A Little Night Metal
 
 
The Pit, a small music venue, was packed tonight. The little club was dark, hot, and reeked of sweat from a hundred bodies packed into a tight space. There were patrons from all corners of the city, and comparatively mundane human beings rubbed elbows with a variety of anthros, demis, aliens, and other fantastical beings, most of whom wore dark t-shirts with various band logos emblazoned on them. A few were even sporting denim jackets, patches from many musical acts sewn into the tough material. Black seemed to be the color of choice tonight, but the mood resembled nothing as mournful as a funeral. Instead, ecstatic patrons roared their approval of the motley bunch on stage, reveling in the visceral feel of the group’s music.
 
 
A white banner with a great black snake, its fangs bared, stretched across gothic-scripted letters that spelled out the name of the night’s entertainment: Anaconda. On stage, amid a flurry of multi-colored stage lights, furiously played a diverse assortment of musicians. A ram-horned succubus was shredding on a devilish-looking electric guitar, her dragon-like wings at full spread, tail thrashing, and stomping her hooves in time with the rhythm. To her left, a brutish-looking reptile, sporting tentacles from his scaly head, relentlessly plucked at the thick strings of a bass guitar with his sizeable fingers. On the opposite end of the stage, a pale vampire in an ornate dress ran her fingers up and down a set of keyboards, tilting her head back as she coaxed delicious music from the keys before her. Next to her stood a tall and lithe elven woman, strumming another guitar and singing a haunting melody in her green, almost organic-looking dress. At the back of the stage, a drum kit stood elevated on a platform, the anthropomorphic lion behind the set beating out an infectious rhythm as he shook his mane.
 
 
But all of these members could not hope to match the awe inspired by the lead vocalist. A feline demi-human of short stature, his long, black hair was crowned by two triangular ears which twitched often and in time with the song. He wore a black leather shirt, sleeveless and covering only his upper torso, leaving his taut, lean stomach bare. His gray pants hugged his form tightly, and his long, black tail swished behind him as he moved hypnotically to the beat blasting from behind him. His movements stoked the lust of any who beheld him, his hips gyrating and arms twisting as he danced with raw sexuality that seemed to combine masculine boldness with feminine allure. His lack of height was incongruous with the size of his presence on the stage.
 
 
The song came to an end with a boom, and the roar of the crowd resounded throughout the venue. The demi-human singer sauntered back to the microphone resting on a mic-stand, and raised his hands in the ubiquitous shape of the metal horns, causing the audience to reply in kind, a sea of arms aloft in the salute.
 
 
“Thank you!” He spoke in a pleasantly smooth voice. “My name is Jazi Bihl, and we are Anaconda!” The crowd was in the palm of his hand, shouting frantically so that Jazi had to put his hand up to maintain some semblance of control. “On lead guitar, straight from the pits of Hell itself, Disva Kagathi!” The succubus guitarist blew a kiss to the audience, and the sea of fans erupted in cheers. “On bass, the spawn of the stars, Sakalos!” The reptilian bassist thumped his chest in an alien salute, to the approval of the crowd. “On the keys, the gothic horror-mistress herself, Melissa von Beck!” The vampire bared her fangs and bowed her head slightly, basking in the adoration of her audience. “On rhythm guitar, straight from the halls of the elves, Maruviel Blackcairne!” The elven woman did a small curtsey as the sea of faces saluted and exalted her. “And pounding away on the drums, the terror of the savannah, Darius Holt!” The leonine drummer raised his drumsticks in the air, and the crowd howled in reply. “We have one more for you. We’ll need everyone to help us out with this! And one of you….” He swept a pointed finger across the front of the pit, raising shouts and celebrations from those fortunate to have found a place against the barrier. “One of you will play a very special role in this last song.” The audience frenzied at the announcement, and he allowed them to stew in their excitement for a few agonizing minutes before nodding to Melissa to begin the last tune. Jazi was nothing if not a consummate showman.
 
