A Free Lunch
	It had been hours and Aria still didn't feel safe. She'd likely never feel safe again. She'd been running, sneaking and creeping until the city had turned to wilderness. Now the wilderness was turning to jungle and the last signs of society had long since passed. But she hadn't run far enough. After all, Aria wasn't running from someone. She was running from everyone.
	Aria was a human. An orange-haired, fair-skinned human who, while pretty, was hardly anything to make a person look twice. Her height, weight, even her clothing screamed 'average', though her jacket and jeans were quickly amassing dirt and tears. Aside from her location in the wilderness, she seemed absolutely unremarkable. However, Aria was something that wasn't supposed to exist in her land. She was a slave.
	Slavery had long since been abolished in her world. But that was public law. Aria's land was one of corporate rule. Over the years, private industry got more and more powerful. They influenced politicians to keep their interests in line. As time passed, it steadily grew more overt until corporate sponsorship became all but mandatory to run for office. Then territories and political parties began to fade into corporate representation.
	Political power and profit became one and the same. Cooperation between companies were akin to allied nations, while disputes often broke down into war. Physical wars often wasted resources and worried the public, but cold wars and back room deals were common. Corporate espionage was the tool of the trade, but a company who got too greedy risked being punished by an alliance of the rest.
	That's where slaves came into play. Most were humans, the most common and unremarkable species. Some were born into it, some were taken out of debt or crimes against one of the companies. They were trained as spies, but with no knowledge of their employer. Their jobs were given by anonymous middle men so that if caught, none would even know which company they were helping. They were perfect, disposable agents for their companies. 
	Aria always wanted to run. But while slaves did the dirty work, the company usually had agents in the area in case they tried to escape. Even if she'd have run down the [2] street screaming she was a slave, she'd have died in police custody. Money would switch hands and security cameras would be turned off. 
	So Aria did her job. She'd hide a camera in her outfit and take pictures. Sometimes she'd wear false glasses or contacts that recorded what she saw. She was a fly on the wall, just passing by the right things at the right times. But she never grew content. She never decided that this was simply the way the world should be. Every time she saw someone free, she wanted it more.
	The party was her chance. Nyungen Tech was an up and coming company. Aria wasn't told much about them other than they'd become very powerful very fast. They were going to throw a party. It was at a small, historic house in the city, one that radiated old class and dignity. Aria was going to be hidden among the caterers. All she had to do was serve food. Her glasses would record the party and everyone there. It was a simple, tedious task...and it left Aria with enough freedom to make a move.
	She didn't know if or what she was going to do until she saw it. The [4] grill ran on propane and just in case, they brought a spare. The old house had a big, old-fashioned boiler. The propane tank went next to the boiler. Lighter fluid let her draw a line to it, so she could get a running start. The fluid set off the propane tank. That blast set off the boiler. The house was a fireball as Aria ran into the street.
	With the amount of chaos on the street, any agent sent to keep tabs on her would have bigger things to worry about. She half expected to hear a sniper shot with every desperate stride into the distance, but it never came. Something did come, though. A realization. It never occurred to her exactly what she'd done until after she did it.
	She'd killed a lot of  important people. The party was meant for Nyungen Tech to rub shoulders with the big wigs and impress those who could elevate them to the higher tiers.  People who had actual power. She'd run out of that house like a bat out of hell. People saw her. Those companies were going to want answers for their dead. They were going to spend a lot of money to find her. And whoever her company was? They were going to want her dead too. If it came out that another company was behind this? Heads would roll. She was a very dangerous loose end.
	Her freedom was going to be very short lived unless she found a place to hide. But she wasn't running in a random direction. She was going somewhere. It might have just been a rumor, but it was her best chance. The Temple. She didn't know its real name. Hell, she didn't even know if it was real. She only knew what she'd heard. That it was a safe place for people like her, people whose lives had been destroyed by the companies.
