Roaaaaaar!!
N'goya circled the putrid beast with his spear, dodging all the swipes aimed at him.
I'm truly amazed by how light he looks even fighting in all of that heavy armor, like he's dancing instead of fighting.
The Gropu - a hideous beast that resembled a frog mixed with an ape - spewed more toxic fumes from the boils on its back, quickly filling the cavern we are in.
Even in a situation as dire as this, I felt thankful to just know him.
Being around him has made me a better person, definitely.
Two years ago I was in a bandit gang, that raped and pillaged the surrounding area.
One day he appeared and gave us an ultimatum.
Either stop what we where doing, or he would stop us.
We laughed, then attacked him.
What followed next was straight out of a horror story.
It was as if someone had opened a hellgate and summoned an archdemon fiend.
My fellow bandits, some of which was the strongest men I had ever seen, attacked him together and he still killed them all.
He would cleave full-grown men in half with a swing of an axe, stamp on their skulls until their brains leaked out, and he even ripped Joohen's dick off!
To be fair Joohen did kind of deserve that, he did rape that kid and his mother after we promised to let them go when they gave us their gold after all.
This was not a battle, it was a massacre.
When he stood above me like some death god, I knew my time on this mortal plane was up.
As the axe he held in his hand dripped the fresh blood of my bandit brothers my bladder relieved itself.
"Choose. Change and live, or don't and die. "
What?! He was giving me a choice.
I immediately chose life over death, and became his travel companion.
I don't know what he saw in me, but he took me in to show me another way.
For the next two years he took me on his adventures, saving untold hundreds.
From him I learned what a real man is, no matter what he would save the innocents.
Rooaaar!
The ghastly roar pulled me back from the past.
N'goya had used the beasts momentum to impale it in the gut, then jumped onto its head to slit its throat with his dagger.
It fell to the ground with a sickening plop.
N'goya retrieved his weapons, then came over to me.
"Are you alright?"
He reached his hand out.
"Yeah, we should head on."
I responded, as I took his hand.
We came here to claim and keep the collar of Klaicius out of the wrong hands.
"Are you sure? The guardian of the collar is probably really strong, you don't have to come with me. "
Even now, he's looking out for me.
"No, let's finish this."
We made our way to the back of the slime ridden cavern, until we reached a tunnel that stretched down untold miles into the earth.
The tunnel was barely four feet wide, just enough space for me to walk directly behind him carrying the lit torch.
The further down we went the darkness deepened, it felt as if the fire was struggling to stay lit in this oppressive gloom.
Down we went in complete silence, save for my rabidly beating heart.
Eventually the path widened, and we walked out into a large ornate room.
Solid jewel encrusted ivory pillars held up a solid gold roof, carpets depicting scenes from a bygone era adorned the floor and walls, and on a pedestal at the far end of the room sat a rather plain looking collar.
"That must be it!"
I started forward, only to be halted by N'goya's hand on my shoulder.
"The order of the feast comes the lions, hyenas, then the vultures. Patience friend, allow me to go first."
He stealthily crept forward.
What a man!
Once he was half way to the collar he froze, then jumped backwards.
A jet of flame just missed him.
Surprisingly, the carpet was unsinged, even though I felt the heat from here.
That told me it was super magical.
A creature that was an amalgam of a centipede made of bone and flames came from the ceiling faster than a cat running away from a bath.
For awhile they both just stood there, patiently sizing up their respective opponent.
It was so silent that I could hear his steady breath, his spear poised and ready to strike.
The monster stood there clacking its razor-sharp mandibles, as the hellish flames rose up from its body.
It felt like an eternity just waiting there, even though only a few scant seconds had passed.
Then, it happened.
In the time it took a drop of nervous sweat to drop from my nose, the beast surged forward.
N'goya deftly dodged to the left, while thrusting his trusty spear.
The weapon glanced off of the beast's carapace.
Without taking his focus off the monster, he yelled at me.
"Get out of here! The entrance is too small for it to fit through."
What a man!
Even while facing that thing he's worried about me.
I was almost to the entrance, when I heard the voice.
"Don't go."
I hesitated, less than a foot away was salvation, and I turned back to look at the collar.
"Claim me, and the power I wield will be yours."
I shouldn't, protecting me and fighting would be to much for him.
I started to leave again, but images started to flood my mind.
Images of gorgeous women feeding me while others I used as breast pillows, of me using any hole I desired, of their tongues exploring my body, and every other deviance a man like me could think of.
My feet moved before I could even think about resisting.
