The Temple of Twilight

The desert was the Sun’s domain.

The thief had learned this time and time again. Despite this, and despite his ample wraps, its blaring heat was nauseating. He never quite got used to it.

It was because of this that, when he finally spotted the temple peeking its head over the mirage-twisted horizon, he smiled for the first time in months.

“Just one more day of this,” he murmured to himself.

He’d been scanning the desert for weeks. It had never taken him terribly far away from civilization, but with all of the area he had to cover, it didn’t make much sense to trek back and forth each day, especially considering how little time he had left to retrieve his mark.

And yet somehow, the last few hours between him and the temple were more agonizing than the weeks of searching. Perhaps it was the fact that it was right there in his sight, looming off in the distance as he trudged across the dunes. It would be cooler inside, a welcome reprieve from the heat. A place to rest for his journey back, protected from the elements, but still so far away for his aching legs as they began to give out.

Or perhaps it was the not knowing. Not knowing whether the book was inside. Not knowing if he could find it. Not knowing if he could retrieve it in his tired condition. Not even knowing if it had been well enough preserved to pay off his debt.

Not knowing what his life would even look like beyond said debt. If it would ever resemble the life he’d had before.

He shoved those thoughts off to the side. The past didn’t matter now. All that mattered was the shrinking stretch of desert between him and his prize.

By the time he reached the temple gate, the Sun had begun to set. At the very least, the looming form of the Temple of Twilight was tall enough to completely engulf its light. A long—and frankly, welcome—shadow passed over the thief.

Exhausted, he dumped his bags onto the sand and sat against the wall. His breath took a while to return to him.

The gate was closed next to him. Not at all unexpected, but he was unsure how he would approach his entry. It was unlikely that the gate would be easy to open, he figured. He would likely need to circumnavigate the temple in its entirety—more energy than he had left to spend.

And more water. He’d sweated much of his hydration away.

He reached for his canteen and unscrewed the top, lifting it over his mouth. No more than a single drop came out.

He grumbled to himself. Not enough. Maybe there would be water inside.

Either way, he didn’t want to sit out here for too long. The desert would get cold quickly once the Sun went down. He was already starting to feel a bit of a chill, and while it was nice now, it wouldn’t be so nice when his body temperature caught up to the air around him.

He grabbed his bags and wished he’d rented a camel.

Before he could begin his trek around the temple, though, he glanced back at the front gate. His mind returned to his previous thoughts.

Surely it wouldn’t just open, right? This was an ancient temple. It was built to preserve and protect thousands of ancient texts from not only the elements, but from thieves and ransackers just like himself. It would be filled to the brim with priceless art and literature, and perhaps even knowledge lost to time. Who in their right minds would leave it unlocked?

Yet… wouldn’t it be foolish not to at least try? None of his research had indicated the presence of any kind of trap. The hard part was simply finding the damn thing.

“Alright,” he said to himself, dropping his bags. “Can’t hurt.”

Sure enough, as he pressed his body weight against the doors, the stone rumbled. Sand and dust trickled down his back as the doors shifted. The years had sealed them together, but he kept pushing.

Eventually, the dirt jammed between the two doors broke apart, crumbling into dust and pouring onto him. The doors swung inward, and a rush of wind sent him stumbling forward.

He chuckled, brushing the dirt off of himself. “Figures.”

The front hall of the temple was absolutely cavernous. It stretched deep into the structure, with murals, sculptures, and torches in sconces lining the corridor all the way across.

Smaller hallways branched off in perfect symmetry to each other, like carvings in stone. The various rooms followed the same perfect geometry, mirroring one another as they formed a sort of fractal design.

Before he pushed very deep into the corridor, he stopped. “Wait a minute…” he said, turning his gaze back to the torches.

They lined the walls with perfect spacing, casting warm, flickering light through the entire space. Not a single torch had burnt out.

“How in the world are these things still burning?” he wondered aloud, taking a closer look at one of them.

