Like a Dragon Lord Scorned...
Running a towel over his head and shoulders, drying himself off after a very refreshing bath, Anon contentedly sighed. He’d spent the better part of a week in the isolated little village, to the point where his guard had become well and thoroughly lowered. Outside of his tumultuous and exceptionally depraved introduction to the kirin community, he’d had a fine time among the enigmatic little equines - that said, it hadn’t taken him long to discover that they were quite the odd and quiet little bunch.
Having shacked up with Autumn Blaze, the delightfully chatty and lighthearted mare who’d introduced him to Rainshine, it hadn’t taken her long to tell him all about her kind. For starters, the kirin had all taken a preternatural vow of silence, since their flaring tempers could actually immolate their surroundings - secondly, her race had next to no contact with the outside world, aside from the exceedingly rare visitor who happened upon their remote settlement. They were a very interesting bunch, all in all, even if his host had eventually admitted to duping him into plowing their ruler.
While he wasn’t exactly pleased that he’d been tricked, lied to about being imprisoned and coerced into exhibitionistically bedding Rainshine, it was impossible for him to stay upset, especially after Autumn had agreed to give him refuge. Unlike the previous encounters he’d had while on the lam, his time with the weird dragon-horses, if that’s what they were, may have given him an out. Since Autumn seemed to enjoy his company, and with their ruler not minding his presence, he was heavily considering starting a new life for himself.
While it would suck to leave his friends and possessions behind, the last thing he wanted was to find out what the incensed alicorns had in mind for him - as such, a fresh start may be his only way to avoid being thrown into a dungeon somewhere. According to Autumn, the hamlet he’d stumbled across was undiscovered by the Equestrian empire and, so far as he knew, the chances of him being found were extraordinarily slim. Should he decide to stay with the kirin, he may well be able to live out the rest of his days peacefully.
Shaking his head and clearing his thoughts, reassuring himself that he had plenty of time to come to a decision, he neatly hung the used towel upon the empty rack by the tub and moved towards the exit. Regardless of what he ultimately chose to do with himself, he fully planned to try and take it easy for a few days - after all the shit he’d been through, he’d more than earned some rest and relaxation. Crossing through the threshold of the bathroom and into the cozy little den, he blinked and went rigid.
Autumns’ house, the very home he’d been in for the past few days, was gone, replaced by the barren, dry, and desolate landscape of the badlands outpost he’d fled from not a week prior. The abrupt and wholly unforeseen change of scenery left him at a loss for words, as he looked around in disbelief. As impossible as it may have seemed, the sensation of parched earth against the soles of his feet, the arid air, and the unwelcoming breeze affirmed that he was no longer in the sanctuary he’d only just grown acquainted with.
Damned if he knew how he’d wound up back at the dragon outpost, but the chill wind against his damp flesh only worsened his sense of foreboding. Glancing around himself, spying his trusty satchel resting only a few feet away, he rushed over, grabbed the bag, and rifled through its contents; mystical displacement notwithstanding, he’d rather not loaf about nonplussed and buck naked. Hastily pulling a pair of shorts and a shirt from his sack, doing his best to get dressed as quickly as possible, an excited, regretfully recognizable voice caused his blood to run cold.
“Anon!” Ember bleated, seconds before he was tackled to the ground. Heedless of his comparably delicate skin, knocking him onto his back, she stroked her scaled face against his bare chest. “I knew you’d come back!”
Suddenly finding himself well away from the comfortable, friendly village of mutes was less than ideal, although encountering the covetous reptile was the stuff of nightmares. He’d only just started to forget about the dommy dragoness’ imperious and inordinately rough treatment, yet fate or some malign celestial force had brought him back to his would-be savior turned lecherous captor. As he wriggled against her, losing to her inscrutable strength, she eventually, albeit reluctantly relaxed her grasp and allowed him to clamber free.
“Just - uh - give me a second,” he grunted, getting to his feet and brushing himself off.
“I mean, it’s not like I was waiting for you to get back,” she weakly laughed, flippantly waving a clawed hand while trying and failing to act dismissive.
Sidling over and gathering up the clothes he dropped, taking care to cover his package, he slowly dressed himself - not because he was trying to give her any sort of show, but because he needed time to think. Out of all the creatures he’d ended up bumping uglies with, Ember was definitely one of the more formidable. Being exceptionally demanding and impossibly strong, despite her relatively small size, would have been an issue in and of itself, but she wasn’t above manhandling him either - nonetheless, the sex with her had been wild. Glancing over at her, ensuring she wasn’t going to assault him a second time, he knit his brow.
