Fine Dining

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A dark plot unfolds against the near-future megacorporation Black Scale Ltd. On the day of the company's yearly keynote gala, their top contract killer and 'problem solver,' Zix, finds gets dragged away from the glitz and glamor to deal with a very unusual problem. The little kobold brought in for questioning seems unwilling to talk. But when Zix finds a novel way to communicate off the record, the grey-scaled dragon discovers that the nefarious plan and the kobold's fetishes, are uniquely intertwined.

Warning, Contains:

-M/M Sex

-Butcher/Gore/Amputation

-Cooking

-Sensory Deprivation

-Snuff

I've been wanting to write a near-future SF piece for a while now. Body modification and bionics can open up so many different avenues for a setting! And if you know me, you know that I like to explore conversation and dialogue in novel ways. This story developed out of some chatting with https://www.furaffinity.net/user/temp50 and grew into a rather nice piece! Definitely scratched my itch for something in that neo-futurism vein.

The ending is a bit abrupt, but I am eager to continue with this one, so expect to see a Part 2 whenever I get around to it. And for now, enjoy!


Written by Choice Cuts Deli

January 2023 | 7194 Words

Zix absolutely hated parties. Well, perhaps he was being unfair with that assessment. The broad-chested, grey-scaled dragon enjoyed partying. The problem was that his idea of having fun usually involved a night out on the town, jacking into holo-simulations at some seedy back-alley joint or hopping through the towering megalopolis's many illicit theater parlors. It was the sort of fun that could land a man in trouble with the authorities, should he get caught. Fortunately for Zix, he was as close to a made-man as one could be in the commercial sprawl that was Neo-Cobar.

"So, I said to him," yapped a fair-furred collie-kin, the sharp bark to her voice snapping Zix out of his eye-rolling boredom. "I said, 'What kind of fool do you take me for? I nearly lost my shirt in the Price Shock of 2067! I wouldn't be caught dead trying to sell Osmium on the open market.' "

That was a joke. Or at least Zix was made aware that it was a joke as the remaining six creatures seated at the round, silk clothed table broke into various levels of chuckles, chortles and laughter. Clad in fine suits and dresses, the distinguished guests that surrounded him seemed perfectly at home at the overpriced corporate function. Their table was one amidst a sea of others that filled the grandiose ballroom; each seat at the gala-esque event cost a fortune, offering the guests five courses and a cash bar open till four AM. But the high-society mer-folk were not there merely for the upscale catering. Zix was quite sure none of these creatures were particularly excited for their choice of rubbery chicken or overcooked beef.

Tonight was the yearly keynote speech held at Black Scale Ltd. Headquarters. Black Scale was the premier biotechnology megacorporation that operated out of Neo-Cobar. Unfortunately for Zix, Black Scale was also his employer. Which meant that the young, 30-something dragon found himself sitting across from several movers and shakers in the national, and international, biotechnology business. Having to play nice with robber barons and business tycoons made his smoky scales chafe against the fabric of his best, blue two-piece suit. Nodding his head forward towards the collie-kin, he caught her narrowing her eyes, silently telegraphing that she was aware that her company this evening was not paying attention to her very important story. In an attempt to salvage the situation, Zix forced a grimace to crawl across his toothy muzzle, offering a late chuckle at the joke. The torturous exchange only confirmed it in his head; Zix hated _corporate_parties.

"You've been pretty quiet this evening, ah, Zix is it?" a silvery voice called from across the table, immediately perking the dragon's interest. Pursing his muzzle, the corporate man smiled as he locked eyes on the elephant at the table. Except the descriptor of elephant would have been rather unflattering to the massive, quadrupedal, red-scaled dragon seated on the opposite side of the table. The brutish beast took up about a quarter of the table's seating space, his politely curled-up body making the waitstaff's life miserable as it blocked much of the main walkway. "You mentioned you work for Black Scale?" the dragon crooned, a low rumble catching in his throat as he spoke. Thin wisps of steam wafted from his nostrils as he spoke, as if a hidden furnace in his gut had failed to ignite. "Do you mind if I ask what you do for the company?"

"Oh, me?" Zix replied warmly, doing his best not to betray his disgust at the dragon's ostentatious display. He could clearly see the beast had undergone copious useless body modifications for his own self-aggrandizement. In the ballroom's dimmed lighting, Zix had a hard time ignoring the unmistakable shimmer of sub-squamal bio-tattoos that covered the creature from head-to-toe; the dragon's naturally beautiful scales were augmented by nanotechnology, creating a never-ending pattern of diamonds, stars and whorls that shifted across his body on their own accord. "Would you believe that I'm only a division manager?" Zix hissed, finally breaking his eyes from the mesmerizing patterns.

