Rawhead & Bloody Bones

 

The wind blew over the hills, rustling the trees and whistling through the dark houses below. In some windows, worried faces watched the darkness, awaiting the rattles of bones. Every night an ear-splitting scream had shaken the valley, leaving the residents to cower inside, afraid of the red-eyed creature that haunted their homes.

I stood over a blood-soaked wooden floor, pretending to see some truth in the splatters. Not a piece of the man whose bed was a disheveled mess had been found. A crimson path started at the fireplace, leading towards where the man had been sleeping. Deep claw marks showed where the creature had walked, leaving a trail of blood in its wake.

Blood was everywhere. The small floor was covered, with rich stains in the wood showing where blood had gushed out. Bits of bone and viscera were scattered on the floor. Light scratch marks lined the floor. I grimaced and traced a gloved finger over them. The man had been alive as his body had been consumed.

On every wall in the home, an animal head or trophy sat. Hunters like this were rarely humbled, and almost always took more from the land than they gave. I eyed the stag, whose rack was the biggest I had seen in a natural animal, and wondered just how many creatures the man had hunted. 

My boots guided me around the room, yet there was nothing else in the home that whispered of what had happened, save the tracks leading from the bed to the chimney. The creature had come from the roof, crawled down the heated chimney, and clawed its way across the floor, leaving strange footprints in its wake. Each print was hoofed, broader than a deer, and bloody.

The wooden cover over the window blew open, slamming against the wall. I turned my head, looking out at the wilderness beyond the edge of the village. Darkness swallowed the trees, letting the night be pitch under a new moon. Yet within the darkness, something stirred. Coal-red eyes stared back at me, piercing and frightening.

I swallowed, finding myself frozen at the sight of the haunted eyes. They never blinked, never wavered. Moments passed as I watched it watching me, waiting for one of us to move. 

A scream of fear rang out from the house nearest, horror etched on the owner’s face as they gazed at the angry eyes,  one hand raised with a pointed finger. The fear I  had felt broke as the creature looked towards the screamer. I pushed open the wooden door and stumbled onto the village street, looking towards the darkness where the eyes had been.

Hurried steps carried me forward to the edge of the path, gazing into the shadows of the trees and seeing nothing. People stepped out of their homes, daring to walk behind me but never further.

“You see!” 

“We told you! A great haunted thing!”

“It’s come to eat us!”

“Like those poor hunters!”

“We must hunt it!” 

“It isn’t killable! It’s a demon!”

I sighed and turned to look at the humans, watching them grow in fear and inaction. My hand took a torch from the man who kept suggesting they hunt it. “Leave it. I’ll find it,” I finally said. 

They turned in unison and in silence to stare at me.

“Alone?”

“Yes.”

“But you have no bow… or sword…”

“I don’t need one.”

Another tense silence followed before one man shrugged and gestured. “By all means, die like all the other hunters.”

“Yes. About that. Perhaps you ought to stop killing unless you need it to survive. Nature finds its own way of vengeance.” I looked at the villagers, waiting for them to challenge me.

Several looked ashamed before the same man shook his head. “You’re all superstitious.”

I shrugged. “I don’t have to go. You can keep your path and I shall find a new one.”

A peculiar rattling sounded from the woods, the sound of bones hitting bones as they swayed. It was likely the sound of branches in the wind, but it sent a chill of fright through everyone. 

The man shook his head. “No, no. Go. We will keep the peace if you forge it.”

My eyes wandered over each of them until they nodded their consent. I turned, facing the woods, lips pursed in uncertainty. 

I watched the earth as I stepped into the woods, looking for signs of whatever had watched me. Beneath the closest tree, blood pooled, drenching the earth in its coppery warmth. The low-hanging tree branches dripped. Whatever had stood here, it was large. Big enough to touch the branches above my head and leave its blood behind. 

Deep tracks in the muddy earth betrayed its path into the woods. Blood sprinkled the ground wherever it had walked, leaving an easy way forward. Shadows danced around me from the flickering torch, letting me see only a few feet as I wandered forward.

From within the woods, a harrowing groaning scream echoed, guttural and haunting. I stood still, my heart beating faster as the growling cry lingered. It sounded of anger and agony, the death shrill of a terrible creature.

I swallowed back my fear as I stepped further into the woods, heading towards the sound as it continued. The screaming changed to a deep grunting. Nearby, a tree shuddered as the noise grew louder, veering closer. 

My steps stopped as I peered into the darkness. Nothing but night greeted me as the sound ended just feet from where I was. Breathing lightly, I tried to hear anything. Nothing. Not a branch breaking or leaves rustling. 

Teeth bit my bottom lip as I slowly turned, glancing around in a circle to ensure the creature hadn’t snuck up on me. The torch hissed and snarled in the night, eating any sounds. Moments passed before I heard the strange dripping from the side of me. 

As I turned, the bellowing groan erupted from the darkness to my right. I gasped, stumbling backward as the brilliant red eyes bore into me. The ground quaked as it clawed the ground, chunks of earth flying into the air around it.

Massive tusks protruded from the meatless broad skull. Within the seemingly empty eye sockets, fiery-red eyes sat, filled with an unspeakable rage. Beneath its massive head, a bristled, enormous body stood, the coat resting over a bloody skeleton, meat hanging from the bones as though cleaned with a hunter’s knife.

In the torchlight it screamed, jaw descending to show the row of flat teeth coating in sinew and blood. From within its rotting corpse, bits of human bones, teeth, and muscle sat, slowly falling out. My eyes looked up from the bloody bones of its body to the raw head. 

Trembling, I raised a hand in the darkness, refusing to step back from the beast. It stood, indomitable and unflinching, eyes staring at me. Groaning and grunting noises came out of its wet throat, unfiltered by a mouth. I took another tentative step forward and moved my hand to its bony snout.

