The Forgotten 8: Homecoming
#8 of The Forgotten
The day had started gloriously over the Nyseen Empire. The scarlet glory of the rising sun cast shadows and light along the palace walls and leaked through the windows so that it appeared as if they were cast from stained glass. It was a day where the hymns of the temples rose with increased fervor as they appeased and made sacrifices for their gods. They were made to the health of the Emperor, the glory of the Empire, the health and welfare of its people. It was a day that should have brought a smile to the aging Emperor Hylar's face, but instead it was lined with a frown that showed each one of his wrinkled worn features as he stood in his dressing room.
It wasn't often that others saw him lose his composure; he prided himself upon keeping an even face and appearance even in the face of the darkest hours. That was how he assured himself that no matter what happened panic would not topple his empire. The first failing of any country was that of its rulers. Allow the people to see your fear and troubles and they would swiftly fill in their own conclusions and that lead to rebellion. Today, though, he stared at the messenger with a look of barely controlled anger as the lad almost visibly tried to shrink away from it. Did he assume if he became small enough Hylar's wrath would not fall upon him? He carefully set his cup of tea down without taking so much as a sip of it.
"Repeat yourself." His words were clipped, not simply with his own anger, but with pain. He had started to grow old. It was a fact he loathed to admit even to himself, but each day that dawned found him awake and aching from old wounds that had healed badly, from bones that had never set right on the battle field. It was only the opium laced tea that afforded him any comfort in these hours. Only that gave him the strength to meet each day.
"The barbarians, they have been seen on the farthest shores of Craig Island. They're setting up an army, my lord. They are not just the Braans from the North, but other clans and tribes from all over the northern countries. They've taken the island as their own." The messenger held himself completely still while the Emperor curled his fingers in against his mug.
"I have word that the Mage Timat successfully captured their...god, do they rally to save it? What are their numbers? Who is their leader?" Hylar lifted the cup finally to his lips and took a sip of the bitter brew. Not enough to make the pain leave him completely. That way lay a clouded mind and judgment, but enough to allow him to think without the constant battering of pain his body experienced in the morning.
"Forgive me, Excellency, but Mage Timat could not have succeeded." The young messenger looked as if he was waiting for his execution, but the Emperor's attention was caught at that single sentence. He had reliable word that the beast had been caught. His spies had seen it being brought down by barge along the river!
"My spies tell me otherwise. Do you believe them wrong?" He took another drink while his pale eyes rested on the trembling young man. It soothed part of him that he could still instill fear in them. He was not so far gone in their eyes yet.
"No, Sire, I do not. We saw with our own eyes the dragon that is with them. He flies above the island and is fed by the clans there. We saw him escort new boats to the shores of the island as well. Whatever Mage Timat has caught, it was not their dragon!" The messenger swallowed. "Sire, the numbers are rising to the thousands and quickly. They have formed a council and they mean to destroy all the towns upon the shore to claim as their own!"
Hylar leaned back as he digested the information and with a flick of his hand dismissed the messenger from his room. His mind had already started working through the beginning haze of the opium. He had no doubt that once word had gotten out about the Braans' rebellion that others would be keen to join. It was inevitable that it would come to this. He had hoped that capturing their totem would put an end to it, but the Mage had obviously failed in that regard. By all reports Timat should be arriving in the capital in the next day or so, then he would find out what had gone so horribly wrong. For now his concern was with the army that was starting to lay claim to the island just east of his Empire and the idea that each day more would flock to their cause.
He stood up and placed his tea back upon the table before walking to look out his southern window. All was quiet and peaceful in his city. Only a few wisps of smoke and the tolling of the temple bells disturbed the peaceful sight of the buildings rising up with the glorious sunset as a backdrop. These were supposed to be his golden years. His Empire should have been at peace and able to be passed on to his Heir with the knowledge it would continue far after his death. He had fought in wars and known the burning cut of a blade in the heat of battle. All that he had fought so hard to acquire was threatened by a handful of barbarians who didn't understand the glories of civil life. Were he a lesser man he would have railed against the unfairness of it, as it was some part of him gloried in it.
