Consorts of Monsters: Ladon

So it came to pass in that golden age of heroes that many kings, queens, and oracles came to the same conclusion: monsters, be they from the land, air, or sea, would take tribute.

It was King Minos with his terrible beast of a stepson who started the tribute idea, mostly because he was the first to demand it, and the yearly take became normal for the entire region. The idea of course was a mere Quid Pro Quo: monsters, beasts, we offer you meals or servants in the form of the most beautiful youths, maidens, or children. Please do not attack us.

And for some monsters, the more animal ones, like the Hydra, the tribute was seen as more of invaders of territory rather than gifts. But to those safe from the tribute demands, the ones who organized and thrust the victims forward, the system worked.

The fact was also simply that while oracles could promise deliverance from this monster or that, the hero they insisted was coming could be, at the moment of prophecy, a newborn babe or barely able to hold a sword. Tributes were biding the time and paying the price before the prophecy could happen. Not that this was consolation to those picked, but in a time where such human sacrifices were not atypical, there was some bittersweet knowledge that it was an animal who might be your end, rather than a cold and capricious deity.

The gods, of course, could not ever be called such insults, at least unless the speaker was interested in the legions of the underworld sent after him, or far worse. Nor could anyone not a higher-ranking deity insult a 'lesser' one, the nymphs of the field or stream or trees.

Or the Titans. The male Titans, uncles and cousins to the gods themselves, had long since been cast out or directly killed, or enslaved as Atlas was. The female Titans, aunts and cousins to the gods, were largely left at peace, and in fact it was three such maidens who kept the Titan Atlas company. It was not that his daughters desired to do so, but if their father had been left alone and unattended, he was liable to start stomping earthquakes out with his monstrous feet.

His beautiful daughters were rather lonely in their vigil, for they had been also assigned to guard the Garden of the Hesperides and its tree of golden apples. Heroes would come in search of such apples, and even if the men managed to sneak into the Garden itself, silent and avoiding the upon-high gaze of Atlas, there was another Guardian to be dealt with, and that was Ladon.

Few who had ever seen Ladon lived to tell about the beast, so stories were often far wilder than the reality. The fact was simply that he was not a dragon, did not breathe fire, and lacked the talons and claws of the fabled dragon. But to those few who managed to reach the tree, avoiding the Hesperide daughters, intent to pluck an apple or two, the large green muscular body that circled around the tree trunk several times may as well have belonged to a dragon.

The fact of the matter was that Ladon was a serpent, a mere giant snake who largely fed on those helpless hunters, though he always ignored the swords and baskets and apples themselves. This was not because they did not smell of food, but because, in living with such close contact as the Hesperide daughters of Atlas, their small magic of simple close proximity was enough to stir the beast's mind and grant a dark sentience.

The Hesperides had no clue that the animal that guarded the tree, and to an extent them, was more than a dumb animal; for the most part they kept away from the beast, but Ladon was a good and patient sentinel.

In fact he had many years to wait and watch and see the sisters in action, and being a patient hunter as Ladon was, he knew in the base of his still reptilian mind, that sooner or later, he could strike.

It happened far sooner than he had expected. With spring finally arriving, there had come a near insane influx of hunters searching for the magic tree and its fruit. The garden itself, despite rumor, was not hard to find; it was getting out alive that was the problem.

It was high noon when Ladon felt the first heavy thump through the trunk of the tree, and slowly let a coil of his muscled green lower body droop lower, resting on the thick grass of the ground. Another thump echoed through the dirt, followed by several shorter and lighter punches against the hard-packed ground. Footsteps. And a boat beaching on the far side of the Garden. Simple enough, the snake decided, withdrawing his coil, to wait.

But after an hour, two, three had passed, and there were no more footsteps coming closer, it was time to investigate.

Ladon rarely left the tree, but with it so bright and warm out, there was no doubt that Atlas was not awake. The damn brute, Ladon trusted, was likely napping, as evident by his missing trio of daughters and a lack of earthquakes that often resulted in Ladon losing a meal or two mid-digestion.

