The Valley of Wonder

• Chapter 7 in the Chronicles of the DragonRider

A shadow passed over the mountains, sending travelers and animals in a headlong rush towards the nearest cover. Dragons were not unknown in those parts, and nobody wanted to be the next meal of one of those terrors of the skies. Fortunately for the travelers and local wildlife, however, the sharp-eyes silhouette that hovered in the skies above, wasn't looking for a quick bite.

It's got to be around here somewhere... Anitra told Blake over their telepathic channel, looking from the map in her hands to the mountains below. Grumbling, she decided to concentrate on looking at the map - sharp though her own vision might be, Blake's was sharper still, so if he couldn't spot it, she wouldn't have much of a chance either. Tracing the outline of the map with a finger, she transmitted the image to Blake, while he swiveled his head about in search of a match.

Maybe we should just try and fly over the mountains? Must be easier than finding this damned pass... Anitra finally asked, shaking the map angrily. Not a good idea, Blake calmly replied. Supposedly, the valley is concealed from above by a powerful illusion - just like the Glade of the Unicorns in Silverdale, remember? Oh, and incidentally, those mountains a pretty damned high. I could probably claw my way that far up, but the air's too thin for you to survive there for long. DragonRider or not, you still need to breathe.

Anitra sighed, and glared at the map once more. Supposedly, it should guide them to the secret entrance to the Valley of Wonder, but so far it had been a wild goose chase. None of the mountains in the area matched the outlines displayed in the map - the map showed broad, stubby mountains, while these were more like sharp-pointed spikes, stabbing at the skies. At least they had no trouble maintaining their altitude - the snow-covered ground below reflected the sunlight, and created a tremendous updraft, so Blake was basically just hovering, moving his wings only for course corrections.

Something about that line of thought stuck in her mind... they were looking from a vantage position in the skies, making everything much easier than if they'd been trouncing about on the ground. Yes... whoever had drawn this map probably hadn't had the aid of an air survey! Blake, I've got it... go down low. Low? Blake sounded mystified. Yes, low - as low as you can get without hitting stray trees. Don't you see? Mountains look quite different from the ground... Blake instantly grasped her thought, and put it into action. From hovering in the skies, practically motionless, they went into a sharp dive, causing Anitra to gasp at the sudden feeling of free fall. The ground rushed up towards them with tremendous speed...

Right when it seemed inevitable that they would be smashed against the sharp crags of the mountain, Blake spread his wings again, and now they were rushing through the air only a few meters off the ground. Checking the mountains that now loomed imposingly above them, she instantly saw the resemblance to the map, and guided Blake in the right direction with a single thought. A shift of his huge wings, and they were careening around the ragged mountain, towards a valley that looked much the same as all the others - but if the map was right, it was a pass that led into the mysterious Valley of Wonder.

Through the pass they flew at a dizzying speed, Blake's wingtips almost touching the snow-covered walls. A fierce grin was on Anitra's face - Blake brought her many kinds of pleasure, and the pleasure of flight was not least among those. She could tell that Blake was enjoying it too - he was taking an unnecessary chance, flying this fast, this low, but he had a complete confidence in his own skills - and so did she.

Then, one of his wingtips grazed the walls of the canyon. It only just barely touched the snow, and the drag was not enough to make Blake loose control - as a matter of fact, he barely noticed it. But beneath the layer of powdery snow they could both see, was a layer of hard, slick ice, the result of an unusually warm day that had melted the uppermost layer of the snow, only for it to be frozen by the chill of the night. On the steep canyon walls, the snowy cover could only just barely stick to the ice. And that one touch from Blake's wingtip, was one touch too much. Behind the flying couple, an avalanche started, quickly tearing tons of snow, ice and rocks along with it. That wasn't much of a problem, though, since it happened behind them. The problem was that the tremendous roar of the avalanche, shook loose the snow of the entire canyon. Before either one of them had time to react, a curtain of white were advancing on them from all sides.

Blake desperately attempted to regain height, to get above the avalanche, but the canyon was too narrow - the falling snow hit his wings, weighing him down, delaying him fatally. The entire world turned to white as they plunged towards the floor of the canyon together, and the last thing Anitra saw, before she passed out, was the black maw of a large cave ahead - the passage they had been searching for...

She slipped slowly back to consciousness. The first thing she noticed was the warmth that surrounded her - she was lying in a pleasantly warm bed. The smell of hot porridge wafted past her nostrils, causing her to smile faintly. She could hear those indefinable sounds of someone working in a kitchen. As she lay there with her eyes closed, she thought, for a moment, that maybe the whole thing with Blake and her being a DragonRider, had all been a dream - and she was waking up in her own bed back home, while her mother was preparing breakfast in the kitchen downstairs.

Then, as she opened her eyes, she returned to reality. The ceiling she saw above her wasn't the white-painted roof of her bedroom back home, but rather the roughly finished beams of a log cabin. Still, she had no idea where she was, or how she'd gotten here - or who was making hot porridge. She could feel that her armor had been removed - she was naked under the covers - and of course her sword wasn't handy either. But at least she wasn't tied or chained down, like last time she'd woken up from a bout of unconsciousness. Thank heaven for small favors.

Suddenly, she remembered the avalanche, and Blake crashing with his wings weighed down by snow. Blake? She called out telepathically. She got no reply, and though she stretched out as far as she could, she could not sense his mind at all. Either she'd been brought a significant distance while she slept, or... no, that couldn't be. She was certain that, if he'd been dead, she would have felt it. But somehow, their telepathic connection had been cut off.