He lifted his eyes up towards the blood red sun that started to lighten to pinks and purples and felt a smile cross his features. Hylar had spent the last two decades of his life chasing fantastic creatures and strange legends; he had thought that this was how he wished to spend his golden years. The fire of an untamed animal and the feel of conquering and taming it seemed to pale as he realized he would once again rise to battle. How better to end his reign and begin his daughters then in the heat of battle and the glory of victory in subjugating those that would dare stand against what he had built. He lifted his head high towards the sky and turned towards the north and the glimpse of the river. He would show them a true god in mortal form if that was what they wished. This time he would not be so merciful.
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The trip down the river had forced her into a world of humiliation and degradation that Lashane had never before experienced and she only prayed remain the worst she ever would experience. She certainly could not imagine anything worse then what she had experienced so far. Even the simplest of things were turned into torture for her. The first had been when she had felt the need to relieve herself. Such a simple act, such a natural act, but she was denied not only privacy, but any sanitary conditions. She had held it until she couldn't stand another moment. The memory had been burned into her mind so sharply that she was unable to forget it, not when she had to relive it time and time again. How could she have come to this?
The first time she had felt the need grow too great it had been when they were on the river and thankfully no towns or people had gathered to watch her. She had closed her eyes and choked back a sound of disgust and horror before she relieved herself on the very deck of the ship with the sailors watching. The sounds of disgust and rough jokes at her expense made it that much worse. They wouldn't even allow her the dignity of carrying her shame in silence. She had laid in the waste for a full hour before they had pulled out buckets of cold river water and splashed it under her tail to wash away the filth. At least they had cleaned her, cleaned her mess, but that was only the start of a day after day process. Something she had been forced to undergo with dread.
She had hoped that if she went at night that she wouldn't be mocked, but after the first day she found out that it wouldn't be cleaned until the morning watch. The hours spent laying there had taught her a new level of humiliation and she found she couldn't even sleep when confronted with the uncomfortable situation. That was the only cleaning she was given on the entire journey. She had grown used to bathing in the pond in the mountains, she often bathed twice a day, but here she offered no such comfort. Her scales started to grow dry and itched as grit and dirt gathered beneath the edges. She couldn't even itch to comfort herself from them, the ropes and chains held her in one painful position the entire trip.
Yesterday had been different though. Yesterday two sailors had come with buckets of water and scrub brushes they often used on the deck of the ship. They had long since lost their fear of her, not after nearly a week of travelling with her and her inability to fight back against them. It had been under Timat's eyes that they had started to scrub her down roughly with the stiff bristled brushes and emptied water out over her body. The rough scent of lye soap had stung her nostrils while she was bathed much as the deck often was; roughly and without any thought to her consent or feelings. They had not missed a spot on her. In fact they had made it a point to find the most humiliating places possible to scrub over. By the end she lost the will to even snarl, instead she had retreated far into herself only to come back to herself when her dinner came.
She had learned the first time it had come time to be fed that the ropes wouldn't be loosened or altered. The only relief she was given from the painfully cramped bondage was the rearranging of the bonds and adding a few others when she proved she could almost shift a hind leg free. The first feeding was given to her by none other than Timat and consisted of carefully chopped meat and thick rich blood that formed a sort of thick slurry. It was poured down her throat by way of a tube that had been shoved along her muzzle all the way towards her neck. It wasn't as satisfying as rich meat being torn from the bones or even her vague memories of rolls and pastries, but it allowed her the strength to live.
Strength to live, there was a joke. Why would she wish to live? This was hardly a life, not when she couldn't quite remember who and what she was. Her memories were so blurred with her life as a dragon that her dreams seemed more real then what had happened in her past. Her memories of her human life had started to stir since the coming of dawn when she realized she was watching farm lands that she knew. At first the knowledge was vague, but the further they went down the river, the more sure she was that she had once known this place. She had once been human here, she had walked on two legs and known the gift of speech and been respected for who she was. A powerful mage.
"Well my dear Charm." The name made her bristle, at first it had been Good Luck Charm, and then Luck Charm, now Timat simply referred to her as Charm. As if she was an animal that he could name! "Tomorrow we shall see the Capitol where you will show well for them, now won't you?"
