The scene fades in on the ruins of a castle. Tall stone walls now lay in rubble or blasted with holes of various sizes. Decorative ceilings that were works of art now caved in and shattered. In the center of the castle grounds, lays what was once a beautiful garden, but was now no more then a smoking, ash filled battlefield. At its center lays the once great Demon King. 8 feet tall with bright red skin and clawed fingers and toes. His once impressive horns that had curled around his head like a crown were now chipped and cracked. His jet black armor, once thought to be indestructible, now lay shattered beyond repair, the only pieces left were his belt and his pauldrons. His trusty great sword that looked to have been carved from obsidian, now sat impaled in the ground, not 20 feet away. The being that had once struck fear into the very heart of mankind and had threatened them for hundreds of years now laid bruised and battered on the ground, drained of magic and blood, but refusing to admit defeat.
Not 10 feet away, sat a human. Their attire consisted of a black leather trench coat with electric blue threading and topped with a hood that hid their face in shadows. The coat itself had dark grey armor plating all over the coat, placed across it's entirety to grant the most amount of protection. Black fingerless gloves with metal bearings on his knuckles and on the backs adorned his large hands. And, although their clothes were almost completely covered in dirt, grime and ash, they were strangely absent of any actual damage.
Throwing back their hood, coffee brown skin and clean shaven head with a strong jawline with the beginning of a beard growing on his handsome face. His Caribbean blue eyes were dull and almost lifeless as he stared into space, the ragged breathing of the Demon King being the only sound he could hear.
"INGRAM!" A voice called from behind him, sounding far louder than he should have. A man wearing a typical paladin, shining white armor walked towards the black clad man from behind. He carried a plain looking long sword in one hand, a kite shield in the other. "You didn't leave any of that sulfur sniffing fuck for us?" The man, now identified as Ingram, looked towards the man in plate armor.
"His time in this life is over. Show a bit of respect." He stated. his voice was deep, but his tone was quite tired.
"Why?" The paladin scoffed. "He was a demon. Worse, the Demon King. He deserves no respe-" He was interrupted when a large javelin of glowing blue energy appeared a mere inch from his face, causing him to take several steps back in surprise.
"I do not care for your vendetta or racial views, Percival." Ingram said, a hint of agitation creeping into his voice. "The dead are dead, and their souls have long since moved on."
Ingram stood from his spot, and walked over to the demon king's sword. Plucking it from the ground, he turned and walked back to the dying Demonic ruler. At this point, the red skinned being was beginning to choke on it's own blood, his face contorted into a glare of hatred that could boil an ocean as he gazed at the man that had brought him down. Ignoring the look, Ingram simply knelt down next to the scourge of humanity, and placed the sword on his chest like a Viking. The Demon King's face shifted to confused shock at this, but the anger was still present.
"You fought with bravery and honor. No great warrior should die without their blade in hand. Rest now, Your Majesty, for your journey had reached it's end." Ingram said with sincerity in his voice. An almost imperceptible smile crossed the Archdevil's face as he gripped the hilt of his sword with both hands, the anger in his eyes fading into acceptance, as he breathed his last. Bowing his head, Ingram stayed kneeling over the hellspawn for several seconds, before closing their eyes and rising to their feet.
"Time to leave." Ingram said wearily, as he walked towards Percival who was standing in what was left of a doorway, watching what the black clad man had done.
"I still don't get why you show these things such respect." Percival sneered, causing Ingram to chuckle.
"I have seen a great many things, Kid. It takes something particularly nasty to get me to hold a grudge beyond their death." Ingram said as he passed the paladin. "And besides, his treasury's unlocked now." Percival smiled greedily under his helmet as he turned and followed Ingram into the castle to collect their loot.
