Crusade Gone Awry Ch. 07

There were bones on this shelf, much smaller than those lying on the ground. The round skulls easily gave away to what who they belonged to. These were human bones. Eliza leaned over the rock shelf to get a better look. Littered around the bones were objects she actually recognized: tools, pieces of armor, even straight swords like her own. One particular spot of the shelf looked as if it had been recently disturbed. Several of the items were overturned and there was an outline of something square that used to be there. That was where the hellhound had gotten the satchel from.

Eliza turned back around, her brain buzzing. She couldn't know for certain, but she could make educated guess about these human bones. The last crusade, the one a hundred years ago, was a failure, but some humans must have survived and made it here where the hellhounds lived. It must have been those previous crusaders that helped dig out the tunnels and even make the graveyard. That was why the last remaining hellhound, the one that saved Eliza, had come to the oasis. He wasn't looking for water, he had plenty of that. He was looking for people, like the ones who lived with them, but had died. Then again, if that were true why was the monster being so distant?

Eliza turned back to the human bones. Upon closer inspection, some them had wounds in the skulls, clearly made from blades. Then Eliza remembered what happened the first night she fell into the canyon. The hellhound protected her and viciously killed the pigmen. What was it Renard had said? The pigmen had flooded the desert only in recent years? What if they had attacked the people who lived here, both hellhounds and humans? What if...what if the one still living was the last? What if he was the last hellhound?

Eliza felt something hard hit the pit of her gut. Her savior had lost all his friends and family. They were all lying in this graveyard, leaving him completely alone. He was alone, traumatized, and unwilling to get attached again, but desperately wanted to be with someone. That was why he saved Eliza and took care of her, but still kept his distance. He was probably waiting for her to open up to him, talk to him...show him affection. The crusader took a deep breath and began shuffling back to the cave.

When Eliza emerged into the river room, the hellhound was back. He was in his usual spot, staring at the wall. Perhaps staring at the wall and keeping his brain empty was what kept him sane in his loneliness. The crusader hobbled over to him as best as she could manage. He didn't react, even as she drew closer and closer. Finally, as she reached the monster, she turned around and sat onto the ground with a grunt, finally happy to be off her feet. She leaned against his large shoulders. He didn't stop her or move. Eliza took a deep breath before talking.

"I was raised on a ship," she began. "My father captained his own vessel, something he was very proud of. I never knew my mother, and my father refused to talk about her, so she probably left him and me. He didn't have any other relatives, so he was forced to take me along with him on his voyages. It was pretty lonely, to be honest. There was no one my age, and crewmen and longshoreman weren't known for stimulating conversation. The only thing I could do to pass the time was draw. My father bought me this notebook and I scribbled on every page of that thing. I got into the habit-"

Eliza was abruptly cut off as the hellhound shifted his position. The monster turned his head around and sat his massive chin on her lap. Eliza raised her hands and eyebrows in shock. For a few moments, she didn't move. The monster continued staring off into the distance, blankly. Finally, Eliza grinned and lowered her hands back down. She began stroking the massive beasts' forehead. It made no attempt to stop her.

"I got into the habit of drawing animals I saw, fish and birds and the like. I would show my drawings off to my father and the other sailors. They would compliment me and give me pointers. It became my main source of entertainment. I even started writing about their behaviors. I was so good at it that my father and his sailors would sell them, my drawings, notes, everything. I was so happy to finally have attention and friends that I wanted to keep doing it more and more. Hell, I wanted to draw and document every animal in the world, but do you know what thing I wanted to write about most of all?"

Eliza gazed down at the monster in her lap, wanting to see it's reaction. "I wanted to see a hellhound." The monster's eyes briefly flicked toward her before it returned forward. Eliza grinned before continuing. "My father had one of you painted on his sails. I had a toy hellhound when I was a child too. I played with it until it fell apart. My father always talked about putting one of you on our family crest, if we were ever important enough to have one. He would always talk about you guys like you were the most amazing things in the world. Out there somewhere were giant hounds that were huge, intelligent, noble. I wanted to see one so badly, just so I could tell my father all about it."