The torch looked completely normal to his inexperienced eyes. Some kind of flammable material was wound in a bulb at the end and lit. And as he checked a few of the torches, they all looked the same way. Completely normal.

Sighing, he shrugged and followed down the hallway, peering into each room as he passed them.

As hard as he’d looked, he’d never found any kind of map in his research. As far as he could tell, not even a catalog existed. Finding the book would more or less amount to either luck or brute force. Hopefully, it would edge towards luck.

He spent the next half hour checking every room, bagging a few odds and ends as he went. The book was easily the most valuable item in this temple—if, in fact, it was in this temple—but when he passed by a room filled with jewelry displays, he figured it would be stupid not to stuff at least a few of them into his bag.

There was also quite the deluge of pottery, which he quickly came to resent. He couldn’t exactly shove a pot into his bags, as much as they might sell for. Maybe if he had more resources, he could stack them up in a cart and store the jewelry inside of them.

He found himself grumbling over his lack of camel once more.

He let the fantasy of riches slip away as he stumbled into a large chamber at the center of the temple. Inside of it was a grand table, books strewn across it. It was surrounded by a set of chairs, carved out of some type of limestone and adorned with soft cushions.

One chair, at the very end of the table, was maybe twice the size as the rest. Some sort of throne, perhaps? The bulk of the table’s books were stacked in front of it, next to a burnt out candle.

The thief hunched over the table, setting his bags down to look through them. Each title was in some archaic language—a fact that he’d been prepared for. He looked carefully over each of their spines, struggling to pick out the shape of the title he’d studied.

He couldn’t quite conjure it to his memory, though.

“Dammit.” He squatted and tore open his bag, sifting through its pockets until he found a scrap of paper he’d written on.

It was more of a scribble than a piece of text. He’d copied the shapes of the writing from the text he’d found, but none of it meant a thing to him. The lines all blurred together. Not that this mattered much.

After some careful examination, he determined that none of these titles matched. “Somewhere else, then.”

It was only as he looked up from the table that he saw the mural on the wall. It filled the chamber from floor to ceiling, a painting of a serpentine figure. Well, partly—the lower half was, indeed, serpentine, but above the waist, it had the body of a mare, with a pair of wings on its back and a horn on its head. The entire figure was painted in a pastel lavender, with deeper purples and a streak of magenta in her mane.

“Ah… So that’s what she looks like.”

The figure, he assumed, was Twilight, the deity figure in whose honor this temple was built. Story went that she protected the temple and the knowledge within from those who would seek to destroy it.

The thief chuckled to himself. “Some guardian.”

He didn’t linger on the mural. As fascinating as it was, his eyes were caught by what he spotted around the corner—bookshelves. He collected his bags and made his way over.

The library chamber was quite large. Certainly the largest he’d encountered so far—aside from the one he’d just left—stretching upward at least two or three floors. The shelves were crammed from floor to ceiling. He dreaded checking each and every one.

Luckily, he didn’t have to. At the end of the chamber, within the shelves, was a large cubby. Unlike the rest of the shelves, it was almost entirely bare save for a particularly thick tome. A quick glance at his notes confirmed that this was the book in question.

He smiled. “Payday.”

But before he could swipe the book into his bag, something thick grappled him. It was cool and muscular, with smooth scales running down it. His arms were pinned to his sides as it effortlessly wound up his body. Within seconds, he was immobilized, and even his legs were bound.

Immediately, he was whipped around to face his captor—the lamia from the mural. Twilight.

“You’re not planning on taking that, are you?” she said.

“What?” he said, heart pumping. “No! Not at all! Please let me go.”

Twilight raised an eyebrow at him. “I’m not stupid, you know. I’ve been watching you since you got here.”

He strained his muscles against her body, thrashing about. She was about as big as she’d been in the mural, with a body and tail strong enough to bind his body. He had no hope of prying himself out of her grasp, but that didn’t stop his panicked attempts.

