Recorded Accounts of Eveshir: Grifton
Recorded Accounts of Eveshir City of Grifton and Origins of Name
Interviewer: Tell me about your time in Grifton.
Not long enough. It was perhaps my favorite place. I mean it still is. The weather in Lunacord's certainly balmier. But outside of the gang I had no friends, no home. Grifton was where I first began to belong.
I: where is Grifton? How would somebody from here find it?
You'd be hard pressed to miss it. There are signs all along the road these days. But before the fall of Varnica, the kingdom was eager to forget the city ever existed. See, Grifton's a city state on the border of Varnica and Fallion, along the way east to Lunacord. Of course there have always been roads that bypass Grifton, and the people there are glad for it.
I: When did you first arrive there?
It had been just over my second year when the gang had split apart and I escaped Lunacord. The road to Grifton was well-covered but still visible. The two cities were part of a cultural melting pot long ago. Lunacord was established and controlled by the dragons before the Grassland Wars. And Grifton had before then refused to join Fallion because of their staunch anti-human policies. The Griftonim knew the economical loss in cutting off any race. So when I arrived, the city population was one quarter human, mostly exiles and enemies of the king.
Despite their open arms to all races, the people generally hated Varnicans because of heated politics and old grievances. Plus the elders held a strict policy concerning immigrants, and my criminal record did nothing to help. When I came to the gates and asked for entry, the guards whisked me through the grand stone archway of the walls that surrounded the hillside home. The first sight to greet me was an open plaza full of light and space. A large fountain stood in the center-the water flowed from several animal statues made of rock.
I took in as much as I could with my eyes in the little time they gave me. They sure as hell weren't stopping. However I did notice the general state of the city was lacking in fine polish. It was only after living there that I learned of the region's wild weather patterns. Fierce winds, heavy rain, these were quite common. But the trees kept falling over and crashing into houses, or shingles would fly off and break a window. So much of their resources went to repairs. It was such a waste and left the city no time or materials for beautification.
Speaking of which, the guards weren't too bad looking. One of them was a big, hunky bear. I could see the brown furry snout and knuckles popping out of his tight-fitting armor. His big hand remained clamped onto my scrawny arm like he was grasping a straw. It was quite a sight, I must say. Had I not been rushed and a bit in pain from the tight grip, I probably would have enjoyed it. Stop me if I'm rambling. I could talk all day.
I: That's ok. The details are wonderful. Where were they taking you?
Well normally they would take you to their city offices. Had I known what was happening I probably would have broken off from the guards and hid in the streets. We stopped at a cold-looking building made of dark stone. The windows had bars in them. This should have been my tip- off. It seemed that my reputation had preceded me. Inside the building, past the desk and down a flight of stairs, an empty jail cell welcomed me. As did the warden, a terribly old man with no teeth. The guard threw me into the cell. And then they left me.
I: I guess they didn't know you well enough. So you broke out, I take it?
Actually... no. After what happened, I became so curious that I decided to wait. Somebody HAD to say something. So I waited, and waited... and waited. A high-pitched voice came from the cell next to me and said, "Hey, what are you in for?"
"I don't know yet," I replied. I had to think about it actually. "How 'bout you?"
And then it started. "Conspiracy and attempted murder. They said I'm a traitor cause I tried to take down the elders. But THEY'RE the traitors! They're casting spells on the air so that we're paying the tax collector when we don't even HAVE to! It's all a plot to keep us poor so we don't get to their level."
The paranoid rants continued, but it did enlighten me to the thin but solid lines between classes. It was otherwise agony. I had to tune him out, so I just started humming loudly. Just as I had grown impatient of my new home I heard soft footsteps and a lone clacking on the stairs.
The first to come into view was a walking cane grasped by a dark scaly hand. Boney knuckles curled over the silver handle and dragged forth a shambling dragon draped in maroon robes. Unlike the warden's vapid face, the dragon's obvious age seemed to carry wisdom. The wrinkled scales drooped over the tiny eyes elegantly. Much of the folds disappeared anyway against the blackish-purple scales. He was small for a dragon, a drop shorter than myself and with a hunched back. But his tail made up in length where his height failed, dragging along the floor behind him.