	It was west. The setting sun was guiding her. When she first saw the place, she didn't realize what it was. The temple was a pyramid, a looming structure of grey stone that looked brown in the red glare of the sun. She thought it was a mountain at first. Then she saw the torches and the massive door. It rested on the shore as the jungle turned to sea, a number of boats harbored around it. The roads to it weren't on land. Aside from its size, it had no markings, no words, nothing to hint of its purpose. But those torches were lit. Someone was there. This had to be the temple. If it wasn't...well, she'd have to keep running.
	The way inside was lit by torches as well, at least for the first few feet. Then the grey stone shifted into a more modern marble walkway with lights built into the ceiling overhead. Its old fashioned exterior made way for a far more modern interior. Sleek, smooth walls, various doors and even an elevator for what was probably the upper levels. Further in, there was a sign which read 'chapel'. Aria heard voices ahead. This was it. This had to be it. But before she could stride forward, she felt a hand on her shoulder. A big one.
	He was a half-dragon. A light skin on his face and chest was about the most human part of him, save for his shape. A deep red wrapped around the back of his head while his arms, legs and his long tail were covered in clearly draconic pink scales. These dragon bits were spiked, blue jewels running up the length of them. His hair was blonde, messy and a pair of sharp horns rested atop his head. He wore a long red coat and pants, the color seeming to blend into his scaled bits. Human in the center, dragon on the ends. Aria felt as if she should bow at the very sight of him.
	"Come with me." His voice was deep, but warm, as if he understood her situation. He'd slipped out of a doorway, one which seemed to house a small lounge within. His hand gently pulled away and he beckoned her to follow as he tucked himself back inside. She quickly scampered in behind him. Finally, someone who could help her. She smiled thankfully as the man slowly shut the door behind him...right up until that hand slipped from the handle and locked tight around her neck.
	"What were you thinking!?! You ruined everything! Do you have any idea what you've done, you fucking half-wit?" The half dragon shook Aria and the breath left her lungs. She tried to explain herself, but she had no air to do it with. Her limbs flailed and her legs kicked as she was lifted off the floor. She only had to endure it for seconds, then she was dropped to the floor and pinned under a squeezing footpaw.
	Aria gasped for breath, her windpipe slowly expanding as she choked down breaths. Her voice sputtered and quivered as both mind and body reeled from the surprise. "J-just...free..." A coughing fit overtook her, arms raised in case this creature decided to attack her again.
	He didn't. He simply slipped his foot off of her and stomped it, turning away and banging the wall with a hand. "You have fucked over every other slave in that city. You've single-handedly set our cause back by decades. I do not even know how to begin to repair the damages you've just done to our movement..."
	He turned to stare at Aria. Her dumbfounded expression said it all. "...Of course, you're a wild animal. You're a cat trying to get its collar off. You pay no mind to the furniture you knock over on your way out. Alright, let me explain this." He crouched down to meet Aria's gaze, the human woman still on the floor. "My name is Merric. I am the leader of the abolitionist movement. I have been working to free you since before you were ever born."
	He folded his arms, his expression shifting from angry to sad. "...Our cause works on morality. The fact that everyone knows deep down that slavery is wrong. Today, you gave the world an excuse to hate slaves. To fear them. You killed some sympathetic ears at that party. But worse, you just committed a mass murder in the name of abolition, even if just your own. People are going to be afraid of slaves now. ...People are not going to want to help them."
	Aria blinked. She tried to process this, but Merric just continued. "We've had sympathetic ears in many companies. A lot of those are gone now. Self-preservation trumps sympathy. They want no part of abolitionism if it means people die. If slaves are going to start fighting back and holding grudges, they'd rather hide. And the public? Congratulations, you just made people afraid of what slaves might do. We just lost half of our safe houses. They're either afraid of things getting violent or the authorities cracking down."
	Merric continued. It was a blur to Aria. He went on about government retaliation, donors backing out and tighter restraints on corporate slaves. It wasn't that she didn't want to hear. She was just in shock. Merric wasn't wrong. She was free, but she'd burnt every bridge to get it. She'd deserved to be free, she believed that, but did it have to be so bloody? Was there another choice? Was there another way? Was this really happening?