She watched Timat walk in front of her as the setting sun had started to set and darkness was coming. Even as the darkness started to swallow the land she could see a light spot over the south eastern ridge of land. The sun wasn't causing that. It was the Capitol. It was heavily populated enough to make sure that even on the darkest of nights it would still leave a stain of light in the world. She didn't know if she dreaded or looked forward to going home. There had to be a way to turn her back, and that was the place most likely to ensure that she would be recognized for what and who she was. On the other hand, did she really want others to know what she had become?
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Timat crouched down right at the head of the beast and looked over her with a smug air of a man who had all he wished in the world. The trip had allowed him to grow closer to Charm. He had found the name fitting for such a regal beast, though he knew the Emperor might very well change it to something more appropriate for a warm mount. She was nothing like the ice wyvern he had captured before her. That beast had shown a savagery that had almost frightened him, while this beast was just as angry it lacked something. It was almost as if it were already partially tamed with the way it watched everything. The complete lack of fear in its eyes wasn't just from being a large predator, but almost as if it knew what a man was and what they could do.
The captain had assured him that they would be home tomorrow and he would be able to once again walk the streets and know the luxuries he had once taken for granted. One problem, though, kept nibbling at the back of his mind. One problem that made him feel a mixture of frustration and disappointment. When he had brought the damned wyvern back to the capitol he had been forced to make sure that it was completely chained down both by magic and mundane means. It had made for an interesting return, but it had not been promising in the Emperor's eyes that it hadn't been able to be handled at all. That had set the theme for how the beast's life would be while held captive. It was untamable, unmanageable and all around unpleasant.
He wouldn't take her into the city as he had the other beast. This one would be different. He wasn't a novice when it came to flying creatures. He had once practiced falconry quite regularly and found joy in hunting with the large eagles and falcons. Even now that he had fallen out of the habit, he was known to keep a parrot to amuse himself with. He knew one indisputable fact. An animal unable to fly would look to humans for dependency. With a bird its wings could be clipped, but with a dragon he couldn't copy what he had done with the avians. What he could do was remove her ability to gain flight through making her too heavy to fly.
It had taken the better part of a long drunken night to form the plan between himself and the hunters. At first they had thought of simply chaining her wings down, but if the rest of her was free she would likely pull the chains off with her muzzle or paws. The other idea had had much more merit. Weights could be affixed to her to keep her from doing nothing more than batting her wings if they were left untied and keeping her from tearing the chains off if they were. He knew bags fitted on her wouldn't work, she'd probably just tear them off if her muzzle was free or she could get a paw up. It would look less impressive as well if he had her bogged down and obviously bound. If he fed them too her she might end up getting sick and he'd also have to deal with her unbound jaws.
The idea for keeping her bound to the ground came to him quite amusingly while he was entertaining a rather enticing dark haired lass at one of the villages. There were other places one could place things that were remarkably stretchy and had a barrier that would stop them from going too terribly deep. It was made to expel large objects and there was no reason he couldn't use it for his own purposes. The captain in particular had seemed amused at his suggestion and in the very next town had helped him locate heavy cast iron cannon balls that would be roughly the right size and shape to work on the creature. They were roughly like eggs after all, at least in shape.
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"I think, my fine Charmer, that we need to get you ready for your big debut tomorrow hmm?" Timat's voice was mocking and cloyingly sweet so that it made her wince. "So let's see about making sure you look your best."
Lashane watched him move out of sight and even strained on the chains to get a good look at him before he moved out of her line of view. Did he intend on brushing her mane? Oiling her hide? She was almost to the point of not caring, but curiosity won out the moment she heard something heavy being drug across the rough wooden deck. Whatever it was, it was large enough that it made a sharp screeching noise as it was pulled along next to her haunches and she let out a soft snort. It was probably new chains meant to replace the ugly, but serviceable ones. Who would want to see a dragon weighed down in heavy hemp and black pitted metal after all?