Slowly, very slowly and carefully as a predator searching for prey, the monstrous serpent draped his upper half down from the tree, hearing the vibrations of the green protesting from the weight through his scales, and the thick grass covered his body nearly half-way from the bottom of his gleaming form. When there came no roar from Atlas at seeing the long body move through the grass (no doubt to that brute he looked like a snail or ant trekking through tiny blades of grass), the snake continued to the gates of the garden itself, daring to flick his thick pink tongue out, keeping a brilliant yellow eye on the tree, and the other focused on the slit in the gate.

The vibrations of the ground here betrayed far more; he barely needed to look or catch the scent on the wind, but there indeed were three men, human men, and only one of them was armored still. The other two held their swords in scabbards, but their chests were bare, and two of the Hesperides were standing far too close, in Ladon's view, not to be vulnerable. Prey. But from the vibrations of laughs from those four, arrangements were being made, and the snake kept still as smaller trembling reached him, pulses higher, quicker. Sensations of prey excited.

And almost rudely crashing through those delicious sensations was a harder footstep; his attention turned to the other human man, who was standing close to the youngest Hesperide Titan, who was not laughing, whose pulse was not quickening. Ladon could not quite hear voices, but the tension in the bodies, the pulling back from the female Titan, indicated that arrangements here were not being made. In fact, even as the serpent watched, this young Hesperide, Aegle, turned suddenly and stomped quickly back to the gate.

Had Ladon been a normal sized serpent, she would have crushed his head beneath her bare feet, and in fact the girl drew in her breath to scream as she collided with one of his coils. She fell back suddenly, and the alarm was raised nearly as quickly as the still armored human male lifting his sword.

"The beast!" cried the armored man, and for a second Ladon eyed this intrusion; the other two men's voices raised, the vibrations thick through the ground, their pulses far quicker than the Hesperides had ever raised them. The other two daughters were quick, but foolish, felt the snake, trying to grab the men and hold them back.

"Run!" Aegle had quickly pulled away from the coil, and amidst the screams from her sisters, the roars of the men, and the heavy thump of the stupid armored man slashing out and losing his sword as a coil lashed out, shattering the man's arm and blade in one motion, there came a roar of thunder, but louder, deeper, and Ladon withdrew quickly with a speed the Hesperides might have been shocked to witness had they not been screaming still.

It was not cowardice that forced the serpent back to the tree; far from it! The three men would have been a good meal for the rest of the week, but the more pressing matter was not to get crushed.

The Hesperides noticed their father awake nearly a minute after the thundering bellow shattered the garden's once tranquil air, and the human males were ushered off quickly, the two older daughters racing in and sealing the gate, staggering as the earthquake slammed through the ground, their father stomping his feet as forcefully as he could.

A coil, and another, and another and Ladon was curled back around the base of the lowest branches; the vibrations of the earthquake drowned out the smaller hard ones against his back length, but at least Aegle stopped struggling and her screams of terror were drowned out by the bellows above. By the time Ladon had curled around his standard looping location, the girl had hit her head on one of the branches and was thankfully silent and unconscious.

The other two Hesperides had taken shelter in their little cave home, but Ladon was not worried about them. Instead he waited, for the earthquakes to cease, for Atlas' roar to silence, and in fact it was near twilight when the brute had lost his voice, and finally the serpent had a chance to examine the Hesperide far closer.

Carefully he drew and relaxed his coils, passing the Hesperide up and deeper into the tree, keeping his tail looped to catch her in case the girl woke and she thrashed around. But she remained silent, the large knot forming on her pale forehead, and the snake inspected her silently.

In fact, her body close to his head, he could not move, could not even flick his tongue out to taste her, so overcome he was from the sheer heat radiating off her body. His breathing was near choked from the sensation, and barely daring to lest he give in to instinct and devour her whole, he rested his mouth against her torso, licking slightly.

The serpent had heard, not in words from humans or the Hesperides, but from the wind, of how precious and delicious these golden apples he had guarded nearly his entire life were. A taste of godhood. Humans would risk all to taste just one bite, and pressing his tongue to the girl again, allowing himself one flick over her chest, he finally understood why so many hunters came to the garden, despite Atlas, despite the serpent.

