Literature / Treasure Hoard

Treasure Hoard is a Fantasy/Drama/Romance story by Omnicritic 55. It follows a serval boy named Rori who is taken in by a powerful and mysterious benefactor. After an unlucky and outright traumatic past, Rori's luck may finally be changing in his new home where he is now a 'pet'. But can he truly trust anybody in his new life, which seems far too good to be true, especially the one he is now expected to call 'Master'?

As the story deals with heavy topics such as loss, depression, trauma, and features sexual content, it is not for kids.

This work is available at the above link without needing to request access. Comments and constructive criticism are welcomed and much appreciated, as is help with this page. The author recently wrote a side chapter, titled Satiirian's Side Story, that fills in a few details. It can be found here. Be warned: it will spoil the ending of the main story. So read that first.

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Tropes:

• Above the Influence: Xávirac refuses to take advantage of Rori.
• Actually Pretty Funny: Rori finds reluctant (at first) amusement in his Master's jokes. Xávirac was even on the receiving end of this from Rori!
• Aerith and Bob: We have common names (Daniel, Julian, Melissa, Gloria), uncommon but pre-existing names (Lena, Niko, Rori) and outright unique names (Xávirac, Tavixis and Satiirian).
• A God I Am Not: Xávirac insists he is not to be called God, albeit in the form of a joke.
• Amazing Technicolor Population: The animal people of the world can apparently have unusual fur colors, it is merely uncommon. Satiirian in particular has a fondness for pets with uncommon fur colors, and is the most colorful of them all.
• And the Adventure Continues: The story ends this way.
• Answers to the Name of God: Defied in order to be Played for Laughs.
• Anti-Hero: All of the Dragon Masters provide safety and stability to many people and are beloved by their pets but, aside from Xávirac, their morality beyond that is left somewhat ambiguous. Satiirian is outright shown to be one in the side story.
• The Atoner: Xávirac is implied to be this.
• Author Appeal: The entire story started as this. The creator has said he's never seen a story combining so many different things he liked and set out to change that.
• Barefoot Cartoon Animal: The characters wear a variety of fancy clothes, but are never described wearing any footwear. Rori and Gloria both wear stockings that cover most of their feet, but leave their toes bared. Since both of them are digitigrade species, they may as well be barefoot.
• Bathe Her and Bring Her to Me: Rori fears this will be the case when his Master orders his pets to give him a bath, get him dressed, and brought to him. Turns out, Xávirac simply thought Rori would appreciate getting a bath before meeting him.
• Bathtub Bonding: What ends up happening when Lena and Niko take Rori to get a bath at their Master's orders.
• Bedlah Babe: All of the pets, male and female, qualify, since they are easy on the eyes and wear harem outfits.
• Benevolent Boss: All of the servants are happy working for Xávirac, and all his pets adore him.
• The Big Damn Kiss: Rori and Xávirac have a wet, steamy and passionate kiss while on a date. Also counts as a Test Kiss for Rori's attraction towards him.
• Big Fancy Castle: What Rori's new home is. It houses far more people than just Xávirac, his pets and the servants.
• Bonding Through Shared Earbuds: Rori and Gloria spend (what is implied to be) a few hours listening to tunes on his brand new headphones.
• Break the Cutie: This has already happened to Rori by the time the story begins.
• Bullying a Dragon: Rori's former tormentor can't seem to resist doing this, no matter how poorly it turns out for him.
• But Not Too Bi: Averted. Rori is seen attracted to girls and his Master, and also has sex with both of them with the same level of detail given to each.
• Coming-Out Story: Of a sort. Much of the story deals with Rori figuring out his complicated feelings towards his Master and accepting and acting on his attraction to him.
• Curb-Stomp Battle: Rori's squad ends up on the receiving end of one as soon as they face direct combat with their foes. Rori only survives because he recognizes they can't win and runs for it.
  • Satiirian dishes one out against the slavers Rori was rescued from in the side story.
• Delightful Dragon: Xávirac for sure. Tavixis and Satiirian could also qualify.
• Did You Just Have Sex?: There's a part after Rori has sex with Gloria where this happens. Unusually, everyone already knows Rori did, they more want to know how it was. It's mostly Played for Laughs and framed like college friends wanting to hear about how their buddy scored with a hot chick.
• Does This Remind You of Anything?: When Rori no longer wears his Slave Collar (which could represent his past), he appears less burdened. Destroying the old collar helps him take out some of the stress it caused him. Picking out and putting on a new collar shows him starting a new, uncertain, but hopefully better life. His last collar is obtained only when he has started accepting his new life, and Foreshadows that someone from his former life is about to appear.
• Dragons Are Divine: Not in this setting. In fact, it's said that bad things will happen if you treat a dragon as a god or call them one.
• Dragon Hoard: Xávirac has one. It's in the title (but not what it refers to) and is possibly one of the largest in all of fiction.
• Dress Code: The pets are required to wear harem outfits, even out in public. It's said that they have to wear the best clothes money can buy, due to pets being a reflection on their Master. Downplayed, however, since the outfits themselves vary greatly, as Xávirac lets them pick out their own clothes within those parameters. The only thing they all have in common is a collar, and even those have a variety shown.
