed a few more planks into place then the sound of foot steps caught his attention. He turned around and quickly made his way to his crossbow. He picked it up and loaded a bolt into it before realizing the noise was coming from the floor above. He sighed quietly, not wanting to go up but he had no choice and walked to the door at the side of the room, pushing it open. Then he proceed to go upstairs.
The dragon jumped from the tree, gliding to a bunker she had just spotted. She seemed surprised she hadn't already spotted it. She quickly flew over to it, hoping to find supplies from the most likely dead owners.
The wolf soon reached the next floor and cheeked the door open. And slipped his bow inside before entering himself. He looked around, but didn't see anything though he didn't have any doubt there was nothing here. He slowly walked around, making very little noise. Then he reached another door. He stared at it for a good minute before putting his hand on the door and just as he did it swung open to a human zombie. One of the main zombie types seeing that they caught the virus easily. He jumped back and hit it with a blast of dark energy. Causing it to fly back and hit the wall across the way. Then he raised his bow and shot it straight in the head, pinning it to the wall.
She landed with a loud thud, then heard the commotion inside. She went to find a way in, but did so quietly. Alerting someone to her presence would be bad for her, considering that everyone had a weapon of some kind.
The wolf heard the thud but didn't think much of it, seeing it was from outside and didn't sound like metal breaking. He walked up to the corpse and grabbed the bolt with one hand and put his other on its head. Before he released dark energy through it, making it melt away rapidly. After only seconds he was only holding his bolt and standing in a pile of red goop. He loaded his crossbow again and then continued to search his safe house.
She looked, finding a flaw in the boards. She tore away the wood and metal alike, making a big enough hole for her to get through. She also had no care that there was a big hole in the wall now, she couldn't be infected, and also wasn't going to stay here.
He heard the racket downstairs and sighed angrily. "Just as I leave..." He whispered, walking back to the stairs and going down them. But he didn't open the door, he just listened with his bow ready to fire.
She searched the room, grabbing random supplies from around the room, putting them all in a rucksack she carried over her chest.
He slowly opened the door and walked out. Looking around the room with caution with his bow aimed up. And even though he didn't see anything he could certainly smell something. But it didn't smell like rotting flesh. It smelled more, living. Perhaps it was a survivor. He walked over to the doorway into the next room but stopped and went against the wall. Going back to listening.
She continued to raid the room, then she focused on getting food for later.
He peeked around the corner, having to more or less put his entire head into view since one side was blind. And as he saw the dragon he went back against the wall, banging his back on the wall louder than intended. He gasped and ran to a nearby desk and hid behind it. Holding his crossbow close to him.
She turned around, looking for the source of the thump. She went closer to the door and sniffed the air. She smelled mostly a vile rotting smell, but there was defiantly canine in there too. She growled, looking around the corner.
He kept quiet, holding his breath without even knowing. He heard the growl and closed his eyes briefly. 'Damn it heard me.' He thought, gripping his crossbow tighter. His ears twitching to the sounds the dragon made.
"Come out dog! I know you're here!" She said menacingly.
He heard the command and growled angrily, standing up with his crossbow pointing at her. "My name isn't dog! It's Mortuus!" He growled.
She whipped out her pistol, which she kept on a black collar around her neck. She pointed it at him. "Don't!" She hissed, clicking the safety off.
Mortuus squinted his eyes slightly. Keeping the bow up. "What's your name?" He asked as his bow began to glow and purplish-black. As did the bolt inside.
"Kara." She said, breathing smoke from her nostrils.
The wolf huffed slightly but kept his bow up. "What are you doing in my safe haven?" He asked.
"Getting supplies, obviously." She said angrily.
"Well there's nothing here. At least not for you." He growled, standing his ground. But he truly was terrified of her though he refused to show it even through scent.
"There's plenty here for me." She said. "And after I take care of you, I'll have it." She said, tensing her pink scaled finger on the trigger.
He growled and fired his crossbow. The bolt exploding in a black burning cloud as it hit her chest. Then the wolf ran off, going downstairs. Deeper into the bunker. And into the unexplored area.
She yelped, more out of surprise than in pain. Then she quickly recovered, rushing after him. "You'll pay for that, mutt!"
He growled again and kept running while he loaded another bolt. Then he skitted off to the left into a pitch black room.
She slowed, loosing sight of him. Kara lifted hit nose slightly, getting Mortuus' scent and following it to the room. She couldn't see well in there, despite her night vision like eyes. So she blindly fired three rounds into different spots. She grinned as the muzzle flash lit the room, but still didn't know if any hit him.
He ducked his head down and clasped his hand shut. And once the shooting stopped he threw his hand in the air and just as quickly a thick black smoke filled the room. He waited a second then ran with extremely light footsteps.
She growled, firing the rest of her clip into the room and quickly reloading.
He let out a loud yelp and fell to the floor as a bullet went through his leg. He instantly wrapped his hands around the wound and dark ash-like smoke filled the wound. And as it dissipated the blood, tendons, and burnt tissue pulled together, repairing his injury. Right after he got up, running.