Eliza paused and gulped. For a split-second her eyes betrayed some emotion before it was stuffed back down. "After my father died, I didn't want to be on a ship anymore. I joined the church's army so I could travel and see all the animals and monsters of the world. When they first told us about this crusade I jumped at the chance, even if it was a doomed mission. That was how much I love to see new creatures for my notebook. It just...it's the only thing that I like and that makes me happy. I never made any friends, the only person I was ever close to was my father. When I was drawing or writing about monsters, it felt like I was a kid again, showing him my drawings and getting a pat on the head. Because of that, I treated this place like a playground. I got reckless, and I got into trouble, and I nearly died."

Eliza gazed down at the hound again, grinning. "But you know what? I'm actually glad I went through all that, because I got to meet you."

The hellhound turned towards Eliza. This time his gaze was sustained, and their eyes locked.

"I know you've been through a lot. I know you're probably sad and depressed, being here all alone, but I'm so happy you made it this far so I could finally find you. I got to meet a hellhound, the monster I've dreamed about my whole life. My only regret is that I left my notebook behind when I escaped those pigmen."

Eliza scratched the hound's head. His ears were twitching back and forth, much like a dog. His dark eyes still stared intently at her.

"You know what else? I'm not going anywhere. My army, no doubt, moved on without me, and I'm not going to wonder this desert full of pigmen looking for them. So it'll be just you and me for the forseeable future."

There was a pause before the hellhound, his eyes still glued to hers, edged his head closer to her body. Eliza grinned and scratched around his ears.

"Come to think of it, I should probably give you a name. Let's keep it simple, how about I call you Hound? You like that name? My name's Eliza, by the way. Can you say Eliza?"

"Eh...ri...ra," Hound growled out with dog-like sounds. Eliza's face lit up and she grinned.

"Did you just try to say my name?" she asked excitedly. Hound snorted out of his nose and finally turned his eyes away from her. Eliza sighed and leaned her head back onto the furry monster. She had no idea how long she would be stuck here, but she didn't mind it so much since she had company.

*

The next morning, Eliza woke up alone. This wasn't something new, as quite often Hound wasn't around in the mornings. The crusader sat up and was delighted to find that she was finally back to normal. She could move without stiffness or pain. She stood up, stretched, and began doing small exercises. She never thought she would be so excited to just be able to move like a normal human. Once she got all of the kinks out of her bones she scanned the room. Her eyes fell to a spot not too far from her. Lying in a pile were the things she had left behind in her haste to escape the pigment.

Eliza's jaw dropped as she darted over to them and began sifting. She shoved the pieces of armor away, and was delighted to find her notebook. Slowly, a grin came over her face. She had told Hound about the notebook. He must have tracked it back to where the pigmen had her trapped. She reached down and picked up the binder, holding it in front her. For a vicious monster, Hound was awfully sweet. How could he even track her footsteps weeks later? He probably managed to find her scent.

That was when the thought hit Eliza for the first time. Her scent. She leaned down and sniffed herself before reeling back. Her stench made the hairs of her nose curl She had been in this cave for weeks and too distracted with pain to worry about her hygiene. Hound probably didn't care, but now that she was aware of it, ignoring the smell was impossible. She took a deep breath and gazed over at the river. The water was freezing, but it was clean. It wasn't like she had any other option.

After disrobing and getting used to the frigid temperature, Eliza began scrubbing the grime off her body. She also washed her clothes and armor, which had previously been stewed in her sweat. Finally, all that remained was her hair. She dipped her head under the surface and furiously scrubbed all of the grime and sand out of her hair. She then jerked her head up and flipped her hair all the way around, almost like women back home did to be sexy. Eliza chuckled at the thought and turned to reach for her wet clothes.

That was when she noticed that she wasn't alone. She froze and turned her eyes toward one of the tunnels to find Hound. He was staring at her, his gaze instense. For a few moments, neither of them moved. Eliza considered that he might just be curious. The people that lived in Tarbat all had bronze skin. By contrast, she was pale, had fiery red hair, and was dotted with freckles over her face, shoulders and back. Then Hound's eyes darted up and down her body, causing her to have a thundering realization.