"Oh, how quaint," the collie-kin giggled, propping her elbows on the table and muzzle in her paws as she gazed up and down the grey-scaled dragon's body. Zix could just make out a sliver of light behind her pupils; she was sizing him up with some sort of bio-tech eye. "Isn't it lovely that Black Scale invites their lower staff to the event?"

Blinking his eyes, Zix subconsciously called up a golden overlay to his vision. While he was personally against most forms of bio-tech modifications, he made one exception to the rule; the augmented reality display, projected onto his retina, connected directly to both his commlink and brain, providing a seamless way to pull up data, check messages, or in this case, shut down his Bluetooth connection before the flirtatious canine could establish a private link. "It's always good to make new connections," the dragon dismissed, a smirk crawling across his face as he caught the disappointment in the collie-kin's eyes that she could not slip into his private conversations quite so easily.

Turning her attention towards her wine glass, the canine proffered idly, "Well I think it's quite charitable. Do you offer the same to your underlings, Vi'idkaar? Clearly it would look charitable for DracoPharma to have their... lesser associates... join in on the festivities?"

Zix breathed a sigh of relief as the conversation turned away from him, the towering quadrupedal brute now the target of the collie-kin's titters and questions. Using this distraction as cover, the grey-scaled dragon idly flicked through his heads up display, pretending he was checking his emails or browsing the day's news as he navigated to a locked folder in the recesses of his commlink. Marked 'Confidential - Black Scale Ltd.' he opened it to reveal a full dossier on this Vi'idkaar. He seemed rather unassuming, the controlling stockowner of a few Single-A corporations who kept his claws off their workings unless something screwed up. But Zix knew better. Scrolling down to the bottom of the report, the middle-manager re-read the beautiful draconic script handwriting scrawled across the page. Writing that his boss had personally added to the file before uploading it for his eyes only. Several employees have gone missing prior to dealings with Vi'idkaar. Keep an eye on him tonight, unless told otherwise.

Zix would not have to wait long to receive his get out of jail free card. A message popped up on his screen, the encrypted sender's name quickly grabbing his attention. You have a guest in Waiting Room 4, the anonymous message read. Please make him comfortable and learn what you can from him. Suppressing the smirk that crawled across his toothsome grin, Zix pushed back from the table. Lifting his muzzle to address his dinner company, the grey-scaled dragon smiled as he said, "Please excuse me for a moment. I have to take care of something important." His taloned paws clacking on the floor, the dragon gave a gentle tug to his tie, before turning back to catch the eye of the socialite collie-kin. "Oh, if the server comes by, would you please get me another glass of white? And be a dear, tell them I'll have the beef tonight?"

Sliding open with a metallic thud, the heavy iron door settled in its open position just long enough for Zix to step through. The grey-scaled dragon sighed softly as his eyes adjusted to the pale light provided by a single, dangling lightbulb in the center of the room, its focal point directed squarely on a squat, and clearly naked, kobold shifting in his seat. At least he would be, if he was not firmly chained at the ankles, wrists and hip to the spartan metal chair. Squinting softly as he worked to unfurl his tie from around his neck, Zix called up his heads up display, a few notes popping up in his field of view as it locked on to the grimacing little creature. Name: S'kai Sharptail. Corporate Affiliation: Unknown. Pulse: 99 BPM. Blood Pressure: 122/84. O2: 97. Swallowing hard, the pudgy, golden-scaled kobold felt his throat bump against the tight metal band latched about his neck. The nervous response brought a flash of shiny teeth to Zix's smile as he watched the pulse value leap almost fifteen points.

Once the autodoor hissed shut, seated in its locked position, Zix stepped further inside the room, his shoulders easing back as he calmly removed his suit jacket. He genuinely enjoyed his job working as a 'division manager' for Black Scale. It was a playful euphemism used by Employee Resources to retain his services on their payroll; Zix, like many other nefarious rakes, thugs and guns for hire, was expected to 'manage' the process of 'dividing up' those who tried to cut into Black Scale's market share. Every day at the office was different and exciting. Some days he'd be out loosening the tongues of informants. Other days he would help with a hostile takeover - emphasis on hostile. Days like today, however, were special. Zix reveled in the thrill of wet work. And the silver-scaled dragon was particularly adept at dragging out as much information as possible before his target finally croaked.