“Frankly, it’s very clear what you’re here for. You’re here for this book, aren’t you?” Her muscles wound tighter with the accusation, her eyes narrowing. “You’re a thief.”

He gawked up at her. His body was too worn out from the long journey to fight back against her grip. All he could do was stare in awe.

“You’re Twilight,” was all he could muster. “The lamia guardian.”

She chuckled. “Quetzelcoatl, actually.”

“What?”

“The wings,” she said, stretching one of them. “Lamias don’t have wings. I’m a quetzalcoatl. Not that it matters much.”

He let out a deep sigh. He clearly couldn’t get out of this by lying to her. The only option was to tell the truth.

“Look…” he started. “I only need that book to pay off my debt. I’ve been stuck for a long time.”

Twilight seemed unimpressed, her tail not budging a bit. He continued.

“I don’t want to be a thief. Once my debt is paid, I’m done.” Her expression softened, but she still seemed unswayed.

He grimaced. “And I can visit my family again.”

Twilight’s grip slackened. She tapped her chin with a hoof. “I see…”

As she thought, the thief waited with bated breath. He studied her face, trying to parse out exactly what she was thinking. It didn’t take long for her to speak again.

“Why don’t I offer you a deal, then?”

He snapped to attention. “I’m listening.”

She smiled. “That book,” she said, pointing at it, “is the original copy. I won’t part with it. But I do have a copy! All of the same text, the same annotations, the same charts. I can give that one to you.

“In exchange…” She leaned in closer, cupping the back of his neck with the end of her tail as she pressed her muzzle against his nose. Her eyes bore directly into his. “I’ll make good use of you.”

He shuddered. Her scales were soft and cool against the skin of his neck, as was her soft fur pressed against him. The heat of her breath ran down his chest.

“‘Make use of me’?” he asked.

She chuckled. “I think you know what I mean, thief.” She pressed her muzzle forward, locking lips with his as her tongue snaked gently into his mouth. He didn’t resist it—his tired body welcomed her delicate touch, the warmth of her tongue inside of him. In fact, his body betrayed him entirely with exhausted shivers.

It didn’t help that her body pulled taut, tail winding around his body and massaging his muscles into submission. Much of his body was enveloped in her delicate, yet insurmountable, strength.

When she pulled away, he sighed. His cheeks were hot. He wasn’t sure why, but it felt… nice.

She was so much stronger than him, and reasonably bigger to boot. Her coils weren’t long enough to fully envelop him, but they were enough to ensnare him. And her strength meant she might still be able to crush him if she really wanted to. Was this really a good idea?

“I can tell you’re worried,” she said, cupping his cheek with a hoof. It was soft and velvety, warm to the touch. He leaned gently into it, soothed by its texture. “I’ll be gentle with you. I promise.”

He nodded, and she slipped the tip of her tail down his body. It wove its way down his body, trailing down his stomach, his back, his thighs… It slithered beneath his pants, and when it finally reached its destination, it wound itself gently around his crotch.

The coils cupped his bulge through his underwear. They were cool and sturdy, something he could rely on compared to the ever-shifting desert. He moaned sweetly as he pressed his aching crotch into her tail.

She giggled, rewarding his need with another kiss. The heat of her breath slipped back inside him, her tongue exploring ever deeper into his mouth, winding itself around his in a show of dominance. He eagerly submitted the territory to her.

Then, for a moment, the tip of her tail pulled away from his crotch. In its absence, he felt cold. His cock throbbed and ached, desperate for the intoxicating touch that she’d given him a taste of.

His prayers were answered quickly. Her tail dove beneath his pants and peeled them off. He shuddered, losing what little control over his body he had as he thrust into her. Her strong body was there to hold him still, winding around his chest to hold him in place as she gently humped him.

Her labia was on full display between them, mounted near the end of her tail. It rubbed against his stiffening bulge as she pinned him to the wall with her hooves. She rocked gently against him, huffing and sighing with every motion.