The pads of my fingers caressed the snout, moving over the smooth bone. It was dry, not a piece of muscle or sinew remained. The smell of blood and viscera caught in my nose as I inhaled. The beast didn’t stir as I moved up his face to stroke the skull between the eye sockets. His bright red eyes seemed to ignite, flaming brighter as my hand moved. 

“Easy,” I whispered. “Easy. You’re safe. No one is here to harm you.”

The pig creature snorted, head lifting slightly into my hand. I watched him as his head moved, revealing the monstrous bloody bones beneath. The faint scent of magic and power mingled with the blood and I saw hints of witchcraft in his body. 

“Whoever gave you life again, do they still live?” I stood on the tips of my toes to try to see into his eyes. The head swung down to look at me, tusk pushing into my arm and forcing me back. Another low squeal of agony escaped and I grimaced.

“I’m sorry you’re alone now.”

A roaring pain tumbled out of his throat and rage once more filled the eyes. His head lifted as the strange long claws no boar should have pulled up the earth. I stepped back as his head tilted right and left, a creature about to charge. 

“Shit,” I swore and turned, running towards the nearest tree. He let out another scream and the ground shook once more. Cursing under my breath I stepped behind the tree, only to hear the sound of splitting wood as the creature barrelled into it. The great tree and I went flying, landing in the dark.

Feet away from me the torch landed and sputtered, casting the world into darkness. I turned my head, glancing behind me as I tried to catch my breath. Red eyes stared in the dark, its strange walk bringing it ever closer. My fingers dug into the earth as I tried to stand, pulling myself up only to feel a great head strike my back and throw me into the night.

I landed on the cold earth, a groan of pain finally slipping out. “Rawhead and bloody bones,” I muttered, letting the words of power slip into the night. “Rawhead and bloody bones. Rawhead and bloody bones.” 

His spoken name made him shriek in growling rage. Claws slipped over my thigh and up to my shoulder, yet didn’t sink in. The great hulking skull leaned down, eyes peering into me, magic seeking magic. “I won’t harm you,” I breathed beneath him. “I’ll be your friend. I’ll help you. You’ve had revenge. Rest.”

The skull pushed against my face, blood dripping from the corpse beneath onto my body. I  shuddered beneath him, the rage still seething out of his body. Slowly I raised my hands, feeling the bloody bones of his form, and caressed them. “Be angry, Rawhead. Put your rage in me.” 

My head lifted to lick the side of the skull, tongue playing over bare teeth and jaw. The hog snorted and growled,  tilting his head down and towards me, forcing my torso back on the ground. He dug his tusk into my side then pushed, rolling me onto my stomach. 

I whimpered and lifted my head, only to cry out as claws dug into my shoulder, carving long furrows down my back as my dress was shredded. I shivered in the cold air, lifting onto my hands and knees to crawl forward. The great head rested on my back, blood sliding down my thighs to my calves as he moved closer.

Clawed legs moved over my sides, grabbing my shoulders and digging in. A cry of pain escaped as the great boar mounted my back, pulling his massive body over my own. I felt myself quake as the wet throat made a deep grunting growl beside my ear and his body thrust forward.

The boar’s massive engorged length pushed inside roughly, invading my depths and wetting me with the blood that leaked from his body. I cried out again, pleasure rolling into pain and returning to send chills down my spine. He gave me no time to adjust as his form heeld to me, rutting and thrusting his hips to pillage my depths.

Beneath him I shuddered and cried out as blood dripped over my body, coating my remaining shreds of clothes and bare skin. Bits of viscera swung against my back from the open cavity of his gut, rubbing against me as he moved in and out of my body. 

Each stroke penetrated deeper and was paired with a squealing grunt or groan, rage and intensity unmatched. My body could barely hold him as he thundered inside, filling me and pushing me further, slamming his length as far as he could and hitting the back of my entrance. 

Pain blossomed within as he kept pushing, forcing my body to succumb to his demands and open further within, allowing him entrance to my womb. A  scream echoed out of me as he bit into my shoulder, holding me so he could force himself still deeper. 

My fingers dug into the earth as I gasped in newfound pleasure with the constant throb of pain as he thrust within. Our screams and squeals combined, no doubt frightening villagers and terrifying anyone still awake.

I trembled, whimpering as claws dug deeper into my shoulder, my blood trickling down my arm. “Do it,” I snarled at him. “Show me your pain, Rawhead. Show me.”

The great beast picked up his pace, moving at inhuman demonic speed to hammer inside of me, tearing into my body as many ways as he could. The booming snarling continued until a prolonged guttural howl broke the night and a flush of wet seed mixed with blood exploded inside of me.

His body shuddered, holding me there until the last drop of his release filled my body before he slowly slid off, standing beside me. I collapsed onto the ground, covered in blood. My body shuddered, pain and intensity whelming my senses. 

Behind me, the boar lay down, great head resting beside mine. The red in his eyes had lessened to softly burning coals. Tiny grunts came from the exposed windpipe as I nestled against him, a mix of adrenaline and ecstasy making my body tremble as the beast finally rested.

Incubus & Succubus

Bashir laid on the bed, his limbs bound to each corner, sweat glistening on his body. His back arched, hips thrusting upwards, into the writhing body of the woman atop him. Long nails scratched his chest as she straddled him, moving atop his engorged length. He groaned, head falling back in ecstasy.

Purple energy crackled around them, moving through the woman’s flesh and into my companion’s. Delicately curved horns in the same haunting purple rose from her head, matching the long tail that laid on the bed as she slowed her rhythmic movements to grind in circular motions. 