She was given a hint as to what it was when she felt Timat's hands gripping the very base of her tail and slipping something that felt like leather beneath it. More chains then. Probably something that was designed to look pretty as well as functional. She hoped it was more the former then the latter. If it were merely decorative she might be able to pull her way free. The sling under her tail pulled taught before it started to raise her tail upwards higher in the air. She snarled out a protest as she felt it pulling back over on itself so that it followed the line of her spine and haunches. What did he want to do? Create an entirely new position to keep her in? The next pull made her feel her loins bared to the light and she tugged roughly against the sling to try and cover herself.
"My my, and a lady!" Timat's voice was merry as she heard rope creaking. He must have tied the sling off. "Don't worry, Charm, just be a good girl and stay still. This won't hurt at all. In fact, you may find it pleasurable."
Lashane flattened her crest straight against her neck and her rumbling snarl reached a new level at those words. Was he drunk? Drugged? Did he intend to try and make the claim he had mounted a dragon in a less traditional sense. The size difference was ludicrous and the very idea of it made her anger start to boil over. It was nearly confirmed he moment she felt a hand pushing right up against her vent and she curled her lips back to let out an almost violent hiss in reaction. The sound was cut off when something slippery and cold splashed against her making her strain forward away from the sensation. What was he doing? He didn't need to be doing anything back there! Ever!
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Timat took a moment to idly examine the dragon's loins. He'd never actually paid attention to this part of her. Amazingly she was built differently then what he'd seen of lizards and the like. Instead of pebbled scales that might outline a ridge of flesh that lead towards a vent area, there were broad scales with two of them oddly shaped so that the top one was pulled out of the way when her tail was raised high in the air. The folds themselves were almost tear shaped and a pale almost white coloration. To add to his idle observations she also possessed an anal ring that he'd found uncommon in most reptiles. Normally they had the equivalent of a cloaca.
He pulled up the bucket he'd procured from the village of fine slippery oil that they made from a special citrus fruit. It was common enough and the end result was a slippery compound that was used to lubricate some clock work machinery and wheels. He didn't want to damage his prize after all. He scooped up a generous handful before slathering it over the pale folds and hear a sudden hiss and eruption from the creature. He didn't give it a second thought when he moved down and slathered another handful over the scaled vent until it started to drip down all the way along her inner thighs. The sharp citrusy scent made him wrinkle his nose as he thoroughly worked it over her and then moved a finger up to brush between them.
The mage had no idea just how much she could take. She was obviously a large animal, but if she wasn't able to stretch then he would have to find smaller weights to use on her. His fingers parted the outer lips before the slippery digits started to push their way into her body. He felt his lips tremble in the beginnings of a smile as he remembered the times he had seen farmers doing this on a cow birthing. He had been disgusted then, but he had to admit it did have its uses. The beast's vocalizations increased as he started to work the flat of his hand into her body. The inner walls parted easily enough but once he got to the knuckles he had to work at it. He moved his hand to grip a bit more firmly against her haunch as he gave a forceful thrust forward.
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Lashane widened her eyes until she felt them bulging in reaction to what the mage was doing behind her. Once he had stopped slathering whatever he had over her folds his fingers had gone to find her sex. They brushed over the edges with a lack of sensuality that made her force her eyes closed. The hand suddenly started to wedge her open as the fingers slipped into her folds. She could feel the wet lubricant being forced into her as he clinically started to shove his hand in deeper. For one moment she had wondered if he'd found out who she was and decided to take his pleasure with her now that she was immobile and unable to protest. This wasn't what it was.
Timat was treating her like a common animal. He didn't ask permission or even make much of the fact he was fisting her. He simply did what he was doing with all the detachment of a farmer and his live stock. The fist sank in deeper and inched its way in until she felt it nearing the half way point. To her humiliation her walls clamped down around it and she struggled with herself to attempt to push the offending limb out of her body. Instead he forced his way past her powerful muscles until she could feel the curve of his elbow and then his upper arm. Her eyes flashed open when the mage suddenly threw his weight against her and forced his arm in until she felt the brush of fabric from his tunic.