She smiled and jumped towards the yelp, seeing his movement, she followed. "Enough tricks!" She roared, unknowingly right behind the wolf.
Mortuus felt the steps and whipped around. Followed by him firing a blast of dark energy at the steps. He then took off again, hoping he hit her.
She got hit and stumbled off balance. Then she fell to the floor, with a pained expression on her muzzle.
The wolf quickly ran out of the room and stopped instantly. To a mob of mainly human zombies at least a dozen if not more. He quickly fired his charged shot into one of them and it exploded. Causing the one struck and the ones closest to it to melt in seconds. Leaving on five as the smoke cleared. He went to load a bolt but they started running. Causing the wolf to copy the idea, running the opposite way.
The dragon got up, looking up in the direction of the smell of rotting flesh. She saw the wolf, followed by zombies. She growled, firing two bullets into each zombies' head.
The wolf heard the shots then looked back, seeing all but one zombie drop. He growled at the last and sent a swarm of black smoke at it. Soon after it was engulfed and turned to goop. He gave a grin and continued to run, now from the dragon.
She looked up and chuckled, dropping the last zombie with a shot to the brain. "The big bad Wolfie can't handle zombies?" She laughed, chasing after him.
He growled and stopped, sending smoke onto her hand and making it melt instantly. "I've had enough of you!" He growled as the acidic smoke traveled up her arm and began to eat away at that too.
She growled, shooting him square in the chest. "Shouldn't have done that!" She hissed, her pupils slit to the point of being almost invisible.
He fell to the floor with a yelp, holding his chest. He quickly let smoke in then once he removed his hand he was healed. As for the dragon the smoke was still melting away at her. He stood up and made a thin smoke screen to block her from shooting him since anything that tried to pass through would melt instantly.
She growled, emptying another clip into the wall. As the smoke reached her shoulder, she hissed. "I hope my zombificated body tears you apart!"
"Hey you attacked me first. I'm just trying to survive in this hell hole. You brought that on yourself." He said, making the smoke stop so they could talk without the timer of her melting completely. But it still swarmed where he had it stop. "And there wouldn't be a body left to tear me apart." He noted.
"Then I'll do it before then!" She roared, breathing fire first at her arm then at the smoke wall.
He sighed and pushed the wall forward. Making it wrap around her and continue the melting process. "There's just no reasoning with you." He said, increasing the thickness of the smoke.
"Reasoning?! You didn't even try to reason with me!" She growled.
"I'm trying now. Seeing that you can't attack me." He said, slowing the smoke once more.
She roared. "Oh, now! Maybe you should have tried to reason before you shot me!" She hissed.
"How? You said you were going to kill me!"
"Only 'cause you had the intentions to kill me!"
"No I didn't, I only had the crossbow aimed for some kind of protection. If I intended to kill you I would have started off like this." He said as he gestured to the smoke.
She glanced over his shoulder, but didn't make it obvious. "Hey... If you loose concentration, does this magical trash go away?" She suddenly asked.
Mortuus raised an eyebrow but didn't answer her question. "Why do you ask?"
"Just curious..." She said, glancing at her melting hand.
He squinted his eyes, not liking her odd nature. He looked at her and began making the smoke slowly melt at her head. "What are you not telling me?..."
She growled again. "Well I'm not telling you now." She said, grabbing her hand.
"Just tell me..." He said, letting the smoke have at her eye socket. "...or I'm going let this smoke have its fun."
She hissed. "How about we reason now. You stop this voodoo stuff, and I'll help you with zombies."
"Okay... but how do I know you're not just going to kill me as soon as I let you go?" He asked, stopping the smoke again.
"There's no way to know... But what if I say I promise." She said quickly, getting nervous.
He stared at her and thought deeply about it. Then the smoke dissipated. "Depending what you do now will depend what I do."
She pulled her pistol up and shot three rounds over his shoulder. Not even a second later, a brainless zombie fell against the wolf's back.
He gasped, turning around as the zombie fell to the ground. "Thanks for telling me about that." He growled.
She grinned. "I had to use to my advantage." She said.
Mortuus looked back at her, walking away from the dead zombie. "Advantage? What advantage?"
"Reason with you and do what I just did, or have it attack you." She stated.
"Well if I had been killed by that thing you would be stuck missing those limps." He said, glancing at the zombie before getting uncomfortably close to the dragon.
She looked down at him and chuckled. "I can do without them, I'll just not be killing zombies anymore." She said.
He just sighed, not liking how expendable he was to her. "Hand me your arm... it what's left of it."
She held it out. "Thank goodness for extreme pain tolerance." She said, chuckling.
"Yeah..." He said, grabbing her arm and releasing smoke over her arm. It quickly went over her entire body, filling the holes and forming new limps out of smoke.
"This arm better be better than my last arm." She joked.