But something seemed different about this kobold. Draping his suit jacket over a small table situated outside the light's throw, the grey-scaled dragon contemplated his diminutive victim with growing curiosity. Every creature slated to meet their end at his hands was unique and exciting. Some would screech for help the moment the door opened. Others would square up their shoulders, spit in his face and put on their best act of defiance. A rare few would even realize their end was near, facing those final minutes with bargaining whines or silent whimpers. Loosening the top three clasps of his white button-down shirt, the smile seemed to fade from Zix's muzzle as he realized this creature fit none of these categories. Scared? Certainly. But the fact that S'kai had not opened his mouth once almost took the hardened killer by surprise.

Rolling up his sleeves, his sleek grey scales shimmering in the overhead light, Zix decided to break with company policy as he silently commanded his heads up display to begin recording his point of view. Once he could see the flashing symbol in the corner of his eye, the dragon stepped forward, just inside the pale glow of the overhead bulb. "You know why you're here, don't you?" the dragon asked, his soft speech surprisingly personable, far more genuine than the forced smiles and lilting tones he used back at the keynote dinner.

"I- I didn't do anything..." S'kai stammered, his lungs sucking in a deep breath the moment he clammed up tight.

"I didn't ask if you did anything," Zix replied, cautiously beginning a slow circumnavigation of his bound victim. Each footfall brought a gentle click echoing through the room, his taloned paws treading over years of nicks, blood, burn marks and fur scraps that had worked their way into the floor of Black Scale's deepest, darkest torture cell. "I know you know why you're here."

"I- I was j- just... I'm just a delivery driver," the kobold yapped, a thin sheen of oily sweat beading on his head. "I- I w- was bringing in a load of chips t- to the production li- line..." The quivering little creature's eyes followed his interrogator, all while Zix tried not to let his growing confusion show. The story was clearly rehearsed, but the halting words sounded unbelievable. Not just to Zix, but to S'kai himself even as he sputtered them out. The grey-scaled dragon contemplated using tough love, perhaps a good ol' fashioned gut punch, or blowing a thick cloud of ash into his victim's face - he was a smoke dragon after all. But just as he was about to clear the kobold's shoulders, Zix halted in his tracks as a little note popped up in the middle of his heads up display.

Translation: Torture. The contract killer felt his jaw slacken as the words flashed in front of his eyes. That had to be wrong? S'kai was speaking Common. His speech was not terribly clear as he babbled his way through a few words at a time. But Zix could not see any reason why his Commlink would mistake the little creature's prattling for another language. A moment passed and the notice disappeared from his eyes, only to pop up again. Translation: Torture Please. A scowl crossed Zix's muzzle, the dragon loathing the thought he would have to find some back-alley butcher to run a diagnostic on his obviously failing implant. But in his displeasure, he had subconsciously tilted his head down, and it all made sense.

S'kai might have been bound to the cold, metal chair, but the naked little kobold retained just a little movement, able to squirm his wrists and ankles and wriggle his soft-scaled chest. But instead of feebly writhing in a vain attempt to break his bonds, the creature had planted one of his paws firmly on the floor, curling and uncurling his chunky toes in a slow, deliberate, rhythmic fashion. Lifting his gaze so the secret was not captured on camera, Zix waited patiently while his Commlink struggled to parse out the ancient code of long and short scrapes. Translation: Help Please Death.

Resuming his walkabout, Zix stepped in closer, carefully eyeing up the back of his victim's head. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, just your averaged reptilian-skinned problems. A chipped scale here, some dry flaking there. But as he gently caressed the back of the little kobold's scalp, Zix felt a bit of give when he applied pressure in just the right direction. Raking his talon-tipped paws over S'kai's skull, several loose scales popped out of place in quick succession, revealing a long, thin scar that snaked its way along the kobold's head. Blinking, Zix recognized that the little critter also had a commlink installed, though the bruising and swollen edges suggested it was a fairly recent acquisition. With a soft sigh, the grey-scaled dragon cautiously switched his shortwave connection back on, dragging the kobold into his private network.

Are we secure? Flashed a few tentative words on Zix's heads up display as the dragon stepped around to the kobold's right.

I'd stake my life on it, Zix responded, before adding, I'm going to multi-task. There's cameras everywhere in here, and I don't want my employer to know I'm having a private chat. Crossing back around, Zix could see that a few shy gobules of tears had welled up in S'kai's eyes. "I'm going to give you one chance to tell me the truth," the dragon said aloud, slowly licking his chops as he savored his victim's fear.

"I- I don't know anything, I- I'm just- I'm just here for a job," S'kai pleaded as he replied. At the same moment, a message popped up on the private net. I need your help, please. The little kobold's eyes narrowed nervously as he watched the wary beast circle around him. I- I can't say it aloud.

_You can't say why you're here?_Zix questioned, shaking his head at the verbal response.