“Is it me,” he began, pulling his shorts up and covering his goods, “or did you get a little bigger?”
Dipping her head, she incredulously inspected herself. “I don’t think so, but maybe all the exercise I’ve been doing put on a bit of extra muscle. Why ~ are you into beefy chicks?” she countered, flexing theatrically arms.
Straightening up, having donned what little attire he had on him, he brought his attention to her face. “Exerci…”
He trailed off, noticing something amiss. Though he hadn’t seen it when he’d first arrived, given the shock of being inexplicably whisked from one location to another, many of the weather-beaten structures bore signs of damage. Several of the stony walls had been demolished, craters pockmarked the earth, and at least one of the buildings was missing its roof. It almost appeared as though the outpost had suffered through some sort of a siege, although his gut and the smug look on the winged lizard’s face spoke to the contrary.
“So - um - did I miss anything interesting?” he softly inquired, feeling all the more uneasy.
“Well, after you went out to stretch your legs, I needed to vent some stress,” she remarked, glancing over to a pile of rubble. “But now that you’re here,” she continued, running her serpent-like tongue over her lips, “I won’t have to take out my frustration on this dingy old waystation.”
The amorous look in her eye sent a shiver up his spine and blood coursing to his treacherous tool, almost forcing him to break eye contact. He was far from what he’d describe as a timid creature, and there was something infuriatingly arousing about a female that was genuinely intimidating. Though he hesitated to classify himself as tsundere around tyrannical women, regardless of the species, it wasn’t an inaccurate characterization for the mix of reluctant excitement he felt around such creatures.
“Soooooooo,” she purred, drawing a taloned digit down her chest, over her abdomen, and to the glistening, markedly wet lips of her sex, “how about you come over here and help your mate out…”
Anon stiffened in more ways than one, hearing the word mate. In addition to misinterpreting his escape as some sort of protracted walk, she’d somehow come to the conclusion that they were an item. Awkwardly rubbing his neck and looking away, praying to any merciful deity who’d listen for help, he cleared his throat.
“I’ve…I’ve got a headache,” he grumbled, moving his hand to massage his temple, “maybe we could do something later.”
It was a tried and true, if not cliche excuse, but it would probably do the trick. Summoning a weak smile and looking to her face, seeing a flash of anger cross her draconic visage, he gulped. Getting away wasn’t an option, since her wings would make pursuit laughably easy, and he stood a snowball’s chance in hell of overpowering her - basically, if he couldn’t talk his way out of the situation, he was figuratively and quite possibly literally fucked.
Crossing over to him, she gently took his hand and smiled. “Sounds like someone needs to lie down.”
Her caring statement and soft touch gave him a brief flash of hope - that was, until he found himself sailing through the air without any warning whatsoever. There was no time to scream, no real time for fear to settle upon him, before he landed upon a bed within one of the wretched buildings. Landing with a resounding Pomf, grappling with what had just happened, he watched his host rocket down from the sky and straddle his waist.
Ember’s enthusiasm would have been terrifying enough, but he had an even bigger, growing problem to contend with. Gazing down his chest at her, hearing the bed frame groan and creak under the strain of their weight, his eyes widened. Either he was suffering from some sort of delirium or she was steadily increasing in size.
Too frightened and awed to move, it was all he could do to watch her transformation. Where once she was a relatively short, slender reptile, she gradually metamorphosed into a hulking, muscle-bound parody of her former self. Feeling very much like a deer in the headlights, he subconsciously prepared to meet his maker - that or get his pelvis crushed into gravel.
Leaning over him, pressing her breast-like pecs against his chest, Ember breathed a plume of sulfurous smoke over his face. “Mine…”
With that single word, a memory came sailing back to Anon. He’d heard about how some dragons, particularly those who were younger or with hot tempers, occasionally suffered a malady of greed. When the winged saurians were stricken with a severe rapaciousness, should they be unable to control themselves, their bodies would grow and their intellect would dwindle; he’d never expected to see such a disquieting metamorphosis, let alone be the cause of one, but it gave him an idea.