“It’s been a very long time,” she said, “since I’ve had this kind of company.” She pressed her lips against his neck, kissing a little trail up to his ear before whispering into it. “My desires have been unquenched for a long time, thief. Will you quench them?”

He shuddered, body spasming weakly in her grasp. “Yes! Please! Take me!” he said.

“Good,” she said. Her hooves quickly reached down and grabbed his underwear, slipping it off and freeing his stiff cock. It immediately sprung up between her pussy lips, and she eagerly massaged it up and down, trained between the valley they produced.

Her tail’s tip wandered between the two, caressing the tip of his cock with little strokes as the both of them rocked back and forth into each other. The thief bit his lip and moaned, aching to fill her.

But she wasn’t quite ready yet. She pressed her lips to his, tongue plunging deeper still than it had before, as her tail gripped his cock and squeezed it. The lithe coils rolled up and down around it, scales riding up against the shaft as she worked his cock up to full mast.

And it wasn’t hard to do that, as every squeeze and pull made the thief gasp and shudder with fervent arousal. After only a short minute of work, he could barely contain himself.

She didn’t stop there. Her coils gripped and squeezed his body, working his sensitive skin into heat as his muscles strained. Her power overwhelmed him, scales claiming his body for her arousal and need, for her desires. Even his neck had been claimed by her grip, wound snugly by a thick, sturdy segment of tail that exerted just enough force to hold him completely still.

He was powerless. Not a single muscle in his body had a chance of breaking free. He needed this more than anything else in the world.

Finally, his submission was rewarded. Her tail partially unwrapped his cock, gripping its base gently as Twilight positioned it toward her pussy. He shuddered as the heat lingered at his tip, teasing arousal out of him until she pressed him inside.

And it was incredible. Her pussy engulfed him, plush and wet as she pressed him into the wall. She moaned and rode her sheath up and down on him, her body smothering him.

Once again, her lips closed in on his. Each and every moan reverberated through their kiss, each and every thrust following through. He was lost in her, lost in the pleasure of her pussy, bound by ecstasy.

And his body was her plaything, a toy gripped by her coils. She pulled his arms behind his back, snapping them together at the wrists. Meanwhile, she pried his legs apart to make way for her tail to wind around them.

He lost track of the path her tail took to bind him. Somewhere along the way, it gripped his legs, his neck, his arms, and his chest. All of this led to her pussy, sheathed near the end.

She thrust her tail into his crotch more, pushing down and pulling up on the tip of his cock in perfect rhythm, faster and faster. Her moans escalated, hot breath escaping her muzzle and gliding across his hot face.

Before long, she was in the clutches of orgasm, heat radiating throughout her body as her coils convulsed around him, stretching his poor limbs out within their strength. For a moment, he struggled to breathe as her tail gripped his neck and chest.

But as the orgasm rode out, she loosened her grip and sighed. “I’ve needed this,” she said, pressing a kiss against his cheek.

He shuddered, cock still aching as the edge of orgasm slipped away. He still needed more.

“You make a good lay, thief,” she said. “A good body.” He shivered as her tail caressed his cheek. “And you seem to be enjoying this, too,” she said, giggling. “Perhaps you didn’t even need that book to be convinced.”

“Maybe…” he said.

He couldn’t bear his arousal. He thrusted his hips into her as much as he could, but her tail quickly wound around his waist to bind him down.

“No,” she said. “Let me do the work. I’m not done yet.”

She lifted her pussy from his cock and gripped the shaft between her hooves. Gently, the pair of them kneaded his cock, the soft flesh delicately working him up.

He only got stiffer, his body aching and spasming as heat enveloped him. Her hooves were so soft, so perfect, so luscious against his skin that he wanted to cum right then and there.

But she stopped before he could. Right on the edge, right before orgasm, her hooves stopped, and she smirked down at him.

He could only whimper and pout.

“I told you. I’m not done yet.”

After a minute or two, she did it again, working his cock up to the edge of orgasm only to stop just short and make him wait. It was worth it just to relish in the feeling. Her perfect, plush hooves.