It was time to get some answers. Sitting up in the bed, she rapidly turned her head in the direction of the sounds she was hearing, hoping to assess how dangerous - or harmless - her apparent savior was. Her most immediate assessment: Very, very, dangerous. Rather than the gray-bearded hermit she'd expected to see, a 7-foot tall werewolf was standing in the cabin's small kitchen, stirring the porridge. The image would have been hilarious, if it hadn't been for the immediate threat to her life. Quickly, her eyes scanned the room, searching for her equipment - and there it was, in plain sight, lying on a chair near the bed, armor and sword both. Her pulse, which had leaped the moment she saw her host, began to fall somewhat again. If he intended to eat her, or anything like that, he would hardly have left her weapon within easy range.

The werewolf's sharp ears had picked up the sound of her sitting up, and now he turned from the boiling cauldron to regard her with his yellow eyes. "Ah, you're awake already - please, do not be alarmed, I mean you no harm. I found you in the snow while hunting, and brought you here. I'm really amazed at how quickly you've recovered - it seems as if you've taken no harm from the freezing cold, despite your rather skimpy outfit." He gestured briefly at her armor with the ladle in his hand, and then proceeded to remove the cauldron of porridge from the fire. Anitra just nodded, stunned by surprise. Not only was this werewolf apparently making breakfast for her, he was also speaking in a perfectly understandable tongue. She knew about werewolves from her mother - and according to her, they were slavering predators while in their wolf-shape, capable of some degree of rational thought, but totally centered on the hunt for fresh meat. Something awfully strange was definitely going on...

With a shrug, she decided to just take it as it came. She got out of bed, and started putting her armor back on, while the wolf filled a wooden bowl with porridge. "Thank you for saving me, mister..?" she queried. He shrugged, putting the bowl on the table. "We don't really use names much around here... but you can call me Lupus, I suppose. Please, eat - you need to get something warm in you." She nodded, sitting down at the table, noticing how often Lupus' eyes strayed across her cleavage or bare stomach. She smiled enticingly at him before digging into the porridge - she was actually getting rather hungry - and heard him gulp in surprise. "Hey, I appreciate the gesture, but I don't think I can eat all that..." she joked, gesturing at the huge cauldron of porridge. Lupus answered with a disturbingly fanged grin. "No worries... a friend of mine will be joining us shortly, and he's got quite an appetite."

She just nodded, and continued eating - it was really quite good. Lupus sat down across the table from her, and just looked. Not lustily as before, but inquisitively. Finally, he spoke. "If you don't mind... what is your business here? I'm assuming that you didn't stumble on this hidden valley by accident..." She looked up, debating whether to tell the truth... but, he had saved her, and besides, he might know something. "I'm an adventurer on a quest. I'm searching for a fragment of an ancient clay tablet, which should be somewhere around here - for this is the Valley of Wonder, right?" Lupus' eyes widened at the mention of the tablet, but he regained his composure fast enough to nod. "Yes, that is indeed what this valley is called by those few who knows of it - we who live here simply call it 'the valley', though."

Finishing the bowl, she put down her spoon and looked Lupus straight in the eye. "I'm not blind... you know something about the tablet, right?" He shrugged nervously. "I don't know if it's the table you're looking for, but a few millenia ago an adventurer left a piece of a tablet here, yes." Anitra leaned forwards eagerly. "Yes, that's the one - where is it?" But now, the werewolf's pleasant facade slid off, and his face assumed a menacing sneer. "Not so fast... we treasure that piece as a memorabilia of the great man who brought it here - if you think you can just waltz out of here with it, you're dead wrong." Narrowing her eyes at his tone, she let her right hand fall to the hilt of her sword, which she'd left leaning against the table.

Just when it looked like things would get ugly, the door to the cabin flew open, and a huge shape edged its way through the door. "Ho, old friend! Sorry I'm late, I hope the porridge is still hot." A voice boomed with the force of a nearby thunderstorm. When the creature had finally gotten its bulk through the doorway and stood up straight, she saw why - it was a minotaur, nearly 8 foot tall, complete with a pair of bony-white horns jutting out from his head. His shoulders were broad, and his chest hugely muscled. Realizing that the odds had just been tipped heavily out of her favor, Anitra released the grip of her sword and relaxed some. She'd have to talk her way through this, apparently - at least if those two were representative of the inhabitants of this strange valley.

Lupus cleared his throat, and nodded for the minotaur to take a seat - she noticed that one of the chairs seemed to be reinforced with steel - while he left the table and walked over to the fire. The huge minotaur sat down, ignoring the protesting squeak of the chair, and looked from the werewolf to the human girl while rubbing his chin. "I hope I didn't interrupt anything..?" he ventured, scratching his head between the long horns. Lupus sighed as he took a bowl the size of a kitchen sink down from a hook on the wall, and nodded. "Kind of... you interrupted me loosing my temper. Turns out that our guest here has come in search of a certain fragment." The minotaur looked at Anitra in surprise, and then nodded. "I see... well, I can see that you might have gotten a bit jumpy about that. But remember, violence doesn't solve anything - that's exactly why that tablet is so valuable." Lupus sighed, and nodded as he filled the oversized bowl with hot porridge.

Anitra couldn't help but feel like she was caught in some weird dream. Two monsters, both of species known for their violent tendencies and aggressive behavior, eating hot porridge while talking about peaceful solutions. She hadn't dared to look out the window yet - after all, if the environment were anything like the local inhabitants, she might find trees growing down into the ground, and waterfalls falling upwards. Well, she might as well adapt to the local peculiarities...

She cleared her throat to attract their attention. "Look, I have no interest in fighting against any of you - especially not after you've been so hospitable. I need that tablet-piece, but I'd much prefer to get it through peaceful means." Lupus smiled as he put the huge bowl down in front of the minotaur, who instantly started eating with a gusto. "I'm glad to hear that - and I'm really sorry about sneering at you before. I was leaping to conclusions about your intentions." Anitra shot him a gleaming smile as she rose from the table and sauntered towards him. It was time to spread some goodwill. "My, so polite you are - and where are my manners? I haven't even thanked you properly for saving my life..."