They fucked with my brain, the little kobold responded with hesitation. Whatever they installed in me, i- it hurts any time I come close t- to... S'kai winced, pushing himself through physical discomfort to continue, s- saying anything.

You can type it, though? Zix leaned forward, curling his taloned claws tight around S'kai's muzzle. While it looked like some sort of intimidation move, Zix was hoping the firm grip would help steady the kobold against the pain.

It hurts less. They didn't get everything. Swallowing, the little kobold managed to reply, They sent me h- here to- to- to plant a- a virus in the Black Scale computer systems. The admission came with a gentle ping, a fresh folder popping up on Zix's heads up display, appended with the ominous name 'Wildfire.' D- Don't open it! It's encrypted f- for now, B- but it's in there.

Tilting his head to the side, the dragon seemed a bit confused over what he heard. Yet, giving the kobold the benefit of the doubt, he quickly typed, I'm sorry, but I'm going to hit you now. A moment later, Zix snarled as he hauled off, striking the little kobold clean across face, sending the little creature reeling as his field of view jerked to the right. "I don't think you understand," Zix snorted as he watched blood begin to ooze from the kobold's supple cheek scales. "I'm going to get you to tell me. One way or another." Stepping back out of the pale lamplight, the grey-scaled dragon drew a cart of vicious tools into the S'kai's view, their tines and ridges caked with brown, dried blood.

That's... The kobold responded back through text, eyes widening as he watched the equipment laden cart come into view. That's fortunate. Zix could not be sure, given the warm hue that bathed his victim, but he was almost certain that S'kai was blushing. You've got the right idea, he added, shaking his head at the tools.

_Are you going to explain?_Zix asked, doing his best to keep the amusement off his face as he mulled over his options. Reptiles always screamed so nice when you pulled their scales out one by one. But he had not used the hand drill in a while either. Decisions, decisions. The teasing came to an abrupt end as a second file popped up on Zix's display, an unlocked folder entitled 'S'kai's Porn Stash.'

They hardwired the encryption into my body, the kobold replied with a huff, swallowing hard as he added. Th- They screwed up on the anesthesia and I- I overheard the doc explaining it. Th- They said that tying the encryption right into m- my fetishes... meant even if I was captured and tortured, you would never be able to break through to the virus files.

Zix's eyes widened as he perused the open folder, a half-scornful, half-amused sneer crossing his face as photographs and images that would make a bunraku parlor whore blush flashed before his eyes. You can't be serious, the dragon replied. You really want me to-

Kill me. S'kai replied, his eyes watery as he nodded his assent. I- I never wanted to be a part of this. I- I can't live like this. They- Wincing at the pain as he typed, the kobold wrenched his eyes closed, They took my life from me. Scooped out parts of my brain so I'd cooperate. A- And they'll kill me if I don't plant the virus in y- your system. Swallowing, the golden-scaled kobold declared, I can at least die with dignity, a- and get back at those bastards.

Given the content of the kobold's private porn folder, Zix questioned whether dignity was the right word. Letting his expression fall softly, the dragon heaved a frustrated sigh as he locked his eyes upon the little kobold's nervous face. I can't believe I'm about to do this, Zix shot back before adding, Goddamnit, you're lucky I have a friend in the commissary.

The process took far too much work for Zix's comfort. Multiple strings had to be pulled to get his victim transferred out of the Waiting Room without anyone noticing. Thankfully, he had a few friends in security who could tap into the camera network, able to splice in enough fake, AI-generated video to make it seem like he was still interrogating S'kai in the dingy torture cell. That sort of favor would cost him down the line. But if the little kobold was telling the truth, it was far more dangerous to keep that payload locked up in his brain.

Stepping through the doorway into the commissary's kitchen, the dragon snarled as he shoved his captive forward, the little kobold staggering on his feet. Off balance due to his bound wrists, S'kai slammed headlong into one of the heavy, stainless steel prep tables, clattering a few disused pots and pans as he doubled over the countertop with a grunt. With a private catering company taking care of the evening's gala, the corporate canteen was closed tonight, a gentle chill wafting through the dead-quiet kitchen as Zix followed closely behind. Planting a paw under S'kai's shoulder, the grey-scaled dragon grunted as he dragged his diminutive prey up and onto the empty countertop, claws digging into his supple flesh as he held the critter down.

This is your last chance to be straight with me, Zix typed out into their mutual chat, his muzzle turned away as he browsed over his options for preparing dinner this evening. Otherwise, you're in for a pretty terrible death.

This is the only way I know of, came the kobold's reply. Glancing back down at his squirming victim, Zix could not help but notice that his captive's slit was already glistening with a warm, earthy moistness, the edges peeking open to reveal the supple, pseudo-draconic arousal poking through.