The wings on her back were out, helping her balance perfectly atop him. She smirked as her eyes met mine, watching my face as she rode him. Chains rattled as Bashir gripped them, pulling to help anchor himself so he could pound into her entrance harder. His own eyes were glazed, staring at her or through her. I couldn’t imagine what he saw.

“I had no idea,” she moaned, stopping her motions to sit atop him and letting him rest within her. “That you were so skilled, Guardians. I had assumed you were just… willing, and that was unique enough for others like me.”

The wild eyes met mine. “I was surprised when you allowed me to chain you both up. Such acts of trust toward a monster like me. Humans never let me tie them up. Too scared. They just want me to fuck them and then to run away. As though I’m repulsive… or that I’ll eat them.”

Her head bent and she pulled Bashir’s face to her own by his hair. A long tongue slid inside his throat, which he sucked eagerly. His hips began to thrust lightly, trying to move within her, even as her demonic strength held him still.

Their kiss broke as she pushed him back down, throwing him against the bed. A victorious chuckle escaped her lips when he whimpered in want, mouth dripping saliva. “So eager! Even without my magic, you just hunger for this, don’t you? Perverts. The lot of you.”

The succubus rose in the air, flapping her draconic wings once to stand. Bashir let out another cry of want as he slid out of her, glistening with her wetness in the low light of the torches. He panted and twisted his head to watch her approach me.

I stood, hands bound above my head, just as naked as my companion. Her long nails raked over my bare stomach around to my back as she circled me. Goosebumps rose on my skin and my nipples hardened as she pressed against my back, letting me feel her body and her own demonic hunger.

“We heard there were two of you,” I managed to say as her hands held my hips against her pelvis, lips pressed against my shoulder.

“Ah, yes. I can imagine you did.” Her tongue slid over my shoulder and up my neck. On the bed, Bashir groaned, head tilted to watch her tease my flesh. Fingers roamed, pinching a nipple before sliding between my legs. “Look how wet you are, little Guardian. Do you like watching me fuck your man?”

I said nothing. Her nails bit into the peak of my breast, hard enough I gave a small gasp of pain.

A chuckle escaped her as my body tensed. “So defiant. But they all give in. And you will, too.” She reached up and unfastened the chain that held me to the ceiling and dragged me after her, tail teasing my face as she walked. 

At the edge of the bed, she climbed atop it, pulling me with her. “Now, we’ll see how well you can refuse me.” With a tug, she moved me to stand above Bashir, who laid below us, now straining against his chains. 

Her mouth closed over mine, tongue thrusting down my throat, slithering deep within me. I moaned, despite myself as her chaotic energy infused my body. Lust consumed me, making every sensation amplified. I shuddered and sagged, her strength holding me above Bashir.

“Even Guardians cannot resist my magic. Such a pity.” Slowly she lowered me, letting me slide to my knees, Bashir’s face beneath me. He made a muffled noise of surprise that made me gasp at the intensity of that sensation. My back arched, pushing my body down atop him, grinding with sudden need.

“Now, Guardians, if you can both resist release, then I shall reward you.”

“Why-” I panted, profound need making my body ache, as Bashir had been just moments ago. His chains rattled as he pulled against them. The succubus raised my chains, connecting them to another hook that extended down from the ceiling.

“Because. Humans are dull, Guardian. They have no fight. Nor do they want to fight. They’re so repressed, afraid of their selves.” Fingers raised my face to look up at her. “What I want, Guardian. What I need, even. Is to see that there are those who are not just here to succumb to me. Who can resist. Who are more than their base needs.”

Her tail wrapped around Bashir’s length, now soft, and began to stroke. He groaned beneath me, sending electricity through my body. I moaned, making the succubus chuckle. “Resist, Guardians. And I will give you what you want.”

I shivered as Bashir continued to move beneath me. Her tail worked, stroking him to hardness, pushing her magic into his body until his hips moved with each of her strokes and his tongue lapped at my inner folds, tasting my wetness and hungering for it. 

The succubus smirked, watching our writhing forms as she moved, sitting at the bottom of her large bed, hand replacing her tail. The long length of her slid beneath Bashir, and into him, penetrating him from below. He bucked wildly, deep moans escaping his lips while he devoured me.

A cry of lust flew from my lips as I felt myself writhing against him, grinding my opening into his mouth. Pulsing desire moved through me, making me shiver with delight. The succubus smirked up at me, watching me bite my lip to stave off the release she demanded I not have.

“Oh, you’re so close, aren’t you?” she murmured, a teasing tone in her voice. One of her hands slapped my breast, a red mark forming instantly. I shuddered, pulling against the chains. My body flinched as she did it again, striking the opposite breast. Each slap stung yet made my skin become fire. I whimpered, wanting more yet shuddering with each strike. 

“Good girl,” she whispered, grabbing my hair to turn my face to her. Her eyes watched mine before she flicked my lips with her tongue. “Good little pervert, aren’t you?”

I shook my head. “No,” I finally managed to say. “No. I’m not.” 

The smile on her lips grew wider. Bashir made a noise of protest as she slid out of him and released his erect length. Her steps carried her behind me, nails digging into my back and dragging down. Her hand slapped against my backside, hard enough to bruise. My body bucked, rubbing against Bashir beneath me.

The succubus struck, again and again, leaving bright red marks all over my skin as she pushed me further. I cried out, tears slipping down my cheeks as she struck my thigh. Warm hands touched my stomach from behind me, sliding upward to cup my breasts as she licked my ear. “You’re doing so well, Guardian.”

I panted, Bashir’s mouth bringing me painfully close to a precipice I knew I couldn’t fall over, even as it threatened to overwhelm me. Fingers pinched and pulled, teasing and nipping to drive me further. “So close, Guardian. I can feel you trembling.” 

