Flynn was out of breath.

Sweat dripped down off his body, dampening his fur as he trudged along the rocky path. He glanced down at his phone, watching his gps marker drawing closer to the beacon he had set for the day's hike. The anonymous tip he had read online was seeming less and less likely to yield the magnificent view that had been promised, as each step he took brought him deeper into a valley rather than higher up the peaks.

As the trek has taken him the better part of three hours, and that itself was after a 2 hour drive to get to the path in the first place, he was unwilling to go back when he was so close to the destination. The sun was still just past noon, a fact that Flynn was less enthusiastic about as he shook his head back and forth, whipping the sweat out of his fur.

The sun continued its arc through the sky as Flynn approached a bend in the path, the piles of boulders causing him to need to heave himself up and over them, an exertion that winded him enough to get him to sit and guzzle most of the rest of his water. He leaned to his side, shoving his thick tail out of his way so he could huddle back against the cool shaded rock outcrop.

He gave himself ten minutes to rest, knowing that his destination was a mere couple of minutes away, but also accepting that there would not be any view worthy of a lengthy appreciation before he literally turned tail and set back off to his car. Groaning, he pushed himself back up, kicking up a small cloud of dust as he rounded the corner.

He came to a stop. The sight was not what he was expecting. There appeared to be a large circular clearing in the valley, the ground sandy like the path and looking as through it underwent somewhat frequent disturbance. Curious, he walked around, pacing the perimeter of the circle as he wondered what the area could have been used for.

A shadow passed overhead.

Flynn jumped, startled, and looked up, seeing nothing. A small breeze followed the blur of movement that passed over him, looking as through it had gone over from the direction he came from. Feeling very slightly uneasy, he crossed the small outcropping again, climbing back up to the bend in the path, and gazed around the rocks.

He gasped and stumbled backwards, pressing his back to the rocks, his heart racing. Trembling, he slid his glasses down off of his nose, checking them for smudges as through that could explain what he thought he just saw. A rustle of movement echoed from beyond the bend, and Flynn took a few steps backwards, towards the middle of the outcrop as the shadow loomed back around the corner.

A huge intimidating figure presented itself, taking only two steps to cross a distance that would have taken Flynn at least twenty. It was Gryphon. Or at lease, it was some manner of beast that most resembled a Gryphon. Its head was that of an avian, with a thick curved beak and beady eyes. Most of its body was reminiscent of a lion or a panther, with thick tan fur covering its bulging belly. It's hind legs had bird-like talons, and it had enormous feathery wings. Trailing behind it was a thick reptilian tail, lashing against the sand and creating a path of its own.

The beast calmly watched him, standing tall and proud, doing nothing and making no noise whatsoever. Flynn held himself still, feeling anxious, a tumult of emotion within him caused him to flinch, making him feel strange as the Gryphon stared daggers at him. The creature straightened its back and took a step closer to him.

Flynn made a break for the exit. He turned and ran as fast as he could, stumbling slightly on the dry dirt as he kicked up clouds of murky brown dust, trying to arc wide around the beast so he could reach the path without getting too close. Out of nowhere, he was overcome with debilitating horror, fear so strong, clutching at his heart so ferociously, that he fell to the ground screaming. His heart hammered, the fur on his back stood on end, and he felt himself thrash involuntarily in the dirt. He had never known dread so absolute.

Just as abruptly as it arrived, it was gone. Blinking, Flynn sat up, taking deep shuddering breaths, wondering what had just happened to him. He got to his feet, his body still trembling, and turned to glance back at the massive Gryphon. It met his gaze knowingly, and he felt his uneasiness flare for a brief moment, as though in acknowledgment. Flynn gulped, wondering if this creature had somehow forced that feeling of terror on him, meaning it would have a grip on him that Flynn could not entirely comprehend, and that thought made him tremble even more.

"I have a control over your mind that you will soon learn to respect, little one" it said. Flynn froze, gaping. He had not expected the creature to be capable of speech. It's voice was soft, and carried a high pitched whistling with it, but was completely intelligible. He hesitated, wanting to resume his fleeing but curious as to the extents of the Gryphon's power. What exactly had it meant? Was that irrationally intense fear actually caused by its influence? Flynn took an experimental step backwards away from the beast.

The same as before, he was overwhelmed with terror. He swayed and crouched this time, rather than falling humiliatingly to the ground, gasping breathlessly until the feeling vanished again a moment later. Flynn panted, sweat soaking through his fur enough to drip steadily down into the dirt between his feet. He gulped, his breath shuddering as though he was exhausted, and tilted his head up towards the beast, his eyes slightly damp with tears.