I hope you're as much of a masochist as you let on, Zix added, chuckling aloud. He was not exactly sure how the decryption process worked. But during the short frog-walk to the canteen, the dragon contacted his back-alley doctor to pick his brains about what he might expect. Bio-encryption usually required heavy emotional responses, as well as some sort of trigger mechanism; picture needing the correct keypad combination to open a physical keyhole in a door. Though he could not be sure, the doc suggested a mixture of pleasure and pain, followed by a sensory overload. Zix could only hope that he was right - he only had one shot to get it right, considering the sort of sensory overload involved would mean certain death for the little critter.

Running his heavy taloned paws down S'kai's chest and belly, Zix paused momentarily to ring his fingertip around the kobold's cockhead, the supple shaft pulsing and swelling at his touch. Carefully teasing it out from it's slit, the dragon licked his chops softy, savoring the way his victim trembled in nervous apprehension. "My, my, you're excited," Zix teased aloud, figuring he should keep his dirty talk to the real world for maximum effect. "Not often you find a meal eager for their date with the oven..." The dragon still had quite a bit of pride to swallow, his cheeks flush with embarrassment as he spoke. He might have tortured plenty of victims in his life, some of whom met their end with heat, fire and butchery blades. But never had he imagined that he would be coaxing an erection out of one of them as he did so.

"P- Please... I- I-" S'kai stammered, his body quivering as he tried to say something, only to feel his words cut off as Zix grasped his engorged shaft, calmly stroking it up and down with his supple paw.

"Shhhh... You showed me your wildest dreams, my dear." Teasing his thumb up to the kobold's cockhead, Zix calmly rubbed into the cleft, collecting just enough of the beading pre-cum that welled up on top. "You shouldn't have, because I'm the sort of man who makes dark wishes come true."

Stepping away, the dragon playfully suckled the daub of pre off his thumb as he perused his options. Returning with a length of twine and a hefty butcher's cleaver, the dragon chuckled as he started to coil the cooking twine into a braided rope, four or five strands thick. Wrapping the makeshift rope about his victim's ankles, Zix pulled the edges taught before demonstrating the cleaver's sharpness. It barely took any motion to fray the twine from its ball, leaving S'kai's ankles tightly secured, the kobold nervously fidgeting his feet in place. You want to help me out a little? Zix typed into their private conversation, thankful that the dull kitchen light was helping to hide the blush under his scaled face. I've never done this before and want to make sure I get your fantasies right.

"P- Please don't eat me, M- Mister Dragon..." S'kai whimpered, his paws shifting and splaying as he curled his knees in a useless attempt to withdraw from, but not escape, his predator. "I- I promise I-"

"Ohhh, it's too late for promises," Zix growled, calmly planting a paw on S'kai's knees and easing them back down to the countertop. S'kai huffed as he felt the dragon's other paw reach up, using his claws to slowly rake along the critter's supple soles. Tracing the contours of the little kobold's broad feet, Zix indulged in one of his own pleasures as he calmly teased up the sensitive flesh, coming to rest with his thumb and forefinger pinching both of S'kai's big toes together. "You're going to be my evening meal tonight, my tender little servant," Zix continued, hoping that the mention of archaic dragon-kobold relations might help enhance the power-play dynamic. "If you're obedient, you might even die with a smile and a final orgasm..."

Holy fuck... Y- You're good... S'kai typed, his words halting in time with his heaving chest. Zix's embarrassment seemed to melt away at the written reassurance - thought it also helped that the kobold's heartbeat had spiked to the low 120's. Stepping away from his victim, Zix threw all the knobs on a nearby oven and stovetop range, the gas jets bathing S'kai's shimmering, golden scales in a purplish hue. Laying a large cast iron casserole dish down upon two of the hobs, the dragon added two cast iron sandwich presses to the remaining two burners, allowing them to absorb the roiling heat. Returning to the little kobold's delicious feet, Zix calmly worked to tie those two bulbous big toes with a single strand of twine, taking his time to fix them with a cute little bow.

"You know, the oven is not quite big enough to fit you. Even though you're deliciously compact," Zix mused aloud, lifting the blade from next to his victim's legs. Calmly teasing the edge with his thumb, the dragon stepped around to his victim's hips. Taking a moment to massage S'kai's plump, left thigh, Zix rumbled softly as he made sure to idly bump the little critter's throbbing shaft. "I want you to stay very still for me, meat," he hissed, adding a few gentle pumps to S'kai's pounding arousal. "You'll look so pretty with this plump little sausage flagging above your succulent, roasted body. You wouldn't want me to take this off by accident, would you?"