It took the 2 of them them a week and a half to return to the human capital on horse back. Percival had taken everything that would fit in his bag of holding, including a decent chunk of the gold. Ingram simply took a few knickknacks, a staff and the rest of the gold to place in the Human kingdom's treasury. When they arrived in the Capital, the day was already coming to a close, as they received a hero's welcome. The city was filled with shouts and cries of joy as people cheered at their return. Ingram remained passive, his hood up and face forward, while Percival waved at everyone, his helmet held under his left arm, his golden blond hair and perfectly white teeth glistened in the sunlight. They headed straight for the palace, Percival to collect his reward, and Ingram to make sure he got his due credit, having already made that particular mistake... twice. After they left their mounts in the stables, they were escorted to the throne room, where they King and Queen were waiting for them. The king was in his mid forties, with neck length brown hair, green eyes and was adorned in fancy jewel encrusted red robes. To his right was the Queen who, despite her being the same age as her husband, looked like she was in her early thirties, wearing purple robes of similar design to her husband, but with a more feminine aesthetic. Both had a look of relief and joy upon their faces as the two heroes walked into the throne room. Percival kneeled before them, his right arm resting on his right knee, left fist planted on the ground, and head bowed low. Ingram simply lowered his hood and bowed deeply before straightening his back, spreading his legs shoulder length apart and placing his hands behind his back.
"Your majesties." Percival said in reverence. "The evil has been vanquished, and peace is restored."
"Now all that's left is to deal with the aftermath." Ingram added calmly. The King nodded.
"Thank you. Both of you." The King said genuinely. "You have defeated a great foe, and returned alive and well." Ingram wanted to roll his eyes, having heard this speech countless times, but refrained. "If there is something you wish to have, and it is within my power, you will have it."
"2 things from the treasury of my choice, and a place to rest for the next week or so." Ingram responded. The two rulers looked surprised at this.
"Are you sure?" The king said with a frown. "No noble title, land, gold or anything like that?" Ingram gave a dry chuckle.
"Your majesty, I am a very simple man, as you well know. But now that the problem in this world has been taken care of, its only a matter of time before I am summoned once again." Ingram's face turned hollow, as he seemingly aged 20 years in an instant. "I wish to use that time to rest."
The King was perplexed. Ingram was a very mysterious man. Even though he looked as if he wasn't even thirty, he carried himself as if he had seen enough hardship for several lifetimes. Ingram had never stated his actual age, often giving cryptic answers or riddles, leading the King to believe that the man's life had been somehow extended. but how, or by how long, he could not say. Many Nobles thought of the black clad man as a mad man and/or a killer with little tact and no regard or respect for authority. Yet, despite his disposition, power and horrifying temper, the man had a caring and helpful nature. Ingram showed little respect to any that had not earned it, (something that he had outright told the King when they first met). Instead, he treating everyone as equals, something the King thought made him more approachable. Reigning in his thoughts, the King turned his attention back to his guests.
"Very well, Lord Ingram." The King said with a touch of melancholy in his voice. "I will have some guards escort you to the treasury." Ingram bowed his head and tuned out the rest of the meeting, not particularly caring what Percival wanted, as he wondered how much time he had left. He had quite honestly lost count of the times he had been ripped away from a world he had grown accustomed to, only to be thrown into another that needed aid. The only consistency was that it was 3 to 4 days after one side had gained victory, human or non human. Returning from his thoughts, he saw that the conversation had ended.
"You may both leave. Lord Ingram, please follow Sir McCain to the treasury. You may take one of the rooms that you had when you first arrived." The Monarch stated, dismissing the two men. Bowing to the King and Queen, Ingram turned on his heel and left, letting the appointed knight lead him towards the treasury. As the two walked, Ingram began to recall all that he had gained and went though in his time in this world. He had gained yet another perspective on magic, and his control over dark magic had increased drastically. As well as finally finding someone who would teach him necromancy that wasn't completely crazy, something he was quite happy about. Not that he'd tell anyone about it, as necromancy was almost universally frowned upon, if not outright banned and/or hated. He continued to debate whether to just take part in the large scale battles and using the time between to practice his necromancy, when they arrived at a pair of massive double doors that were beautifully carved into the likeness of an enormous tree. The large double doors swung open as they approached, revealing a colossal room packed with billions of gold in various weapons, relics, artifacts, gems and coins of bronze silver gold and platinum. As they walked inside, a light tinkling sound grew in volume, before it rapidly evolved into a cacophony of coins clinking off coins as a large bulge rose from the depth of the lake of money. The coins quickly slid off the rising mound, revealing the head of a massive golden dragon. Their emerald green eyes locked upon the two and moved towards them, tens of thousands of gold coins spilling away from the creatures long neck, as it stopping several feet away, its hot breath ruffling the leather clad man's coat.