Her long tongue slid into my mouth, teasing my lips before pushing deeper. I instinctively sucked on her tongue, tasting her rich flavor of lust and honey. Her mouth vibrated against my mouth as she rocked my body, pushing me down onto Bashir’s face as he shuddered beneath me. 

“Tell me, Guardian, what is it you want if you hold on? What do you crave?” 

I whimpered as Bashir’s tongue thrust up into me, simulating what his rocking hips longed to do. “To be with you,” I finally said. “All of us. No games. No magic. Just you. Pleasing you.”

Surprise showed in her eyes for a flickering moment, before consideration transformed into a strange delight. “Of course. Like all humans, you wish me to take you to new heights. I will oblige.” She squeezed my breasts hard, pulling a soft cry from me.

“No,” I whimpered, wiggling atop my companion as I struggled to keep the mounting pleasure within me from exploding. “We want to… please you… see you to those… heights.” 

The succubus blinked again, then released my body and unhooked the chains from the hook. I sagged forward, falling into the bed beside Bashir. He cried out, face covered in my juices as he looked up at the demon who looked down at him, her playful smile gone. “So you wish to please me then, Guardians?”

My companion gave a nod as I caught my breath on the bed, willing the lust hunger down. “Yes. We are here to please you. You wished us to abstain from release. We have. Now, what do you wish?” 

She caressed his face and leaned down, licking the side of his face to taste me. “You have both been so very good. I am impressed. A human would have succumbed with just a kiss. Yet you resist. Why?” Her nails played over his broad chest, fingering his nipples playfully.

“Because you wanted us to,” he replied, back arching up into her touch.

“And if I wanted you to want it now? To give in?”

I turned my head, face resting against Bashir’s leg. “Then we would do all we could to satisfy you. If that is what you want.”

The succubus stared at us both, eyes glancing between us before a new, delicious smile showed on her lips. “Then I want you to crave me without my magic, to please me, to be mine instead of wanting me to please you. And,” she reached down, teasing Bashir’s length with the tip of her nails. “I would have you release in me.”

She climbed down the front of the bed, over Bashir, until her mouth closed around and swallowed him. He groaned, lifting his head to lap at her opening, bringing soft moans out of her. I shifted, meeting her mouth with my own as our lips wrapped around his hardness, kissing each other and Bashir’s flesh.

He bucked beneath us, groaning deeply. Our mouths moved together, moving up and down him before she took him in herself. I sat up, returning to his face to lick off my fluids and meet his mouth with a kiss.

The chains that held us fell, clanking on the floor. Bashir sat up, moving to his knees and pulling the succubus up with him. In a moment he had turned her, aligned her hips with his, and thrust inside of her. She cried out, slamming back against him to match his ferocity. 

Fingerss closed aaround my aankle and pulled me towaards her. “Come,” she simpered at me. I shifted and laid before her, sprawling on the bed so my head nearly hung off. Her hands gripped my ankles, pulling me to her waiting mouth before pushing open my thighs. 

Her slithering tongue flicked against my sensitive skin as Bashir held her, pounding into her, forcing her mouth against me with each thrust. The tongue slid inside, exploring and teasing, in and out because of my companion’s passion. The succubus groaned into my skin, crying out in her ecstasy.

I matched her sounds as pleasure swam through my body, hips bucking up into her eager mouth. Bashir groaned, his pace fast and hard before he still and cried out. His hips moved slow, pumping the succubus gently before he sat back, looking at her hips still in the air.

A tempting smile played over her lips as she slowly lowered her legs to the bed before kneeling. The fine features broadened just slightly as breasts flattened. His mouth smiled, the same devilish tongue protruding out as he looked down at me, and stroking his length.

“Now it’s your turn,” he murmured, pulling me to him and turning me quickly onto my stomach. There was no hesitation as the incubus slid inside of me, filling me with his hunger. “I love fucking you, Guardian. I love being inside you.” 

His words filled me with lust as he slammed into me, holding tight to my hips to keep me matching his thrusts. Where Bashir had powered and stamina, the incubus was sensual, angling his hips to hit my inner folds, bringing cries of delight out of my lips. We moved together, sweat forming on our bodies as he slid in and out of me, matching my whimpers with his groans of delight.

Bashir stood, moving around the bed until he was behind the incubus. He whispered to the demon, speaking words I couldn’t hear as my body shuddered with ecstasy. We paused, the rhythm slowing as my companion aligned himself with the incubus, then gently pushed inward.

The incubus shuddered, a sublime smile of delight spreading on his beautiful features. The three of us began to move, Bashir pushing into the incubus, me slamming backward onto his length, matching our speeds to provide resistance to one another.

Between us, our lover cried out, shuddering and screaming, his nails digging into my flesh to hold to something. Finally, his scream of pleasure, between roar and snarl, ripped through the air and a burst of seed filled me. 

Soft moans and whimpers followed as I collapsed on the bed, the incubus resting on my stomach. Bashir joined us, lifting me gently so I could rest on his chest. None of us spoke but instead listened to the thudding hearts and panting breaths as we recovered. 

Finally, the incubus smirked up at me, fingers gently probing my warmth before presenting his release to my lips. I sucked on his fingers, eyes widening at the familiar taste. His knowing smile caught my eyes. “This is your friend’s,” he said, nodding at Bashir. “Perhaps he ought to come collect it… since he misplaced it.”

Bashir grinned, kissing my hair before he rose and we began again.

 

King of the Forest

 

The air smelled of decay and rot, hiding any trace of life that a forest should have. Each tree was darkened, branches and parts of logs littering the ground around them. Brown leaves hung from the branches, drifting in the wind. The earth was covered in mud and the dying remains of every plant. There was no grass, but instead wet earth that writhed with worms and beetles feasting on the corpse of the woods.