She tasted not just of heat, but sunshine condensed, of wild flowers that grew from the tree to spring into apples, of a fresh rainbow. Her sweat and terror and fear barely marred the scent, and for a long while he flickered his tongue over her tear-streaked face, down her neck, and using the end of his tail, pointed nearly as sharp as a spear, he pulled, and slashed, the top of her gown, revealing white breasts.

Snakes of course never nurse from mothers, but Ladon still found her nearly nude form far more appetizing than the gown she wore. A few more flickers and he became aware slowly of his own increased breathing. Her pulse, asleep, but quick still, as if even unconscious she knew what he was inspecting, and tasting, had become one with his own heart, beating and struggling harder with speed.

The snake pressed his mouth to her side, withdrawing quickly when Aegle whimpered. Still unconscious, she wrapped her arms out, and around, not a branch, but a coil from the serpent. Amazed, he held still as she relaxed, even smiling faintly.

He had to continue now.

Careful of the sharpness still, the end of his tail cut the rest of her gown, letting the item slide off of him and the branch, and slowly, aware of every intense breath from her, of how pounding her pulse was, how vibrant the vibrations, Ladon flicked his tongue between her legs, at the crux of dark hair there.

A high gasp came from Aegle, and she arched so suddenly, so sharply, that the serpent's tongue, flicking out, was suddenly inside her.

For Ladon, every sense of his was blind in that instant, and the branch many of his coiled loops were on protested in creaking from the sudden clutching pressure; he dared not squeeze her! Her taste, her smell, the condensed scent of sunshine and youth and paradise poured down his mouth and throat, and Ladon eagerly began to flick his tongue again, and again, shuddering in intense pleasure as liquid pooled and poured out from her, almost steaming against his scales.

Her pulse echoed so deeply against him, making his head and body tremble, that he did not feel her burning hands pressed sharply to the top of his head until her pulse doubled, tripled, her breath and heartbeat so fast he pulled back, sensing a breathlessness of death rather than desire, and for a horrible moment he thought he had squeezed her, had crushed the life from her vibrant body.

Instead, pulling back, his entire mouth and face gleaming from her wetness, he saw her half sitting up, her green eyes glowing into his yellow, and for a long moment they held the other's stare. A soft whimper echoed to him as he gingerly flicked his tongue in the air, but her steady pulse, climbing again as he lowered his head to the crux between her legs, told him all he needed to know.

He simply hoped she knew to keep silent.

Again and again his thick tongue flicked over her, and then inside her, and once inside he could not withdraw, only sending it in deeper and deeper, the branches creaking louder as he squeezed them rather than her, and the Titan herself gripping the coil around her tight enough to bruise his scales.

Her pulse, her heartbeat, the vibrations of her body and mouth pressed against him, moaning muffled on his scales, and when she climaxed, the dam burst, her female essence a near flood against his questing tongue, and he had to withdraw to keep his face clear, her thighs and the coil under her gleaming, glowing almost in the darkness.

Now.

As she recovered, breath more of a strained pant, Ladon shifted himself, his head sliding up partially behind her, letting her sweat-soaking torso lean against him, and with another careful coil around her, his tail pressed to the back of her legs.

Despite this he was surprised when she leaned back, mouth pressing to the side of his, and her eyes met his again. She seemed, he realized darkly, nearly as overcome as he had been at first taste of her flesh.

In fact she repeated the gesture, pressing her lips against his face, and he allowed one of her arms free to reach up and stroke alongside his sleek head. After she pressed her lips along one side of his mouth, he moved his head to her other side, letting her compliment that side as well.

And while she was distracted, the base of his tail rose gingerly, careful not to press the sharp end to her, and in fact he had a coil opening her legs before she paused in kissing along his mouth, and a sharp gasp as she tried to pull back and found herself held tight, a large wet presence sliding between the back of her now open legs.

And how her pulse leaped! Ladon kept his coils around her as the Hesperide shook suddenly, shaking her head, trying to push herself free, but she may as well have tried to push over the tree with her bare hands.

