Traveling the desert presents a unique set of challenges. Due to the abnormally high number of predator animals, locals must travel in large caravans, armed to the teeth, carrying as few males as possible to avoid being attacked. Some tribes even dress their males up as women. I'm currently traveling with a herd of nomads across one of the hottest deserts on this continent. A group of women are burning a bundle of incense on a plate of salt, likely to mask the scent of the men aboard the caravan.
    “We will be arriving soon, friend.” My guide says, resting a hand upon my shoulder.
    “How soon, exactly?”
    He mutters something in a foreign language to the driver, who responds with a shrug, and more gabber.
    “Around an hour or two. Kala-eeh is not sure, because anything can happen here. Is wild place, very wild.” The guide points toward a window in the back of the wagon. “You see cloud, yah?”
    I turn to face the window, where a storm of dust is being kicked up around another caravan. Something is peeking it's way out of the sand, twisting like a hungry serpent toward the side of the wagon. “What the hell is that?!”
    “Tarakaesh. Worm of sand. She eats camel and man alike.”
    “Will they be alright?”
    “If she strikes camel first, yes. Many opportunities for shooting tongue, will drive her away.” He sighed. “But if she strikes bus first, is much more difficult.”
    I wanted to turn back from the chaos, but found my eyes glued by curiosity. The sandworm was rapidly closing in on the wagon behind us. It howled as it opened it's gaping maw, and lunged. Moments before hitting the wagon, there was a massive wave of sand.
    “Walla-ha!” The guide cheered.
    “What happened?”
    “Hold on to bench! She comes!”
    The wave of sand spun the caravan around, and broke the reigns of our wagon, sending the camels flying forward. I struggled to maintain my grip on the wooden benches. From below came the sandworm, it's mouth wide open, ready to swallow the airborne camels whole. Through its tongue was a massive bolt.
    The guide, with one hand on his longbow, let out a war cry. As the wagon stopped spinning, he climbed atop the wagon through a window. I could still hear him screaming as the worm lunged toward us, mouth still wide open. I closed my eyes.
 
    I was slapped awake by the guide. “Get up! Walla-ha, get up, boy! You are alive!”
    I looked around, and saw nothing but the guide, the desert, the sky and the sun. The wagons had vanished completely. My clothes were in tatters. “What happened?”
    “I missed, boy. We must move, hurry!”
    “Is that thing still after us?!”
    “No, she take driver. She only eat one man at a time. Will not be back for long time. But other monsters, they will be coming fast.  Hurry!”
    The guide helped me to my feet, and we made a hurried walk toward a cluster of adobe buildings, surrounded by a sizeable wall.
    “Is that the village?”
    “No, Tarakaesh wash us away. This place unfamiliar, but will have to do.”
    I didn't have any complaints, so I followed the guide toward the village. We didn't talk much after that. By the time we arrived, the sun had set. The guide spoke to the guards at the gate, and let him pass, I tried to follow, but was rudely stopped by the point of a copper spear.
    “Daraim-ae may pass, but you are a foreigner, yah? You will come with me.” The guard commanded coldly. She was surprisingly fluent in my language.
    The guide looked like he wanted to curse a storm at the guard, but held his tongue. “Friend, you go with him. I see you in morning. Do not speak with anyone until.”
    As instructed, I followed the guard to a more run-down part of the village, where all of the homes were crudely fashioned out of twigs and palm leaves. The guard pointed toward a sign in front, with indecipherable characters scribbled upon it. “Once you enter, you will not be permitted to leave. Do you understand?”
    “Yes, ma'am.”
    “Very well. I am sorry that we must do this, but it is for the good of the village. Be safe, foreigner.”
    With that mysterious comment, the guard left. I walked around the huts, but could find nobody else here besides me. In the center of my quarantine was a barrel of water with a spigot. Thirsty, I sat next to the barrel, opened the spigot, and used my hands to cup a bit of water at a time. After my drink, I laid inside one of the huts, and fell asleep.
 
    I awoke to the sound of metal trinkets clattering. It was still nighttime. I stepped outside my hut to see the source of the commotion.
    “Wares! Food! Literature! I have brought many gifts! Come! Come!”
    I could smell spices in the air, and was reminded that I hadn't had a bite to eat in about half a day. I made my way toward the racket, a little sore from my trek through the sands.
    At the center of the village was a collection of lit tea candles sitting comfortably atop an ornate carpet. In the dim candlelight sat a woman, wearing a very revealing dress that showed off her plump, tanned body. She quickly took notice of my entry, and beckoned me over. “You are hungry from your travels, yah? Worry not. I have a meal for you.”