Walking up to him, she gave him a hug, pressing her breasts against him, enjoying the ticklish sensation of his fur against her bare skin. And sure enough, she felt something hot and hard pressing against her stomach. Lupus' canine face was frozen in an expression of disbelief as she slid one hand in between them, caressing his cock as it emerged from its sheath - just as she'd hoped, it had that characteristic knot at the end, just like Silver Fang and his war-dogs. Behind her she heard the minotaur drop his spoon in the porridge with a plunk. What was he packing? She was rather looking forwards to finding out...

With one hand on his cock, and the other on his shoulder, she guided him back to his chair, and pushed him into it. Then, kneeling down in front of him, she took his now fully-erect cock into her mouth. It was just like the dog-cocks she'd already known - same shape, same candy-apple-red color, same luscious taste. It was a good bit bigger than those, however - but that was to be expected since it was sitting on a huge werewolf, rather than a dog. She easily swallowed the shaft, though, and let her tongue play around the knot, lubricating it. While she bobbed her head up and down on the canine cock, she quickly slipped her panties down to her knees, and then shook them off entirely. She could hear the minotaur breathe heavily behind her, obviously excited by the sight. "How's that for non-violent methods?" she thought laughingly to herself.

When she was satisfied that the lupine cock had been thoroughly covered in her saliva, she lifted her head from it, giving the pointy head one last lick as farewell. Lupus was panting like a dog as she got on her feet, turned around, and sat down on his lap. One hand guided the wet cock unerringly to her ass, where it slid in with ease. She paused briefly as her sphincter touched the bulbous knot, and then, pulling her ass-cheeks aside with both hands, she sank down over it. Lupus yipped in surprise as he felt her asshole first expand to let his knot in, and then clamp down around the base of his cock. Her ass was hot and tight, and he was buried balls-deep inside it. His head was spinning from the speed with which it had all happened - one moment, they had been about ready to tear each other's heads off, and now they were fucking!

Anitra leaned back against Lupus' furry chest and lifted her legs from the floor, gaining another inch or so of penetration - and, incidentally, showing off her smooth, hairless pussy to the wide-eyed minotaur at the table. Draping her legs over the armrests, she beckoned to him with an inviting smile on her lips. "Come on, big boy... you might not have saved my life, but a friend of Lupus is a friend of mine." Of course, there was no way he could ignore an invitation like that - he eagerly leaped from his chair, almost overturning the table in the progress, and stepped towards her. His cock was, predictably, fully erect and out of its sheath.

She was slightly disappointed with his size - it didn't quite match his body - but it was nonetheless a good deal bigger than anything a human man could hope to possess. The shape was pretty plain... thickest near the base, it grew progressively thinner towards the top, and terminated at an oval cockhead. It was pointing straight out from his groin about 1½ feet, waving from side to side as he walked towards her, snorting. She had been hoping to get a double-fuck out of them, but when he stepped up right next to her, she could see that wouldn't happen - he was simply too tall. So instead, she reached out and gripped his cock, delighted to feel how hot it was, and pulled it towards her mouth, while she started masturbating with the other hand.

The bull-cock tasted wild and musky, and a bit bitter, as she sucked eagerly on the head. The shaft was too rigid to go down her throat from this angle, so instead she started licking and kissing along the sides of it, pulling the huge minotaur slowly towards her with a gentle grip on his huge ballsack. Under her, Lupus had finally started recovering from his surprise, and started moving - with a good grip on her waist, he lifted her up from his loins until she could feel her sphincter begin to expand around hit knot again. Then, he started moving his loins, thrusting into her ass with short, sharp motions. The knot teased her asshole, pulling at it from the inside again and again, causing her to speed up her masturbation in an effort to reach the climax she could feel waiting just around the corner.

She was switching rapidly between thrusting three fingers violently into her cunt and grinding her clit, while sucking harder and more insistently on the minotaur's dick. After having covered the entire shaft in her spittle, she had returned to the head, and was now taking it as far into her throat as the angle would allow, while jacking him off at the same time. Both of the beasts were breathing heavily, the minotaur snorting while the werewolf panted, both obviously getting closer and closer to their own orgasms. Eager to cum at the same time as them, she added another finger in her cunt, and then the thumb, thrusting her entire hand inside far enough for the wrist to tease her erect clit. She could feel Lupus' knot pulsing through the thin tissue that separated her ass and her pussy... the added tightness that her hand had created send a javelin of pleasure through his brain, and with an ear-splitting howl, he came in her ass.

Spray after spray of thin, watery cum filled her ass, so wonderfully warm and filling. Hot with desire, she leaned forwards and gulped the minotaur's entire cockhead down, taking it into her tight throat while jacking his wet dick off with blinding speed. With a loud 'Mooooh!' he came as well, filling her throat with his cum. Quickly, she pulled her head back, eager to taste it - it was incredibly thick, almost jelly-like, a startling contrast to the wolf-sperm that was rapidly filling her intestines. The taste, too, was thick and strong, almost overpowering her tastebuds as the viscous globs covered her tongue.

With cum pumping into her from both ends, and a hand buried in her pussy, she came... it was the sensation in her ass, in particular, that lifted her up towards the orgasmic heights. The wolf just kept on cumming, pumping more and more thin sperm into her - it was like a cum enema - and the knot was effectively plugging the asshole, having swollen even further when he reached climax, preventing any of the warm fluids from escaping. Her greedily sucking mouth and tightly clenching ass also served to prolong the two beast-men's orgasms beyond what they'd usually experience...

