Haley Thistle
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Dracotaur Boyfriend: Saba (complete)
🕑 Added 2021-02-17 20:00:03 +0000 UTC
Female Main Character x Male Monster (cis)
Growing up in the orphanage, I had always wanted to join the City Guard. I used to watch them as they made their rounds and daydream of being like them. They were noble and worthy, things that I wanted so badly to be. When I was discharged from the orphanage I trained hard, even though I had nothing, just so I could pass the exams to become a guard. I taught myself combat maneuvers and built my strength. I knew that, as a woman, I would have to push myself twice as hard as anybody else. But it would all be worth it in the end. I passed the exam with flying colors.
Eventually, I began to see that the members of the City Guard thought that their position allowed them more freedom than the common man. Most of the guards I came to know were corrupt and selfish, but I thought if I stayed I could try and make the City Guard a better organization. Unfortunately, one cold rainy afternoon while I was putting on my armor, two other guards tried to force themselves on me. Sadly for them, they forgot I was the best fighter in the unit, and I bloodied their faces beyond recognition. I will admit I went overboard, but I always treated the guilty like that.
I was dishonorably discharged, and joined a group of mercenaries. They were people who actually did some good for those around them, even if they got nothing but a few coins for it. I felt better working with them than I ever did with the City Guard, and they respected me and saw me for who I was. There were other women among them, and I wasn’t constantly being saddled with a man who bossed me around. We were a team. After years of having to explain why I should be in the City Guard, I finally felt seen and heard among them.
My group and I are being sent out on a mission to a small poor farming village hounded by bandits. Their livelihood is on the line, but they’ve managed to scrape together enough money to hire us to get rid of the bandits.
“Arika,” Eda calls to me.
I look up from my sword and put it back in its scabbard. “Something the matter?”
Eda leans back in her seat, looking around Rodolf in the front seat. “I think we’re almost there. Can’t you smell the chicken shit?”
“Smells like home to me,” I laugh.
Eda gives me a strange look which makes me laugh. “We had chicken coops at the orphanage, and were tasked with taking care of the chickens and going out and selling the eggs. I much preferred the chickens to the sisters who ran the place.”
“I see,” Eda murmurs. She looks ahead and scowls. “What’s that?”
There’s a plume of smoke rising a short distance away, and along the road there appear to be signs of a struggle. The closer we get, the more scattered bodies we see, and some are getting up and staggering away. Others have not regained consciousness, or are dead already.
“Have we been here before?” Rodolf teases.
“Stop the cart,” I tell him, and jump off as soon as it comes to a halt. “I’ll go on ahead. You two wait for the signal.”
“Stop trying to act like a hero!” Eda calls as I walk ahead. “You’re getting paid for this, there’s nothing heroic about it.”
“I like to warm up, that’s all!”
I reach the source of the smoke - a toppled wagon full of hay, still smoldering - and I see some chests lined up by the side of the road. A man comes running towards me and grabs me in a panic, thrusting me before him like a human shield. “Stop him, please!” he begs. “He’s trying to kill me!”
“Who is? One of the bandits?” I look to where he’s pointing. Where I grew up, monsters weren’t the norm, and the City Guard had been given strict instructions to keep them out. Monsters all tend to pass on through the Cobra Strait to one of the main continents. This thing is big, built like a centaur, but with reptilian legs, and his long tail is covered in platinum scales. It wears full armor, covering its face, arms, and hands. In its hand it carries a hefty claymore.
“Looks like I’ll get a nice warmup before I go into the village. Step back, sir. Let me handle this one for you.” I pull out my sword and chuckle. “Alright, so you think you can pick on the little people, big guy?”
The centaur-like creature before me lowers his sword. “I’m not trying to pick on anybody,” he says in a slightly breathless voice. “Just doing what needs to be done.”
I step forward and lower myself into a fighting stance. “So am I.”
“I wish not to fight you,” he says. “You have nothing to do with this. But I can see already you are not one to be stopped when your mind's made up.”
“Less talking!” I charge ahead full force, and he raises his sword to block mine. I swing again, meeting with his blade. He moves quite fast for something so big, but then, he has two more legs than me. He pushes me forward, making me skid along the ground. I kick at his helmet, which becomes dislodged. He struggles for a moment, unable to see, and I strike his hand, knocking his sword away. He spins quickly, using his tail to trip me. Once I hit the ground his tail slams onto my chest and stomach. The wannabe knight removes his helmet, tossing it aside as he tries to reach for his sword. I manage to get up and away from his tail, roll away and grab his sword, holding it up towards his neck.