Mortuus didn't say anything, he just kept concentrating on the healing. And soon all the holes were filled. Then he put all his mind on her hand. After a few minutes it had formed and the smoke dissipated again. The wolf let go and stumbled back, falling against the wall before sliding to the ground, passed out from draining his mana.
She ran over to him, not bothering to see if he was alive. "Hmm... I think I'm hungry..." She cooed evilly.
He remained out, his body not letting him wake in till his mana was recovered.
She picked him up easily. She held the wolf by her maw and wrapped her tongue around his head. Then pulled it into her maw and gave a great swallow, slowly pulling his body into hers. After only a few seconds, the wolf was balled up in her now distended belly.
The wolf didn't make any movement, his body completely limp as if he was dead.
She murred, debating on whether do digest him or not. She eventually chose not to, waiting to see if he was alive. "Tomorrow, if he's not up, I'll digest him." She said to herself. Then she picked up his crossbow and held it in her newly formed hand. Then she went back up to the top of the bunker and just sat against the wall and waited for some form of entertainment.
Outside a small group of four were walking about. All being human. One was carrying a sniper. The next had a shotgun, and the last two had assault rifles. They were slowly making their way over to the bunker. Then a moan caught their attention as a horde of zombies began running at them. With a scream they started running as well.
Kara heard the screaming and peeked out of the hole she made earlier. "Ah, humans. They might last a few minutes..." She chuckled, just watching.
Soon the first was caught, being pulled down while she fired her assault rifle for a brief two seconds in till she died. "Drake! Uh new guy... What are we going to do?!" The one with a sniper said. "Just keep running." Drake said as he turned around to look at the young sniper. Just before he was grabbed and pulled deep into the horde. "Dammit! No!" Drake yelled. Watching the sniper disappear.
She finally decided to step in, well, fly in. She went out of the hole and leapt into the sky. She flew over the hoard, letting a torrent of fire rain upon the zombies. Some got burnt to crisp, others just turned to ashes.
The two remaining humans kept running. One being more terrified of the dragon now while the other was just following.
She smiled at her handiwork, shooting the last few burning survivors in the head from her flying vantage point. Then she soared back to the bunker, landing there before the humans, then she calmly walked inside. She reloaded her sidearm, and then pointed it at the opening.
The two kept running, not even noticing the dragon flying past them. Then as they walked into the bunker they froze.
She smirked. "Hello boys." She said, holding the pistol aimed at the first one that walked in.
Drake just stared at her, mainly the pistol that was pointing at him. "Hello dragon." The other said.
She chuckled. "So what are you humans doing in my bunker?" She asked, putting extra emphasis on "my".
"Looking for shelter..." Drake said nervously. "He's, looking for shelter." The other said, not removing his gas mask.
She looked at the masked human, her pistol following. "What's that mean?"
"I'm sorry I didn't realize you didn't speak English." He said, making Drake even more nervous. He turned around and began to walk out.
She growled, firing a bullet near him. "That's not what I meant... I mean why do you say only he's looking for shelter." She said, pointing at Drake.
"Cause only he wants it. I'm more or less a hired gun." He said, making Drake give him a odd look.
"Really?" She asked. "What were those other people? More "hired guns"?"
"No, friends of his." He said. "Were... were friends of mine." Drake said sadly.
She frowned. "The hired gun didn't do his job." She said, keeping the pistol aimed at the man with the gas mask.
"They refused to pay, so I just followed. Something to do I guess."
She shot him in the chest. "Well... I guess we don't need you here then..."
He fell to the floor, dead. Drake looked at him in horror then bolted out the bunker.
"You won't last long out there!" She said, grabbing the body and throwing it outside.
"Won't make a difference in there!" He called back, holding his shotgun close. As he ran to the right, out of her sight.
"Whatever." She said, going back and sitting against the wall, but not before grabbing the man's rifle and ammunition.
Inside the dragon Mortuus moved slightly. His mana recovered enough to allow movement again, but not enough to wake up.
She looked at her stomach sadly. "Guess he's not real food... For now." She said, sighing.
As the hours went on the wolf continued to sleep. His movements grow more and more frequent as each passing hour went by. Till eventually he woke up. He looked around confused then pushed on the tight wall before realizing she ate him. "Let me out!"
She murred from the pushing. "Just a bit longer..." She said, letting out a fake yawn and laying down.
"No! Let me out now! Being digested is not on my to-do list!"
"Calm down... You've been in there for hours and you're fine."
"Oh... but I still want out!" He said, irritated that she ate him even after he helped her.
She chuckled. "Okay, I'll let you out... After I take a nap." She said, getting comfortable and closing her eyes.
"No, now!" He said, making smoke flow up her throat and out of her mouth as a warning.
"Fine..." She said, knowing what that smoke was capable of. She pushed him up and into her throat. He quickly went up and into her maw, where she just let him fall from her sitting height.