"Aren't you an accommodating lady!" The mage exclaimed sending her into a near fit of anger. Her nostrils flared and she tried to open her jaws. If she could just open them she could have her revenge on him!
The fingers pushed deep enough to prod against her cervix. She could feel the digits wriggling back and forth inside of her. They probed and touched against the tender barrier. What was he looking for? There was nothing in there he should even care about! She struggled to keep her body from reacting to the impartial touches, but whether she wanted it to or not she started to grow aroused. Her walls suckled and flexed around his arm until she was mortified to feel her own slickness coating his arm. His movements came easier as she heard a slick noise when he shifted his arm enough to let his fingers find the opening to her cervix. What had she become that she was animal enough to find this arousing?
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Timat grunted a little as he had to go nearly to his shoulder to feel the barrier inside of her. He wasn't even sure there would be one considering she was a reptile, but her cervix was there and under his finger tips. He brushed the pads of his finger over the muscular blockage and traced around it. There had to be a way past it. If there was a way past it he could force the cannon balls into her egg chamber and they could stay there. He wasn't positive she could lay them naturally, but he was sure that given time she'd do something about them. Until that point she'd be effectively land bound and completely dependent on himself and others for everything she wanted.
He found the opening with his middle finger and started to push against it. It was spongy and puckered, but it gave as soon as he put some force into it. The ring of muscle peeled open wide and he rubbed his finger tips through it lightly in a steady pumping motion to see how it reacted to having something slip through it. He could feel how the walls pulsed around them and felt a mixture of disgust and amusement at her own internal lubricants leaking out around his arm. He hoped she wasn't in heat and getting off on this. He had no desire to be a lover of animals, though there were some rumors about Mage's that might make that seem an almost normal thing.
He pulled his hand free from the passage slowly and listened to the lewd suction noises that came from her as he fought against the squeezing muscles. By the time he felt his wrist resting just inside he was able to give a final yank to free his now slippery and dripping arm. He looked at it and wrinkled his nose a bit before considering the heavy cannon balls. She at least seemed to be stretchy enough to accept them, it would be little trouble now to insert them into her while he had the chance. He picked up one and dipped it into the bucket of oil so that it was almost too slippery to hold before heaving it up to push against the slightly splayed folds.
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Lashane suffered through the sensation of the finger being pushed into her body, though the sensation left her feeling slightly sick inside while it worked through her cervix. It almost pushed its way into the egg chamber itself and it was then she felt an instinctive flood of anger, fear, and desperation. The penetration triggered an urge inside of her that left her sucking in fast breaths and shuddered them out as she tried to get a hold of herself. That part of her that remained more dragon then human felt an instant fear that he was going to eat her eggs. Her eggs? For a moment the former Mage tried to work her way through that thought, but her body and instincts kept screaming he would tear her eggs from her.
A shadow of a memory brushed her mind. Sithen had pinned the body of the gravid dragon down when he had first caught her and forcibly extracted her eggs from her. His long tongue had drug them out as he swallowed them. She had been so frightened and enraged by her capture she had not thought about much more then escape. She hadn't thought about the fact that her 'sire' had taken her lustfully and without remorse several times over while she had been in heat. Even now his eggs must be forming inside of her. How could any part of her want to protect them!? Yet part of her did, it wanted to keep them safe and protected. She barely responded to the pull outwards except the spasms that ran through her muscular passage. Lashane's mind swam with fear and dread of what the future for this body might hold.
"There's a good lass." A wet hand slapped her haunch breaking her from her thoughts. "Now we'll just make sure you know how to behave yourself when we reach the palace."
The dragon rolled her eye back to try and ascertain what he meant, but she found out through touch rather than sight. Something cold, metal and slippery pushed up against her folds so that she whined out and tried to jerk her tail down. It rolled up until it was centered right at her passage and Timat suddenly pushed against it. The weight peeled back her walls until they were being stretched open into a tight lewd ring. It wasn't smooth metal, it was slightly rough around the edges and large enough it made the mage's arm seem slender. Her body shuddered and rolls of tremors spilled through her as the weight of the orb increased. The lewd circle it had made of her folds started to ache as the muscles were strained and nearly torn just trying to hold it.
