Otherwhere Chapter 4: The Choosing Part 2

The giant creature threw back it’s head and screeched, then shimmered and blurred. When it resolved again an enormous man stood in it’s place. Naked but for a circlet on his forehead similar to the one Leela wore, he was as dark red, and utterly hairless as his creature form, at least seven feet tall, powerfully muscled and handsome in a chiseled way.

The girls’ mouths dropped open.

“Woof,” muttered Dee.

Astra giggled. Rory’s heart skipped a beat as her eye’s met its. She knew immediately that he had come for her.

“Welcome Draco,” Leela greeted it. “We are here to abide by the treaty.”

“These humans are new,” the Draco observed. Its mouth never moved yet all four women ‘heard’ it as a rich male baritone.

“These humans are new to Otherwhere,” Leela agreed with him. “They’ve just arrived through the portal.”

“Their energy is strong and needs to be harvested, both for our shared well being and their own safety,” the Draco observed.

“They are here,” Leela simply replied.

Draco looked at all three, his gaze lingering on Rory. “I choose you as tribute,” he said, again mouth not moving. “Do you accept? If so, come forward.” He stretched out his arm to her.

“Look at the size of his thing,” Dee said, sotto voce, to Rory. “He’s going to destroy you.”

Astra let out a strangled whoop of laughter and quickly covered her mouth. Rory snorted, “I guess you’ve got to pay taxes everywhere,” she quipped back to Dee.

She stretched out her own hand and stepped forward to put it in the Draco’s. His skin was smooth, not scaly and almost hot to the touch.

“I accept,” she said with a slight quiver, noticeable only to her friends.

Draco’s hand closed over hers. He smiled a surprisingly gentle smile for such a fierce creature.

“I will return to my natural form. Climb onto my back, ahead of the wings and I shall convey you to the surface where I shall resume this form and we shall complete our… business.” Rory swore his eyes twinkled. “Hold tightly.”

The Draco returned to it’s normal form and after a moment’s hesitation Rory climbed onto it’s back.

“I’m ready,” she said. With powerfully wingbeats, the creature and girl rose into the air and spiraled upwards to the surface.

“She's unbelievable,” Dee said wryly, shaking her head. “We’re here not even a day and she gets laid by The Rock’s flying red cousin.”

“AND she brought a guy with her!” Astra added, giggling again.

“Speaking of,” Leela said. “Let us go see Colin. He can help me replenish our energy stocks.” The older woman looked at the two cousins, “And you two can help if you’re willing.”

The two looked at each other and snorted laughter.

“Sure,” Dee said, smiling. “Why the fuck not?”