“Wait wait wait -” he bleated, reaching up and lovingly stroking her chin. “I never knew you were so,” he paused, swallowing hard, “beautiful…”
He’d intended for the compliment to tickle her feminine side, yet what he got was a somewhat unsettling show of force. For whatever reason, be it from the flattery or simply wishing to assert her enhanced physique, she struck what he could only describe as a body builder’s pose and flexed. Several veins popped out on her biceps, quads, and thighs, further cementing how much more powerful she’d undoubtedly become. Slowly looking from his stunned face to his waist, it didn’t take her long to notice his fear-boner.
The crazed look in her eyes diminished ever so slightly, a blush crept into her cheeks, and she continued grinding her sopping wet lizard puss against his crotch. “Anon love Ember?”
“Mmmhmm!” he emphatically responded, craning his head and kissing the tip of her snout. “So how about we switch places and I’ll show you how much I love my devoted little dragon.”
Bolting to her feet, looming over him, she nodded to the side. “Move…”
Anon scrambled out from under her, rolling off the struggling bed and falling to the dusty floor. As he pushed himself up and stood, hearing a resounding Thud behind him, he smiled and turned to face her - unfortunately for him, getting his first look at just how monstrous she’d become, his forced, cheerful expression faltered. The short, bossy dragon he’d begrudgingly become acquainted with was gone, replaced by a primal, reptilian amazoness.
Ember towered over him, easily pushing seven feet tall, and was absolutely covered in muscle. Imposing in size and build, yet retaining some recognizable vestiges of femininity, her new form was somehow both alarming and provocative. As she slowly eased herself onto the mattress and assumed a supine position, keeping her eyes on him the whole while, he disrobed and cautiously moved to the foot of the bed.
Giving her what she wanted might be the only hope he had of mollifying her and escaping. His plan more than likely wouldn’t have worked, had she retained her higher functions, yet her dulled wits and simple-mind presented an opportunity to outsmart her. If he could satiate her bestial urges, and if she believed that he wasn’t going to run away, she might just relax her guard enough to let him flee - in any case, that’s what he tried to convince himself.
“Oh babe,” he murmured, crawling onto the mattress and between her sculpted thighs, “I’m gonna make you the happiest dragon in Equestria.”
Her contented growl was music to his ears, spurring him onward. Truth be told, he’d be lying if he said that he wasn’t somewhat aroused by the situation - then again, that may just have been his primitive survival instincts preparing him for the worse. Bringing his face to her loins, breathing in the piquant, musky aroma of her sex, he steeled himself and dove in. He’d counted on her enjoying his oral skills, seeing as how she’d become quite fond of them when she’d first held him captive, and he wasn’t let down by her reaction.
A deep, throaty rumble escaped her, sounding like a mix between a purr and a landslide, as she lifted and clenched her legs around his head. As if coming onto him like a drunken prom date, with her nethers positively slavering and ready for action, wasn’t a strong enough indication that she was ready and oh-so willing to get it on, the fact that she immediately leg-locked him to her groin really hammered the point home. As she flexed her tail and bucking her hips, slathering his face with her juices, he set upon her like the lothario he was.
It wasn’t like he didn’t enjoy getting intimate with a menagerie of exotic creatures, but it sure as hell felt like he’d been steadily digging his own grave. The rulers of the ponies were after him, the deposed matriarch of the changelings had promised to find him, and he’d unwittingly garnered the interest of the Dragon Lord herself. The knowledge that there were few, if any other powerful and influential creatures left to inadvertently woo was some small consolation, yet that did little to help with his current predicament.
Closing his eyes, he fervently lapped at and hummed into her sex. In addition to having a much more pronounced aroma, smelling like a blend of exotic spices and fruit, Ember’s flavor had also changed after her regressing into a mountainous, dull brute. Swallowing down the almost spicy essence of her depths, having to twist his head to get the occasional sip of air, he wrapped his arms around the back of her thighs and grasped her toned buns.
“Good,” she snarled, shivering against him.
Even if he’d wanted to reply, he would’ve been unable. He actually considered himself somewhat lucky that he’d bedded her numerous times before, for he’d learned how best to please the savage beast. In spite of her massive size, his ministrations began to have an effect. Her lower limbs relaxed to a degree, allowing him a bit more freedom of movement, and her trembling thighs compelled him to press his amorous assault.