"KinSlayer." A deep but feminine voice echoed in the minds of the two humans. "What brings you to my home?"
"Taking to your new guard duty well, I see." Ingram said a hint of amusement in his voice. The dragon huffed, a small cloud of smoke blowing past them, causing the accompanying Knight to stumble back in fear. "You may leave Sir McCain, and don't forget to close the door on your way out." The man nodded rapidly and sprinted out of the room, the door closing much faster than it had opened. Ingram let out a heavy sigh as his entire body relaxed.
"Fuck's sake, acting can take a toll on your mind." Ingram complained. His meticulously maintained façade melting away like butter in a hot pan. "I'm almost glad I'm leaving soon so I can drop the 'wise man' act." The dragon chuckled, a throaty rumbling that echoed throughout the room.
"I do not envy you, Kinslayer." She said, a smirk sliding upon her snout. "I am perfectly fine acting as myself."
"Thanks Sophie." Ingram said as he rolled his eyes, not bothered at all by the giant razor sharp teeth that snapped shut mere-inches from his face.
"You know I hate it when you call me that, Human." The dragon growled both mentally and physically, as her irises darkened.
"You weren't complaining that I was calling you that when we first met, Sopheenia." Ingram said as he smirked wryly. If a dragon could blush, Sophie's muzzle would have been cherry red. "Anyway, enough reminiscing. I'm here for a reason, although seeing you is a nice bonus." The golden dragon shook it's massive head and refocused.
"What is is you want?" The apex predator asked. Instead of answering, the dark skinned human raised his hand, a palm sized golden casting circle forming in front of his out stretched arm.
"Find me the two items in this room that will assist me the most on the next leg of my endless journey." The casting circle flared and disappeared. Holding both hands out in front of him, palms up, he waited for the spell to finish taking effect. Not ten seconds later his palms lit up once more, a pair of items manifesting within his grasp. In his left hand was a silver ring with a small sapphire, and intricate runic engravings all around the band and around where the gem was seated. In his right sat a book. No bigger than a personal notebook, but still looked to be a hundred or so pages thick. Ingram reached out with his right arm which was partially engulfed by a black void that appeared out of thin air, and let go of the book before retracting his hand. Placing the ring on his finger, he almost collapsed as he felt the majority of his magic being locked away. He could still utilize his mana, but most of his spells felt as if they had been placed behind an impenetrable barrier in his mind. He knew they were there, but he couldn't access them.
"Woah." Ingram regained his footing and tore off the ring, feeling his magical capabilities return. "So a limiter ring and a book. That's not very promising."
"You do know that you can't just walk out with those, right?" The glorified golden guard dog stated, matter-of-factly. "I require something in return."
"I was planning on emptying out my coffers anyway, seeing as how currency is very rarely the same across worlds." Ingram said casually as he placed the ring into his dimensional storage.
"I didn't mean money." It was then that Ingram noticed the look in the large beast's eyes. "I was thinking something a bit more... personal."
The painted man chuckled as he ran his fingers over his shining scalp. "As much as I'd like to have some fun-" he started reluctantly.
"You are not leaving until I get what I want." Sopheenia said cutting him off. Her gaze had gained a lusting heat.
"Alright, fine." Ingram said in mock surrender. "But I'm leading the first round." Ingram snapped his fingers, casting the strongest silencing spell he knew as his body began to grow rapidly. His coat fused with his body, his coattails merging in the middle and changing into an thick draconic tail. His skin grew jet black scales as his fingers morphed into paws and his neck and face elongated into a snout as a pair of horns sprouted from his temples that circled to the back of his head almost like a crown, before curving up towards the ceiling. In ten seconds Ingram the human was replaced by an enormous black scaled dragon with Caribbean blue eyes, and bleach white talons and teeth. Sopheenia grinned hungrily at the sight as she stood up, revealing her full length.