Suddenly it nearly tripled the weight that it had been and its own mass brutally forced it into her passage while she yowled out a protesting noise. Her eyes bulged as she felt the leaden weight sink along her passage as gravity took its toll. There was no pause as there might have been with a cock thrusting inside of her, it was just a steady drop that was only hampered by her vain efforts to stop it. She swiftly found out that they weren't enough. Not nearly enough. There was nothing she could do to prevent it or slow it. She could only screech out as the pain ran through her in a white hot line along the underside of her belly. Not even the sound of feet on the deck stopped her vocalizations.
Her walls were brutally forced apart too soon so that she felt as if they were paper thin. It was as if the next movement would tear them in twain. It dropped deep enough that her stomach started to cramp up as the muscles vainly tried to stop its descent. Even the roughest of Sithen's attentions had been gentle compared to how the balls nearly tore muscle as it forced its way to hit with bruising force against her cervix. The barrier of muscle bowed in as she thrashed and spread her hind legs to try and squat to make it fall back out. She lost all control of dignity and decorum, under the onslaught of the penetration, the fear of the unknown orb and the pain she turned into nearly a mindless beast.
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"Gods, what's got into the beast.." Timat turned to see the Captain staring wide eyed at the thrashing creature.
He had to admit that the sight was worth more than a few glances. She was beautiful in her agony. Her mane was erect and her teeth flashed in the light. Her eyes swirled a vibrant color of turquoise blue and blood red. Even her pupils were lovely to watch. They flared open to fill her eyes and then pinned down to mere specks before flaring open again. The moment he had released the cannon ball she had gone into fits as if it were killing her. Thankfully with the restraints she couldn't thrash enough to hurt him or anyone else, but it made him wonder exactly what she was feeling that made her react that way.
"A cannon ball." The mage grinned at his own joke and gestured at the other three heavy iron balls.
"Damn, thought she was killing ya the way she went off." The captain rubbed his chin and barked out to the sailors that had better things to do then gawk.
The mage had to admit that it was worth a gawk or two. How often would one see a dragon being put in this position? How often would there be the chance to see one being weighed down? He drew in close to her folds and ran a hand under the curve of her stomach. He didn't see any tearing or blood. He brushed under her stomach until he felt the swollen mound of the ball. It didn't seem deep enough, but then again it might not have been able to penetrate the cervix even with its weight and gravity behind it. He didn't worry that much, he had the other balls to help force the first through and then the rest should follow.
He plucked up another ball and grunted a bit under the weight. If it had weighed just a bit more he would have had to have help. Even at its current weight he wanted to have some help if push came to shove. He used the curve of her under belly as a ramp to roll the ball up and heard the beast shriek out again as if she knew what was going to happen. Perhaps she did. There was always a chance the animal was smart enough to make some small logical guesses. He pushed the ball up until it snugged right up against her folds and started to spread them open. The outer lips widened until they started to thin down. He couldn't help but notice that they were a livid red color and looked almost swollen to the touch.
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Lashane spread her jaws open wider and keened out as the second ball pushed its way past her outer folds. It was just as rough and heavy as the first as it started just the same way. It wedged itself between her folds and just into them. This time she felt her sore muscles being forced aside as she desperately attempted to squeeze them shut. She couldn't do this again, not again. How could he even consider doing this to her?! The weight increased before it slid free from what she assumed was Timat's grasp and then tore through her passage. The descent was just barely slowed down by the muscle spasms as it pierced into her body.
Her jaws gaped open wider and her tongue lolled out as she felt the burning ache filling her cramping stomach before the falling orb came to a stop that made her next scream soundless. Only air whistled out of her throat as the second ball hit the first. The heavy clack was felt as well as heard before the first tore through her cervix as if it were nothing. She could feel the flesh giving way before the weight rolled itself into her stomach and ended up crashing into her egg chamber. The rough texture of the ball scraped places inside of her she never wanted to feel touched as she writhed against her bonds and felt the chains tearing parts of her scales.