Rotten fruit, half-eaten by flies, lay scattered throughout the forest as I wandered inside, gloved hands touching the dying earth. Trees crumbled beneath my touch, releasing small clouds of sawdust into the air, and spores of whatever disease festered inside them. Everywhere I stepped, my boots sunk into the mud. With no grass or plants, the earth had become wet and loose, turning into a mu that could trap anyone who wandered inside.

Beyond the woods, fields had started to wither. With winter on the horizon, harvest was the difference between life and death. The villagers had been disturbed by the forest’s decay, but ultimately, had assumed it would die and regrow. Disease wasn’t new. Yet it never ended, resulting in a decade of rot that now blossomed into a threat to the village. 

Fire was their natural answer. Yet behind their fear, something else lurked, as I asked them what had changed teen years ago. Worried glances and silence met my words, glares my harder questions, and contempt my insinuation that they had done something to the local wildlife. Disease didn’t last ten years. 

I grimaced as I stepped over the rotting corpse of a deer, body long since bloated and eaten, fur falling off of an exposed skull. Her eyes were long gone, leaving an empty stare that faced the village itself. I leaned down and tilted the skull gently to see her teeth. She was young, and with no arrows or broken bones, it meant the disease had killed her.

It was only a matter of time before it infected local livestock. 

As I stood, the unseen became more obvious. Bones, fur, and feathers were nestled amongst the dead leaves and fallen trees. Nothing that came here lived. My lips pursed as I pulled up the cloth about my throat to cover my nose and mouth. There was no chance I hadn’t breathed the spores in, but I could delay whatever was inside my body by not encouraging more.

Black smoke rose in the air from the village below where they were burning their fields, eradicating the disease spores from their farms. I shivered and moved away from the corpses, walking further into the woods. 

It was deep and silent within, save the strange noise that came from bugs writing and moving in the earth. It was almost imperceptible unless one stood still, much like the sound of snow falling. Every moment in the woods felt crushing, the air filled with a strange thickness that I  knew was the rot. 

The further I ventured into the woods, the more aged the rot became, until there were fewer and fewer trees remaining that were not fallen t the earth. Strange and twisted black plants rose out of them, wet with slime that smelled of festering swamps. My boots slipped in the mud, splashing in fetid water with every step until a great cave loomed before me.

Before the rot, it would have been well hidden by the density of the vegetation. The sun would have caressed the top of the rock, a good place for sunbathing. Nearby there would have been bushes, trees, even a pond based on the swamp patterns. Whatever lived in the cave would have had a comfortable life.

Great twisted black roots came out of the cave’s mouth, strange growths along their lengths. They nestled into the mud, extending outward into the woods. The growths had opened, releasing spores, then regrown. White spores littered the air, densest here in the heart of the wood.

I grimaced beneath the cloth and stepped inside, feet slipping slightly on the rotting roots. Their thick, ropey masses made the cave smaller, covering every surface with years of growth. Mushroom-like projections filled the walls, sickly brown and dripping a strange fluid that kept the roots lubricated. 

When the darkness swallowed me, I struck my stone and ignited the lantern I had been resisting. Too much here could catch fire and burn the land. Shadows flickered to life, creating strange shapes as I moved. Each step became treacherous as the strange fluid grew more vicious, eating the rock itself.

Within the depth of the cave, the roots had sprung out of a great corpse on the ground. It was hulking, even just as bones, with ancient fur now blackened half slipping off of it. A giant head rested on the ground on its side, large teeth fierce and frightening. From its ribs sprung a spear, hand-carved with various symbols of lore.

My gloved fingers touched the bear’s side, feeling the distortion from the roots that grew within. I moved over its ribs to the spear. Someone had hunted him, followed him to his home, and murdered him in his rest. I grimaced and wrapped my hands around the spear. It had brought so much more death than the bear.

But bears were the life spirits of woods, keeping the hearts thriving. Too many stories had told of the sacrilege of murdering a bear, the creature that humanity may have descended from. “King of the woods,” I whispered softly to the long-dead corpse. 

“I beg forgiveness for their ignorance.” My hands closed about the spear, tightening. I pulled in a breath and then pulled, yanking the spear from the bear’s body. An explosion of spores followed my movement, filling the cave with strange white dust as a second burst of energy flew outward.

I slammed into the cave wall, dropping the spear as the wind was knocked out of my lungs, and collapsed, sucking in breaths. The festering roots twisted, groaning with their movement, as green moss began to grow out of them and tiny white mushrooms. From the moss soft green lights emerged, caressing the world as they moved.

The roots turned to dust, then earth, then rock again, reforming the cave around us. White spores began to fade, transforming into the blinking lights of fireflies. Lichen moved over the rock, collecting the moisture that remained for itself. 

Outside the ground quaked. I heard the groans of trees and the snapping of branches, the strange sound of leaves rapidly growing. A mouse crawled across my hand, stopping to sit on their haunches and sniff at my face. I tried to smile and gasped instead. Birds called outside, joining in great song before a wolf howled.

I heard the huffing as the bear drew his first breath. My eyes turned towards him in the eerie green glow. The massive head lifted, eyes growing back as the fur closed over his exposed skull, as he looked towards the cave opening. His great paws stood on the now clean cave floor, huge claws glimmering in the low light. 

The ribs repaired, fat and muscle returning as skin covered his exposed innards and then grew hair. The great beast finally stood, massive and beautiful, the small green lights and fireflies moving about his regal form. 

My body laid on the ground, slowly regaining breath. The bear approached, head lowered, snuffling at my hip before moving his great muzzle over my stomach. I breathed slowly, laying still, as he explored the scent of me from above. I closed my eyes as hot breath blew on my face and a wet tongue touched my cheek.