"Come closer." the Gryphon said, and Flynn felt himself strangely filled with a desire to obey. Was that desire his own? He didn't know, and a moment later he didn't care, for as he took a hesitant step towards the beast his heart lifted with relief and elation. He took another step, and the sensation persisted, a breath of fresh air after the unexplained pure fear that had just tore at him. Flynn found himself picking up his pace, walking briskly towards the Gryphon to bask in the pleasant sensation of blissful relief, ignoring the nagging uncertainty in the back of his mind that questioned the wisdom of his actions.

He stepped right up before the Gryphon, the inexplicable relief ebbing away gently, and leaving him blinking in place to work though what had just done. His own emotions began to take over again, and the uneasiness at being right beside this great beast was returning. His heart was pounding, it got him to approach it so easily, the hold it had over Flynn's mind was troubling. He wanted to turn and flee again, but he knew with dreaded certainty that it would not allow that, and that intense level of fear was not something he wanted to feel again.

Flynn trembled, the Gryphon craning it's neck down to be eye level with him. "Good boy." It said, using its influence on Flynn to fill him with pride at the comment, he felt a grin split his face and his tail lash behind him with joy despite the knowledge that he was not actually proud at all. The feeling vanished again, and Flynn hated himself for how much he had wanted to please the great beast, if only for those few seconds. "Don't you like to feel good? I can give you the greatest moments of your life, all I'll need from you is obedience." It paused to lean in closer to Flynn's face, causing just enough anxiety to get his heart racing, but not enough for another escape attempt. "Do you understand?"

Flynn nodded hesitantly and was immediately rewarded with a burst of euphoria. He took a sharp intake of breath and abruptly sat down on the ground, digging his claws into the dirt. He wanted more, and he hated that he had to admit that to himself. His instincts were telling him to run, that he was stuck in a trap and the fear he would feel when he tried to leave was false, but he could not bring himself to act on it. He felt despair, and he knew it was his own. He was trapped.

The Gryphon seemed to take delight in his realization, for it started to carry itself with an air of victory. The beast paced, circling him as he sat defenseless and peered up meekly at it. "I have an activity for us." it said, excitement invading Flynn's mind at the thought. He tried to stifle it with rational thought, but his heart rate and jostling tail kept his rapt attention on the Gryphon.

"Stand up." It said, and he obeyed, immediately rewarded with a jolt of euphoria. The Gryphon positioned itself right in front of Flynn, and he started to feel a complex combination of positive feelings, the beast was concentrating, it was working really hard to make Flynn feel desire at what it was about to propose, and he knew with a distant dread that it was going to work. "Observe" it said, and Flynn's undivided attention was given.

The Gryphon stuck its furry talons out, each palm the size of Flynn's chest, and brought them just barely together in front of him. The creature started miming a scene. Flynn watched, the talons gripping an imaginary form just in front of him, holding the air at his shoulder level before rising high into sky. He watched the beast lift the nonexistent item above its head, eyes wide as it tilted its beak up to align with its talons, and gaped when he saw the creature act out devouring the contents a moment later.

Flynn willed himself to feel fear, willed himself to see reason, but there was nothing but longing in his heart as he watched the Gryphon pretend to swallow him whole. The beast lowered its talons down to his beak, shutting it a moment later, and looking him dead in the eye when it audibly swallowed. It then caressed its own neck, mimicking an imaginary bulge slide down its body, brushing against fur and feather alike, before patting its belly and delivering a pulse of strong desire into Flynn's mind.

Flynn wavered in place, feeling as though he was just about to reach pleadingly towards the Gryphon before he forced himself to stop. He held still, watching with wary eyes at the creature, its hold on his emotions was not absolute, and he understood the danger of his scenario, but he also knew the beast had enough power to completely manipulate him. He breathed evenly, his mind almost entirely his own, and tried to think of a way out while the Gryphon was still holding back from imparting its true potential at him.

He didn't want to be eaten, he knew that, knew it for a fact, but the artificial desire and longing he had felt was enough for his body to respond to it, despite his logic saying otherwise. His best course of action was to run, he knew that too, but the memory of that fear was still clear in his mind, and try as he might, he could not get himself to turn and run. That terror had been so strong it might as well have been physical pain, and his body hesitated to subject himself to it just as it would if he had needed to run through a field of flames to get away. Did that.. did that mean the Gryphon already won?