Without warning, Zix withdrew his paw from the kobold's drooling shaft, raising the blade above his head in one swift stroke. Before S'kai could react, the cleaver slammed down hard into his thigh, carving straight through the flesh an inch or two below the joint. A sickening CRACK echoed through the kitchen, the sound of bone shattering quickly followed by a pained screech as S'kai's nerves caught up with the jolt of pain that shot through his body.

_Oh god please make me beauKfdgHJhjgh~_flashed upon Zix's display. S'kai was halfway through sending a message when the sudden sharp shock disrupted his typing, the overload of pain causing the little critter to keysmash an incoherent string of nonsense. Wrenching the blood-slick cleaver from S'kai's thigh, Zix raised the blade a second time, bringing it down through the bloody cut, this time accompanied by a muted, metallic thud as the kobold's left leg separated from his body. Quickly grabbing for his victim's shaft, Zix worked to nurse S'kai's arousal, sighing as he watched the meaty little kobold pulsed hot blood from the stump with each pounding heartbeat. It was a good sign that S'kai's arousal still throbbed between his thighs, that mixture of pleasure and pain coursing through the critter's open and oozing veins.

"Shhhh... how did that feel?" Zix asked aloud, already lining up for the next cut. Before S'kai had a chance to respond, Zix withdrew his paw from the kobold's cock, bringing the cleaver down into the opposite thigh with the same bone-shattering force. By now, the dragon could feel flecks of viscera and spots of blood beginning to spatter onto his crisp white shirt; Zix knew he needed to work quickly, lest his chance at salvaging the virus fade away as his victim bled out. It would take one final thud to cleave the opposite thigh clean from S'kai's body, leaving the little kobold in a daze as he wriggled his two useless stumps in response to the overwhelming agony that gripped his body.

Setting aside the blade, Zix slipped over to the stovetop, gingerly plucking the two cast iron sandwich presses off the seething hot burners. Quietly cursing that his smoke-dragon lineage did not confer more heat resistance, he hissed through the pain as he carried them quickly to his victim's side, before planting the flat surfaces firmly into the raw and open stumps of his meal-to-be. A sooty black smoke rose from each of the hot irons as Zix calmly returned to stroking off his victim's shaft, the meaty sausage slick with drooling precum as he allowed both wounds to char and cauterize.

"Smell that, meat?" the dragon crooned, needing to lean in close to the kobold's ear to be heard over the shrill shrieks his victim made. "That's just a taste of the horror you'll face in a few minutes." Licking his chops, the dragon smirked as he teased, "You like that, don't you? You want to be treated like a hunk of meat...?"

"A- Ahhhhhnnn..." S'kai moaned, his eyes wide and bloodshot as he tried to breathe through the pain. Yet Zix did sense a gentle nod from his victim's chin, egging him on to keep going.

"I've got so much planned for you," the dragon crooned, smirking as he withdrew his paw from his meat's shaft, calmly licking the copious drippings off his paw, before returning to the two limp and lifeless legs that lay upon the prep table. "These beautiful thighs will be perfect. Deboned, stuffed and rolled before slowly roasting in the oven next to you," he growled, lifting up S'kai's bound legs. Looping a length of twine through the tight ankle bindings, Zix proudly hung the bloody limbs from a hook just within S'kai's view, allowing them to slowly bleed out. "And these calves? Perfect to section off into nice portions. Braised slowly until tender." The kobold's bound toes, locked in a tight curl from the pain, seemed to twitch softly, almost as if responding to Zix's tease. The same sort of twitch that also came from his shaft. "I'm thinking a nice broth made from a rich red wine, and plenty of your pan drippings, my lovely little entrée."

Once he was sure that S'kai's wounds had cauterized, Zix carefully removed both of the cast iron plates from his victim's stumps, peeling them off the charred flesh with a sickening rip. Setting the heavy metal weights aside, Zix contemplated his next move. Pleasure and pain was easy enough, but he needed to ensure that the final sensory overload hit like a freight train. It was then that an idea came to mind. One that seemed almost unfair. But Zix hoped he could wrap it up neatly into S'kai's fetish fantasies. Taking a sharp, metal knife in one paw, and a thin iron skewer into the other, he placed the tips deep into the blooming gas flames, before returning to his victim's side.

"You really are just meat, aren't you?" he crooned, softly petting the quivering mass of kobold flesh upon the head. By now, S'kai had lost enough blood that his struggles became loose and listless, the little creature whimpering as he struggled against the box-tie holding his arms still just underneath his shoulder blades. "Say it, meat."