    As I came closer, I began to notice something strange about her. Although difficult to detect in the dim lighting, I could see a massive, furry tail propping her up from behind. She was also hiding a pair of animal ears behind an exotic crown. “Who are you?”
    “A traveler, just like you! I come from a family of merchants. I have store in marketplace, but I make trips in the night here to sell wares to foreigners. Familly motto is 'ae tikksah pacca, ii pacca tikksah.' Trade not coin for time, but time for coin. Life is brief, yes? Come, come!”
    As interesting as she was, I didn't want to risk getting into more trouble. “Sorry, I lost my coins in the sand.”
    “You need not pay now! Can pay later! Is easy to find me! You hungry, yah?”
    My stomach growled in response. “Not particularly, no. It was nice meeting you, though. Good night.”
    “Come back anytime! I will be here until the morning.”
    I walked back to my hut, laid down in the sand, and shrugged off the hunger pangs until I fell asleep. However, I couldn't sleep for more than a few minutes at a time without the merchant causing a ruckus. After a couple more failed attempts, I decided to give her a piece of my mind.
    She perked up when she saw me approaching. “Hello again, friend! Have you changed heart?”
    “Do you think you could keep the noise down? I can't sleep.”
    “I am running business! Customers need to know where I am!”
    “I'm the only one here, ma'am.”
    “Oh?” She giggled. “A romantic!”
    “No, I mean-”
    “You flatter me! But business is number one priority until I find husband, traveler!” She erupted into boisterous laughter.
    “Keep it down, you two!” A familiar voice rang out. It was the guard who led me here. I ran over to her.
    “Is there anything you can do to make her stop?”
    “It's her business, I'm afraid I can't interfere.”
    “But the noise-”
    “Foreigner, come with me.” The guard dragged me by the arm to the edge of the foreigner camp. “Sorry about that. She can be a little abrasive. Just bear with it.”
    “I haven't had food or rest in a while. I don't know if I can do that, with her banging about.”
    “Here.” The guard removed a roll from her satchel, and shoved it against my chest. “I'm sorry you have to deal with this.”
    “Why can't you do anything?”
    “I owe her.”
    “How is that an excuse?!”
    “You don't understand. I got this job because I owe her. I'm not even from here.”
    I took a bite out of the roll. It was a bit stale, but that wasn't enough to stop me. “So, you're a foreigner, too?”
    “A lot of people here are. Caravans avoid this village like the plague, because they know. She really likes to prey on foreigners.”
    “Why?”
    She turned her head, and held her arm. “...Because the locals won't care what she does to us. We're outsiders, we don't have families here. We can vanish, and no one would notice. In that way, we're disposable. It's awful, but it's the truth.” The fear in her heart was palpable. I didn't hesitate to embrace her, if only for a brief moment.
    “Exactly how much do you owe her?”
    “It varies. I can't really afford my own food, so I have to buy from her, which sometimes means taking out another loan. I've been starving myself lately to catch up. I'm almost out of it, though. After tonight, I'll be free. Starved, but free. However, I have no Idea how I'll find food without going back into debt.”
    “It may be a bit late to ask, but would you like your roll back?”
    She laughed. “Don't worry. You can repay me later. Maybe you can take this job after me!”
    We laughed together.
    “Well, if you have nowhere else to go, you can always come with me and the guide.”
    “Daraim-ae, you mean?”
    “I've never been good with foreign names.”
    She chuckled. “If I won't be a burden, I'd be more than happy to. I may be scrawny, but I can still take on a monster, should the need arise.”
    “I don't doubt it, you bruised my arm back there.” I let out an awkward chuckle. “What's your name?”
    She blushed. “Samantha. Anyway, I need to go back to the gate. Farewell.”
    “Farewell, Samantha.”
    With that, I returned to my hut. After eating the roll, I was still hungry, but I had no trouble falling back asleep.
    The night had a different plan for me, however. Something heavy, yet soft and warm had found its way on top of my back. I yelled, and struggled against it, but a several pairs of hands forced my limbs against the sand.
    “Don't struggle, traveler.”
    “What are you-!”
    “You got hurt by Tarakaesh, yah? Covered in many bruises. I take care.”
    “Let me go!”
    “Tanuki healing has no equal, I assure quality treatment.” She began to rub a frigid paste onto my back. “Worry not about charge-You need urgent care.”
    My body began to feel numb, and stiff. It wasn't long before my body felt like a mass of stone.