Lupus kept cumming for nearly five minutes, but the minotaur didn't take quite that long to finish unloading his balls into Anitra's mouth. With a sigh, he staggered back to his chair and sat down, while his cock began shrinking and pulling back into his sheath. Lupus, having finally finished emptying his aching balls, released Anitra's waist, letting her sink down on his cock once again, and adding further pressure to the sperm in her ass. Anitra didn't mind, though - she was rather enjoying the feeling, in fact. She knew it wouldn't last for very long, however... already, it was being absorbed by her digestive system, along with the minotaur's load. The strength that she felt welling up in her as The Quickening began to rise was considerable - it was a shame, really, that she didn't have anything to use it for.

None of them spoke for a while - both of the two beast-men were somewhat winded, and Anitra was still enjoying the mix orgasmic afterglow and Quickening. The still-swollen knot in her ass helped too. Finally, Lupus broke the silence. "Ehm... I'm afraid the swelling won't go down for another quarter of an hour or so." He said, sounding embarrassed. "I guess I'll just stick around for a bit, then..." she said cheerily, looking mischievously over her shoulder. "But since we're stuck together for a bit anyway, why don't you tell me what this place is, really?" Lupus gaped in surprise, while the minotaur nearly collapsed with mirth. "I gotta say, old buddy, you've found a really fresh girl here..." he said, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes.

"That I am..." Anitra answered, grinning at him. "But, I never got your name..?" The minotaur looked somewhat taken aback, but then returned the grin. "Well, I s'pose you can call me Minos. Pleased to meat'cha. Real pleased." She nodded. "Well, I'm Anitra - an adventurer, as you might have guessed. Now, why don't you give me the story on this weird valley? All I know is what I heard before coming here - that it is magically sealed, and filled with strange creatures." Minos shrugged. "Strange creatures, huh? Well, I guess that's as fair a description of us as any... all right, then, since my wolfish friend seems a bit winded, I'll give you the basics of our local history."

"A powerful wizard used to live here, a long time ago, in a tower at the end of the valley. He specialized in some pretty heavy-duty stuff - magically merging two creatures to create one. I guess you could call it magical cross-breeding. He made all kinds of creatures during the course of his experiments... but as soon as he'd made one, regardless of whether he called it a failure or a success, he lost interest in it and moved on. The basement under his tower gradually became filled with the creatures he had created, and many of them were sentient - and intelligent enough to resent their creation. Some even had vague memories of a happier life in a different body. Eventually, they rebelled."

"Many were killed, but the wizard was taken aback by the attack - he had hardly even thought of them as being living creatures, just hunks of flesh for him to experiment on. So, he was finally killed, and his 'experiments' left the tower to explore the valley. However, several of the wizard's experiments, left without his tending, continued, and the magical energies gathered inside the tower turned virulent. Some hours after the victory, the tower exploded. Those beings that had stayed near it were killed, and even those further away were affected by the shockwave - as were the animals that lived in the valley at the time. They began to... evolve."

"Y'see, that guy you're sitting on isn't actually a werewolf, in the traditional sense. His ancestors were ordinary wolves. Due to the power released from the exploding tower, they started evolving, and over the course of the centuries, became more and more human. They are commonly referred to as neobeasts. In the meantime, most of the original creatures died, from natural causes or in the occasional battles that erupted once the gathering factor of their hatred against the wizard was gone. Only a few remain - beings who possess an amazing degree of longevity."

Anitra nodded. "Right... so, you're descended from wild oxen who lived here back then?" He regarded her silently for a few seconds, and then leaned back in his chair, stroking his chin. "No, I'm a genuine minotaur. You see, even after the wizard's tower exploded, the magical defenses he'd erected around the valley to protect his privacy, stayed in place. An illusion makes it invisible from above, and a strange field prevents any kind of magical scrying or communication into or out of the valley. The climate is also pleasantly mild. So, there are some creatures, such as myself, who have grown tired of the whole hero-slays-monster thing, and have moved here to lead a peaceful life."

Anitra smiled, partly to show that she wasn't bothered by the fact that he was a real minotaur, and partly out of relief. Now she knew why she hadn't been able to contact Blake - this 'field', or whatever, blocked their communications. So, once she left the valley, she should be able to reach him again. But she'd much prefer to leave with what she'd come for in the first place, though... "So, where does the tablet fragment fit into this?" She asked. "Well, it happened a few centuries after the explosion of the tower... a human explorer located the valley. At that time, it was still mainly inhabited by the original creatures - the wizard's experiments. And they had little reason to trust humanity. They were afraid that he'd reveal the location of their valley to the world, and that other humans would come to kill them. But the adventurer listened to their story, and was sympathetic. He knew that his fellow humans were capable of acts of great cruelty."

"He was also impressed to see a place where so many different creatures lived together in relative peace, so he promised never to reveal the location of the valley to anybody, and also gave them the tablet fragment as a keepsake. They were all greatly impressed by him - his visit had given them hope that one day, humans would stop slaughtering all those that were different from themselves. They were also somewhat embarrassed that he'd through they all lived in peace, for if he'd stayed a bit longer, he'd probably have realized that it was far from the truth. Many of the creatures were aggressive. Those that he had met were just the more peacefully aligned ones - they had banded together to protect themselves from the rest, and he'd mistaken them for a society."

"However, they decided to make his mistake into a reality. Gradually, they assimilated all but the most ferocious of their brethren, and when the animals started to evolve into intelligent beings, they took them in and taught them everything - toolmaking, language, and peaceful coexistence. They also occasionally ventured into the outside world, to spread the word that there existed a retreat for all those who were willing to forsake violence. Anyway, since then this valley has changed a great deal, but we still value that tablet fragment, in memory of the man whose visit sparked the development of our society. We keep it in the ruins of the wizard's tower, to remind ourselves of what violence can lead to, guarded by the wisest one amongst us. Who, incidentally, also happens to be the strongest one amongst us. He was the wizard's greatest success, one of the few members of the original population who survives to this day - he also led the initial revolt. A living legend."