• Earn Your Happy Ending: After much difficulty and with a lot of time, Rori is able to accept his new life and find happiness in it.
• Eating the Eye Candy: A possible reason for the pets' Dress Code is so that their owners can do this.
• Embarrassingly Dress Like Outfit: Rori finds his harem outfit too flamboyant and girly despite picking it out himself, and questions why he has to wear it. He never denies that it's comfortable, however. And when he gets the chance to dress more normally again later on, he decides against it, finding he's come to prefer his Master's dress code.
• Establishing Character Moment: Xávirac opens with a couple of jokes once he is alone with Rori, but still establishes his authority and power over him. It shows his sense of humor, his warmth and compassion. Rori is introduced in a Flashback showing how strong, fierce and determined he was which is quickly contrasted by showing how much he's wasted away in captivity. He has never lost that strength or determination, despite what he thinks.
• Everybody Has Lots of Sex: All of the pets (aside from Rori) are sexually active, primarily with their Master. Rori, too, by the end of the book.
• Everyone Can See It: The pets could easily tell that Rori and Gloria had the hots for each other, to the point where it was obvious what they got up to in their time together.
• Explicit Content: There are two graphic sex scenes in the story.
• Fantastic Drug: Any oral contact with a dragon produces a narcotic effect in the recipient. Sexual contact gives the strongest and longest lasting effect. Thankfully, it is not physically addictive.
• Fight Clubbing: Possibly why Xávirac and Tavixis were seen fighting late in the story, but it's impossible to know for sure.
• Flight of Romance: Xávirac has Rori ride on his back while he flies them home from the store. It's the first time Rori has felt pure, blissful joy in a long time.
• Food Porn: Some of Rori's meals are described in loving detail, likely because he hadn't eaten in a while.
• Free-Love Future: Nobody bats an eye at someone having attraction towards someone of the same gender. One person having multiple pets of both genders (whom he sleeps with) is treated as acceptable, if slightly unusual. Two of the pets are a married couple, but still belong to someone else, who is included in their relationship. Rori is the only one who questions that last point, though he accepts it quickly even if it's still strange to him.
• French Maid Outfit: Gloria's harem outfit resembles one.
• Funny Animal: All of the characters are anthropomorphic animals.
• Funny Animal Pets: An accepted practice in the setting.
• Genki Girl: Gloria, one of Dragon Master Tavixis's pets, is a bright and sunny ball of happy energy.
• Gilded Cage: What Rori thinks his new home is, until he finds out he can leave whenever he wants so long as he lets his Master know ahead of time.
• Girly Girl: Also Gloria. Helps that she was a beautician.
• Has a Type: Xávirac has a preference for felines. Even with their limited time on page, the other two Dragon Masters are shown to have a fondness for a certain type of pet.
• Happily Married: Lena and Niko.
• Happiness in Minimum Wage: While Julian is perfectly happy with his job cooking food for people, he is shown taking particular delight in making a simple cheeseburger. And though it is not stated how much he is paid, it is likely far above minimum wage, going by what we know about his employer.
• Happiness in Slavery: In being a pet, otherwise the idea is the same. Most of the plot deals with Rori coming to accept that it's okay to feel this way.
• Intimate Psychotherapy: Inverted. Rori only has sex after he's overcome his psychological problems.
• The Joy of First Flight: It's actually his second, but flying on Xávirac's back is the first time Rori is seen as being happy.
• Kissing Under the Influence: Defied. Despite the fact that oral contact with Xávirac (or any dragon) gives off a narcotic effect, he refuses to go any further than what was consented to beforehand.
• Lewd Lust, Chaste Sex: Averted. The sex scenes are given just as much focus and detail as everything else, including the smaller displays of affection present throughout the story.
• The Loins Sleep Tonight: Played With. Rori goes soft when attempting to be dominant with Gloria, much to his confusion. He has no such difficulty when she takes charge, however. It helps him realize that he's a sub.
• Love Triangle: Despite the fact that there are two love interests in the story (one male and one female), this trope is Averted.
• Made a Slave: Happened to Rori a few years before the events of the book. He fears his new life as a pet will be no improvement.
• Mental Health Recovery Arc: What another bulk of the plot deals with.
• Mundane Luxury: After Rori had spent time fighting in a war and had been starved and deprived of the basic necessities, him simply being allowed to sleep, socialize and eat as much as he wants and pretty much do as he pleases makes his new life feel outright luxurious. And that's before he finds out the servants must cater to him if he asks.
• Mundane Made Awesome: Picking out a new collar, shopping for clothes and getting ice cream are all portrayed as important, exciting, serious and/or harrowing events for Rori.
• Mysterious Veil: Rori wears an opaque veil to hide his face for most of the story. It helps him fight past his shyness and feel more outgoing. He sometimes forgets he's wearing it until he's reminded.
• No Antagonist: Aside from a few small segments, there is no antagonist driving the plot, which remains an internal conflict.