“Wait...” he gasps.
Without his helmet, he looks like a lizard man, with shiny platinum scales. His eyes stare hard at me, not begging, but their intensity makes me stall. His sharply angled jaw clenches as he swallows. The scales towards the rear of his head are flared, and become small horns towards the top of his head. “I’m just trying to help these people,” he pants. “The bandits have all but taken over, and...”
I furrow my brow at him. “Aren’t you a bandit?”
“No.” He seems offended by the remark. “Far from it! I came here because I heard this village needed help. That man you let get away was one of the bandits!”
I drop the sword and step away from him. “Why would you want to help this place?”
He sniffs and puts his hand where I held the blade. “Because it is the just thing to do.” He holds his other hand out. “Now, please, give me back my sword.”
I look him over, unsure if I should trust him, when one of Eda’s arrows hits a tree behind us. I turn to watch her approach, bow at the ready. “Some guy just tried to steal our cart,” she scoffs. “How did you let one of those bandits get away?”
I look back at the creature, who smiles at me. “Good question.” I toss him back his sword.
Eda approaches while Rodolf and the cart come up behind us. “Who's your new friend, Arika?” She lowers her weapon and smiles up at him.
The creature bows his head. “Saba. Those chests over there go back to the village. Some of the bandits were attempting to make a trade with another group for weapons. If I could use your cart to take it all back, I would greatly appreciate it.”
“I thought we were the only ones the village hired,” Rodolf chuckles.
“I wasn't hired,” Saba says, bending to pick up his helmet. “I simply came to make myself of service to them.”
“Well, we were hired, and we’d very much enjoy not having you step on our toes,” Eda grunts as she hefts a trunk onto the cart.
I notice I’ve left a dent in Saba’s helmet, which would probably make it uncomfortable to wear now. “You can join us, if you like.”
“Arika!” Rodolf snaps.
I scowl at him. “He’s here, and we might as well include him. Or do you want to start a fight?”
“I do not wish to get in the way of what you have been hired to do,” Saba states calmly. “I would gladly offer my services to you, but I do not wish to take any more money from these people.”
“You’ll just do this for nothing?” I ask.
Saba glances down at me, his sharp green eyes slicing through me. “All I want is to help these people.”
I scoff. “No one just wants to help.” I wave to Eda and Rodolf, who have the cart loaded. “You can join us or not. If you’re doing this for nothing, there’s not much I can say to you aside from stay out of our way.”
“I’d much prefer to work with you, then,” Saba says, his voice eerily calm. “It would be one less thing to worry about.”
“And what do you have to worry about?” Rodolf laughs.
I jump back up onto the cart as Rodolf takes the reins. Saba walks alongside me as we enter the village, and people begin to flock out of the buildings. A small group of men approach to greet us, but they all turn towards Saba.
“Please, these are the people you hired,” Saba explains. “They have what the bandits took from you.”
I frown at him, wondering what his game is, then jump down from the cart and approach the villagers. “Arika,” I state simply. “You hired me and my crew to take care of the bandits around here.”
The villagers start to take the chests from the wagon, opening them up to reveal chicks and ducklings inside. “Thank you so much for saving them! The bandits had almost killed all our fowl. These are all we have left.”
I stare at the mass of the feathers inside the chests. “They were trying to trade chickens for weapons?”
“It may not seem like much,” the man says. “But out here, it’s all we’ve got. You have a good chicken who produces a lot of eggs, you might as well make her queen.”
I watch as Saba stoops over to pick up a ducking who is running from the rest. His palm is big enough to hold a dozen ducklings, but he cradles that one so gently. He hands it to a woman who has come out to help collect the growing hoard of feathers.
“Come,” the man says. “We have a place ready for your stay.”
Saba separates from us, going off somewhere else while Rodolf, Eda, and I go to a small house towards the back of the village. We’re briefed on the location of the bandit’s hideout, and told that once word gets back their trade didn’t go through, they will probably mount an attack within the next few days. I send Eda back towards our camp at the edge of the woods to get more help. Then I leave to find Saba’s campsite.