    “Good boy, stay right here.” She laughed. “Good work, Samantha. With this, your debt is paid.”
    “...Thank you, Miss Nuukiah.”
    I could hear footsteps trailing away. The last thing I remember before losing consciousness was hovering above a massive, fluffy tail.
 
    The morning light fell onto my eyelids. I could feel a cold sweat rolling off my forehead, but I couldn't muster the strength to move an arm and wipe it off. I couldn't even open my eyes. However, someone was kind enough to wipe it off for me.
    “Are you awake?”
    It was an unfamiliar voice, but a pleasant, feminine one. I was thankful that I couldn't hear a trace of the sometimes unintelligible desert-dweller accent. The richness of her voice told me that it was a woman of at least thirty-five years.
    “He breathes heavy. Maybe too much poison?”
    That was the unmistakable, raspy voice of the guide. Poison? I was poisoned?
    “He'll be fine, it normally doesn't last too long. He's sweating, which is a good sign. Its probably working its way out of his system now.”
    “Very well. Be seeing you later.”
    “Farewell.”
    From what I could tell, I was in a hospital. The air smelled extremely sterile, and the room was eerily quiet. I could barely hear the woman next to me taking steady, calm breaths. I tried to open my eyes again, to a modicum of success. All I could see by peering between my eyelashes was the blinding light of the sun.
    “So, you're awake. I'm glad. You'll be able to move soon, but you should remain in bed. I'll make you some breakfast in the meantime.”
    Soft pats trailed out of the room. I was finally able to open my eyes all the way, but it was too late.
    It took a great deal of patience, but I was able to wiggle my toes and fingers free of the paralysis. I could already smell the savory aroma of whatever was going on in the kitchen. Eventually, I could seat myself on the edge of the bed.
    I took a quick look around the room. It certainly didn't look like a hospital. There were tasteful rugs, ornate lamps, silk curtains, even a mural.
    However nice this house may have seemed, I had no intention of staying. It became increasingly clear that I couldn't trust anyone in this village but myself, the guide, and perhaps the mysterious woman who took care of me. I dragged my feet on the way to the door.
    “Please, don't move around too much! The poison might make you faint!”
    “I'm sorry, I need to leave.” I couldn't believe how hoarse my voice sounded. I felt like I had somehow aged forty years in a night.
    “If you hurt yourself, you'll only be here longer. Please, rest for a moment. Your breakfast is almost ready.”
    I was frustrated, but I couldn't argue against her. I sat back down on the bed. “So, who are you?”
    “I... don't really have a name.”
    “What do people call you?”
    “Foreigner, usually. They don't take kindly to travelers here.”
    “You're telling me!”
    She giggled. “Your meal is ready. I'll be there shortly.”
    She walked through the doorway, carrying a wonderfully aromatic bowl of curry and rice. However, my eyes were fixated on something else. “You...”
    “Take it easy. Sudden movement will only make things worse.”
    I backed up against the wall. Once my eyes broke free from what was before me, they quickly darted around the room, desperately looking for an exit.
    “I won't hurt you. Please, stay still.”
    I made a pitiful attempt to sprint toward the door, tripping over my own feet, and eventually crashing into a wall. I felt dizzy, and numb, but I continued crawling on all fours down a hallway with a large, wooden door, before being flung over her shoulder. Again, I could see the massive, fluffy tail bobbing side to side, almost hypnotically, as I was carried back into the bed. I squirmed, and groaned, all in vain. The poison's effect had begun to resurface. She laid me back down upon the bed.
    “Don't say I didn't warn you. It won't be as strong this time, but you may feel feverish.” She got up to grab the bowl of curry, taking a scoop of it out with a spoon. “In the meantime, you should eat. The effects will be more severe if you have an empty stomach. Go on, say, 'aah'.”
    She forced the spoon against my lips, pushing the hot curry against my teeth. With no options left, I obediently opened my jaw, and licked the spoon clean as she pulled it out. It was surprisingly delicious, even though I had barely any strength to chew it properly. She began to ramble as she spoon-fed me.
    “Are you surprised?” She giggled. “I'm a foreigner, just like you. You won't have to worry about being mistreated by the locals here. I'll keep you safe.” She gently pushed another spoonful of curry into my mouth. “I'm sorry that I had to mistreat you like this, It was the only way I could get you to come here. If Samantha hadn't given you her ration, things would've been much, much nicer. Thankfully, she understood her mistake.”
    I managed to work out a single word. “Why?”