• No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: Implied to be what Rori unleashed on the slaver who tortured him when he wouldn't leave him alone after several warnings.
• No Pronunciation Guide: Defied by Rori, who says every syllable of his Master, Xávirac (HAW-Vih-Rock)'s name out loud to make sure he gets it right.
• Non-Heteronormative Society: While we don't see much of what it's like outside the castle walls, nobody is shown to think queerness is in any way abnormal within them.
• Nothing but Skin and Bones: Rori starts out emaciated and underweight due to the slavers starving him for his continued resistance. He gets back to his original weight, though he is still rather lithe.
• Nothing Is Scarier: It is not described or shown what the slavers did to Rori, but it's heavily hinted at and we can infer what it was. We also don't find out what Xávirac did to the slaver encountered later on, but there's no doubt it was unpleasant for him.
• Our Dragons Are Different: Both Eastern and Western type dragons are seen, and they can be biped or quadruped. They have God-like healing abilities, can have fur instead of scales and all of them have the ability to create portals for all sorts of purposes, including shortcuts and Hammerspace storage. And rather than being a natural chemical reaction, dragon fire is implied to be either a spell, or some sort of liquid fire they produce in their body and release. It's also much hotter than normal fire.
• Pet-Peeve Trope: As the author has a number of tropes from the Romance genre that he dislikes, he made sure to avoid them here.
• Rape Is a Special Kind of Evil: While sex is portrayed as a perfectly normal and healthy thing to want, have and enjoy, rape is still treated as the vile, heinous act that it is.
• Porn with Plot: There's an involving story about the main character overcoming his trauma and coming to enjoy his new life. There's also two explicit sex scenes tied to the main plot.
• The Reveal: The side story reveals that Satiirian was the one who burned down the slave shop Rori was rescued from.
• Riddle for the Ages: Who and what Doctor Daniel Llawrence is, aside from the best doctor for helping someone with their traumatic past using some kind of magic, is not revealed and barely hinted at in the story.
• Royal Harem: What Rori's new position as a 'pet' essentially equates to being a part of.
• Sacred Hospitality: Xávirac (and possibly the other Dragon Masters) believes in this.
• Sapient Pet: Every pet seen in the story is an intelligent being. It is considered an accepted practice in the setting, is shown as being Safe, Sane, and Consensual, has laws to protect the participants, and the pets are treated like royalty by their owners and the servants.
• Scrubbing Off the Trauma: Rori getting a bath from Lena and Niko after arriving at his home is treated this way.
• Sex as Rite-of-Passage: Having sex (twice!) proves to be the final step of Rori's journey.
• Sex for Solace: One way to interpret the climax of the story.
• Sex Is Good: The story portrays sex as something perfectly normal and healthy to want, have and enjoy rather than be embarrassed or ashamed of. Rori eventually comes around to this line of thinking, too.
• Shell-Shocked Veteran: Rori. And it's the least severe of the traumas he has to overcome.
• Shout-Out: A talented chef named Julian, who is delighted to make a simple cheeseburger after making fancier dishes throughout the story? Hmmm...
• Shower of Angst: Bath, rather, but the idea is similar. Rori gets a bath from Lena and Niko and, while he starts out nervous, he finds he doesn't mind it too much, and he feels better once he is all clean.
• Silk Hiding Steel: Rori is a Rare Male Example.
• Slave Collar: Played With throughout the story. The metal collar Rori wears at the beginning of the story is stiff, uncomfortable, fitted to ensure he never forgets it's there and causes him anguish due to the memories associated with it. The pet collar Xávirac gets him is far more comfortable and, while he's still not thrilled about having to wear it, he does so without much complaint and much prefers it over the last one. Rori is outright happy with the one he gets for himself later on, and it shows that he is coming to accept his new position in life. Overall, pet collars are shown to be a status symbol, a way to ensure one gets proper respect, and a point of pride for their wearers.
• Stealth Insult: This is to be expected whenever two Dragon Masters are in the same room for an extended period of time, according to Gloria. It's more of a game to them than anything else.
• Test Kiss: Rori and Xávirac have this on a date, to help Rori make sense of his feelings towards him.
• There Are No Therapists: Averted. Xávirac is quick to suggest that Rori see a professional when he sees firsthand how much he's still struggling with his traumatic past.
• Third-Act Misunderstanding: Unlike most romance stories, this trope is Averted.
• Time Skip: There are a few. It is not revealed exactly how much time has passed, but it's at least a few weeks each time.
• Train-Station Goodbye: A fantasy variant occurs between Rori and Gloria.
• Uncertain Doom: It is not revealed what Xávirac did to that slaver, but it could not have been good.
• Uncle Pennybags: Xávirac loves buying expensive things for his pets and is shown to be absurdly wealthy.
• Wholesome Crossdresser: Rori shows no objection to wearing women's clothing, and eventually does so entirely by his own choice.
• World of Funny Animals: There are no humans in the setting.
• You Need to Get Laid: Nobody outright says this, but Rori does find himself feeling better and making sense of his confusing feelings when he does.