"A- ahhhhnnn..." the little kobold groaned, slurring his words as he tried to focus on the order. "I- I'm... Meat... p- please..."

"Just meat," Zix growled, leaning forward to plant a soft kiss on the kobold's forehead, a touch of tenderness before the torture resumed. "I want you to remember that, because it's the last thing you will ever hear. You are just meat."

Planting a heavy paw on the kobold's muzzle, Zix kinked the kobold's head to one side. He could feel the agonized critter quiver under his grip, the whimpering squirms growing more intense as he heard the sound of metal scrape on metal. Withdrawing the thin skewer from the gas heat, Zix carefully lined up the tip with his victim's ear canal. The sudden sensation of heat filling his flicky little ear caused S'kai to panic, forcing Zix to lean his body weight down onto the quivering kobold's head to keep him still. The red-hot poker descended deeper and deeper until it finally met resistance. S'kai felt the skin-crawling sensation of his ear drum searing, the fleshy membrane warping and sizzling, the edges curling like crisp bacon as his right ear was cast into deafness. Despite the little critter's agonized pleas and jabbering whines, Zix worked quickly to repeat the process with his left ear, the seething hot poker making quick work of the kobold's sense of hearing.

Don't think you're going to escape me that easily, Zix teased into their private chat, smirking as he watched how S'kai shook his head from side to side in horror at the strange sensation.

"I- It hurts... please!" S'kai cried out, his lack of hearing throwing off his pitch as he pleaded aloud, freezing as he watched his tormentor return with a cruel, serrated knife in hand, the tip glowing red from its time on the stove.

You are just meat, Zix added, the dragon looming forwards as he brought the sharp blade towards the little kobold's head. Meat doesn't hear. Meat doesn't see. And meat doesn't talk. Two taloned fingers slowly pried open the struggling kobold's right eyelid, the thick claws pinning it open even as the heat brought a dribble of teardrops to the kobold's eye. With the practiced calm of a contract killer, Zix slipped the seething hot blade straight into S'kai's right eye, a loud hisssss of fragrant steam escaping as the kobold's sight grew dim and grey. As the kobold's right eye turned to a swollen, cloudy lump of boiled gelatin, Zix hoped that he kept the blade away from the delicate inner workings of his victim's heads up display. Though, he knew there was no way to tell. By now, the little critter was probably having a hard enough time focusing on anything other than the sheen of shock that had begun shutting down his higher functions. Even as the critter slurred out some indistinct plea to stop, the dragon could see the kobold's remaining eye was unfocused, rolling in his skull the moment he pried open the little critter's eyelids.

As the searing hot blade finished its work, taking slightly longer this time after losing quite a bit of heat in the other eyeball, Zix plotted out his final steps to ensure that his victim received the death he so desperately needed. Setting aside the blade, he gave a quick wave in front of the kobold's face while casually balling up a thick wad of tin foil in his paw. The rough and jagged edges would be far less comfortable than an apple or eggplant, but it would do the job for silencing his victim's final pleas. And it helped he could mold the thick wad into a somewhat phallic shape, ensuring that the little kobold felt stuffed all the way back to his throat. After prying open the critter's muzzle, and stuffing the thick wad deep inside, Zix sighed as he got to work with a bottle of fragrant safflower oil. Coating the quivering side of meat in a sheen of high-temp oil, the dragon made sure to pay extra attention to his victim's shaft, feeling the way it throbbed and leaked between his claw-tipped fingers. He was not used to stroking off his victims, but Zix at least knew when to withdraw his touch as the little critter gave a full body shudder, signaling he was right on the edge of orgasm.

Lifting S'kai was not a problem, especially given he'd lost quite a lot of weight. However, it must have come with some severe disorientation as the little kobold rocked and quivered in the dragon's tight grip. Swinging his body over the seething hot casserole dish, Zix could feel the heat emanating from the smoky hot iron mere inches below. The same heat spurred something in the little kobold's mind as he noticed that S'kai had begun typing again on his heads up display. Giving him as long as he could before the coup de grace, the dragon finally lost his nerve as the heat began to scorch his oil-slick knuckles. S'kai landed back-down upon the seething hot metal, his arms and rump taking the brunt of the shock as a plume of steamy smoke rose from either side of his body.

_P- plea- Ho- haaaakjfhghdhks~_The jumble of half-words were cut off quickly, S'kai's nerves and circuitry quickly overloaded with the flash of pain that rocked his body. The kobold amputee tried in vain to kick and jerk, barely gaining any purchase on the hot iron pan as his cauterized stumps struggled to push away from the source of his torment. But Zix knew he could not allow his victim to get comfortable. After a half-minute or so, barely enough time to sear S'kai's flesh without fully deadening the delicate nerve endings, the dragon gave his writhing captive a push on the shoulder and hip, tipping the kobold up and over onto his oiled-up belly. A second plume of steam hissed from the sides of his death-bound victim, a muted cry escaping his tightly gagged mouth in time with a second jumble of letters that splashed across Zix's screen.