Anitra nodded. Well, that figured... she'd better have a chat with this 'living legend'. Maybe they could work out a 'peaceful solution'. Otherwise, there was always the possibility of a rather violent solution - or outright theft. After all, in an Eden such as this, people might not be too careful about locking their doors at night. "I tried for that position..." Lupus suddenly said, having been quiet while Minos told his story. "The position of Guardian, that is. I'm the greatest hunter amongst all the neobeasts here. I though that I was stronger than him. Ah, the follies of youth... he's more than a thousand years old, and yet he easily defeated me. But afterwards, I realized that I wouldn't have been fit to take his place, even if I had beaten him. Precisely because I sought it..."

She rolled her eyes at Minos, who stifled a laugh. His introspection, after all, seemed rather out of place, considering their present position... however, since it had apparently taken his mind off their interlocked genitals, his excitement had vanished, and his swollen knot vanished right along with it. Enough time had also passed to allow Anitra to absorb all of the cum he had deposited in her ass. So, lifted herself from his groin, her asshole easily expanding around the deflated knot. Lupus grunted in surprise when he saw that no sperm leaked from the tight orifice - he knew that he'd pumped an immense load into her, and he'd expected to get his loins drenched in it when she got up. Anitra just winked at him over her shoulder as she picked up her panties and put them on again.

"Very interesting... all right, why don't you show me the way to those ruins, then?" She said, while she strapped her sword on. Minos and Lupus looked at each other, and then Minos shrugged. "Well, the porridge has gone cold anyway, so I guess we might as well..." Lupus grinned at him. "I'll heat it up again when we come back... all right, let's get going." He quickly cleared the table, while his cock disappeared into its sheath - so convenient, Anitra thought, having build-in clothes. Then, they left the cabin, and she got her first real look at the Valley of Wonder.

Her initial perception of the place as some kind of Eden had been apt - what she could see looked undeniably idyllic. It was like a village without a center, houses just scattered across the area, interspersed with trees, orchards and kitchen gardens. The houses were quite different, but all looked rather simple and rough, showing that although the creatures that lived there might have opposable thumbs, they didn't posses as much manual dexterity as humans. The whole place would have looked like something out of a fairy-tale if it had, indeed, been fairies or elves that tended the kitchen gardens. Instead, it was monsters, neobeasts, and other strange creatures. In front of a nearby cabin, she saw a fearsome chimera raking the ground with its huge claws - claws that had been known to tear unwary adventurers limb from limb - while an anthromorph skunk seeded the garden. Similar scenes were visible all around here, and she once again had that feeling of being caught in a surreal dream.

While the mountains outside were covered in snow, this valley seemed still to be in the gentle embrace of autumn, the trees and orchards heavy with fruit. Passing an apple-tree, she reached up and picked one, biting deeply into it and sucking up the sweet juices. It had really been too long since she last tasted fresh fruit... DragonRider or not, she just didn't feel comfortable living on a steady diet of meat. But what about the local inhabitants? "This place really looks very nice..." she said, somewhat suspiciously, to her guides. "But I cannot imagine a chimera sating its hunger on fruit and vegetables - nor you, Lupus. And you said that all of the local animals has become sentient, right?" The wolf-man nodded. "Yes, that's true, but keep in mind - that happened a thousand years ago. Since then, many animals have come her, unaffected by the magic. So, we hunt, both in here and in the mountains outside. That's how I found you, remember? I'd suddenly gotten an urge for a nice, juice mountain-goat, so I went out to hunt for one - and found you instead."

Anitra nodded, her head still swiveling to take it all in. In many ways, it resembled her dreams about the Dragon Utopia - a place where races that were hunted as monsters in the outside world, could find peace. But there obviously wasn't room for a dragon here... Blake's appetite would badly strain the food supply of the valley, especially since he only ate meat. Still, a nice place for a vacation.

Lupus tore her out of her reverie. "There, up ahead - you see it? It's the ruins of the wizard's tower." Narrowing her eyes, she followed his finger, and sure enough... dark shapes rose from the densest part of the forest ahead. The Quickening still had her blood running hot in her veins, so with a wide grin, she turned on the two. "Hey, how about we race to the tower? If you win, I'll screw you again..." Her eyes sparkled darkly as she winked at them, momentarily frozen in surprise. Then, Lupus crouched low, his thighs bulging with muscle under the sleek gray fur. "I'm the best runner in the valley..." he said, with a toothy grin. She just blew him a kiss, and leaped towards the edge of the forest with the two beastmen in sharp pursuit.

Minos soon fell behind, his huge bulk preventing him from moving quickly through the dense forest. Lupus and Anitra did, however, run side by side for a while. Lupus truly was an impressive runner, but The Quickening gave Anitra most of his power as well, added to her own natural speed. It could have been a close game, if it hadn't been for the incredible stamina of Minos, which she had also absorbed. The pressure of keeping the rapid pace soon had Lupus panting for breath, while she continued to run with undiminished strength. Gradually, she increased her speed, forcing him to try to keep up, and finally he ran out of steam and stumbled to a stop. "We'll meet at the tower!" He yelled after her, almost out of breath, as he sat down to take a breather and wait for Minos to catch up.