The hellhound was intelligent for a reason. He was the descendant of the demon king and one of the women sent to serve him...a human woman. That meant that Hound probably had the sexual instincts of a human as well, including what they found attractive. Eliza blushed deeply, and thanks to her pale complexion the flushing went across her chest as well. Hound's eyes snapped back towards her face. He noticed her blushing, seeing that she was thinking the same thing.

He took a single step forward. Eliza didn't move. The hellhound took another step and then another and another. Still the crusader did not move. She was completely frozen. She herself wasn't even sure why. Maybe she was curious, maybe she felt bad for how lonely he was...or maybe she just wanted some company herself after her ordeal. Regardless, she allowed the hellhound to draw closer and closer. Finally, he trotted into the river and stopped in front of her. Their faces were inches apart. Eliza could feel his warm breath flowing over her skin. Some instinct told her she should probably run, but another held her in place. The monster then leaned down and opened his massive jaws.

Hound's large tongue struck out from behind his teeth. He lapped at her neck and shoulder. Eliza instantly shivered at the sensation. She had just gotten out of the freezing water, and his warm tongue sent goosebumps across her body. He was also surprisingly delicate, considering how large and powerful he was. Eliza's hands shot up and seized the fur on his head, gasping. Taking this as encouragement, Hound lowered his head even lower. His large tongue ran over one of her breasts, coating it in his saliva. Eliza bit her lip, the sensation sending tingles across her. His muscle drifted to the other, quickly enveloping it in his wet warmth as well. Then he did something that surprised Eliza. With amazing dexterity, he slowly closed his jaws. He wedged one of her nipples between two of his teeth. Ever so gently, he tugged on the sensitive nub. Eliza gasped and her fingers twisted around his hair. She could feel her sensitive peak harden. He was good at this! There was no way it was his first time with a human!

Eliza wobbled a little on her legs. Hound lifted one of his flexible paws and wrapped it around her side, holding her steady. His mouth drifted to her other breast. His broad tongue lapped against the now hardened nipple, causing the crusader to cry out at the powerful sensation. The next few swabs of his muscle were much gentler, earning soft whimpers from Eliza instead. He was listening to her and responding. When he finally pulled his head away from her chest, the crusader whined. Once she saw where he was going however, she went rigid. Hound's nose was dipping lower, sniffing at the area between her legs. Eliza gulped. She could probably stop this if she wanted to. She was giving herself to a monster, something that was forbidden for the crusaders! But...what would that large, skillful tongue feel like on her nethers? How good would that feel? Quivering a little, Eliza slowly spread her legs apart.

The moment there was enough room, Hound shoved his snout in between her things. His wet nose sniffed at her exposed pussy. Eliza was already wet, and the hellhound was seemingly enjoying the smell. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of waiting on Eliza's part, he snaked out his skillful tongue. A single wipe of his muscle caused Eliza to buck her hips. Every nerve along her slit lit up, sending sparks of pleasure across her body. Hound let out a low growl, showing her was enjoying the taste of her juices. He continually lapped at her pussy, getting more and more to drink for his efforts. Eliza had never felt anything like this before, not from any man or woman (she was quite adventurous). Hound's tongue could touch every part of her lower lips with every swipe. Eliza spread her legs even further, inviting him deeper. Hound pressed his nose even harder, licking furiously. The extra pressure let the muscle move up inside of her and taste her inner flesh. Thanks to the monstrous pleasure he was providing, her love button peeking forward from its hood. Hound, apparently sensing it, backed his nose away a little and, very gently, began running his rough tongue over it. Eliza shrieked, feeling a lightning bolt of pleasure shoot up her body. This only encouraged hound more, and he teased the nub over and over. Eliza moaned louder and louder with every movement of his tongue. She could feel her insides throbbing, and her legs quivering.

"Oh god Hound! It's coming! I'm gonna...I'm gonna..." Eliza tried to say. Before she could finish, her back arched and her body cascaded with pleasure. She collapsed against him, bucking her hips as ecstasy washed over her with every gush of fluids. The hellhound happily drank them up, his tongue still furiously lapping. Eliza could feel every single twitch of that muscle thanks to her orgasm, making the climax last much longer than usual. She rode out the best orgasm she ever had, given to her by a monster canine.