Instinct commanded one thing, but intelligence another, and the snake lightly licked over the girl's neck to calm her, and carefully slid his hemipene length between her legs from behind. Once, twice, long and slow strokes against her shaking legs, catching her wetness, making himself even slicker, and as he pressed against the crux in her legs, the snake exhaled softly, and spoke a simple word.

"Submit."

Aegle's eyes flew open at the voice, so soft, and for an instant she strained against his coils, fingernails digging against the scales swords bent off of, and as his length penetrated her, a high cry rose in her throat, and attempts to escape, to pull away, doubled, tripled, and...

And she found herself staring face-on into Ladon. The yellow eyes staring deep into hers, and as the serpent penetrated her, as his length split and forced into her tightness, she knew. Aegle knew, and the words died in her throat, a high muffled scream as she covered her mouth, her body arching, struggling and trying desperately to eject the monster inside her. But her eyes kept on Ladon's, the secret passing between them, and the snake knew at the same time, keeping still as her body unconsciously thrashed in his grip. She knew, and he knew that she knew: he was no base animal, no mindless monster.

Just as he knew that her struggling was instinct, not thought, and the coil around her legs released. Instantly they rose and wrapped around his thicker tail, and her hand slipped from her mouth, gripping instead his smooth coil.

For an eternity they kept silent, their gazes matched and even, and it was Aegle who broke it, looking down between her legs at the large green beast inside her, her pale legs tight around the tail, as if to keep Ladon from stroking.

And nor would he, a serpent not made for such acts. Instead the snake lowered his head back to hers, tongue flicking over her wide-eyed face, keeping himself as still as he could. Her pulse, her scent, her heartbeat so wild and desperate, and after several minutes of deep concentration, he was ready.

The first pulse from his member, deep inside her, was such a shock that she screamed, the heavy pressure doubling with her pulse racing, and she cried out, face pressed alongside the monstrous head, feet kicking frantically at the tail between her legs. As if to solace her, to comfort or distract her, Ladon pressed his snout to her shoulder, breathing in her shuddering pain, and with the next thump of her heart and pulse echoing against him, another deep vibration echoed up his member and into her.

No thrusting, no stroking, simple heavy pressures of pulse, his member too large to safely thrust regardless!

After an eternity, after her feet stopped frantically drumming on his tail, she risked a look to the snake's eyes, and found the same yellow regarding her; she pressed her mouth against his scales, shuddering still as another deep pulse from his member rocked her lower body...and the next her entire body.

"You're hurting me," she whimpered. Another deep pulse, and she bit onto the serpent, unable to stop herself.

The sweat coming from her heat now was not pulsing with that deep life, that vibrant life; instead it reeked of prey, and Ladon pulled his head back from her shoulders, so sleek and slick but the fear had come back.

A shift in the coils, and Aegle whimpered as the snake's head moved from her body, and a large white underside of a coil pressed up, wrapping around her. Certain of her death now, her womanhood beginning to dry, she choked back a heavy sob, leaning back, trying to, only to have another loop of coil press her to the first.

For a long moment she could barely breathe in, the scales pressed against her face, the scent of grass and light and the tree overwhelming, and...and under it, she realized suddenly, a deep, primal pulse. A pulse that matched the pressure between her legs; a coil shifted her back, pressing her hand over her bare chest, to feel her heartbeat frantically there.

The beats, the pulses, were the same.

For a moment the tears continued, and then she realized the pressure between her legs, so deep inside her, had ceased; a look down in surprise, and the snake had withdrawn from her. Another look up, over, and the yellow eyes regarded her gently.

Ladon waited.

And she nodded, wiping her eyes clear. "Just, please, careful," whispered Aegle.

The snake nodded, eyes gleaming.

Again his eyes kept locked onto hers, but when she pulled her other hand, he released it from his coils. Gently, shuddering still, she reached down to touch that thick muscle, and her eyes never left his as she began to guide him in. She could not stop the whimper as he slid in fully, penetrating her deep, her hands digging into the scales on him, and slowly, deeply, his pulsing began again.

This time, his own heartbeat pressed against her back, and his tongue flickered over her gasping face, pulse after pulse of deep pressure, and slow but building heat from where their bodies joined.