I stood against the bars, gripping them and sticking my head out as much as possible. Wanted to see who I was gonna be dealing with. His snout came right up to mine and smiled. Warm but way too close.
"So, the iron boy sits in our jails and doesn't try to escape?" he asks rhetorically. His voice like velvet granite sent shivers down my spine. "Most interesting."
I was a little more forward in those times. "Okay, how do you know who I am?" I demanded.
I: You said this while he was still ... Nose to nose?
Oh sorry, no, I pulled back the moment he started talking. Lots of sharp teeth. He stayed right there and talked on. "The elders know many things about the past and the present-even a few things about the future." He paused not out of hesitation but to watch for my reaction. Those warm little eyes seemed to grope every inch of my body as I held myself back. I was still... feral, you could say.
"You are young and anxious," he went on, "but not without wisdom." Every time he smiled, the loose skin over the corners of his lips rippled across his cheekbones. "So what brings you to our fair city?"
After all I went through to get there, there I was sitting before one of the elders and I couldn't bring myself to ask for shelter. I had seen the city, how undisturbed they were by the surrounding kingdoms. For me to hide out among them would have stirred up a whirlwind of political wrath. All I could say to him was, "Passing through." He asked me, "To where?" and I simply shrugged.
"Come now, playing the fool doesn't suit your face at all. Why don't we speak somewhere more comfortable?" I really just wanted him to leave so I could break out and disappear into the night, but those eyes didn't seem to want to take 'no' for an answer. And I supposed anywhere would be warmer than that dank, cold cell. I agreed to his proposal and he stepped away from the cell and motioned for me to come forward. The cell was still locked, of course.
I: He wanted to see your ability.
He wanted me to know that he knew about me. It was all a power play: the staring, the close quartering, the reference to my moniker. All that time he never introduced himself. I sighed, stood up. My hand gently gripped the lock of the door. With my other hand, I cut off the lock with a finger like it was cake icing. The bars swung aside and I stepped out. Like a considerate prisoner I put the lock back on, clumping around the edges. Back then my powers were still a bit crude. All the time he watched with intrigue. I supposed I was the only person in that world who could shape metal with my bare hands.
He took me to his home. Dark but warm, just like him. Rich wood, thick velvet drapes, the smell of burning incense in the air. We sat by the fireplace in his private chambers. The soft crackling of the fire and the pitter-patter of a sudden rain shower filled the room, so soothing and peaceful. He offered me a drink. That's when I saw his servant- well, one of them- and I figured it out.
He was young, barely a man. He wore a loincloth. That's it. It wasn't even that concealing. He was cute, nice body- not my type though.
I: your type was sitting beside you.
Yeah... listen, how much detail do you want?
I: it's okay. We don't have to publish the private stories.
Sorry, I've never spoken about these things in public... TO the public. I'll be okay.
I: So he offered you a drink and this boy comes in...
Yes, he held a tray with a coffee pot and two cups, one silver and one porcelain. He set them down on the small table that divided our two chairs. The old dragon grinned. "I hope you'll understand if I wish to keep my silverware intact."
Already feeling a little more comfortable, I decided to be bold. Couldn't let him think he held ALL the cards. Before he could take the silver cup, I swiftly took it in my own hands. "I do know how to control myself," I said, returning the grin.
This seemed to amuse him. "You are fascinating. My visits to Lunacord did little to uncover your mysteries. How is it you didn't exploit your talents to their fullest?"
"I was never so flagrant. The last thing I needed was for the city guard to know who they were searching for. They still think Sebastian Finn and the Steelshaper are two separate people." I took a sip of the coffee. It was dark and bitter and tasted like dirt. Perfect.
He seemed to sip at the same time, absorbing my words seemingly through osmosis. "Sebatian, it is? I have certainly heard stories of your fierceness and fury. But here you sit beside me, so open and vulnerable."
His words returned me to the shy boy I used to be. "I am different from the boy I once was, but I suppose he still lives when I don't have to bear my fangs." My hands clamped each other and fidgeted over my knees. "I guess that's why I came. There is nothing in Varnica for me but a jail cell.. Or maybe a casket. The people I hurt... I know I can't repair the damage, but I know I can change. I'm ready to do my time if that's what it takes. But Varnica will only have my head."