	"...I said, do you know what I have to do with you?" The tapping of Merric's large foot stirred her from her thoughts. The question clicked in her mind moments later. The woman slowly rose from the floor, rubbing her sore neck as she timidly eased onto her feet. After a moment's thought, she shook her head. She had no idea what came next.
	"I have to hide you." Merric frowned. "They know you might be here. If they find you here, that's it. They arrest you and every pro-slaver yells that I was in on it the whole time. Our only hope is if you disappear. You acted alone and unprompted. Our movement had no part in this. ...Do you trust me?"
	Aria winced. This was not a position she wanted to be in. Moments ago, she was certain this creature was going to kill her. But she understood his position. More importantly, he was likely the only ally she was going to have. With a hesitant frown, she slowly nodded her head once.
	"Good." His talons rushed forward and gripped her waist, pulling her against his body with a stumble. She barely had time to resist when a glance upward revealed his smile growing wider. Rows of sharp dragon teeth parted and expanded to open a maw far wider than any half human should have possessed. His forked tongue flickered out, sliding across her cheek and leaving a warm path of drool across her cheek. Aria opened her mouth to scream, but it was too late. The darkness rushed forward and her head was entombed in heat.
	She tried to flail and kick, but her limbs were immediately wrapped up by those powerful dragon arms. A claw slipped out and effortlessly tore into her jacket, removing it with a few quick cuts and leaving her upper body bare. The panicked human fought with little direction, just wiggling frantically and trying to worm her way loose. It did little, the half dragon easily keeping her contained while he slathered and slurped over her head. Merric was careful and practiced, able to keep his sharp teeth from doing any harm to the lass. With her shirt gone, his arms slipped lower and lifted, pressing her in just enough to take that first gulp.
	Aria's chest slid past Merric's lips with ease, his mouth stretching past any normal human limits with his neck soon showing large, round lump of his meal's head. The girl's arms had been free for half a moment when Merric's grip shifted, but now they were forced down against her sides, leaving her with little option but to kick her legs. As that humid prison stretched over her, she couldn't even process what was happening. People didn't eat each other. They certainly didn't swallow each other whole. But as his hands slipped to hold her hips, that's just what was happening. Worse, from the sound of the satisfied groans echoing through her tight, slick prison, he was enjoying it. He was enjoying her.
	The rest of her upper body was gone in short order, crammed in and gulped with little care. Her kicking legs soon felt the cool air of the room against them. Merric's claws shredded her jeans in moments and popped off her shoes. She was left nude and rapidly sinking into her hungry host. With her upper body encased in drool-soaked flesh and a tongue dancing over her belly, she'd never felt more violated. It was all so disgusting and slimy and there was nothing she could do. Even as a slave she hadn't endured dominance and humiliation like this.
	Her hips were banished with a gulp, then Merric turned his head skywards and let those legs point toward the air. They could only manage a few quick wiggles before the half dragon relaxed his throat and took deep gulps like he was chugging a drink. Merric's stomach wasn't anything larger than a normal human's, so when Aria started to pile in, she barely found her head able to fit. Much like his mouth however, it was able to stretch far beyond its usual capacity. Aria's drenched body began to curl up as she piled in, her terrified mind reeling as the heat of her predator quickly replaced what remained of the cool air on her legs. Soon she was just a pair of feet helplessly wiggling outside of a smug grin. Only then did Merric pause to admire his work, but it was just for a moment. A gulp and she was encased in him. He'd promised to hide her, and he certainly had.
	Aria's legs slipped down to join her in her prison. She was left curled in a fetal position, hugging her legs close in the claustrophobic embrace. She could barely move, that squishy flesh seeming to pulse and squeeze on every side, quiet churns and groans echoing ominously around her. It was only after a few moments that she realized she hadn't said a word on the way down. She hadn't screamed, cried, begged or made a noise. Trapped in the tightness, her voice may have been all she had left. With a desperate wiggle, she yelled. "Let me out! You can't do this to me! Help! Someone help!"