As her left leg slid from his back and to the side, resting on the mattress, he wriggled one arm free and brought his hand to her crotch. Though it was a bit awkward to pull off, her immense stature allowed him to jam two fingers into her while he continued to wantonly eat her out. The one-two punch of rubbing her g-spot and oral proved to be a deadly mix for the reptile, leading to her to arching her back and hissing in satisfaction - at least, he presumed it was a satisfied hiss.
Situated as he was, propped on one elbow while finger-fucking and licking her snatch, his turgid manhood went neglected. He would have stroked himself off while pleasuring her, had the circumstances been less dire, yet that option just wasn’t in the cards he’d been dealt. There was no way in hell he was going to give her anything but his very best, so he’d forego any self-consummation throughout the perilous endeavor.
Jamming his head forward, all but entombing his face within her entrance, the sensation of something brushing against his side caused him to start. While he’d had every intention of munching her scaly carpet to a climax, he briefly paused, twisted to the side, and peered down his chest. To his marked surprise, he spied her tail creeping down his torso and to his package.
The supple tip of her dexterous appendage coiled around his dick, leisurely stroking him off and sending a thrilled tremor through him. It was the first decent development of the day, especially after the baffling bullshittery of being placed back with her, so he wasn’t about to complain. Turning his head, he recommenced to feasting on the titanic lizard’s quivering, drooling cunt.
While he hadn’t expected it, the added bit of stimulation made one thing clear - she hadn’t regressed to the point of viewing him solely as a living, breathing marital aid. Thrusting into her tail, with his trepidation giving way to his mounting enjoyment, he tongue-lashed the sensitive area near the top of her entrance; she may have lacked a clit, but the spot had brought her to climax before and, if he was lucky, it’d do the trick yet again.
Slowly but surely, under the siege of his skillful fingers and oral expertise, her panting grew louder and heavier. As she clenched around his digits, while fitfully pumping her hips, his cautious optimism grew. If he survived the ordeal, as well as somehow managing to flee and elude her, he’d be sure to include a chapter in his memoirs about the ins and outs of successfully laying dragons; with more important things to worry about, he pushed the thought to the back of his mind and continued eating her out.
On and on he went, feeling and hearing the signs of her impending release, until it ultimately happened. With a gasp and a grunt, she launched forward, grasped the back of his head in one meaty palm, and erupted orgasmic nectar over his face. The closest thing he could equate the experience to was hovering over a geyser of spicy, somewhat tart syrup. Nearly drowning in the fountain of her essence, he gulped down what he could and was thoroughly painted with the remainder.
Having accomplished his goal, though having unintentionally earned a lungful of dragon juice, he pushed himself away and fell into a coughing fit. While it was gratifying to have made such a prodigious predator cum, aspirating her ejaculate somewhat sullied the moment. As he rocked back into a seated position, mopping his face with his forearm, she spread and braced her legs.
“We fuck now,” she snorted.
Glancing down at her, while her tail encircled his midsection, he held up a finger. “One - Cough - One second,” he croaked.
He figured she’d be ready and raring to go for the main event, but he needed a moment to compose himself. Considering she was even larger than him, in both height and overall mass, he’d be left to solely rely on his technique to satiate her. It wasn’t that his endowment was lacking, and every creature he’d plowed had thoroughly enjoyed his company, yet Ember’s sheer size would make the undertaking a herculean affair. Comforting or possibly deluding himself that he’d be just fine, he turned to face her and shuffled into position.
Lacking any fanfare whatsoever, seeing no point in delaying the inevitable or drawing out the moment, he languidly plunged into her inviting depths. Strangely enough, it seemed as though her transformation had affected every part of her; not only was her silken canal markedly looser, lovingly clenching and coaxing him deeper, but her body temperature seemed to have increased by several degrees - sadly, he wasn’t able to relish the sensation for long. Her legs snapped shut around him, drawing him forward in a swift, brutal jerk.
“Hey!” he reflexively groused, nearly collapsing atop her.
“Fuck,” she breathed, baring her fangs at him, “now…”
Knowing he had little choice in the matter, lest he risk a broken pelvis, he placed his hands to either side of her chest, broadened his stance, and started rutting her with everything he had. There was no gradual buildup nor sensual escalation of force - no, he simply went from zero to one hundred at the drop of a hat. Given her bulk, durability, and her insistence to get dicked-down, he saw no reason to give her an ounce of restraint.