He listened intently, his eyes demanding to know more. I sighed heavily. "I come from another world. I don't know how I got here or how to get back. It's been two years. I've struggled every step of the way. And no matter where I turn or what I uncover, somehow returning home seems more and more each day like a dream that will never come to fruition. I've..." I stopped mid-sentence, feeling the pang of hopelessness well up in my throat, like trying to swallow dead memories. As my eyes began to water, I put my head down and rubbed the bridge of my nose. "...given in to the notion that it's time to find a new home. All I want now is a bed to lay my head at each night, a job to do each morning. I..."
He raised a hand to cut me off. "How should I explain to the other elders of allowing a criminal into our town? How should I explain it to Lunacord? To the king?" Now, I knew nothing of politics then. All I offered him was an embarrassed shrug. I was better than that. I could have offered a hundred ideas. And yet, here I was finally playing by the book and totally tapped.
It felt ominous. My body tensed up, preparing for rejection. If I had a shell I would have crawled up into it as a response. He merely watched my nervous ticks. He'd sip his coffee as his eyes and mind roamed separately.
Silence. So long... It was torture.
"In some cases a prisoner may choose service in lieu of imprisonment. This does not extend to murderers." I opened my mouth but had nothing to offer. Yes, I did kill a few people. It was... anyway, I regretted it, and at that moment I was ready to take jail.
He rubbed his chin. "Hmmm... as far as anyone knows, we have the Steelshaper, a petty thief, in captivity. I may be convinced to forget the murderer Mr. Finn ever passed through these walls."
I looked into his eyes, attempting to uncover his motive for hiding my crimes. But I couldn't disguise my hope. "What are you getting at?" I asked with caution.
"A simple blood oath, pledging that you shall never again kill for any reason but defense and righteousness." That I could do. I was more than eager to put my killing days behind me. I nodded, he returned the gesture. "As per your sentence, you will join my servants for half a year."
I looked over my shoulder at the servant who remained in the room until we were finished with our coffee. "I have been through this before. The dozens of judging eyes, the exploitation, no end in sight..."
"I assure you, there are no judging eyes in my company, not even mine which know you best."
I could see what he wanted. His scaly lips thirsted as he looked me over. Yet all this talk of servitude had me worried. "It is not judgment that I can see in yours."
He let out that guilty little chuckle people do when they're caught ogling - apologetic but still lusty. " I would never make you something you are not. I assure you I am only entertaining the feelings I sense from you. The smell of pheromones is not completely blocked by your fear."
Yes, he called me out. My face turned red as a beet. "Of course. Anything else?"
"You will carry out daily chores, but most of your penance shall require learning. I still hear you struggling with the common tongue, and I expect you to return to free life an educated man. I have gathered from your past a resent towards authority, so The second half of your sentence shall be served out in the city militia." I thought about this for a moment and he gave pause for me. I had terrible projections of life in an army, but it would give me opportunity to sharpen my skills. I nodded for him to continue. "Also, should you be asked to perform any services using your talents, you will be paid a fair amount to be held until you have filled out your entire sentence."
His hand reached out to me. "Agree to these terms and you can begin your new life." I stared at the hand. The lines in his palm and fingerprints were large and coarse, snaking down his hand like swirling canyons. His long fingers waited patiently for my hand so they may shackle my wrist. A year. It's a long time to be a prisoner there. But if it meant a second chance, I was willing to do it. I looked up at him, and as my hand reached out, a thought occurred. "I don't even know your name. How shall I address you?"
He smiles widely as our two hands met. The hot, leathery skin closed against my own firmly. He had some strength for an aged fellow. "Zelig is my name, but you shall call me 'Sire.' There is another matter. You will have to leave the name Sebastian Finn behind."
"What do I call myself then?"
"That is not your decision." I feared immediately that I just gave myself away forever and tried to draw back. He laughed. "Fear not, you will not be chained or coerced to my whims. I give you choices I deem you fit for making. Now come help an old serpent to his bed."
My first act of servitude was not by any means boring. I rose to help him to his feet. His other hand picked up his cane and he seemed to walk much swifter than before. "I'm not as feeble as I appear, but rainy nights like this make my bones sore." he dismissed the servant with a nod and stopped at the side of the bed. He pointed to a nearby chair. "Place your clothes neatly on the chair," he said, his gently rumbling voice clouding my mind, "then you shall lay beside me tonight."