The beast released its hold on Flynn's emotions, letting him have a taste of his own helplessness and despair. He looked up at the creature, peering down proudly at him, like he was nothing but a trophy. Or perhaps a successfully hunted meal. The Gryphon eased itself down, sitting back on its haunches as it scratched its feathers with a furry talon. "Are you ready?" It asked. Flynn kept silent, frightened that anything he said would seal his fate regardless, but it didn't matter. "Then it is time. Undress."

Flynn's negativity vanished. He gasped, suddenly feeling an intense excitement and eagerness to please the majestic Gryphon. He felt joy and desire mixed, a grin splitting his face despite the tiny voice in his head telling him otherwise, and he began to unbutton his shirt. With each article of clothing taken off, the pleasant sensation was amplified. His shirt, his undershirt, his pants, even his glasses added to the intense desire and joy, making it harder and harder for him to cling to his doubt and hesitation. The longer this went, the less important those background feelings became, and soon enough they were barely present. Flynn took off his underwear, now fully nude in the desolate terrain, and basked in the pride that was bestowed upon him.

He smiled contently, feeling the breeze against his fur, smelling the Gryphon's warm breath as it wafted against his nose. The creature was right up before him, its talons pressing against his sides in an embrace, to which Flynn adjusted his arms to allow the creature a better grip. The beast's open beak was inches in front of his face, and he leaned forward with strong curiosity, yearning to experience his body plunging within the Gryphon's, wanting it with more intensity than he had ever wanted anything else in his life.

The Gryphon dabbed at his face with its short stubby tongue, and Flynn gasped with pleasure. The warm muscle caressed his fur, a delightful texture that he wanted, no, needed to feel wrapped around every inch of him. He felt the Gryphon's talons grip him firmly, and he held himself still, complacent, as the beast listed him up off of the ground. He hung limp, bliss washing over him and he stared down towards the Gryphon's immense head. Slowly and deliberately, the beast parted it's great beak.

Flynn felt his longing and desire amplify with each second as the Gryphon's beak spread wider and wider, easily vast enough to comfortably fit Flynn's width. He held his feet together, winding his tail between them to make it easy for the beast to consume him. He wanted this, he didn't care what that nagging doubt said, its just going to feel so good, the consequences didn't matter. The pointed his legs towards the dark abyss between the creature's avian jaws, eager to be between them, wanting it more than he had ever wanted anything in his life.

He felt himself being lowered, a gentle breeze wafting against his fur as his feet were placed within the monster's beak. He felt the soles of his feet press down against the Gryphon's fleshy tongue, warm and slippery against his skin, and the euphoria overwhelmed him. He moaned, his eyes crossed staring down into the maw of the beast, his own tongue lolling out of his mouth, and he basked in the experience.

The Gryphon swallowed him. It took longer than Flynn had expected it to, but he wasn't complaining, as the wondrous sensation felt like it was lasting a lifetime, and he couldn't get enough. The beast had to gulp him down inch by inch, he feet vanished along with the tip of his tail, pulled down into the hot tightness of the Gryphon's gullet. Pulsing muscle pulled him down, slowly enveloping him in the undulating flesh of the beast's throat, while its talons kept a steady downward pressure against his shoulders while propping him up, letting gravity aid in his descent.

All thoughts of resistance were gone, had he really ever not desired this? It was hard to recall what the negatives could possibly have been, the sensation could persist for eternity and he would still want more, still want to slide deeper, desiring nothing more than feeling this lovely flesh press against his every inch.

He held himself mostly still, occasionally rocking his legs and tail side to side to help the creature swallow him. The flesh was hot to the touch, and only getting hotter the deeper he slid. The fur-less soles of his feet pressed up against the tight throat, causing his back to arc a bit as the sensation tickled him. His soft underbelly was scooped up by the Gryphon's tongue, his legs pulled in entirely with another gentle gulp against his waist.

The inner workings of the creature digestive tract kept up a continuous pull on his legs, feeling almost like a cylindrical conveyor belt made of something soft and spongy pressing firmly against his lower body. The predator's talons continued to tightly grip his armpits, the hold on him becoming awkward, but the pleasure of the sensation not receding a single bit. Flynn felt below him for the sides of the creature's open beak, gripping firmly to them so that the beast could let him go.

The talons loosened their grip on him, and slid away from his body. Flynn smiled in delight, his body now completely unencumbered from being entirely engulfed by the continuous swallowing beneath him. The Gryphon held its body still, gently caressing its throat in firm downward motions. Flynn could feel its touch through the layers of flesh and feather, shuddering in delight at the alien sensation as steady waved of pressure meshed the Gryphon's flesh against his own.