    She lowered her head, covering her eyes with a curtain of brunette bangs. “When I was young, I ran away from home. I didn't think much of it at the time, I absolutely hated my parents. I moved out here, because this desert is the only place on the continent that my family didn't have business in. I found out why pretty quickly. My first few years here were really, really lonely. I saw how Lamia dancers could entertain hundreds, and how peasants would kiss the feet of Pharaohs, and grew extremely jealous. They may not have cared about me being a monster, but they certainly cared about my heritage.” She gave me another spoonful of curry, this time with a trembling hand. “So, I tanned my skin. I stole clothes from a noblewoman's dresser. I started picking up the language, and the accent, all so I could live the life I wanted. I even harassed other foreigners. Before long, I was successful. I had power over an entire village. I had subjugated half of this desert through debt. But, I was still lonely. I was no longer myself, but a reflection of everything I hated about this place. Then, you came along.”
    “Me?”
    “It's rare to see a male foreigner out here. Especially in this village. I'm especially lucky that Daraim-ae brought you here. He traded you for a wagon, and some camels.” She let out a sickly giggle. ”Doesn't it make you sick? These people, these rotten animals!” She began to shout, but quickly regained her composure. “But, you're here now, with me. I don't have to worry about everyone else anymore. I guess you could say I've fallen in love with you. You love me too, right? I noticed that you couldn't keep your eyes off my body when we first met.” She let loose an impish giggle.
    It was painfully clear that I needed to leave this place, and possibly this country, as soon as possible. Fearfully, I nodded my head, and she responded with a disgustingly happy squeak.
    When she finally emptied the bowl, she got up. “I need to clean the kitchen. Stay right here, ok? I don't know what I would do if anything worse happened to you.” With that, she kissed me on the forehead, and skipped out of the room, gigging to herself on the way to the kitchen.
    Carefully, I slid out of the bed, and walked across the room, and into the hallway. Once again, I saw that massive, wooden door. I involuntarily held my breath in suspense. Inch by inch, I tip-toed my way to the door, painfully aware of the dull “pfhh” my feet made as they came in contact with the floor.
    Suddenly, my chest became unbearably hot. The heat quickly coursed through my body, and I began to sweat profusely. I was panting hard.
    “Honey? Are you ok?”
    My heart was racing. I had my hand on the doorknob, but couldn't muster the strength to push the door open. I felt a familiar pair of arms around me. Once again, I ended up on the bed, with an angry, tanned Tanuki staring me down like an angry goddess.
    She scolded me. “Why were you trying to leave the house? Didn't I tell you not to move?” She began stripping me of my clothes.
    “W-what are you doing?!” I stammered, incapable of fighting back.
    “I tried to warn you. I even diluted the basilisk venom with mud, so it wouldn't be too painful. But you wouldn't listen.”
    As she yanked off my underwear, I noticed that my lower half had become painfully uncooperative. She sat herself across from my exposed, naked body, bearing an intimidating grin. “You're so cute when you're helpless.  I can help cool you down, if you'd like. But, it will cost you.”
    She spread her legs apart, raising a knowing eyebrow. Just catching a glimpse of her soft, tanned thighs through the window of her leggings was enough to fill my head with impure, shameful thoughts. I could feel my heart rattling against my ribs, my eyes shaking with desire. As if possessed by a devil, my lips moved on their own.
    “Since I know you can't afford anything better, we'll start you off the cheapest service I can offer. You can pay me back later.”
    She moved her foot down to my center, pressing against my shaft with her sole. The fire in my gut roared in excitement as she worked her way up my cock, gripping my head with her toes before sinking back down. I couldn't help letting out a pitiful groan.
    Her smile widened. “Oh? Do you enjoy being stepped on like a peasant?”
    She was humiliating me, but I didn't care. I wanted more. I helplessly thrust my hips against her, indulging myself, almost losing myself to the pleasure. Just as I'm about to cum, she stops.
    “You don't really want to cum from my feet, do you? Surely, you have more dignity than that.”
    I groan in response, much to her amusement.
    “I know! If you let me add a little bit more to your bill, I'll make you cum with these.” She pulled down her shirt, revealing an ample pair of bronze breasts. She leaned above my crotch, staring at me with an expectant smile. I could feel the warmth of her chest radiate against my groin. “So? Do we have a deal? I'm sure you can imagine how wonderfully soft these will feel against you. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!”
    Completely enslaved by pleasure, I nod my head.