I obeyed, unbuttoning my shirt. He waved his hand implying that I slow down and relax. I was trembling so much I couldn't even grip my buttons. He pulled me towards him and assisted me. "Fear is natural when you enter uncharted waters. This is how it shall be. From now until one year has passed, you are mine to command. You shall do as I expect. This is how we will resolve your most grievous crimes. Understood, child?"
Once again his words stripped every last emotional defense left standing. He made me feel like a child, something my boyish features exaggerated despite the scruffy beard and feint moustache. I tried my best to compose myself and neatly pile my clothes on the chair. He kept his robes on, another form of control. All the time my mind ran a thousand miles per hour but the smell of dragonskin and vanilla permeated my consciousness. Seemed he enjoyed the aroma of vanilla beans and kept extract in a vial by his bed.
I was commanded to lay stomach down on the bed. As I stared at the crimson pillow in front of me I felt the silky blanket against my skin before his hand softly lay against my back. The hot, clammy palm traveled along the canyon where my spine led to the small and beyond to my butt. He murred softly as his hand groped each cheek. A lone finger reached out and led the hand down my crack. His touch tingled, yet I kept my eyes on that pillow and drew shallow breaths. A claw reached in and probed my guarded anus, not yet trying to gain entry but just to scope the lay of the land... pardon the pun.
I predicted his every move, and yet my body shivered with a fear of the unknown. He climbed into the bed, kneeling on all fours over me, and he wrapped me up in his arms. I was hoisted up so that now I was on all fours and he lay draped over me, the soft scales of his chest and belly and the smooth texture of his robes enveloping my torso. It was at that point my body dominated my head. Feeling his skin, his heat, the breath against my ear saying, "You are beautiful." All this caused my limp cock to fill with blood and stiffen at an alarming rate.
As if he sensed I was finally getting aroused, his hand snaked along my stomach down to grasp at my hardened flesh. "Oh!" he said, "What have we here?" The fingers touched and teased all the nerve bunches along my cock and raked at the heavy balls beneath. All the heat rushed to my face and ears, and he chuckled softly. His fingers finally closed around my cock, gently pumping and massaging.
"Good boy," he said as he slowly milked me, "Gooood boy. How I shall enjoy your body." His touch was amazing. He knew exactly what buttons to press, and were he not in total control I may have exploded within seconds. He continued to edge me for what seemed like forever, his long tongue reaching around the back of my head to caress my cheek. "And you shall enjoy mine, I wager," he whispered into my ear.
Suddenly I was spun around and pinned to the bed. He straddled me, his knees bookending my head, and opened his robes to reveal a bright pink penis standing at full attention from his sheath. He scooted himself forward so that the reptilian flesh hovered over, dripping precum onto my nose. His hand reached for my hair, pushing my forehead down into the soft mattress so that I may catch his pre in my mouth. It was more than just salty... a distinct taste, heavy in what I could only call male essence, stuck in the back of my tongue as I was forced to swallow.
Zelig wrapped his thick tail around the back of my head, providing my neck support for the inevitable. My head raised, his cock now rested against my face, pulsing with impatience. I reached my head up as far as I could manage. His rump and the whole of his torso pinned my arms behind him. He laughed at my feeble attempts to reach the tip of his dick with my lips and held my head in place. "Allow me," he said and aimed the pointy head into my mouth.
As my tongue brushed against the sensitive underside of that brightly-colored flesh for the first time, I could feel the electricity pass through the two of us. He arched his back and moaned long and deep, his throat visibly vibrating. The sensation passes down through his back and into my mouth. I could actually taste his ecstasy. My mouth worked its way down until I felt the head pushing at the back of my throat. I could fit more than half his cock in my mouth comfortably. His hips bucked and thrusted and he ran his hands through my hair.
"Oh yes!" he would cry out. I could sense the waves of pleasure inside him. Whenever they would wane, he would ever so slightly rock back and forth inside me, the throbbing cock just teasing my tongue. As they built, the rocking grew stronger and stronger into a fierce face-pounding. He reached under my chin to feel the muscles in my throat - to feel that flesh of his in me.