Her own movements proved her undoing as the second orb forced its way past her cervix and her stomach started to bulge with the added weights. Her legs strained against the restraints as her legs were bowed outwards and she was left panting and shuddering against the deck of the ship. Her body felt bruised and aching before the next orb was felt being pushed right up against her folds. The weight of it was wedged between them and she could barely let out a whimpering cry before it started to press down between them. Her body couldn't take this! She could already feel the other two weighing down her middle and more disturbingly got treated to the feel of the shifting of more fragile orbs in the form of the eggs that were growing inside of her. Eggs from that damned beast that had forcefully taken her.
The third orb was settled between her folds and she closed her eyes while her body tensed up. The heavy weight started to push between her folds so that they strained open wider and wider. The abused muscles weren't given a chance to recover. Instead Timat seemingly let go of the orb so the weight pushed into her passage and made her crane her head back and snarl out her pain. She was already so sore, but the sudden drop of the orb made her intimately feel each tortured moment that it worked through her protesting body. Her muscular haunches tensed up and she squeezed her eyes closed. She felt as if she had been torn and the muscles had been stretched to the point that she wouldn't be able to recover from it.
The moment it landed against her ravaged cervix she tried to brace herself, despite the fact no amount of bracing would be able to prepare her for what was about to happen. It landed against her cervix so that the weight of it forced into her womb and the weight increased. Her walls pulsed and spasms rocked through her muscles as she gasped for breath and tried to get used to the feel of her strained womb. She wanted to sob, but that would have required energy that she didn't have. All she could do was try to recover herself while the burning ache kept lingering inside of her. She felt as if she'd been bruised and battered, beyond bruised, she was amazed she wasn't bleeding from being so brutally penetrated.
"I think three should do it, we can add more later after all." Timat's voice was chipper and she winced at the thought of this happening again. She couldn't do it again, not again. The weights of the cannon balls settled uncomfortably against the growing eggs inside of her.
Lashane tried to find the strength to move, but all she could feel was the strain of her body and the aftershocks leaving her. She could hear the mage striding away and her head tried to jerk to the side as she felt her tail still up in the air. The barge was bustling with sailors preparing for their last day of sailing while her entire lower body was exposed. Her vent gaped from the stretching and she could feel the wetness from the lubricant and more horrifyingly her own arousal that had lingered there. There was nothing she could do to cover herself up. There was nothing she could do to retain some dignity. She felt her eyes blur slightly as one last thought came to her. What was dignity to an animal? What was dignity to a beast?
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Timat looked out over the edge of the barge as he cleaned off his hands and heard the muffled noises of the beast behind him. He had taken the time to look her over and make sure that she hadn't taken true harm from her ordeal. She wasn't hurt in the traditional sense, though he could imagine that she was more than a little sore. He spared a glance back towards the stomach that now bulged with the weight of the cannon balls that would be used to weigh her down. He wasn't positive it would work, but it had every indication it would at least slow her down. How much could a dragon carry? How much was too much? He'd have to hope for the best. He knew his magic could keep her earth bound, though that was less impressive then if she walked on her own four paws.
He lifted his head up towards the wind that was passing over the barge and when he drew in a breath he could taste the first hint of the summer weather and home on it. He would be home soon and then he would be able to relax no matter what the outcome. He'd had enough of the rough travel and time spent with his bathes coming infrequently and his company being that of rough sailors and men that could use several showers to temper their scents. He longed for luxury and decadence. It was only a matter of time until he found that. Barely half a day remained between him and his elegant rooms, servants, massages and exotic food. Just a few more hours to go.
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"Home, home!" Timat's voice was an excited crowing. "Can't we pick up more speed, Captain? I'm more than ready to enjoy some time on good solid earth."
"Nay, sir. We're nearly there. We'll be makin' port soon right in front o' the palace walls ta unload your prize."
"Excellent! Most excellent!" She could almost imagine Timat rubbing his hands together. He was likely already planning his victorious return to society and how they would praise him for what he had done.