Though her legs remained in place, rhythmically flexing to give each of his thrusts a bit of added oomph, she rolled her head back and growled approvingly. She seemed happy enough that he’d indulged her, but he couldn’t afford to give her any slack. Lowering his head to her chest, he dragged his tongue up her tit-like pectoral and to her collar.
Under ordinary circumstances, he would have included some dirty and/or sweet talk to butter her up, yet that tactic felt as though it would be a waste. Having been reduced to little more than a lascivious, dim-witted behemoth, she’d more than likely appreciate a show of brute force. Lowering his face to her collar, while he continued to plow her like an unruly harlot, he opened his jaw and bit down on her neck.
His impromptu plan to please her worked, but it worked a bit too well. Her lower limbs tensed, cracking his back and driving the air from his lungs, while she unleashed what he prayed was a blissful bellow. Struggling against her, with her zealous motions eclipsing his own, his thoughts raced wildly.
The encounter was easily the craziest and possibly most hazardous thing he’d ever done, yet some insane part of him took joy from it. The physical sensations she afforded were amazing, the raw carnality of it all was beyond provocative, and the trace amounts of fear made for a wondrously depraved cocktail, clouding his mind and stoking the fires of his masculinity. He may have been smaller and weaker than her, but he’d be damned if he was going to go down without a fight.
Adjusting the placement of his head, he sank his teeth into her trapezius and evoked another, hopefully rapturous howl from her. The thought of dominating a lust-addled dragon was profoundly intoxicating, elevating his courage to unimaginable heights, but his bravado was sundered just as soon as it had begun to coalesce. Rearing back and locking eyes with him, her toothy grin nearly made his heart stop.
As she leaned in, drawing her tongue over his cheek, an ominous chuckle worked past her lips. “Mine…”
In the blink of an eye, she turned the tables. The move was so quick and jarring that he honestly couldn’t say what had happened; one moment he was fucking her missionary - the next he was resting on his shoulders while she held his knees over her hips. Somehow, as incomprehensible and disconcerting as it was, she’d managed to pull off the maneuver without unsheathing herself from his length - a fact she made immediate use of.
Squatting above him, heedless of his discomfort, she savagely raised and lowered her waist to fuck herself on him. He’d heard of the position before, but he’d only ever seen it depicted in raunchy animations or illustrations; the amazoness press, if his memory served him, was when a woman, typically one who was larger and stronger than her lover, used her man like a living sex-toy. Though it was a bit uncomfortable, having the wind repeatedly driven from his lungs while his shoulders pressed into the squeaking mattress, the development sparked something he didn’t know he had - his submissive side.
Every other sexual encounter he’d ever been involved with had been markedly one sided, with him ultimately taking the lead and asserting himself over his partner, but this was the diametric opposite. Ember had outclassed him in every conceivable way, was making him her bitch, and some blossoming portion of himself absolutely loved it. Able to do little more than watch her pistoning herself on him, seeing his shaft disappear and reappear from her cunt, he stifled a whimper.
“Ember - Rrrrgh - own Anon,” she huffed, glaring down at his blushing face. “Anon will give Ember a clutch.”
“Oh fuck,” he mewled, feeling the tip of his cock bumping against her womb.
The missionary position had been nice, but the outright power with which she was using him, applying her full body weight while violently pulling his upper half to meet her downward thrusts, had him bottoming out with each plunge. Despite being nowhere near as snug as she’d been before, back when she’d been a third of her current size, the sheer brutality of her passion left little to be desired. Effectively helpless to stop her, yet desperately wishing to reciprocate, he grabbed and began licking her flicking tail.
Screwing him like a machine, all but pounding him through the bed, her endurance seemed limitless. Little by little, feeling himself inching closer and closer to release, a harsh realization settled upon him; this was how his story would end, conquered by an avatar of avarice and likely dragged back to her den to sire untold numbers of draconic offspring. His higher functions waned, bowing under her indomitable might, while he slipped past the point of no return.
Pushed past the threshold, with his manhood throbbing uncontrollably, he brayed out and came. He’d blown more loads than he could count over the past months, with some being stronger or more pleasant than others, but the climax which struck him under Ember’s ruthless clawed hand was easily among the most potent he’d ever experienced. Spasming beneath her, filling her with every drop of his virile essence, his hot, virile influx pushed her past the brink.