He has a fire going, and is resting before it as he holds his helmet in his hands, worrying over the dent. He looks up as I approach. “There’s going to be an attack from the bandits in a few days, because their trade didn’t go through,” I tell him.
“Then perhaps some traps should be set in the woods to hinder their progress.” Saba sets his helmet aside. “It will allow you more time to prepare.”
“What’s your angle?” I demand. “You just want to help? You must want something else.”
Saba looks at me, then down at the fire. “You used to work for the City Guard, didn’t you? I can tell by the way you fight.”
I scowl harder.
“I once took the exam, hoping to become one myself. They turned me away, and said they weren’t accepting anyone like me - which was probably for the best. I hear the City Guard is more cutthroat than even the bandits.”
“It doesn’t matter what used to be. I want to know what you’re up to. If you work with the bandits and are just trying to throw us off the scent, you won’t get away with it. In fact, I’ll give you the chance to run now. Because if you stay, I will make your life a living hell.”
“That is exactly why I am doing it,” Saba scoffs. “Because life is hell.”
My jaw stiffens, unprepared for his reply. “Excuse me?”
Saba rises onto all fours. “I’ve seen it suffering, contempt, needless violence and bloodshed. Some people never have the chance to escape it. Some don’t even know a day without it. I want to try and give these people a chance to see another sunrise. I am doing this for good. Because I want it too.”
“For nothing?”
“I understand you must make a living somehow,” he says coolly. “But I don’t want anything more. I just want to help, even in a small way.”
“I’m sorry to say I believe that is a load of bullshit,” I scoff.
“I’m sorry, too.” Saba looks back into my eyes. “Now I know you worked for the City Guard.”
My jaw drops but I shut quickly, gritting my teeth. “There’s no good or bad in this world,” I tell him sternly. “There are simply people who live their lives day to day, and they either live or they die. People act according to their roles.”
“I am sorry you feel that way, Arika. But I understand your point of view. You live and you make your money. It does not matter what happens outside of that.” He shakes his head. “But surely once you understood the goodness in people.”
“Everyone is scum. I am. You are.”
Saba laughs. “You think that way about yourself?”
I shrug. “It’s easier than trying to pretend I am a good person.”
Saba lowers his eyes again. “Believe what you want to, and so will I.”
“What are you? Some kid’s imaginary friend? Because you sound like a child who believes in white knights and damsels in distress.”
“I am what I am, and I try my hardest to do something good every day.” He gives me a smile. “I am scared and anxious every second, but I have to take it in stride. I don’t want anyone else in this world to be afraid, so I will shoulder it.”
I had said almost those exact words the day I joined the City Guard. I quickly turn away from Saba and head back. “We’re setting traps in the woods. Help if you want. I don’t care.”
As we wait for Eda to return with the others, Rodolf and I build traps in the woods. Sometimes I see Saba doing the same, but he stays out of our way. I try not to give him a place in my mind, but I constantly find myself wondering about him. He’s so different, yet so familiar to me. Once long ago I think he and I could have been friends. Had I not joined the City Guard, maybe I would still think like him.
One afternoon I am going to the lake to bathe. I can hear the waterfall rushing as I approach, and I spot Saba’s armor laid under a tree. I stoop to inspect it, and see he has it laid out in a precise order. I hear him splashing in the lake, and when I look up I see him with his head craned back under the waterfall. The way the sun hits him and the water cascades over his skin, I would swear he was a statue made of crystal.
I approach the lake, and without a second thought I begin to remove my clothes. As I push my dark hair from my face, I see Saba looking my way. I smirk at him and he shyly looks away. I still have a hard time believing his act, but even I admit his shy behavior is cute. I step into the water and slip under, swimming below the surface until my lungs begin to ache. When I break the surface, I see Saba has moved further under the waterfall. “What? Afraid of a little company?” I laugh, standing and scooping my hair back.
“I don’t want to stare.”
I laugh again. “Stare if you want. It’s touching I forbid. I know I can kick your ass.”
Saba moves from the waterfall, parting it like a curtain. His sharp eyes gaze scans over my face, but looks no further. “You have no fear.”