I'm sorry Goy, I'm not as strong as you.
I stuck to the side of the room as I made my way to the collar.
Their fight was getting more intense as time passed.
I made it to the pedestal and picked up the collar.
It was a simple iron collar, I didn't even see the seem to open it.
Hiiiiiisss!
I looked back, and saw the monster gathering the flames in its mouth to roast me.
Looks like this will be the end for me, I'm sorry Goy.
I closed my eyes in fear, and resignation.
As the flames were almost upon me, a shadow blocked the light the flames made.
I slowly opened my eyes to see Goy, he was holding his ground in front of me, shielding me from the flames.
The glyphs on his extremely expensive armor burning bright, the magic trying to keep its owner alive.
"Aaaaaaah!"
He is taking all of that pain for me, the one who ignored him to go get a stupid collar.
What a man!
I swear, if we make it out of this alive, I'm going to be the man he woul...
Boooosh!
N'goya's armor broke, making a miniature magical explosion, blinding us all.
I felt Goya's small soft hands grasp me, and pull me towards the exit - I hope.
How come I have never noticed how small his hands where?
Hiiiiisss!
Baaaam!
Baaaaaam!
The monster obviously was trying to give chase, but the entrance is too small for it.
This round goes to the men, you stupid beast. Hah!
As we ran, unconsciousness overtook me.
2.
When I opened my eyes, I just saw darkness.
I was about to start panicking, when a woman spoke up.
"It's alright Karl, I just put that towel to help your eyes heal while you slept."
"Oh, good to know. Who are you by the way? Did N'goya send for woman healer?"
There was a moment of silence before she spoke again.
"No Karl, it's me N'goya."
"That can't be true, you sound like a ..."
"Woman? Yeah, I know. My armor had magic to alter my voice to sound like a man."
If that's true, I'd be one happy man that's for sure.
One flaw wouldn't hurt.
"That's okay, once we go to town to get more armor I'll do the talking. It must be really embarrassing to have a woman's voice."
Another silent moment.
"I was actually wondering if you could get the armor alone."
"Why?"
"I don't just sound like a woman."
"I don't get it."
I felt my heart beat dozens of times before Goy answered me.
"Don't freak out, I'm about to remove the cloth."
I felt his soft hands touch my face as he lifted the cloth.
The light was a little blinding, so it took a few seconds for my eyes to readjust.
The first thing I noticed was that we are in a cave with a warm fire going.
Then, I looked at where Goy was supposed to be, only to see a gorgeous woman.
Past her long curly hair, her hazel eyes, her little bit too large nose, her plump lips, her skin the color of wet dirt, her large heaving breasts, her wide round hips, her shapely ass, and her long legs my eyes wandered. I devoured her with my gaze.
"Who are you? Did Goy buy you for the night as a joke?"
I never knew Goy to be a jester, nor for him to buy a prostitute.
"This isn't a joke Karl."
I stood up, a little wobbly, but on my feet nonetheless.
"Where are you Goy?! This is no longer that funny!"
I felt a soft hand on mine.
"I'm Goy Karl, I've always have been. Like the time you fell off that cliff and I climbed down to save you, or the time we rescued that merchant's daughter and we turned down all of her advances."
My gods, there's no way Goy would have told any whore all of this personal information, it must be him.
"What?! How? I..."
She raised her hand motioning me to stop.
"I was always going to tell you, it just was never the right time. N'goya is not my name, it is my brother's.
My brother and I were captured from our home and taken here to be slaves.
My brother was a fighter, the only reason he got captured was because of me.
He never held it against me though, instead - after his gladitorial fights - at night he'd teach me how to fight.
Years passed and on my twelveth birthday our master sold me to a man as a sexslave, my brother saved me for the last time.
He took on every single last person in that hellhole.
He saved me at the cost of his own life, so I wondered this land fighting injustice in my brother's name."
I can't believe this, all of this time Goy has been a woman.
"It's okay, I'm glad you can finally confide in me."
She pulled me into a hug.
I breathed in her scent, it smelled like fresh snow and the air right after a storm.
I had to shift my body to avoid her noticing my rapidly growing erection.
"I knew you were a good person, that's why I spared you."
I pulled away and pointed towards the fire.
"It's been a long week. You should rest, I'll go into town tomorrow."
"Thanks. You're a great friend."
As she was laying down, I asked her a question.
"Hey, you never told me your real name."
She smiled.
"It is Hadiya Fumbe."
I smiled back.
"Sleep tight."
3.
It only took her a few moments to fall into a deep restful sleep.