One hand gently raised to touch the coarse fur on his head, feeling the size of him compared to my human body. His head leaned into my hand. I slowly opened my eyes to look up at him, a gentle face with eyes half-closed in the enjoyment of touch. His eyes opened to look at mine and we stared at one another, the forest spirit and the guardian.

I shifted to see him better and let my hand slide behind his ear, nails gently scratching. “You’re beautiful,” I whispered to him. His coat was rich honey, even in the low light of the cave. It gleamed with his own unique magic, luxurious and full. The eyes glowed softly, the same green as the spirit energy lights that floated about him. From his back hints of leaves and small branches grew, blending with his earthen coat into the magic of the forest.

He was even bigger than I had thought he would be. Bears were large, but he was giant, dwarfing most bears I had seen. His mouth opened, and gripped the edge of my shirt, pulling softly then insistently. I slowly sat up, kneeling before his might. 

The bear pushed his nuzzle against my face, rubbing himself gently against me before he shifted, moving behind me to sit. I leaned back, feeling the warmth of his great body envelope me. Tiny vines poked out through his dense fur as I cuddled against him, his great paws wrapped around me to pull me in tight against him.  

Teeth nipped at my shoulder, working at the edge of my jacket, pulling it off to my upper arm. I smirked and then nodded, sitting forward to pull the coat off. It was tossed to the side, gathered up neatly by the creeping vines, and laid to rest near my lantern. My gloves came off next, before I slid from the rest of my clothes, letting the living cave take them up from me.

Naked, I leaned back against the bear, reaching up to touch his head as he leaned down to lap at my throat and shoulder, teeth teasingly playing over my skin. The dangerous claws gently scraped the skin of my stomach and over a breast, sending jolts of magic through me with each caress. 

My body shivered against him as a soft moan slipped past my lips. A groan came out of his muzzle as I pushed back against his body. A thick hard length met my body. I slipped a hand behind me, softly stroking him. 

The bear’s muzzle nuzzled my throat. “Is this what you want?” he asked me, voice just as rich as his fur. My eyes opened, surprised that he could speak. Another huffing groan escaped his lips, the perfect bear sound, as I kept my hand slowly moving. “I could hurt you…”

“You won’t,” I replied, confidence in his gentleness obvious in my own. A playful nip landed on my shoulder, sending another thrill through me as I stood, turning to look at his massive form. My hands caressed his face, stroking the fur as his eyes half-closed in gentle pleasure. “Do you want me?” I asked him.

Amber glowing eyes opened, a hint of green light sparkling in them. “I do. I would mate with you, to know you as a lover.” His muzzle moved forward, touching my face. I caressed him, leaning my head against his and rubbing. The bear made a soft noise of contentment before he shifted, standing, and moved forward. 

I stumbled back, generating a growling sound of amusement from the bear as I fell to the ground, greeted by a new carpet of soft moss that had grown. A wet tongue lapped at my throat, then down my chest to my breast, teeth nipping to pinch and pull. I gasped, arching my back up to his large mouth.

The bear growled deeply as his long, strong tongue probed my body, tasting the flesh and then sliding between my legs. I cried out, hips bucking at the intensity of his tongue as it slid within me, deep and penetrating. He lowered himself down to his stomach, laying down to get his thick tongue deeper.

Two massive paws rested on my hips and stomach, holding me down helplessly beneath him as his tongue writhed inside. Wild sounds escaped me as I grabbed his paw and his great head, pulling him into me in desperation. Each lick drove me further, bringing the pleasures of his skill and his magic into my body. The pounding power of the forest pulsed through him, thudded into my skin each time his tongue invaded.

My hips bucked but barely moved as he held me still. His movements were slow and methodical, eyes glinting with delight as I whimpered beneath him, eagerly wanting more. He stopped, tilting his head to watch me as I cried out in frustration before he buried his tongue deep, licking faster and driving deeper until I felt the great teeth of his maw pressed against the delicate skin of my opening.

I trembled and quaked beneath him, crying out as my body rode the waves of pleasure that overwhelmed me. He kept licking, even as I lost myself, and whimpered as the sensation overwhelmed. As I pushed on his head, trying to shift away, he finally lifted his muzzle from my thighs to gaze up at my body.

He stood, muzzle lifting my hip to gently turn me over as I laid, catching my breath as my senses slowly returned. Knowing what he wanted, I finally rolled over and moved onto my hands and knees. The great bear moved above me, lifting his front paw to my shoulder to hold me steady as his body pressed against mine. 

A small cry of pleasure came from my lips as he moved his hips forward, pushing his thick length deep into me, slick with his saliva. I bucked, feeling the pain of stretching and his erect hardness, more firm than anything I had felt before. He rested, part of his weight on me, as my body adjusted to him before he began to thrust.

Sounds of growling delight poured from the bear spirit as he pushed into me over and over again, plowing deeper with each thrust. I quaked beneath his weight, moaning as he filled me with his hunger, forcing me to adjust to meet his girth. 

Claws scraped my shoulder, leaving long red marks as he pulled me firmer against him, keeping me stable. One long leg rested beside me. One hand grabbed hold of his leg, holding on to him as his hips moved faster and harder. Panting hot breath landed on my neck as teeth nipped then bit, holding me still while he worked my body.

Pressure built within my body again, responding each time the bear battered into my hips, throwing his immense strength into each penetrating ram. Pleasure moved through me, making time seem to pass in a series of cries and growls and groans. Scratch marks lined my body as he slid in and out of my entrance, slowing only when I cried out, lost in the depths of ecstasy.