My own cock was suffering for touch. I tried to placate it with my own hands, but I yearned for him to take my pleasure into his control. It was his touch I wanted, this great wise master who loomed over me and held my head as if it were his prize possession. I'd bottom for dozens of men, even been raped and found my body enjoy it for a fleeting moment, but this was different. It was a choice that was completely mine. I could have taken jail and eventually would have found an escape. And yet, here I was, scarfing down as much of this thick meaty dick as I could manage. I kept thinking to myself, A whole year... this is all I'll know for a year.
And he echoed that thought with a grave chill. "This is all you shall know..." Was he reading my thoughts? Could Zelig actually control my mind? Those mysteries would have to wait, for the sensation drove me into a wild frenzy. I moaned loudly, feeling the crying muscles in my voice tingle. My hands gripped his back and kneaded deeply into the muscles beneath. He grabbed onto them and picked up speed, his pelvis slamming into my face over and over. Between that and his ragged breathing and growling, I knew he was close. I let my tongue do the rest to bring him over, sliding and tugging, savoring every last moment.
"Yes," he hissed, "yes, my boy!" In that imminent moment he pushed my head as far down on his pole as would fit, and the final wave of orgasm sent the thick dragon cum surging forth. I swallowed as much as I could, choking in between gulps and allowing some to escape through the corners of my lips. He did not roar, just called out in melody descending with the waning flow of seed until it reduced to a heavy pant. He looked down at me and smiled widely, his cock still in my mouth and leaking all around me. I was panting myself, my nose the only free orifice with which to take breath. A finger ran across the side of my face. "Such a lovely sight," he said jokingly as he worked his cock out, "I would savor it for as long as I could, but I wager you're in need of some fresh air."
With a pop the fleshy beast ripped itself from the dark confines of my mouth, and I responded with a heavy gasp. As I drew in breath, he reached over to his nightstand and opened a drawer underneath the dim-glowing lamp. Repositioning himself atop me, he took my arm in his free hand as I watched with curiosity. From the drawer he drew an ornate dagger. The handle was gold plated and adorned with jewels. I could sense a magic power coming from the dagger, an indication that I could not bend it. My body tensed up, fearing I may be a sacrifice. He looked into my eyes. "Relax. It will just be a nick."
Zelig's lips drew inward, and he seemed to wince. Suddenly, a drop of blood ran from his mouth and kissed my nose. I braced myself for the pain, as I am and have always been a wimp when it comes to that stuff. He ran the knife along my right arm, just under the wrist. I yelped as the sharp pain reminded me of the sensation of razor metal against skin. The cut was pretty deep, and blood poured freely until he took the wound in his mouth. His tongue swirled around the wound, stinging, probably contaminating I thought. After a few seconds, he removed my wrist from his mouth and closed his hand around the wound. A few words muttered under his breath and the wound closed itself up before my very eyes, leaving nothing but a thin scar.
"In my presence and guidance," he stated, "you shall not harm another living creature under the pretense of anger or hatred. Before this time is over, you shall become a model citizen - a respected and loved figure in your community." All this while his now limp cock began to retreat from my face back into its sheath, leaving a white slimy trail behind it.
"I shall call you Eveshir," Zelig continued, "after the broad green fields in the Valley of Light. I name you for your hidden wisdom and your open and receiving mind. I expect you of all men may one day learn many great mysteries of our world."
"Eveshir," I whispered, staring back at him in awe. My old lives seemed to melt away under the weight of my new name. It came with purpose... as if I already had some grand destiny just by inheritance of my new identity.
His tail slowly slithered back behind him and brushed against my still rigid member. "Oh!" he almost squealed with surprise, "How did we manage to forget this?" A wicked smile grew across his face as I could feel his tail coiling around it. He worked it like a deft third hand, pumping over and over with a rhythm that never wavered. I writhed in ecstasy underneath him. All he did was watch my face contorting between his legs. I looked up occasionally and saw that smile still there.
I just couldn't take it anymore. The long, strong muscle wrapped tightly around my own... I couldn't hold back. My moans turned into howling as I erupted behind him like a volcano. The hot lava ran down the trails of his coils. The aftershocks left me shuddering long afterwards. Zelig moved back, sitting on my glazed, softening hard-on. He pulled me close and kissed me. "Do not tire yourself too soon, my pet," he said, "We've only just begun."
I: Really?
Heh... yeah...