Ember’s roar could likely be heard for miles, while she hauled him up and sheathed the entirety of his shaft within her velvety confines. Fighting through her ecstasy, or tapping into her primal desires, she somehow held him firmly in place to accept every dollop of his precious seed. With her cervix kissing and drinking deeply of his gift, a torrent of nectar gushed from around his buried dick.
Positioned directly beneath her, her orgasmic spray baptized Anon with her she-spunk. It was a fitting ending for a tumultuous and disturbingly arousing encounter, though it had left a mark on him; not only had being bested wounded his pride, but virtually every part of him hurt to a degree. His joints ached, his muscles were sore, and the ecstasy he’d felt was quickly eclipsed by a subtle headache - likely from having been held upside down for a time. While he was glad to be in one piece, he’d have to think of a way to satisfy her without being tossed around like a rag doll.
Breathing heavily, apparently pleased with his performance, or lack thereof, she unceremoniously released his legs, dropped him to the bed, and stooped down over him. “We go now…”
Anon wasn’t sure what was more troubling - the fact that she’d recuperated almost instantaneously or that she wanted to take him back to her homeland straight away. Feebly rolling to his stomach and pushing himself up, feeling very much like a newborn fawn, he unsteadily used her to support his shaking legs. As he rested a hand on her shoulder, peeking up at her face, something peculiar caught his eye.
It may have been insubstantial, but she appeared slightly shorter than she’d been minutes prior. His best guess was that the gratification of getting what she wanted had weakened her draconic affliction, but he didn’t dare ask her about it directly. For all he knew, doing anything other than being servile would provoke her into another, possibly spine-shattering round of frenzied coitus.
“Thanks,” he muttered, stepping away to collect his discarded effects.
While he’d never visited the Dragon Lands before, he’d learned about them from Twilight and Spike. The aptly named territory was supposedly one of the more inhospitable areas in all the land, yet the sapient reptiles apparently loved it; for them, the scorching heat, magma flows, and desolation were the epitome of comfort - for him, it sounded like something out of Dante’s Inferno. Resigning himself to a terrible fate, moving with all the speed of a snail, he collected his things, dressed himself, and shuffled back to his self-appointed owner.
“Alright,” he sighed, “I’m ready…”
Ember smirked, effortlessly scooped him up, held him to her bosom, and launched herself into the sky. Hanging beneath her, watching the badlands give way to the lush green forests which harbored the kirin, he closed his eyes. His one solace was that Ember’s regal status may spare him from the Princesses’ ire.
If he was excessively fortunate, she’d shelter him from the ponies and, if his luck held out, even give him an abode that didn’t ensure his untimely cremation. Lifting his head and sheltering his eyes from the driving wind, seeing the glittering sea on the horizon, he suppressed a shiver. Maybe things wouldn’t be as bad as he thought, though he wasn’t exactly sure how they couldn’t.
Quietly musing on what his future held, or if he’d even be able to survive in such an unforgiving environment, a flash of green caught his eye. Twisting around, seeing two more harlequin bolts streak by him, his heart dropped into the stomach. Racing up behind him, blasting energy from her gnarled horn, was the all too familiar form of a very irate insect.
“That’s my hyu-man, you slutty salamander!” Chrysalis blared, coming alongside them.
Scowling over at the changeling, Ember unleashed an apocalyptic inferno from her fanged muzzle - alas, with the nimble shapeshifter evading the attack and peppering the pair with arcane fire, the immolative shot went wide. Though the dragon tried to dodge the sorcerous onslaught, her size made her a wondrously huge target. As magic splashed across her back and wings, drawing a pained howl from her, she released her precious charge.
Time slowed, the earth beneath him grew larger and larger, and an odd sense of tranquility settled over Anon, while he plummeted to his death. Though the wind howled past his ears, sounding not unlike mocking laughter, he inexplicably felt at peace. He’d accomplished much, having had a great many debaucherous and occasionally outlandish encounters, and he could think of worse ways to kick the bucket.
Just as he was about to close his eyes, with the jungle’s canopy getting closer and closer, a flash of black and yellow slammed into his side, altering his trajectory and slowing his fall. The g-forces of the abrupt change, rattling his brain and knocking the wind from him, caused his consciousness to fade. An amused, somewhat cocky chuckle drifted to his ears, as he slipped into the void…