These Eldritch Hips – (Modbased)Litrpg

"well? care to explain the reason of your being here? i think it would be a good place to start, all things considered."

Celia didn’t have the words. Her tongue froze in her mouth, and her mind went blank. She didn’t know what to say. It was like her first ever job interview all over again. The question levied at her seemingly impossible to answer despite how simple it was.

Except she came to her senses after a moment of thought this time.

"I was looking for the ocean?" She answered, slowly and true, unsure if lying to a being this powerful was a good idea or not. Whether on purpose or by accident. She wasn’t even sure if trying to omit anything would do her any good. Or rather, harm.

Regardless, the dragon seemed… amused at her answer. Quirking a scaly brow her way.

"the ocean, hm? strange. stranger still is the way you speak. so wonderfully developed! was it a gift? or is your development simply further along than it looks?"

"No?" Celia said, slightly confused. "I just, I’ve practically always been able to talk like this. It’s, uh, normal where I come from?"

"and where do you come from, oh ocean seeker?"

Celia realized she may have made a mistake. One she wasn’t sure the consequences of, only that they could be potentially terrible. Already she could see it. Monsters of the veil pouring out into Glome and wreaking havoc, destroying and killing hundreds.

"From… far away." She said, cringing at how utterly unconvincing she sounded.

And the Dragon laughed.

"far away, hm? why isn’t that delicious, i think the last time i heard an excuse that bad Jonas was still a free man. isn’t that right, little fisherman?" The Dragon said, head turning away from her and out towards the city. Scaled hand rising with a snap, blue flames sparking forth from his fingers.

And then Jonas was there. Floating in the air before the dragon, body wrapped about with chains of blue fire that he struggled against. Groaning and grunting in futile effort as he attempted to free himself. But it was to no avail, the more he struggled, the tighter the chains seemed to become. The tightening of their bonds causing drops of molten flame to fall to the ground below him.

Celia didn’t know how to react.

A part of her screamed for violence. Demanded that she throw herself at the dragon and force him to release Jonas. Unfortunately, the far more rational side of her brain realized how stupid that was. That she wasn’t strong enough to even hurt the reptilian behemoth before her. And that any chance of getting him to release Jonas ultimately would rely on her words rather than her fists.

But that did nothing to stop the anger from rising in the first place. A rage at seeing Jonas, the only other human she had seen in this place so far, tortured. The only normal person she could still say she knew, burned. Skin throbbing red where the chains touched.

Before she could act, however, the dragon raised a clawed finger her way and wagged it.

"shhh. calm that rage of yours girl. this man is not your friend. he’s not even an ally to himself, isn’t that right little Jonas?"

"Kinda depends on the situation, right now though? Not really." He answered, effort to free himself intensifying.

Celia didn’t understand.

"Ok, what’s going on?" She asked, rage replaced with bitter confusion.

"what’s going on our dear, is that you’re a pawn in an old game now. bigger than that world you care for so much. and this fisherman is here to make sure you stay on a certain side of the board. isn’t that right my, favorite nuisance?" He said, grip on Jonas loosening just enough so that he could speak.

And the first thing Jonas did was shoot Celia a look. "Ouch, but yeah. In no uncertain terms that’s exactly why I’m here."

"Ok, but what does any of that mean?" Celia asked. Unsure if she even understood anything that was going on anymore. "And, uh, could you explain it without any of the cryptic nonsense. Please?"

Jonas looked at the dragon.

"i suppose it is fair that you are dealt a proper hand." He said, lowering his eye closer toward her. "allow me to explain in simplicity. you are fertilizer."

"Excuse me?"

"Look kid he doesn’t mean it exactly like that. It’s more accurate to say that yo-"

"oh, but i do." The dragon corrected. "the powers that be, or at least some of them it would seem, want to use you for the growth of something new. i can see it on you, a half-bled mark that rings of our dear Giant. and she always wants the same thing. another spawn to call her own."

"Okay so I’m not so sure I follow, I think. But, are you- are you saying that this giant wants to turn me into something like… you?"

Jonas shot her an impressed look. "Outside all of the more complicated bits, yeah that pretty much sums it up. Good instincts kid."

"yes. good."

"But… why me? I’m just, I mean I’m a normal person. I was on my way to work before I even got here. And I was late too. I’m not, I’m not whatever you are material. And I’m not sure I want to be, I’m not even sure I completely get what that means. What any of this means. I just wanna go home."

"home I cannot send you, little one. but I can and will help you avoid the clutches of our Giant. that is, if you would allow the help?"

There was a deluge of questions Celia had. All of which paled in comparison to the one she had to ask.

"What’s the catch?"

And she knew there would be one. She’d heard enough fairy tales to know that there always was a catch. Either in the form of a favor, a period of servitude, or worse. But she sadly didn’t know enough to know if it was worth it. Or even how bad this transformation that this "Giant" wanted to force on her was.

For all she knew she could be getting conned.

But Celia was beginning to hate being in the dark, and on top of that, she wasn’t really sure what other choice she had. Or if she had enough time to figure out if there were any other choices.

Either way, she was unfortunately correct.

"simple, you let me mark you instead."