Anitra continued running, still caught up in the fierce exhilaration of The Quickening, and she only stopped when the blackened ruins of the tower suddenly rose out of the green wilderness in front of her. Even if she hadn't already been told that it had once been a wizard's tower, she would have known instantly - like the other towers she had seen in her journey, the local plant life seemed to shy away from it. Even the tough undergrowth stopped a few inches short of the walls - which was probably the only reason why those walls remained recognizable after all these years, instead of being reduced to green humps on the ground.

Cautiously, she made her way through the ruins, all senses alert for the thousand-year-old 'living legend' that guarded the place. But there was no sign that anybody had been there for years... nor did she see the tablet. But the tower was huge, even in its decay. Concentric circles lay within each other, the walls still high enough to block her vision and provide an annoying hindrance. Instinctively, she was heading for the center - something told her that that would be the most likely spot to find both tablet and guarding.

Finally, she leaped over the last wall, and stood in a roofless room of rounded, blackened walls. Perfectly circular and with no visible doorway, it was hard to say how anyone could have entered the place while the tower still stood. In the center of the room lay the remains of a huge cauldron, forged eternities ago from some unknown and highly durable metal - the last part was obvious from the fact that it still existed, after having spend so many centuries at the mercy of wind and weather. Yet, it had been broken - it seemed as if the sides had been forced outwards by a tremendous force, tearing them to shreds and in some cases actually causing the metal to curl inwards against itself. It was obvious that this was the Ground Zero of the explosion that had leveled this tower and given birth to the Valley of Wonder...

Also, in the ruins of the cauldron, lay a small piece of clay with fractured sides... how nicely symbolical. A gesture of faith in world peace, surrounded by the devastation of conflict. "It's not very big, is it?" A voice suddenly said from the shadows. "But then again, hope never is. Yet, it endures, like this simple piece of clay has endured for a millenium and more." Making an effort to remain calm - which she wasn't, really, since she hadn't expected the guardian to be capable of sneaking up on her - she turned towards the sound. A tall shape was emerging from under the overhang of a partly collapsed wall. She gasped as she finally laid eyes on the greatest achievement of the long-dead mage who had constructed the very room in which they stood. Its features... were undeniably draconic.

He stood as tall as Lupus, but instead of the werewolf's rough fur, he was covered in scales. Their color was indecipherable, seemingly changing depending on how the light hit them. His head was that of a dragon, with long fangs and powerful jaws, designed to rend flesh and crush bones - but the expression in his eyes were calm and introspective. He seemed, in many ways, like an anthromorphized dragon, with human-like arms and legs, terminating in draconic claws. There was something wrong with his legs, however... they seemed too thick, too muscular, not really fitting the size of his upper body.

Her analyzing stare wasn't lost on the dragon-like being. His jaws twisted in a sardonic grin as he took several steps towards her, giving her a second surprise - she hadn't seen more than half of him. His hindquarters, as it turned out, were a good five feet behind him. He was not, after all, a dragon-human hybrid - but rather a mixture of dragon and centaur. His hind legs were as thick and muscular as the frontmost set, but now they didn't seem so out of place - they were clearly necessary to carry his huge bulk. His entire body was lean with muscles, and there was no doubt that he could make an impressive speed over virtually any terrain, his claws providing a safe footing on even the most treacherous of grounds. And with his human-like arms, he would be quite capable of wielding weapons while he rode - sword, shield, bow and arrow - just like centaur warriors. His wings were tiny and atrophied on his shoulders, however, but he would be a truly hard target even for an airborne foe. Especially if he also possessed a flaming dragonbreath... her armor should supposedly protect her from dragonfire, but she wasn't really all that eager to find out precisely how effective it was.

"Have you seen enough?" The creature finally asked, lifting a scaly eyebrow in annoyance. She nodded. "Yes, quite. I've got no interest in fighting you - and if what I've been told about you is true, you aren't all that eager for combat either, are you?" He walked slowly towards her, the muscles on his flanks working visibly under the scales. "Yes, indeed. We prefer to seek peaceful - or at least non-violent - solutions to our problems around here. But if you are as interested in that tablet-piece as your eyes would indicate, we do indeed have a problem here." She shrugged, subtly moving her body to keep it between him and the tablet. "As I said, I've got no interest in fighting with you or anybody else for that matter. But yes, I do want that tablet piece. Look, from what I hear, it's got a symbolical value to you - but to me, its value is very real."

He nodded, but kept moving, slowly circling around the cauldron. "I can tell... yes, you do indeed have need for that tablet. But though it might be only 'symbolical' to us, as you put it, symbols have great meaning too. We will not part with it easily. If necessary, we will fight to protect it - not just I, but everyone in the valley. We would prefer not to, since violence rarely solve any problems - but we also realize that sometimes, you have to fight to protect your dreams." Anitra gave up on trying to conceal her movements, and simply stepped up in front of the tablet, one hand on the hilt of her sword. "I understand. But that tablet is part of a map that will lead me to my dreams, and like you, I'm willing to fight for it."

The Dracotaur stopped, eyes narrowing and muscles tensing. "You would truly fight against me for it? I am no easy opponent..." Anitra also tensed her muscles. An attack could some at any moment now. "I know. But the things that are really worth having never come easy." Suddenly, his aggressive pose vanished, and he laughed out loud. "Impressive! Truly impressive! So confident, so driven, and judging from your pose, quite skilled with a sword, too... Relax, my dear, you will not have to fight me." She glared at him in surprise, and released the hilt of her sword. Her senses remained alert, however, for any sign of deceit. "So, what, you're just gonna let me take the fragment?" she asked suspiciously. He shook his head. "No, not exactly, but I'll make you a deal. There's a couple of things I'd like you to do for me. If you manage them both, the tablet is yours."