    “Good boy.” She sings, before wrapping her soft, warm breasts around my cock. I came immediately from the feeling of sinking deep into her bosom. Strands of semen erupted from her cleavage, and fell onto her hair, and chest. She wiped off one of the strands with her finger, brought it to her mouth, and lapped it up with her tongue. “That was a little soon, don't you think? Don't you want to enjoy this some more?” She began to stroke me with her breasts, now slippery from my orgasm. “You're still so hard, have you been pent up lately?” She increased the pace slightly. “I bet you couldn't satisfy yourself with the whores here. Don't worry, I'll happily sell my body to you! You can use me to your heart's content!” She was moving even faster now. I couldn't help shaking my hips. Already, I could feel another orgasm coming, but once again, she stopped. I had to grit my teeth to bear with the pain of denial.
    “Please, don't stop!” I begged. “I'll do anything!”
    She let out a haughty laugh. “Anything?”
    “Please!”
    She removed herself from me, laid on her back, and squished her plump thighs together. “Well, if you're so desperate, why don't you help yourself? You can use my thighs. Just don't get any funny ideas. I'm still saving myself for the one, you know?”
    I didn't hesitate to force myself between her thighs. They were soft, yet muscular enough to provide friction with each thrust. She was staring hungrily at my dick as it came out the other side of the gap. Like a hungry animal, I groaned as I rubbed myself against her, hugging her legs tightly as I continued the assault. My eyes were rolling back into my head. It was finally coming back. With a loud, pained groan, I let out my second orgasm, coating her belly and thighs in my seed. Still, the heat wouldn't subside. I looked her in the eye, and begged. “Please. I need more.”
    “You know, you're already going to be in debt for the rest of your life. What more can you give me?”
    “Please!”
    “I know. How about you and I get married? That way, I can own every last bit of you, heart, mind and soul. You'll never leave my side. Wouldn't it be nice to do this with me every day?”
    I hesitated, taking a moment to realize what I had done, but she quickly snapped me out of it.
    “You know, if you say yes, I'll even let you use 'this'.” She pushed me back with her feet, and removed her leggings and underwear in one swift motion. She spread her legs, revealing a dripping-wet pussy, which she spread open with two fingers. Eagerly wagging her tail, she asked, “Do we have a deal?”
    “Y-yes.”
    “Be gentle with me, okay?”
    “Yes ma'am!”
    I pushed the tip inside, and could immediately feel how tight she was. Her eyes lit up with pleasure, and for the first time, she showed a sign of submission. Holding her legs up with her arms, she invited me to dive further inside. Her moans grew louder as I pushed deeper, until we were fully joined together. I could tell she was in pain by the way she was gritting her teeth, but her eyes begged me not to stop. I started shaking my hips, slow and timid at first, but quickly increasing the pace. Her entire body quivered with every thrust, only adding to the obscenity of the scene before me. She was covered nearly from head to toe in seed, her mouth wide open, howling demands at me with a set of sharp canine teeth. “Faster! More! More!” She growled. I obeyed, picking up the pace until every thrust slammed against her, making a loud, wet slapping noise, the percussion to her beautiful moans. In a complete trance, she let go of her legs, draping them loosely around my waist. She grabbed the sheets, turned her head to the side, and bit them, as if suddenly embarrassed by her situation. “It's coming, it's coming!” She howled. “Do it with me!”
    Before I could even find myself close, she was already screaming from orgasm. She was pushing against me with weak arms and shaking hands, begging me to stop, but I didn't listen. I grabbed her by the waist, and forced myself deeper inside. Her arms fell to their sides. A stream of drool ran down her cheek. Her eyes rolled backwards. I didn't stop moving, I couldn't stop. I kept pounding her limp and helpless body, until I could feel another orgasm rising up from within.
    She wrapped her legs tightly around my waist, grinning with bestial hunger. “You aren't going to let this one go to waste, are you?” She wrapped her arms around my neck. “We're going to get married, after all.” Her eyes confirmed her intention. Her legs pushed me from behind, locking me at the base. Her insides twitched and pulled on me. I could feel my tip pressing against the entrance of her womb. “Go ahead. Let it all out. Let's be together forever.”
    At her command, I came, much harder than before. I felt like I could collapse, but she held me in place with her legs, milking every last drop of my orgasm.
    My body suddenly felt very cold. My erection fell flat, and I leaned backwards against her powerful legs, limp as a ragdoll. When she finally let me go, I collapsed onto the mattress. After letting out a satisfied sigh, she crawled beside me, and gave my torso a crushing hug, letting out a gleeful “I love you!” in a singsong voice. As my consciousness faded, she gave me a warm kiss on the cheek.
    With that, I was made into the husband and property of a nameless Tanuki.