Even as he slowed, I shuddered, half sagging against him as his hips wiggled rather than rocked, swirling him within me to send new sensations through my body. The break lasted but moments before he held my neck with his great mouth and began again. He moved faster and harder, giving me no time to catch my breath before I cried out again, grasping t him as I shuddered and squirmed, reaching new heights of overwhelming intensity.

A great growl eschewed from his muzzle against my flesh as warm fluid filled me, held within by his engorged length before he stopped his maddening thrusts and slowly slid out, letting his seed spill from my entrance. 

I fell to the cave floor, exhausted, whimpering. The bear gently lapped my cuts and bites, closing the wounds before he lowered his head to my thighs, tongue exploring the sensitive skin still vibrating from his penetration. I made a small noise of protest as his tongue began to lap and explore, only to be replaced with renewed pleasure, body shivering in sudden eager anticipation of more.

A week later we walked from the cave, my body hurting in every pleasurable way. My thighs ached as we squinted at the sunlight, the forest lush and green alive. My fingers stroked his neck as we walked, exploring the forest I had never seen. I carried the spear in my other hand, determined to find who had killed the spirit and reveal what had truly happened.

As we reached the edge of the woods, the bear lowered his head to my shoulder and snuffled my cheek. I smiled at him, filled with his seed, and touched the golden fur one last time. “I will teach them the truth, my love,” I finally said and nodded towards the village.

He snorted a quiet bitterness that made the woods unsafe for the humans who would dare venture there. A different kind of poison, the fear of men.  

Bloody Mary

The candlelight flickered in the dark room, reflecting in the large mirror to illuminate my face. Light bounced off my features, shadowing my eyes and distorting my visage. I stared at her, the woman in the mirror, being both at one and separate from her. 

On the table before me, the candle rested, waving gently in an invisible breeze. Nighttime hummed outside, yet the sounds of crickets and frogs seemed far away and drowned out by a tension in the air of the room. The longer I stared, the further away the world felt, and more and more this small space felt like the entire world.

I inhaled slowly, trying to calm the thudding of my heart. A lump rose in my throat, compounding a newfound fear of speaking. My reflection waited, yet seemed to be smirking, mocking my hesitancy. Her eyes, my eyes, watched, waiting for some movement, some give. Instead, I took in another deep breath and sighed, looking away.

“It’s fine. She won’t hurt you,” I muttered to myself. Yet the fear at my center didn’t abate at the cool logic or simple truth. The story had been merciless. A haunting tale of blood and judgment, off claws embedded in skin and crimson revenge. 

I swallowed the lump in my throat and turned back to my impatient reflection. She was pale, lips tight, eyes slightly too wide. Fear was written on my face as plain as day, an emotion I rarely knew despite all the things I had experienced. 

“This is stupid,” I finally grumbled at myself and pushed back the tangle of hair from my face.  Hands pushed onto the table, forcing me to lean forward, and stare at the face inches from my face. 

“Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary.” 

My voice was soft, yet held a hint of tension. I watched the mirror, waiting for a change. Silence hung in the air, blocking out the sound. My eyes remained the same, flicking back and forth across the mirror’s surface, seeking anything in the darkness.

I leaned back, letting my hands rest at my side. My throat released and I finally took a breath after what seemed like a long time without breathing. As soon as I breathed, the mirror seemed to darken, my eyes changing from their draconic gold to pale blue, bloodshot, and dangerous.

A gasp slipped through my lips as I stared at myself, hair darkening and growing longer, escaping its simple braid. The clothing transformed into fresh white fabric, thin with delicate lace. My fingers touched my lips, marveling at their newfound fullness yet feeling like my own. 

My reflection smirked at me, our eyes locking as I watched myself change. Blood seeped down my forehead, over my chest, between my breasts, and slid down my arms to my fingertips. I  turned, looking at my own hands, absent the blood I saw in the mirror. My breasts were clean in the dark fabric I wore.

When I looked up, the reflection tilted her head, an eerie smile on her lips. Long-nailed fingers curled in the mirror, beckoning me forward. Her tongue licked her lips, tasting the ruby blood that dripped sensually over her skin. 

Despite myself, I stepped forward, keeping my face inches from the mirror’s surface. Her blue eyes stared into mine, vengeful and angry. 

“Mary?” I whispered her name. 

She grinned and nodded slowly, teeth stained from the blood she had lapped up. Her hand raised to touch the mirror, fingertips tapping against the surface. I moved my hand up to the glass, hesitating before I finally put my hand against hers.

It was cold and smooth, nothing more than the glass surface. I realized my breath was caught and I exhaled. Mary did not. She did not breathe, nor blink. Her endless eyes stared into mine, never looking away. 

Fingers clasped my hand, sliding between my digits and holding down with incredible strength. I gasped, turning my head to look at her hand grasping mine, cold and dead and dripping with the blood of her namesake. As I looked back to her, she pulled, yanking with the strength of something beyond human, and drew me into the mirror.

Cold air washed over me as I spilled into the mirror’s world. My body slammed into hers, feeling the cold hardness of her undead form. Her fingers never relinquished mine but held me steady as I  touched her shoulder, pulling myself back to standing.

In the mirror, darkness swallowed everything, the candlelight barely piercing its depths. Her eyes continued to haunt mine as I looked at her face, at the cut in her forehead where blood dripped from. There was a strange blue tint to her skin and a hollowness to her face that whispered of death. 

Bony fingers touched my lips, nails grazing over my cheek and chin. I exhaled a shaky breath as I looked at her. My fingers grazed her shoulder, caressed her neck, and moved up to touch her cheek. I was held by her eyes, a mix of fear and excitement coursing through me. 