Another half minute of hell. Another horrid eternity hissing and popping, blistering and searing. S'kai wriggled with every ounce of his fiber, his scaled flesh peeling as it took on a decidedly golden-brown crust, not unlike the pictures and photomanipulations he kept in his porn stash. Except now, it was really happening to him. No chintzy virtual reality, no safe word to escape. The last thing the little kobold felt was something frigid and cold slip between his splaying fingers. One in the right hand, one in the left hand. Beyond the point of rational thought, S'kai gripped each one tight, desperate to cling to anything that was not roiling heat; he would never know that Zix had found two bright red apples sitting on the countertop. The dragon might not have been a gourmand, but he enjoyed how appetizing they looked with the kobold's fingers wrapped tight about them in their pain-wracked struggle.

A dull thunk, a sudden shift in his spatial position, and S'kai felt his torture grow by exponential magnitudes as the grey-scaled dragon lifted the heavy, cast-iron casserole pan into the waiting oven. The oven itself was blistering hot, set well above any normal cooking temperature. Zix might have lamented this fact if he was actually trying to cook someone to death for an evening meal. But he also knew he needed to do everything in his power to force that final emotional response, if he was going to trip the bio-chemical lock on S'kai's brain. One final shove, and the little kobold was safely tucked away inside the depths of the oven, tightly confined to darkness and deafness. Now all Zix had to do was wait. And hope.

Propping himself against the opposite prep-table, Zix had a perfect view of his victim's final moments, the kobold's meaty rump and charred stumps writhing in pure agony through the oven window. Yet as he watched with bated breath, Zix also realized that something was not right. The Wildfire file remained greyed-out, still encrypted as precious seconds passed. By now, even the unintelligible typing had ceased, leaving the dragon to wonder if he had melted the kobold's cybernetics in his zeal. No, he couldn't have. The kobold was still squirming with so much vigor, not twitching and spasming in the way he would expect a brain-fried beast to lose his higher functions. It was then that a thought hit him. Pleasure and pain.

"Fuck," Zix muttered to himself. Grabbing a silicone spatula and the safflower oil, the dragon quickly yanked open the oven door, a searing hot flood of air slamming straight into his face as he knelt down to get a better angle. S'kai was still alive, for now, his moans weak and muffled as they echoed off the back of the oven. But alive did not necessarily mean conscious; the kobold's collar was showing an erratic pulse, blood pressure and oxygen saturation, his body clearly fighting to maintain itself in the hellish conditions of the oven's depths.

Reaching inside with the spatula, Zix winced as he managed to hook S'kai's engorged cock. Giving it a firm tug back, dragging it along the rough cast-iron bottom, he watched the kobold's heart rate leap as his pulsing head throbbed in response to the sizzling sear it received. Dousing the silicone spatula with a wash of oil, the dragon quickly got to work, basting up and down the length with a firm yet purposeful stroke, making sure to occasionally slather along either side of the kobold's crisp and browning slit. Zix needed to push him over the edge, even if it meant flogging the kobold's unconscious body into submission. Watching his victim's muscles tighten, the dragon decided to try one last, desperate plan.

You are meat. He typed into his heads up display, the connection already beginning to spasm and falter as the bio-safe wiring edged close to its failure point. You are my meat. I will savor every bite. Every last bite.

Eternities passed in seconds as Zix nervously waited for some sort of response. The thought of yanking S'kai out passed his mind, though there would be a lot of explaining to do if he delivered a charred, brain-dead kobold to the medical bay. But as he contemplated his options, Zix felt a sudden leap as the kobold's muscles tightened yet again.

h~ It was barely a response, probably some last, feeble electric signal pinging through the wiring.

You are meat, Zix quickly typed back, only to feel the silicone spatula nearly wrenched from his hand. A sudden throb of the kobold's shaft came with a burbling rush of hot sticky seed. Spattering down into the casserole pan, S'kai's final orgasm came with a woosh of steam that burned the dragon's paws. Snatching up the implement, Zix gasped as he stumbled backwards, distracted as he saw the Wildfire folder flash green on his display. Ignoring the patch of redness burned onto his fingertips, and the quivering kobold easing off into oblivion mere inches away, Zix demanded the unencrypted file copy to his personal drive before he lost it forever to the oven's embrace.