When it finally stopped, Eliza was left breathless. Hound gently guided her into a seated position in the water, where she could recover. It had been an ungodly long time since the last time Eliza had sex, and no one had been nearly that good. That tongue of his was divine, and it could wring her juices out anytime he wanted for all she cared. When Eliza's senses returned she turned towards Hound. He was now sitting near the edge of the river, licked at his lips and nose, likely trying to get every drop of her fluids. He was sitting on his behind and supporting his upper body with his front two paws. This gave Eliza a good look at his crotch, and the large, red pulsing rod sticking out from it.

His dick was very canine-like, although it definitely had a head, somewhat like a human. Other than that, it was quite feral. Eliza's mind buzzed for a moment as she caught a dirty thought. You know, Hound was kind enough to give her pleasure. It was only right to return it, wasn't it? It would be selfish to just feel good all on your own. At least that was her reasoning to satiate her lusty curiosity. Seemingly without him noticing, Eliza crawled out of the river and between his front two paws. Feeling her shuffle by, Hound went stiff and his crimson dick twitched slightly. Eliza could see that it was incredibly hard, likely from his being pent up for so long. She licked her lips as she tentatively reached a hand forward. Her soft fingers and palm caressed the side of the shaft, earning a gasp from Hound. Her hand couldn't close all the way around it, amazing her with its girth. She slowly pumped her arm up and down, feeling the veins throb aroun dher fingers The hellhound snorted through his nose. Feeling her gentle movements against his sensitive organ was heaven for him. He shifted his back legs a little, letting him push the organ forward a little. It was much closer to Eliza's face. She could see his precum leaking out liberally, dripping down onto her hand, making it slippery. She then lifted her other hand and ran her fingers over the sensitive head, his juices seeping between her fingers. Hound began to whine and his claws dug at the rock beneath him. Eliza smiled a little, happy that he was enjoying it. A dirty thought then went through her mind. He was willing to use his tongue before, wasn't he?

The crusader leaned opened her mouth without warning and ran her muscle over his sensitive head. Hound yelped, his body beginning to quiver. Surprisingly, he didn't taste or smell bad. In fact, the taste was reminiscent of the cave water. He had bathed himself, perhaps preparing for this very encounter. He must have been planning to try this later, only to surprisingly find her naked. Eliza ran her small tongue over the sensitive tip, adding her saliva to his fluids. Her hands were also pumping collectively across the shaft, lubricated from his precum. Eliza was so busy with her work, that she didn't even noticed that Hound was bucking his hips and his large balls were twitching. The hellhound growled deeply as he had his first orgasm in ages.

Eliza flinched when his salty semen gushed back her lips. Her mouth was overwhelmingly filled in a split-second, shocking her. She pulled her head away and let the sperm pour out of her mouth. This turned out to be a mistake, as his next gush coated her face and hair. He was like a spewing fountain, and the volume was soaking her. His large dick twitched over and over again, and all Eliza could do was cringe and bear it. He coated her face, hair, chest, back, all the way down to her butt. It seemed to go on forever, and Eliza just waited, fearing he might accidentally stomp her. Finally, she could hear him panting, and the boiling-hot sensations of his semen on her skin stopped. She slowly peeled her eyes open to see that his dick had stopped cumming and was drooling the last of his jizz out of it. Eliza tried to open her mouth, but his salty semen instantly dripped between her lips and coated her tongue. She was soaked. With no other choice, she turned and crawled back to the river. She began splashing water all over her face and hair, trying to get some of it off. She was going to need another bath.

As she was cleaning herself off as best as she could, the crusader felt something wet and cold probe into her thighs. Eliza went stiff, instantly knowing that it was Hound's nose. What was he doing? Hadn't he already had enough? That was when she had another thundering realization. When she had leaned over to the river, she had gotten on all fours. She had stuck her ass in the air and assumed a position just like a dog. She had given Hound a perfect view of her pussy, one he was taking advantage of. The hellhound whined and shoved his nose against her crotch harder. Her hips were still clenched together. For a few seconds, Eliza's mind raced. She knew what he wanted, but hesitated. If she let him...there wasn't any going back. Then again, what about all the things he did for her? He had saved her and taken care of her afterward. He didn't have to do that. He clearly cared for her, enough to even go get her notebook.