Her head tilted, eyes considering and judging. With a quick movement, her nails raked my cheek, leaving three long cuts. Blood seeped out and began to drip down my face. I winced but didn’t move away from her. I had heard the stories. I knew that there was nowhere to run.

“So I’m a sinner then?” I whispered to her. My eyes looked away from her own, to her plush lips and over her skin before back to her face. “I know you can see my sins, Mary. Do you like them?”

Her eyes finally blinked, as though awakening. They looked at me, not through me, as I stepped closer and closed the space between us. “If you want to scratch me, you can,” I whispered to her. My lips hovered near her own as I watched her eyes looking into me for new knowledge.

They glanced down at my lips before she moved her head forward, closing the distance between us so that her lips closed on mine.  Cold and dead, they tasted of meat and blood, raw and copper. I sucked on her bottom lip, teasing the edge with my tongue before tracing her upper lip. She pressed forward, hungry for the contact that had been denied her.

Finally, her fingers released mine and slid up my arm to pull me against her body. Blood began to seep through my clothing and touch my skin, making our touches glide over the skin. I shivered as her nails slid down my throat over the curve of my breast before hooking into the fabric and ripping. 

Her blood-soaked hand grabbed the exposed flesh, pinching my nipple and extracting a cry of pain and pleasure from me. Our lips broke their seal as I kissed her neck, lapping at the blood that coated her skin. Against me, she shivered, holding my head against her in a  terrifyingly strong grasp.

My hands explored her body, feeling her through the white dress stained crimson. As my mouth teased her collarbone, I pulled the skirts upward, slipping my fingers beneath to explore her thigh. I stroked her hip and teased the edges of her center, never going further, even as her hips bucked against me. 

Fingers closed around my hand, pulling it towards her core as she whimpered. I smirked, flicking delicate flesh through the thin fabric. She gasped, fingers pulling my hair suddenly to wrench my face back to meet hers.

Our kiss was filled with copper and hunger. Teeth hit each other and bit on lips, tongues met and traded thee flavor of each other’s blood. She turned my head, licking the claw marks she had gouged in my face moments before. 

I moaned against her, finger still teasing her sensitive flesh. Our bodies ground together before she released my head. Our hands worked rapidly to peel the clothes from each other, ripping and clawing for her, while I pulled roughly to remove the dress from her shoulders and slid it down her undead body. 

Blood coated each of us as she slid to the ground together, entangled in the other, naked bodies writhing in the blood that continued to seep from her being. I straddled her, mouth suckling on a large, dark nipple as she slid her fingers down my stomach and played with the delicate skin.

Her fingers felt my wetness and pulled back, my blood coating her fingertips. She smirked and pulled it to her fingers to her mouth and lapped at the blood. I shifted, catching her mouth in mine briefly, tasting the copper of my fluid before straddling her thigh. 

Our eyes met as I looked down at her before I began to grind my pelvis against hers, skin rubbing against skin. We moaned as one, her breasts bouncing with my movement as I rotated my hips. I shuddered, feeling the sweet sensation of ecstasy snake up through me as we moved, rocking on the ground together.

Her nails dug into the earth as her cries escalated with each movement I made, pushing her closer to her edge. Our skin became covered in crimson, each of us leaking fluid tainted with our own moon’s blood, mixing in browns and reds. Small whimpers crept out of her as I increased my speed, rubbing our bodies together in frantic abandon.

Nails dug into my thigh as she cried out, filling the mirror-room with her pleasure. I smiled down at her, slowing my speed to tease the sensitive flesh as she shuddered and smiled, twisting beneath me. A small sound of protest made me grin as she finally smiled and laughed, pulling away as the sensations overwhelmed her.  

Mary moved to her knees, admiring the mess my body had become before she kissed me again. The release made her smile and smirk rather than glower as her mouth explored mine, slow and sensual. Her tongue teased my lips before moving down my throat, to my breasts, flicking each nipple. 

I whimpered and leaned back, giving her access to me before she pushed on my chest. My body laid on the hollow ground, spread before her. Nails raked down my chest and over my breasts, leaving scratch marks without blood. My back arched, pushing my body up towards her with the pain and pleasure she drew from me.

The spirit’s mouth tickled my stomach, flicking at the remnants of our activities to taste it. Her tongue went lower, clearing a wet path in the bloody fluid as she lowered her head to my thighs. My fingers touched her blood-matted hair and I gasped as her mouth closed around my flesh, tongue invading hungrily and diving deep.

My body shuddered beneath her as her tongue explored my depths, saliva mixing with blood. I looked down at her, her mouth pausing to smile at me, chin covered in dark red fluid. A moan spilled out of my mouth as she tasted me again, tongue swirling around the sensitive nub of flesh.

Hips rocked as pleasure moved through me, her mouth working my skin in rhythm, driving the sense of urgency to a heightened frenzy. My fingers dug into her hair and the ground, writhing in the blood and mess around us. Finally, I cried out, bucking up against her mouth and panting as the sensations overwhelmed me.

My undead lover crawled up my body, taking my mouth in her own. I tasted my lust on her, mixed with my blood and hers from our earlier passions. Our kiss lingered, arms around each other, holding each other as the waves moved through us. 

Her head rested on my chest as I held her against me. She listened to my heart as I watched the flickering light from the candle in my world grow dimmer. Finally, she rose and kissed my lips softly before linking her fingers with mine and pulling me to stand with her. Mary lead me to the mirror and touched its glimmering surface, opening the world to me.

I squeezed her hand and smirked. “Bloody Mary.”

With a sigh, I stepped through into the waiting world. Our eyes stared at each other again, Mary’s intense blues into my strange grey-gold. She smiled and winked at me, covered in our mixed blood. Our fingertips met on the glass before I blinked and stared, once more, into my bloody reflection.