“Why would I? You shoulder it all. Grow up some.” I dive back under the water, swimming around the lake. I come to the waterfall, standing under it and letting the water rush over me. The force of it is stronger than I expected, but the way it hits my shoulders and back feels quite pleasurable. I glance over at Saba, who has stepped away from the waterfall, and his eyes quickly move away from me.
“What are you looking at?” I chide.
“Nothing,” Saba murmurs.
I know I am built quite strongly. I’m used to being tall too, but around Saba I find I feel petite. He’s huge and stunning to behold. “It’s not nothing.” I step out from the waterfall towards him. I run my hand down the center of my chest. “I know you want to look at something. Is it my breasts? My stomach?”
“You have scars.”
I frown a bit, brushing my hair back again. It gets so heavy when it's wet. “Well, of course I do. I also have stretch marks, you want to point that out too?”
“How long were you with the city guard?” he asks.
“Long enough,” I grumble. “Why does it matter?”
“Because it obviously hurt you,” he huffs.
I look away from him and cross my arms over my chest. “I didn’t let it hurt me.”
“I know.” Saba turns fully towards me. “If you must know, I was staring at a strong and very beautiful woman. I am a very weak man.”
My chest feels heavy and airy at the same time. My throat feels dry so I try to swallow, but my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. “No you’re not,” I sniff. “A weak man would have had his nose crushed by now.”
Saba smiles towards me. “I don’t doubt that. But I am a man, nonetheless, and I am capable of thought regardless.”
“Oh my, a man who thinks,” I grin. “Whatever on earth are you thinking about now?”
He looks me over and his smile slowly fades. “Right now, your dark olive skin,” he breathes.
I lick my lips. “Honestly, I appreciate that.”
“I should go before my mind wanders elsewhere.” Saba heads towards the shore.
My mind is wandering too. I don’t readily admit when I have attraction to someone, but Saba frustrates me. He fascinates me, and I need to know more about him. “Wait,” I call. I rise from the water, joining him on the shore. “I owe you for denting your helmet.”
His eyes stay focused on mine, never wavering. “I never asked for payment.”
I grab his massive hand and place it over my breast. His scales feel cool and silky, and to my surprise I like the feel of them very much. Saba moans in his throat, then clears it away. His eyes still don’t waver. “You don’t need to ask, Saba. I am giving it to you.”
“Why?”
I lift my chin proudly. “Because I want to.”
Saba moves his hand up, curling his fingers around my cheek and the back of my head. “Do you think I want it?”
“I’m not sure,” I breathe. “Do you?”
Saba’s other hand gently strokes down my back. “It’s been a long time since payment was offered to me. I told you I was weak.”
I step closer, pressing my bare body against him. “I knew I’d beat you.” I run my hands up his body, kissing his chest and sighing against his scales.
“Arika.” Saba strains for composure.
“It’s okay. Please, touch me,” I beg.
His hand reaches down, groping my rear and squeezing. “More. Deeper,” I plead.
He dips his head down, growling into my ear. His thick fingers move between my thighs, finding me wet from more than just the lake. I am pliant to his touch, desperate for it. I moan against his chest as his cool fingers plunge inside me.
“Arika,” he moans into my ear. “I do want this.”
“Then take it.”
He pulls back, looking into my eyes before he hungrily kisses me. His fingers go deeper, pushing inside to find me molten. “I thought you hated me,” he growls.
“A little. But you’re so - ah!” I cry out and cling to his chest.
He kisses the top of my head as his fingers move harder inside me. “I tried to keep you out of my thoughts, but you wouldn’t leave.”
“Oh gods,” I gasp for breath. “Don’t stop!”
“Arika. Such sweetness inside you.”
My legs begin to tremble, so he picks me up off the ground, holding me in the crook of his arm and looking down over my shoulder as he slips his finger back inside me. His breathing becomes ragged as he watches. He adds a second finger, then a third. I turn my head, kissing his jaw and neck. His touch feels so wonderful. I cry out his name, gasping, wheezing, unable to contain myself when he brings me over the edge.
Saba kisses my hair and cheek, letting me cool from the heat he has stoked. He begins to whisper into my ear when we hear trumpets from the village. The bandits are coming, and we have to run. There is no time to consider what we have just done. We dress as hurriedly as we can and run towards the call. All we can do is fight. Nothing else matters.
After the battle is done, I look for Saba. But to my dismay, he’s gone.