His nostrils flared briefly, and he grinned. "I perceive that the first one will be no problem for you... I can smell both Minos and Lupus on you." She rolled her eyes. "I think I can see where you're going..." "You're probably right in your assumption. I'm the only one of my kind, after all - no females for me to chase. Some of the women of the valley have been helpful on occasion, but I can tell they're not exactly enjoying it - I'm quite big, you see. And I don't want to take advantage of their respect and admiration towards me. However, considering what you're asking for, I feel quite justified to request the use of your body in return."

She grinned broadly, and winked at him. Of course, there was no way for him to know that she was quite capable of handling a full-sized dragon. "Sure thing... I'll give you something to remember me by." With a thought, she released the magic that bound her chest armor together, and both halves of it promptly fell to the ground with a clatter. The panties quickly followed it, but she decided to keep the auxiliary pieces of the armor, as protection from the rough ground. Then, she sauntered over to the Dracotaur who, like just about everyone else she'd met, seemed somewhat taken aback by her eagerness. Strange, actually, that they all seemed surprised when she agreed to their indecent proposals... maybe it was a man-thing.

The Dracotaur, however, wasn't long in recovering from his surprise, and as she stopped in front of him, he eagerly reached out to fondle her large, round tits with his rough claws. She trembled slightly in pain-mixed pleasure as he pinched the sensitive nipples with his sharp talons, and pushed her chest further towards him. Then, stepping even closer, she gripped his reptilian head with both hands, tipped it slightly, and pressed their lips together. After a moment's surprise, he opened his mouth slightly, and their tongues intertwined in a long, french kiss, while he continued to toy with her boobs.

Both were breathing a bit heavily when their lips parted again, and she could tell by the restless way he was shifting his hind legs, that he was as aroused as her. With a last, lusty look at his handsome face, she crouched down, running one hand over his muscular chest as she did so. Then she slipped down under his massive body, to take a good, long look at his impressive phallus. She wasn't really sure what she'd expected - maybe a mixture of horse and dragon, both shapes she was intimately familiar with - but it wasn't this. The form was wholly alien... the tip was quite pointy, as on a dragon, but after a few inches the shaft thinned a bit, forming a fat cockhead like she knew it from a human. But weirdest of all was the base - the two-foot long cock ended in several thick ridges, making it look a bit like someone had slid three wide rings down the entire shaft to the end. The color was unlike anything she'd ever seen before - metallic, like burnished bronze.

Eagerly, she began to stroke the huge cock, checking if it was as hard as the color promised. It was. The ridges at the base was already making her pussy drool with expected pleasure, but she decided to give him a little blowjob first, since it was rather doubtful that any of his previous lovers had done so. Her assumption seemed to be confirmed by the way he jumped when her luscious lips touched the cockhead. He was already leaking precum - no surprise there - and she rather enjoyed the bittersweet taste. With a quick movement of her neck, she swallowed the entire head, closing her lips around the sensitive edge, while the pointy tip pushed past her tonsils and lightly stretched her throat. For a moment, she contemplated giving him a deepthroat, but she decided against it. For one thing, it would probably tip him off to her not being human, and for another, she definitely needed something in her pussy right about now...

First, however, she let her hand run all the way down the long shaft, caressing it, and giving particular attention to the ridges at the base. She'd never seen anything like that before, so she was unsure about how sensitive they were. Judging by the way his cock jumped in her mouth when she touched them, however: Quite sensitive, indeed. Finally, with one last lick at the tip of the bronze cock, she drew her head back and got on all fours, lifting her ass high. She moved back far enough for the tip of his cock to gently part her pussylips, and as soon as he felt their moist embrace, he thrust forwards with a muted roar. The wide head popped inside, letting her stretched cunt relax slightly around the shaft, before it continued deeper inside her.

His first thrust carried him nearly a whole foot into her dripping wet pussy, and she could hear him grunt in surprise at this. With a smile, she tightened her vaginal muscles around his staff, eliciting another, more lusty, grunt. She didn't want him thinking too much about her 'capacity', but there probably wasn't much danger of that, anyway. His breath was starting to come in brief snorts, and he was bucking against her, caught up in his lust. Then, at his second thrust, the ridges at the base of his cock reached her pussy, and she moaned out in pleasure. There would be time to think later. For now, she'd let herself get lost in the joy of sex.

The ridges not only stimulated the outside of her cunt in a way she'd never experienced before, they also stirred her clit again and again, strumming it like a violin. Soon, her moans joined the Dracotaur's, and mixed with the wet sounds of their interlocking groins to fill the ancient ruins with the sounds of carnal pleasure. She vaguely noticed that Minos and Lupus had appeared, and was watching from the sideline... somehow, it didn't bother her, though, but rather added to her pleasure. She grinned and winked at them from underneath the Dracotaur, while she started grinding her ass back against his regular thrusts.

For a guy who didn't get any very often (and was anatomically incapable of jacking off) he had impressive staying power, she thought. Again and again, his foot-long cock hammered home inside her tight cunt, the spear-like head widening the mouth of her womb, while the ridges at the base teased her clit. Her pleasure was rapidly mounting, and her moans became more and more frequent. The force of his thrusts also grew, indicating that he, like her, was getting close to a climax. He was fucking her with nearly his entire length, going balls-deep at every thrusts, and practically lifting her knees from the ground every time his groin hit her ass.

She came first, screaming in orgasm as bright lights seemed to flash before her eyes. Her pussy's rapid contractions also pushed the Dracotaur over the edge, and with a roar that resounded amongst the blackened ruins, he came as well. Flames licked across his jowls as he lost control of his fiery breath, and his powerful legs drove him all the way to her innermost depths in a final thrust. His cum flowed into her like a river of lava, filling her womb to overflowing, and causing her to writhe in added pleasure. He jabbed his cock into her a few more times as the sperm continued to flow, but as his orgasm drew to a close, his exhaustion was overpowering his lust.