	On the outside, Merric was unbuttoning his coat to let that swollen belly hang free. Its surface rippled and shifted with the bulges within. When Aria screamed, the echoes of her voice in that gut were far more intense than what made it out. Her voice escaped dull and muted, but easily understood by her host. Merric smirked and reached down to gently press his large hands against her form.
	"I'm afraid it's the way things have to be. Everyone will be looking for you, my darling. There is no escape, no happily ever after. The most we can do is try to help each other. You need to disappear. You can't be seen here. In time, I can undo what you've done and you can repay me with the only thing you have to offer. Your nutrients. And I will end you quickly. I'll spare you the horrors that would await you if caught. You'll give yourself to our cause and become part of it, in your own way. This may not seem it, but it's a mercy..."
	The words made Aria slow her struggles. She sniffled and kicked outward in frustration, but deep down she knew he was right. She'd brought all her trouble to his doorstep. There was no good ending for her. The most she could do was disappear. They'd never stop chasing her and anyone she hid behind would just be a target. This wa...oh...oh god! Oh god it burned! It burned so bad!
	Aria's screams of agony were muted again, but there was no mistaking the sheer pain in her voice. Merric smirked and let his hands rest on his stomach. Her  struggles turned frantic and violent, fueled by adrenaline. The glorps and gurgles of his belly erupted like thunder from within, rumbling around his captive. He knew she was in pain and while he empathized, her thrashing just felt divine. She stroked and pressed all over in her desperate attempts to escape. Merric felt a twinge of guilt at how much he enjoyed this, but he knew she wouldn't suffer long.
	There was no more logic in Aria's mind, no more comprehension of her position. She was running off of pure terror and agony, pressing and kicking with all her might. But every time she gained a bit of ground, the slightest shift would cause that gut to squish her back to her fetal position and splash the stomach juices on her anew. Her limbs soon began to give way. The feeling in her extremities grew dull or disappeared while her limbs twitched and spasmed of their own accord. The pain began to fade as stomach acids pierced muscle and fluids leaked from within. She felt light headed. In those final moments, there was no grand epiphany or thankfulness it was over. Aria just twitched helplessly, trying to gather her thoughts as they spiraled into incoherency. She had to find a way out. She didn't want to end like this.
	With a few more ominous groans from within, the movement in Merric's stomach finally ceased. The bulge had grown softer, the details of Aria's form fading into a smooth, round lump. It was over. Merric took a moment to sigh in both satisfaction and relief. That was almost a disaster. Had he not stopped her, she would have walked right into the chapel and into the view of dozens of people. Everyone would have known she was here. His cause would have been broken. Now Aria was taken care of. He felt sympathy for her, certainly, but sometimes sacrifices had to be made for the cause. Besides, she'd killed too many people. No one with that kind of blood on their hands got to be free. No one dumb enough to do it in public, anyway.
	A pressure built within and with a lazy smile, Merric parted his lips and gave a content 'BRAAAAAAAP!' His belch was acidic, leaving a warm tingle on his tongue as he was allowed one last taste of Aria. For all her trouble, she'd been delicious. Fortunately, the room was soundproof. He had it made for special 'meals' like this. No one would ever hear the last sound of the poor slave. After a quick stretch, he lazily gathered up the torn fragments of her clothes and dropped them into a hidden vent. It led right to the furnace. The last clue that she'd been here at all would be nothing but ashes. Merric would have to stay hidden for the next hour. While his digestion was fast, it would still take time to break down a fully grown female. But she would break down. Every last trace of her would become part of him.
	The companies eventually came looking for her. It made sense for her to come this way. Merric greeted the representatives with a smile and insisted he'd never seen her. While they didn't believe him, there was no evidence to suggest she'd been there at all. The hunt for Aria would go on for some time, but eventually the consensus was that she never made it out of the jungle. Her end unceremoniously came at the hands of some beast. Merric always grinned when he heard that theory.
	After all, they weren't entirely wrong.