"Try to keep up, Kinslayer." The golden beast said coyly. Ingram just smirked as he tackled the winged lizard, throwing coins and trinkets everywhere.
"You said that last time." He said, his voice had become much deeper and filled with unquestionable power, booming throughout the room. He nuzzled her cheek as his left forepaw traced a line down her torso. "And if I remember correctly, you had to keep up with me." The camouflaged dragon growled in a mix of arousal and frustration.
"Well see." She challenged before her head darted to his shoulder and bit down hard, her razor sharp teeth piercing through his scaled hide in a moment as Ingram returned the favor, marking each other and the beginning of their fun. For the next 2 hours, the two went at it. Coins flew everywhere, the floor was damaged, and body fluids rained upon the vast collection of wealth, as the room was filled with the unmistakable smell of sex. At the end, Ingram decided to finish their fun by opening a large portal above them, and letting all the gold he had accumulated while in this world spill forth, giving them a literal golden shower as the two climaxed. As the two laid in a nest of golden treasure, curled up in an embrace with their tails entwined and foreheads pressed together, the golden female asked if Ingram really had to leave, her words lightly slurred as her mind was still in a sex fueled daze.
"Unfortunately yes, my dear." Ingram replied, sorrow plainly evident in his voice. "My time in each world is limited, and I will soon leave this one behind as well, never to see it again."
"What did you do to deserve such a fate?" Sopheenia asked as she nuzzled closer to his chest.
"I have asked myself that question countless times." Ingram muttered bewildered, as he absentmindedly drew circles on his golden lover's shoulder. "Eventually I stopped caring, and decided to make the most of my new lifestyle. Seek out knowledge and power, see the sights, meet people, make friends and all that." Ingram let out a dry chuckle as he rose to his feet. Sopheenia tried to pull him back into their embrace, but he shrugged her off easily. Lowering his head to hers, he placed a kiss on her snout. "If I spend anymore time in here, people might start talking." He raised his head, a massive white casting circle appearing above him. "Deep Cleansing." The circle flared brightly, before it disappeared, seemingly doing nothing. However, the gold seemingly shined brighter than ever and the only evidence of the two's activities was currently trying to stand. Ingram leapt forwards as he shifted back to his original human form, landing lightly before the double doors leading out into the castle. The doors opened and Ingram left the room turning back to his scaly bedmate.
"Goodbye, Sopheenia." Ingram said sadly as the doors began to close. "Oh, and you might want to get out more often. I noticed there was a bit more to hold onto this time." The ensuing jet of flames was nullified by the doors finished closing. Chuckling Ingram walked off as he pulled his hood over his clean shaven head and returning his mindset to his chosen character, marching down the hallway towards his bedroom to get some well deserved sleep. As he wandered the halls, he passed by various maids and butlers, many giving him a wide smile and a deep bow, likely already having heard the news of his mission. The room was massive, with a king sized bed against the left wall, a nightstand on both sides of the bed and a chest at the end of it. The large glass door on the far wall had a pair of deep red curtains pulled open, revealing balcony overlooking of the city below. Ingram threw back his hood as he stepped out onto the balcony, he took the same position as he had in the throne room as he gazed out at the sunset painted cityscape, the wind making his armored coat billow in the wind, as a calm smile crossed his face.
"It's small moments like this that make the pain worth it. These moments of peace and tranquility." Ingram sighed. He stood on that balcony watching the sunset for another half hour before he returned inside, deciding to begin his rest period with an early bedtime. Snapping his finger, he was engulfed in a bright white light and when it dissipated, his clothes had been replaced by a pair of bright green boxer shorts and a sleeveless undershirt. Climbing into bed he let out a small sigh as he felt his aching legs and back relaxed after days of ridding. Throwing the covers over himself, he was asleep within moments.