He fell back and landed hard on his back. He laid there for a few seconds to catch his breath before standing back up, growling. He walked up to her and grabbed hold of her arm. Then she shrunk in size, making her the same size as he was. He wanted to make her bite sized but his mana would run out once he got her that small. And having only a three inch dragon to protect him while he rested wasn't a good idea.
Once she was his size he smirked and walked away, grabbing his crossbow before hand.
She growled. "Return me to my size, or else!"
Mortuus just flicked her off and walked into the next room.
She picked up the assault rifle next to her and followed. Then when he was in sighed she aimed at him. "I said, return me to my size!"
He looked back at her and stopped, turning towards her. "No thank you." He said with a smirk-like grin. Knowing she would stay like that forever if she killed him.
She shot a small burst towards his head, but barely missed on purpose. "Come on!" She roared.
"No, you ate me. And besides if you kill me you'll be stuck at the size forever." He said.
She growled then shot him in the foot. "Then I'll just torture you until you make me the right size."
He yelped and held his foot. Soon after he let go, and set it back down, now healed. "I'm not turning you back. I don't want to be eaten again." He said, forming a smoke wall between them.
"Come on Lunch, turn me back!" She roared, breathing fire at the wall in hopes to dissipate it.
"After that there's no way!" He said, making the wall thicker then he walked away.
She growled. "The next time I get near you, you're going down my throat, regardless of my size!" She roared, breathing more fire on the wall before walking back to the room with the hole in the side.
He chuckled, thinking the same thing. He walked over to a desk. He moved some old foam seats on it and laid down. And soon he went back to sleep.
She sat back where she was before, just humming and whistling until she needed to do something.
Minutes later the man with a gas mask walked back in. He looked over at the dragon and smiled.
She raised her gun and pointed at him then smiled, figuring she'll have some fun with this.
He opened his hand and it caught fire. He gave a small unnatural chuckle and raised his hand, causing a flame thrower effect towards her.
She let the fire hit, knowing fire had no effect on her. Then she walked towards him, pulling a dagger like blade from a sheath on her collar. She took a stance close to him and grinned, waiting for a physical attack.
He looked at the blade and snapped, making it melt instantly. He smiled as his hand caught fire again and he swung at her stomach.
She grabbed his arm, quickly snapped it then tore it clean of. "You'll pay for that blade!" She growled.
He chuckled again, his torn off arm getting replaced by white hot fire. Before he swung again, now with the fire based arm.
She jumped back from the swing, then lunged forward, digging her claws into his chest and then tearing away flesh.
The missing flesh was quickly replaced by more fire. Then he grabbed her arm with his fire based arm, and instantly her flesh began to sizzle and smoke.
She growled swung her tail and knocked his legs out from under him. Then Kara pulled out a longer dagger from a holster around her right thigh. She threw it into his head and smiled.
His body instantly went up in flames and turned to ash.
She pulled her dagger out of the ground where it was lodged a few inches into the ground. She smiled and re-sheathed the blade. "Told you you'd pay." She smirked.
The masked mans green ring began glowing bright red. Causing it to glow through the pile of ash.
She looked down at it. She crouched by the ash pile, getting a closer look. "What's this?..." She asked, clearing the ash from around the ring but avoiding touching it.
Once she had found it the ring went back to its green color and did nothing else.
"Hmm... Whatever that is, it's not normal..." She said, going back and sitting down. "And I don't want to get involved with that magical crap..."
Another hour and a half went by. Finally the wolf awoke again. He walked out, turning off the smoke wall. Completely forgetting about the dragon in the next room as he walked in, yawning.
She looked over. "Heh, enjoy your nap, Lunch?" She asked.
He look at her and sighed. "I get it... you hate me. But can you stop calling me that?"
"No." She chuckled, looking back over to the hole in the wall and just watching what was outside.
He sighed again and took a seat across from her. Rubbing his good eye with his ringed hand.
She noticed his ring for the first time. "Hey... What's that ring you have?" She asked, seeing it looked just like the other one in the ash pile.
Mortuus moved his hand away and looked at her then the ring. "It's an element ring." He said.
"Which does... What?" She asked.
"I feel I shouldn't explain this to you." He said, looking up at her.
"Why?... Can't you sate a dragoness' curiosity?" She said.
"Cause you keep threatening to kill me and you've shot me three times now..."
"So, you healed yourself. Plus, I've had the perfect time to kill you, and did I?"
"Yeah, but it doesn't mean I feel no pain." He growled. "Okay, fine I'll explain..." He said, spinning the ring again.
"Thanks." She said, sitting back and just listening.
"There's five rings throughout the world. Each has its own powers I guess you could call it. And when you put one on depending on the element it will alter the body. Kinda like giving yourself to the ring. And after you put it on it can't be removed, I would know I've tried." He said pausing for a breath. "As I said before each has its own power which means each can overpower certain ring bearers. Like fire can over power earth and so on. Anyway once a ring bearer dies the ring takes them inside itself. Well their soul is but their body is left behind in some state of being. Like ash or vapor. But that's a basic summary of it." He said, hoping she wouldn't try to kill him again.