Euphoria sunk in deeply, taking a complete hold on Flynn's mind. His cross-eyes gaze could not look away from the dark fleshy abyss that funneled down beneath him, his tongue still lolling out of his mouth as another swallow brought him down low enough that he was just about fully inside the creature's beak. Flynn, realizing he did not need to hold himself up anymore, released his grip on the beak, nestling himself down in the slobbery lower maw, his arms wrapped around the stubby tongue in an embrace while his nose was pulled just beyond the threshold of the creature's body.

Recognizing the extent of Flynn progress into its body, the Gryphon gently closed its beak, careful to test for his presence before shutting it completely and cutting him off from the light. Flynn moaned raspily, an involuntary sound that held notes of pleasure alone. He pressed his face down against the creature's tongue, his own tongue touching against it as he willingly coated his face with its saliva. Gentle gulps continued to work on him, the slimy flesh crawling all over his fur and skin, greedily tugging on his feet and tail to guide him further towards its stomach. He relaxed his arms, letting them slump down into the pools of slobber on either side of the writhing tongue was his body slid steadily against its base.

The small gentle swallows seemed to stop. Flynn, blinked in the darkness, tilting his head back and forth, the sensitive fins on his cheek brushing against the soft flesh and causing his body to subtly writhe in response. The Gryphon pointed its head upwards, and Flynn was greeted with one last glance of light, outlined by the shape of its beak as it parted a fraction of an inch, before he was stuffed violently downwards with fast and powerful gulps.

The world rocked rapidly up and down around him, each movement, shoving him deeper into the tight darkness by half a foot, leaving him completely engulfed in a matter of seconds. The tight flesh thrashed him back and forth, the pressure against him easing and tightening in a repetitive patters than endlessly squeezed him deeper into the great beast. He winded down through the Gryphon's innards, his feet and tail spilling down into a wider and swelteringly hot chamber.

The whole process lasted maybe half a minute since the beak shut around him. The valve into the monster's stomach was tight, and his body had to part it wide enough so that his whole form could push through. Once his waist slipped past, the rest of him followed rapidly, and he spilled down into the slimy chamber rather ungracefully. The sack of flesh expanded a bit as he slid in, retracting a second later, feeling like an intensely tight hammock that he had just plopped down into.

The sensation was absolutely wondrous. He was completely inside the beast's belly. He stretched himself out, pressing his palms, feet, face, tongue, everything he had on every fold of slimy flesh he could reach, leaving him completely coated with slime in mere moments. His head clouded with bliss, leaving him wishing this sensation would last for an eternity.

The Gryphon gulped hard, gasping, and held itself tall as it felt its prey slide down deeper into its body, bypassing its stomach and spilling out into a chamber with a rather different purpose.

Its prey completely swallowed, it sat back, sprawling out a bit on the ground as it gently patted the bulge he had formed within its girth. He held on to the creature's emotions for another few minutes. The Gryphon could never tell what it enjoyed more, the complacent prey that was completely in its control, or the fearful prey that tried fruitlessly to escape from its clutches.

Its weak swallowing muscles made the emotion control necessary. A struggling prey was never something he could quite get down, but once a willing one was safely nestled down into its body, he quite enjoyed feeling their fear and helplessness. Once they were deep enough, there was no coming back up.

It was time. Ready to feel a frantic prey inside its body again, it released its hold on the creature's weak mind. All motion within its body stopped, the helpless attempts at escape kicking up only seconds later. It sighed in satisfaction, muffled screams reaching its ears, and let the little guy tire himself out.

The Gryphon knew he would come out of this alive, but it was more fun when the prey was left in the dark.

The euphoria vanished.

Flynn stopped, his body splayed out on his knees leaning against a slick slimy surface. He felt nothing but emptiness for a few uncertain moments, before his own emotions took hold in his mind once again. The memory was still there, the Gryphon's wide open maw, his eagerness to slip inside, the sounds and sensation of being swallowed alive and whole. His heart started to race as a deep and loud croaking echoed around the dank chamber.

He had been eaten.

Gasping for breath, his nostrils filled with the thick putrid scent of the creature's breath, Flynn felt terror settle into his heart again, terror that was all too real. He shouted as loud as he could, which didn't sound very loud at all, muffled by thick layers of tight slimy flesh on all sides of him. He lunged, thrashing against the slick walls, the springy meat pushing him right back into a curled up ball of fur and underbelly.