Before long, she climbed back onto him, slipping her pussy onto his cock again and getting back to work. With every thrust of her tail, her coils squeezed him tightly, occasionally gripping so hard that his back popped.

Once more, she kissed him, tongue prodding his as she moaned into his lips. He loved the way she tasted. It was a mix of lavender and vanilla, which intermingled with the scent of books and cobwebs. Strangely, it made him feel at home. He hadn’t felt that way in a very long time.

Arousal grappled the both of them, yet Twilight did not break the kiss. She only pressed deeper the harder she thrusted, huffing and panting and moaning all at once as she struggled to breathe. So, too, did the thief, as her tail anchored his chest to the wall of the chamber and squeezed him tightly.

But he didn’t care. Her pussy was so perfect, and her coils were so strong. His body shuddered with every motion.

Her second orgasm came and went. Her body rocked and quaked, her coils squeezed tightly around him. Then she slackened. She spent a moment catching her breath.

As the pleasure faded, his balls began to ache. He wasn’t sure how long they’d been fucking, but he was desperate for release. He couldn’t hold it back any longer.

“Please…” he said. “I need to cum.”

She huffed softly, laying her head against his shoulder. “One more, then,” she said. “I’m starting to get pretty tired, but I’ll make sure you finish.”

She pressed her pussy lips against his cock once more.

This time was slower than the last. He had the chance to really feel the folds of her labia, the scales of her tail beneath it. The textural distinction was luxurious, going from cool, smooth scales to warm, soft flesh.

As he pressed inside of her, she began rocking her tail again. Slowly, at first, as his stiffness returned to full mast after the quick rest.

But before long, she sped up, riding his cock rapidly as she huffed and moaned. His body ached for release by the time she reached full speed, precum leaking from his tip as the both of them rocked against each other with fervent passion.

“I’ve really needed this,” Twilight said in between gasps. She cupped his cheek with a hoof as she rode his cock, coils squeezing and working his entire body.

“Me too,” he admitted. He struggled to get the words out, his body so wracked with arousal. He felt like he could explode at any moment, his arousal could spill out of him without warning.

And he felt it coming. Any second, he’d cum.

Twilight’s thrusts became deeper, fuller than ever before. She pushed his cock all the way in and all the way out at full speed, her entire body gripping him as she panted.

“You’re mine,” she said, huffing and thrusting into him. “You’ll always be mine.”

“Twilight—” he gasped, his cock begging for release. She didn’t stop.

“Please, will you be mine? I want to keep you forever.”

Unsure what she meant, but knowing that he wanted it, he agreed. “Yes,” he panted. “Please!”

The two of them thrusted into each other. Orgasm took them both, and Twilight pressed her lips to his.

Their bodies pressed firmly together, ecstasy flooding both as the pressure finally exploded. He drained himself into her load after load, unsure how long it lasted. For a while, he floated atop the high, levitating in the magic of the moment. His lips were locked with hers, soft and warm. The kiss tasted sweeter like this, riding the crest of orgasm.

But eventually, the high began to fade, and the two of them floated down into the simmering afterglow.

Twilight found herself curled up against his shoulder, a hoof on his chest. Her coils made a lovely bed for his tired body as weariness washed over him. It had been such a long day, and she made for a nice rest.

She yawned as the two snuggled into each other, surrounded by the towering bookshelves. Her coils stretched around him, loosening and tightening gently with her long, slow breaths.

“I really would like for you to come back,” Twilight finally said. “I need that kind of company more often. There’s only so much good the books here can do for me.”

He laughed. “I’d like that,” he said. “Especially once I have my freedom.”

She nodded. “Then we have an agreement.”

She yawned and smacked her lips, closing her eyes as she laid against his chest. He, too, closed his eyes as he began to drift off.

But their nodding off was interrupted as Twilight jolted awake.

“What’s wrong?” the thief asked.

“Oh!” Twilight said. She blushed. “I’m not actually sure where that book is.”