"You said fire overpowers earth... What overpowers fire? Water? And can some rings be overpowered by more than one ring?" She asked, intrigued by this.
"Yes, water overpowers fire. And wind overpowers fire as well. So yes some can be overpowered by multiple ring types."
"And... What does fire overpower, besides earth? Does it overpower yours?"
"No ring can overpower mine unless I don't see it coming." He said. "My ring is most powerful towards magic but it comes a at price." He said, pointing at his blind eye.
"How do you use the magic?" She asked.
"It's just something that comes to you once you put a ring on. But the ring itself is a mana pool for people to use spells. But if you drain it all it causes you to pass out."
"Like you did, letting me eat you." She smiled. Then she glanced over at the pile of ash. "What would you do if I said I knew where the fire one was." She said, figuring that the ring was the fire one, considering all the fire-like thing he used.
"I would be amazed, but a ring bearer can't use two different rings at once. He or she wouldn't even be able to put the second one on." He said. "And besides being half dead is already bad enough... I don't want to have third degree burns all over my body too."
"I can give those to you anyway..." She chuckled, breathing smoke out of her nostrils.
"Yours I can heal from, but ones from a ring I can't." He paused. "I never said what mine is did I?" He asked.
"You said it's the most powerful." She said, tempted to go and get the ring and wear it.
"Yes, mines from a wicked religion. Mines spirit, it gives me the power to control souls. Which is what the black smoke is. And the effect of using it, takes away half of my souls which makes me half dead as well. And it makes my physical strength weak too."
"That's why you run from those zombies... Where I could have killed all of them in seconds." She said, going over to the ash pile.
"Yeah." He said, watching her with curiosity.
She bent down and picked the ring up and put it on. "Ah... Matches my scales, no?" She grinned.
He watched her and sighed when she put the ring on. Shortly after her entire body started to sizzle as he body cooked rapidly but without the fire. Then her entire body soon was covered in burning third degree burns. Leaving Mortuus in silence.
She growled. "What happened?!" She asked, glaring at him. "You didn't say that would happen!" She growled, trying to tear the ring off.
"Yes I did. I said every ring alters the body. I even said I didn't want to be covered in third degree burns." He said. "And you can take it off."
"I can or can't, you said you couldn't."
"Both, sorta. I can't ever take mine off. But I can get yours off, but you won't like it."
"Will the burns go away?" She asked.
"Yes." He said, walking over to her.
"What do you have to do?" She asked, hoping it didn't involve killing her.
"Cut off a limb then kill you..."
She growled. "That won't happen." She said, pulling her dagger out and readying it.
"Hey! That's what I have to do. I never said I was going to." He said, backing away.
"Can't you melt my finger, then replace it after the ring's off?" She said, lowering her weapon.
"No, the ring will kill me for tampering with it..."
"Why am I not allowed to tear it off? I easily could..." She growled angrily.
"Cause when you put it on you give yourself to the ring. But I can break the rule." He said.
"Break the rule? I thought you said it'll kill you if you tamper with it?"
"It will if I tamper with the ring or that hand entirely. But killing the bearer is just natural order. But I can take your soul into myself and repair your body from a limb. Then I'll bring you back to life afterwards."
"Yeah, how do I know this is true?" She growled. "And if it is, what if you don't have enough mana?"
"You don't know... but what if I say I promise." He said. "And the mana thing will only stall the repair but it won't stop me."
She sighed, realizing that's exactly what she said to him. "Okay... Fine... Even if you kill me, it's better than living with these shameful burns..."
Mortuus nodded and walked back over to her. "Okay... I need your dagger. And your other hand..."
"I'll do it myself..." She said, holding her dagger away from him.
"Umm okay." He said, finding her braver than he was since she was going to cut off her own hand.
She blew a flame onto her dagger, making it glow with heat. Then in a quick second, she roared and her hand was resting on the ground. "Th-there... I b-better be full size when you bring me back, Lunch."
He smiled at her, putting a hand on her head. "It's the least I can do..." He said, filling her head full of smoke. And within seconds she was gone. Then as the ring went to take her soul Mortuus opened his maw and sucked her soul in, swallowing it as he let her go. As before her body was turned to ash, leaving only her hand.
She growled slightly when he touched her, but went silent after, letting him take her.
The wolf looked at the ring and sighed before picking up her hand and walked to a safe room. Then once he was safe smoke quickly flowed over it and proceed to make her shape. After that she started to form again. He kept going and just as she was formed up to her waist he passed out.
Her soul still sat inside him, locked away until he let her out.
Hours later the wolf awoke again, patting his belly. Then he went back to forming her body. And just before he ran out of mana it was complete. He looked over at the fire ring and grabbed it before putting it in his pocket. He looked back at her body and put a hand on it. Then he started making her grow back to normal size but passed out before he could finish.