 
A keyboard riff opened the song as the crowd went wild as they recognized the song. After a few bars, the guitars and drums thundered into life. The riffs quieted down as Jazi began singing in a melodic tenor voice. The lyrics were in german, but the passion behind them spoke in the universal language of music. Mournful was Jazi’s voice, and his singing took on the unmistakable aura of sorrow. Maruviel cooed backing vocals into her mic as the music began to build to the chorus, and Sakalos moved to his own mic to join her and the audience in the shout that heralded the refrain.
 
 
“DEUTSCHLAND!”
 
 
The crowd roared as Jazi pointed his mic to them, and the song’s energy skyrocketed. Thunderous notes poured from the amplifiers, and Disva began a furious melody to complement the booming bass, guitar, drums, and keyboards. Jazi was in his element, dancing hypnotically to Darius’ viral rhythm. His arms writhed slowly, sensually, and his hips swayed and pivoted just right to catch the attention of every patron in the room. The second verse proceeded much as the first, but after the second chorus, Jazi set the mic back on the stand, and motioned to a security guard at the barrier. The catboy pointed at a blonde girl in the front row, who squealed gleefully as the security guards helped her over the barrier. Maruviel and Sakalos stepped up to their microphones as Jazi helped the girl onto the stage. She was taller than him by a fair margin, but she still seemed overwhelmed in his presence. As the song’s bridge began to pulse with the kickdrum, Jazi made his move.
 
 
Maruviel and Sakalos began singing the bridge as Jazi stretched his mouth around the busty woman’s head, eagerly scarfing her down as the crowd roared in approval. Her head vanished into his maw, and he devoured her hungrily, moving his lips down her neck and stretching to fit her breasts into him. His tongue worked over her face, taking in as much flavor as he could from the pretty young woman, who writhed deliciously as he took her into him with great, audible gulps. Jazi’s hunger longed to make him savor the meal, tasty as the concert-goer was, but he was pressed for time, as he needed his mouth free for the last chorus. With great effort, he forced her further into his body, placing his hands on her taut buttocks and gently pushing her in. Only her legs remained outside of his body now, and he wasted no time in slurping them in like a pair of noodles. By the time the bridge began to wind down, he had risen from his knees and grabbed the microphone again, his distended belly wobbling as he shouted along with the frenzied crowd.
 
 
“DEUTSCHLAND! Mein herzen flammen,
Will dich lieben und verdammen,
DEUTSCHLAND! Mein Atem kalt,
So jung, und doch so alt.
DEUTSCHLAND! Meine liebe,
Ist Fluch und Segen,
DEUTSCHLAND! Meine liebe,
Kann ich dir nicht geben!
DEUTSCHLAND!”
 
 
The band continued after the chorus, sending punishing riffs in waves to wash over the uncontrollable crowd. Patrons roared, surging forward to get closer to the action, and sweat-soaked bodies danced the traditional metalhead dance: running into each other and pushing, shoving, and shouting. This too died down as the riffs ended in a raucous climax. In the afterglow, Melissa played the haunting keyboard melody that had punctuated the song as the lights slowly died on stage. Though not before Jazi took the opportunity to languidly belch into the microphone, eliciting another chorus of howls and shouts from the audience.
 
 
As the show was packed up, Jazi sat in on a couch in the dressing room, rubbing his swollen stomach. It was a hell of a stunt, he thought. Of course, the girl was in no real danger. Jazi’s dayjob as a magical enchanter would ensure she’d wake up the next day in her own bed, no worse for wear, though he did allow for a little note to be on her nightstand.
 
 
“Hey cutie-
 
 
That was a lot of fun, I hope you enjoyed the show as much as I did. You’re a tasty one, too ;)
 
 
If you’ve got some time, I’d love to do lunch in the near future. My treat.
 
 
Until then, I’ll see you in my darkest dreams,
-Jazi.”