Lashane shifted her eyes as much as she could to watch the grassy shores change into brick walls that had been used to channel the canal's through the city to control traffic. The buildings were made in a style that tickled memories she had buried since the day she had found herself cracking herself free of her egg. The styles, the smells, they were all memories of a life she had thought she had lost. She closed her eyes against a wash of sudden pain. She had finally come home. She had finally come home, but it was like nothing she had ever imagined. There would be a victory party, feasting and rewards given, but they wouldn't be for her. They would be for Timat who had accomplished what she had been unable to.
++++
Timat waited as the barge made its way through the city and stood just at the bow of it as the early morning traffic stopped at the sight of what he was bringing into the capitol. He had made sure that she was gleaming and perfect in every way. She had started to look dull after the first couple of days they had been travelling. It could have been diet, but upon testing some water and soap on a portion of her scales he realized that she must have simply gathered dust faster than a lizard. Or perhaps bathing was simply needed to keep her in good condition. Whatever the reason, he wanted her perfect to show to the emperor. Nothing could go wrong with this presentation, nothing.
He looked back over her with a proprietary air. She was lovely to behold. A queen for any stable and after so many days being trapped and held in bondage on the barge she should be ready for kindness. That was the way to any beast. To show it a harsh hand and then bring it around by offering kindness and small rewards. He had no doubt that was the way to the animal's heart. She was after all a young creature and would respond well to humans if she were only shown they could give her comforts. He regretted he had to bring her chained and roped up as she was, it would make such a better show if she were free of them and able to spread those glorious broad wings.
"Greetings from Emperor Hylar!" A voice bellowed towards him and he jerked away from his thoughts to find a man running beside the barge. A man in the dress of a palace servent.
"Greetings from Mage Timat, Councilor to his Imperial Majesty!" He returned the greeting and moved to one side to grip the dragon's large curved horn only to watch the servant blanch slightly.
"His majesty requests that you dock at the very entrance of his home in honor of your glorious return." The messenger called back before having to dart around a portion of wall.
"My thanks!" Timat called back before turning to the Captain only to see him already guiding the ship towards the left canal that was lined with pure alabaster and marble.
It was exactly what he expected. It would be a glorious return for him and a reward for a job well done. He could already imagine what prizes would await him here. At the very least he could count on being placed higher up in the court. Perhaps he would even be granted land and titles of his own. He let his hand slide up and down the dragon's horn as if he were rubbing a good luck charm. He watched as the walls of the canal became more ornate until he could see the first glimpse of the ivory and ruby red of the palace. If he weren't mistaken he also so the movement of people gathered on the dock awaiting his arrival. Yes, she truly was his good luck charm.
+++++
Lashane first became aware of where she was when she saw the red and white flags and buildings that marked the palace itself. They were hauntingly familiar to her. It was as if she were dragging up memories from a dream as she saw the flags fluttering in the breeze. The stylized sun and swords looked more daunting now than when she had been a human. The very image of them seemed to hold the promise of violence as the sun was speared through with five swords against the blood red back drop. It was a testament to the Empires strength of arms and the futility of standing against it. Once she had believed in it, now...now she was not so sure.
Her body still ached from the cannonballs being forced inside of her, she felt sick in her stomach while she turned her head as much as she could. Her eyes finally closed for a moment as she moved her haunches just enough that she felt them rolling along the underside of her belly. Did she imagine that she heard the click of the heavy orbs hitting against each other? She wasn't even sure she could stand up in this state, let alone fly. She would kill him for this. Somehow she would find the strength to slaughter Timat for what he'd done to her. At least her tail had been allowed to drop before they came into view of the city. She felt even worse for the simple amount of gratitude she'd felt at being able to keep herself from being exposed.
As they came closer to the dock a sudden eruption of noise startled her into straining against the bonds that had nearly rubbed her raw. She rumbled and tried to throw Timat's hand away from her horn as a cheer rose up into the air around them. It was accompanied by the sudden blast of brassy trumpets that heralded their arrival. They were celebrating! They were celebrating her capture. She could see the crowd that had gathered in their finest clothes even in the heat of the coming noon to welcome the Mage back and see what he had brought. To see her. This was not the homecoming she had wished for, this was not what she had imagined when she had imagined returning home.
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