She waited, not having feelings or anything. She just sat there, wanting to be back in her body, but this wasn't bad at least.
He eventually woke up again and went right back to her body. And once it was back to size he stood up and walked off to get her some form of clothe. After a few minutes he returned and put them over her but not on her, knowing how she was. "Okay, you'll be back in just a few seconds." He said, patting his belly as he leaned down to her mouth. He put his lips on hers. Afterwards he pushed her soul back up his throat and into her body.
She regained consciousness right away, opening her eyes to see him 'kissing' her. She blushed and growled. "What are you doing?!"
He back away from her instantly, looking away. "I was putting your soul back in you."
She stood up, not caring if the cloth fell off. "Oh... Well... Thanks..." She said, looking around. "Are all my belongings still here?" She asked, bending down and grabbing her dagger.
"Your weapons are yes, but the holsters we need to find you some and seeing this is a military bunker that shouldn't be hard." He said, glancing at her and looking away instantly seeing she wasn't wearing clothes. "Umm... maybe you should put on those clothes..." He said, pointing back at the clothes on the floor but not looking at her.
"Why? I didn't wear any before. I just had my pack over my chest." She said, looking around for new holsters.
"Well can you at least put something over your chest?"
She sighed. "Does it really bother you that much?"
"No. It's just kinda strange." He said, hesitantly looking at her.
"Strange? This is the least strange thing in the last day or two." She said, looking around for something to put over her chest until she made herself a new sack the specially fit her.
"True..." He said pausing for a moment. "So uh I'm not suggesting anything but what was in like to be dead?..."
She looked up at him. "Now that was strange. I don't think I even got the full experience... But it honestly was not too bad... But I prefer having my body."
"Yeah... and sorry about swallowing you. Well your soul. But it was the only place I could put it without it being used as energy for my body."
"Uh... That's fine, I guess... As long as it didn't get rid of me..." She said, picking up a torn shirt and ripping it some more to make a good enough thing to wear over her chest. "There, I put something on." She said, heading further into the bunker to get a holster for her pistol and dagger, along with a new collar to put the pistol on.
"Thanks." He said, following her with his crossbow on his shoulder.
She looked back at him. "Would they have a collar here?" She asked.
"Collar? Anything specific?" He asked, wondering why she wanted a collar.
"One like I had before... With loops and places to hook things to. Oh, and black, it has to be black."
"Well I have a collar on me that you can have. But the loops would have to be modified on." He said, pulling a plain black collar out of his jacket.
She grabbed it and put it on. "Ah... I missed having that on... Next I need a knife holster for my thigh... It feels weird without it."
"Okay, I guess we should look at the bottom floor then." He said.
"Bottom floor. Have you even been down there?" She asked.
"Not in till you chased me down there." He said.
"Wait, that was the bottom floor? No, it has to be deeper than that..." She said, increasing her pace. "This is a military bunker, it must be at least ten floors deep."
"I wouldn't doubt that. I'm just saying I only know of that one floor."
"We're going deeper. Imagine the weapons that could be down there!" She said excitedly, hurrying to find the way down.
"You really like firearms huh?" He asked, running with her.
"You have no idea." She chuckled. "I was five when I 'found' my pistol..." She said, jumping down a flight of stairs. "... Been carving things on it since then."
"Huh. I've never been into those things. I prefer my bow and magic."
"Bows can be fun too, but not those crossbows, they take the fun out of it..." She said, stopping at this floor, wanting to check it out. "Lets scan every floor. Make sure nothing comes up on us when we're further down."
"Okay, good idea." He said, loading a bolt.
She said, looking around and spotting a few zombies on the far side of the room.
"Should we kill them now or later?" Mortuus asked, charging his crossbow.
"Now of course!" She said, running towards them.
Mortuus looked at her and fired a bolt down towards them. Then he sent three trails of smoke down just as the bolt exploded.
She watched as all but one fell to the floor, dead. She ran up the the last one, who was charging back. The moment she was close enough, she swung her paw with her claws leading. She swung so fast her arm was a blur, then the was a horrible squish as the dented head of the zombie fell to the floor, leaving his bofy to struggle for a few seconds before it fell too.
Mortuus loaded another bolt and ran up to the dragon, looking at the zombie. "Well it seems he had a bad day..." He said as he sent smoke over it, causing it to melt.
She chuckled. "Yeah, he decided to go against me while unarmed. I'll never be beat in hand-to-hand combat, not with a person or zombie." She said, searching around the room for a holster for her thigh. She thankfully found one near a previously dead zombie and put it on.
The wolf finished melting the zombie and proceeded to melt the rest. Then he just followed the dragon.
"No pistol holster. Come on Lunch, lets keep going." She said, rushing back to the staircase and jumping over the railing to the next floor.
He sighed and ran after her. Once he got to the railing her just turned to smoke and reappeared next to her.
She looked over at him. "You check this floor, I'll get the next. I wanna find those weapons and holsters."