He wailed, feeling in vain for the way out, trying to pry his fingers back up into the Gryphon's throat, but every fold of meat he found held fast, the exit remaining elusive to him, and he knew it was hopeless. He shouted pleas, begging the beast to let him out, to throw him back up, rambling endlessly without even knowing if the creature could hear him. Tears streaked down his face, mixing with the sweat, slobber, and belly juices that already soaked him down to his skin. The hot tight flesh of the Gryphon's stomach churned around him, pressing against his face and rubbing against his extra sensitive fins, leaving him writhing and whining in the nightmarish prison.

Feeling short of breath, Flynn ceased his pleading, knowing now that those efforts were futile. He feebly continued his feeling for an exit, his fingers gliding endlessly on slimy flesh, the walls relentlessly shifting and squeezing against his arms, leaving him to lose his place every couple of seconds. Every attempted to sit up straight caused him to slip and splash right back down into the sticky mass of slime that pooled around the depression that held him.

Powerlessness overwhelming him, Flynn slumped down in the beast's belly, his long tail wrapped around his body in an effort to keep the hot slimy walls as far from him as possible, but the stomach would not allow for him to part his body from the flesh entirely. He shuddered, holding himself in the dark torment of endless motion and bodily sounds, the heat and darkness pressing in on him and he felt himself grow delirious.

Flynn tipped forwards, his face pressing deep into the folds of flesh, his nose buried in the hot meat, the muscles ripped around him, and he thought he could feel himself shift in movement again before he slipped out of consciousness.

Flynn opened his eyes.

He blinked, the light felt blinding, though everything around him was dim. It took him a good minute of blinking around deliriously before he recalled the horrific experience he had just gone through. He gasped and sat up, or at least he tried to, but found himself unable to draw breath. He felt around, both confused and relieved that he seemed to no longer be within the Gryphon's stomach.

He looked around him, a solid dim gray light taking up all of his vision. He tried to look at his own body, finding only a dark silhouette, though he did seem to still be all in one piece. Not knowing what else to do, he reached out, his hand colliding with something firm about a half a foot away from his body. He pressed against it, and found that he was able to barely deform the material. He gathered himself up and pressed harder, both hands, then both hands and both feet, before it finally started yielding.

The material cracked, chipping away and leaving a gap. Light and air rushed in, overwhelming Flynn to the point where he spasmed. His body flailed, gasping deeply for air, as he shut his eyes against the strong blinding light. Cool air brushed against his fur, and in a few moments he was able to squint against the light.

He was out...

Flynn sat still among the strange gray rubble scattered around him. He looked around for the Gryphon, but it was nowhere to be seen. This was still definitely the same clearing where he had been captured and eaten, but there was no sign of his aggressor. He almost waved the whole experience off as a dream until he got a better look at what had just been encased around him.

It was an egg. He had hatched out of an enormous egg. Disturbed by that thought, he pushed himself up and backed away from the debris, realizing just then that he was still naked. He spun around, squinting around the clearing without the use of his glasses, and found a small pile of clothing a few paces away. His shirt and pants were neatly folded, his glasses placed right on top.

Not knowing what to make of the whole ordeal, Flynn shakily grabbed his clothes and dressed himself again, slinging his bag over his shoulders and getting away from this clearing as fast as his feet could carry him, taking one last look at the cracked egg now that his glasses were back in place. As he moved, the experience played over in his head again and again. How had he survived? Had someone rescued him? But then how did that explain the egg?

He held his palm to his head, walking briskly back down the path, trying and failing not to think about it. The Gryphon had swallowed him, but after that he had no idea how much time had passed, or what else must have happened in between. He went over the scene in his head again and again, the memory of it all still strong, and despite his best effort to convince himself that beast had influenced his mind, he couldn't help but recall most of the experience as a pleasant one.

He increased his pace, eager to get back home.

The Gryphon stood tall on the rocks high above the outcrop, watching its hatchling emerge and stumble about as it tried in vain to understand what had just befallen him.

It kept its eyes of the little brown creature who, like all the others, chose to flee as briskly as possible after their first stay inside its body. The Gryphon closed its eyes, all the prey that has ever passed through its body popping up in its mind. It trailed the one who had just left, watching him through his own eyes and feeling pleased that another had been added to its roster. It gave his emotions a little nudge, the briefest moment of elation, just to let him know that it still had him.

The Gryphon took flight, knowing that now, like all the others it had swallowed and released, it would easily be able to track him back down for another day of fun, whenever it so pleased.