"Yeah, sure... weapons..." He said walking off into another room.
She went and jumped down to another floor. She proceeded to kill a zombie that ran towards her right away. Then she scanned the room, spotting a weapons locker. Kara roared in glee, rushing over to it and going in as fast as possible.
Mortuus began looking for "weapons" right away. Though the real thing he was more concerned on looking for was food. Seeing that zombies didn't give off souls it made it quiet lacking on energy. He walked across the room and pushed a few desk and chairs out of the way, opening a door afterwards. As soon as he opened three zombies grabbed him. He quickly let out a burst of dark energy then hit them with smoke, melting them quickly before continuing on.
Downstairs, Kara found everything she wanted. She quickly fasioned a loop for the collar and attached a pistol holster to it. Then she looked through the guns, almost like she was shopping. Then her eyes fell on a beautiful 1887 shotgun. She grabbed it and a sling to go over her shoulder. She loaded it once she found it to have no shells, then she rushed back upstairs to show off her find.
The wolf soon found a small pantry. But the food wasn't exactly what he wanted. All he could find were canned good though most were expired. He sighed and grabbed a small backpack then loaded what he could in. Before head back to the entrance to explore another room.
She sniffed the air, his scent leading her right to him. "Hey, check this out!" She said happily, walking up behind him.
He jumped slightly and turned around, looking at her gun. "You and your guns." He chuckled, readjusting the backpack strap. "Well I found some food, though I'm not too eager to eat it."
She smiled. "I'm not either, so I'll just eat you." She said, looking around for something to test her 1887 on.
Mortuus shook his head, smiling slightly. "Uh no you're not."
"And why not?" She asked, looking over her shoulder back at him.
"Because I don't want to be in your stomach again."
"I don't care. I need your energy, and I'm going to get it from you, Lunch." She said, stopping and turning around to face him.
"Wait, what? Are you saying you're going to digest me?..."
"No, but I can." She said, turning back around and heading down the stairs again.
He stood there for a minute before following. "I'll melt you before that happens..." He whispered to himself.
Her ear cocked, and she was barely able to hear him. "Excuse me! You'll kill me?" She growled as he came down the stairs.
He looked at her surprised at first then it was just a blank expression. "If you were going to digest me, yes."
She grinned. "Good, cause I want some canine for lunch today." She said, going back to the weapons locker.
He growled, slowing his steps to keep away from her. 'I'm starting to regret bringing her back...' He thought.
Kara grabbed a small backpack from nearby and filled it with all the shotgun shells and extra magazines that fit her pistol and her newfound assault rifle. She walked out and passed Mortuus, rubbing the side of her tail against his chest as she did. Then she started upstairs.
He growled again and continued to walk past her. Searching for more bolt for his crossbow. As well as using a small excuse to be away from her.
She made it half way up before freezing, her ears twitching. She snuck back downstairs. "We have company..." She stated, holding her shotty up at the ready, pointing at the staircase. "... And a lot of company..."
"Well you're the all mighty dragon. So you can handle it. After all how can food help at all?" He asked walking off.
"If the food has a weapon, then it can easily help." She said, shooting up the staircase, making a dead zombie tumble down to her feet.
He said nothing else. He just continued down to the next floor. Once he got to the next floor he growled, walking into the knee deep water that flooded the floor. But he was still in need if bolts so he pressed on.
She growled too, but at the zombies. She saw a ton of zombies coming down the stairs. She knew that the shotgun could only handle so much. So before even trying, she ran back to the weapons locker, grabbing an RPG. She chuckled. "Be ready for an explosion!" She shouted to the wolf, then waited as the zombies came down the stairs and started towards her.
Mortuus just nodded and kept walking. Being weary of the murky water. The only sight he really had was what was right in front of him. And the cold water was quickly making his feet numb, only to make navigating the water more difficult.
She fired, the rocket exploding at the base of the stairs, causing every zombie, both on the floor and on the flight of stairs get blown to pieces. Even the lower part of the stairs were now rubble.
The explosion caused bits and pieces of rubble to fall off the ceiling. And splash into the water. In result splashing the wolf as well. "Watch it up there!" He growled.
She threw the empty launcher to the floor and held up her 1887. She shot every single zombie, effectively taking their heads off and killing them. She smiled, glad she killed them all.
Mortuus rolled his eyes, hearing the gun shots. He walked into another room and began searching, relieved to see no zombies thus far.
She smiled. "Okay... I'll just make my rucksack down here, more supplies anyway..." She said, going and finding black shirts and fabric.
Mortuus soon found another pantry. But instead of food it only had weapons. And to his relief he found some more bolts. He grabbed as much he could and made his way back up to the same floor as the dragon.
She was absolutely silent, her ears on watch as she made her pack, which was almost finished.
The wolf quickly got back upstairs despite his numb legs. He saw Kara but didn't say anything. Since he was still uneasy about the comment she made as they were going downstairs.
She finished, smiling at her handiwork. She put the shells and some of the ammo mags in. Then she took her collar off and started making more loops where she liked to put her pistol ammunition.
He looked up at her, leaning on the wall. But he still refrained from speaking.
She put some of the full magazines into the loops, then put the collar back on. She smiled, looking up at Mortuus. Then her stomach rumbled and she just stared at him.
He heard the rumble and quickly made his way back downstairs into the cold water. But he didn't want to risk getting eaten again, seeing he was just as expendable as a bullet to her. That and she suggest digestion fairly recently.
She frowned. "You're going to make me find something else?" She asked, following him downstairs. Then looking at the water, she stopped and just looked at the wolf.
He still remained silent as he went further in. Eventually finding a incline with a office chair on it. And luckily it wasn't in the water. He climbed out of the water and took a seat, pulling his jacket close to himself as he shivered slightly.
"Come on... Mortuus..." She said, stepping into the water and going to the wolf.
He instantly put up a wall of smoke. But continued to stay silent.
"Hey!" She growled. "I need to eat, and you're the perfect thing."
"No, I'm not going to let you kill me!" He growled back.
"Put that wall down and come here. There's no need to run. You're stuck here, I'll get you one way or another."
"No! I don't want to die today! Just stay away from me!" He yelled, pulling his backpack off and opening a can of fruit.
She frowned seeing him eat. "Come on, I need nutrition just like you." She said, her stomach growling louder.
"Yeah, but I'm not dying so you can get it!" He said, now scared to even be near her.
"That's what you don't understand... I'm not gonna kill you." She said. "Like last time, I just absorbed some of your energy for myself."
"So. I don't want to be in your stomach again." He said, looking through his pack at the cans.
"I need food, would you really rather have me die instead of just letting me eat you for a bit?" She asked, now looking at him, almost saddened.
"I'll give you a can of food. But I'm not food, I'm a person."
She growled irritably. "Really? I can't eat that." She said.
"Why the hell not?" He asked angrily.
"I either need meat... Or a person to feed off of."
"Well go eat a zombie or something. I'm not on the menu."
"That craziness! I'll get incredibly ill!" She said.
"Yeah, well your problem. Like I said, I'm not on the menu. And you haven't exactly treated me with kindness." He said, setting the empty can down.
"You haven't either." She pointed out. "Plus, I let you kill me and eat my soul... You owe me this."
"At least I call you by your name Kara... and you didn't have to let me do that. You chose to let me do that..."
"I'm pretty sure that was the first time." She said, breathing smoke from her nostrils as her stomach growled again.
"Maybe it was but at least I'm not calling you by a nickname that you hate."
"How about I stop calling you that, if you let me eat you. Sound good, Lunch?"
"No, it doesn't sound good Kara. Not even a little. I know how expendable I am to you, so I wouldn't doubt that you'd digest me just because."
"What if I promise?" She asked.
"No... not this time..." He said, laying down on the hard stone.
"Really... Come on Mortuus..." She said, looking at him.
"Dammit Kara I said no! I'm not a damn chew toy, or a worthless mutt that deserve to be fed to the wolves as ironic as that may be. I'm a person and I've always been a good one. Always treated others the way they wanted to be treated. Even you I've show some form of kindness..." He said, turning away from her. "Just leave me alone..." He said sadly.
She looked down. "I-I just wanted a friendly snack... I never said you're worthless... I never said you weren't a person... I just called you food... I see everyone as food..."
"Food is only for energy. You digest it and its gone, other than that its useless..."
"Not with me... Food can be friends... I once had a friend that I almost killed... But I stopped and we were friends, even if for only a short time..."
"Just leave me alone... I'm not going back in your stomach. I didn't even want to the first time. I healed a mistake I made and you took advantage of me even then."
"I'm sorry, okay. But please... Let me eat you..." She pleaded.
"No, there's nothing in it for me but fear and concern!"
She sighed and went up to the next floor. "Fine..." She said, shaking the water from her paws.
He sighed as well, closing his eyes and falling to sleep shortly after. But the wall went down as he fell into the world of dreams, or for him nightmares.
She just sat near the back of the room, waiting for hours. Then she went to check on the wolf. "Mortuus..." She said, going down the stairs. She saw him asleep and went up to him. She absentmindedly licked her lips, gazing at his sleeping form. "No..." She stopped herself. "He'll never let you eat him if you do now." She said to herself.
Mortuus continued to sleep, recovering his mana from keeping up the smoke wall for so long. As well as from charging his bolts.
She sighed, debating on what to do. She looked back at him as her belly rumbled again. She picked him up and brought him upstairs, wanting him in sight, and close incase there was an emergency, especially one concerning her stomach.
Mortuus remained asleep, not planning on waking anytime soon. At least not till his mana was restored.
Kara set him down against the wall near her. Then she laid herself down in front of him. That way, if a zombie came, they'd attack her, which would barely do anything in regards to her health. She had her back to him, watching the stairway until she nodded off.