It was only just barely that he could keep his legs from shaking visibly as Anitra crawled forwards off of his softening rod. Her tight and receptive cunt had driven him to so-far unexplored heights of pleasure, and propelled him into the wildest ride he'd ever had. He was winded, still panting for breath, while she seemed as fresh as ever as she climbed out from under him and stood up. She even gave him a kiss on the cheek before walking over to collect her armor again, fresh cum still trickling from her pussy.

Lupus and Minos stared mutely at each other, thinking about what they'd just seen. Then, they both shrugged at the same time, and started laughing. "Old friend, I'd say she's managed to negotiate a peaceful settlement with our noble leader..." said Minos with a broad grin. "She's quite the diplomat, huh?" Lupus nodded, bursting out in laughter once more. "Indeed! And she does look lovely, huh? Man, if I wasn't so tired after trying to race her here, I'd ask her to go another round with me - and she'd probably agree in a heartbeat." Minos nodded and sighed. "My thoughts exactly, old friend, my thoughts exactly."

After looking futilely about for something to dry the cum off of her thighs and groin with, Anitra shrugged and pulled the panties over her still sperm-leaking pussy. After all, the strange fabric was virtually indestructible. It wouldn't rust or rot. And she rather enjoyed the slimy feeling against her skin. "All right, oh Legendary Hero of the Valley of Wonder..." she said, grinning sardonically at the dracotaur. "Now that you've gotten your rocks off, maybe you'd like to tell me what that second thing you wanted me to do is?" He nodded and, after a short debate between his tired legs and his pride, kneeled down and crossed his arms over his chest.

"It's pretty simply, really. I want you to kill a creature known as 'Tauros'. He, like I, was one of the wizard's more successful creations - demonic blood added to a minotaur. His strength is great, and his thick skin protects him like a natural armor. Added to that is a rapid healing-factor, and - obviously - an incredible longevity. He was the wildest and most aggressive of us all. He always refused to join our society, choosing instead to live alone in the hills, from where he occasionally ventures down to attack unwitting neobeasts. We've tried to stop him several times, but although we possess some basic toolmaking skills, we aren't exactly skilled at forging weapons, so we usually fight with tooth and claw. And that's not enough to defeat him - in most cases, they won't even pierce his hide. And, due to his demonic aspect, he is also immune to my flaming breath."

"However, you have a sword, and a good one if I'm any judge. And you clearly know how to use it. If you can kill Tauros and thus remove the last flaw in the peace of the valley, the tablet is yours." Anitra nodded eagerly, shifting her sword to a more comfortable position. "Just point me in the right direction." She said, eyes burning hotly. He lifted an eyebrow, but then shrugged. "He lives in that direction, approximately." He said, gesturing towards the mountains to the north. "But don't be overconfident - he is no easy opponent. Tread carefully." She just grinned at him, and started trotting in the indicated direction, easily leaping over a wall that was in the way.

The three beasts watched her go, somewhat bemused. "There's something odd about her..." Lupus said, rubbing his chin. The dracotaur nodded. "Indeed... I don't think she's quite human." Minos looked at him with a lifted eyebrow. "I can't disagree with that, great one... but if she's not human, what IS she?" The three friends stared at each other as silence filled the ruins. Then, at the same time, they all shrugged helplessly.

Anitra moved carefully through the hills, all senses alert. She'd been quite cocky when she'd left the ruins, but she'd calmed down since. At that time, she'd still been at the tail end of a Quickening, but now she was perfectly 'sober', if that was the word. It would probably have been smarter if she'd taken the Dracotaur orally or anally, so that she could have walked into this battle with his powers added to her own, but maybe it was just as well. Thinking back, during virtually all of her major battles, she'd been under the influence of The Quickening. The brothers of Ali, the Unicorn Warlock Lucifan, and even her recent fight with the horseman warlord Eclipse... all of them had been made easier by her unique ability to absorb the powers of her lovers. But she couldn't always count on having a cooperative male on hand before a fight - she needed to learn to fight without The Quickening. And besides, the recklessness that always came with The Quickening was dangerous, especially when fighting an opponent of unknown strength. It had nearly gotten her killed when she'd fought Eclipse. She didn't really know terribly much about this Tauros - and what little she knew was bad.

A demonic minotaur, basically. Immune to fire, according to the Dracotaur, which meant that lighting her sword aflame would be disadvantageous. Big, strong, and hardy. Her advantages were few... he'd be unarmed, obviously, fighting with his bare hands against her sword. But his arms were likely to be a whole lot longer than hers, so that wouldn't be much help. And since his fists were blunt weapons, her armor wouldn't really make any difference, either. Basically, she'd have to count on her agility more than anything, avoiding his blows and getting close enough to hit a vital spot. The heart of a minotaur sits in the same place as that of a human - in the middle of the upper chest, contrary to popular belief - and she'd have to count on that this demonic hybrid was no different in that. Finally, he'd probably be quite aggressive, not someone likely to sneak up on her. He'd come charging straight at her with murderous intent.

Of course, one of the important parts of the upcoming battle would be to detect that initial charge quickly enough to avoid it. From what she knew of minotaurs in general, he'd literally be rushing headfirst at her, trying to use impale her on his horns. They'd be no use in close combat, but it was the opening attack of all minotaurs. Of course, her armor would probably be some defense against that - he'd not be able to pierce it - but it would be a bone-breaking impact nonetheless. So, she walked carefully, scanning the wooded slopes around her with eyes, ears and nose. She knew she was already getting close. There were no animals here, at least none that dwelled on the ground. Squirrels still skittered about on the branches above her head, and birdsong was audible around her - but there was no rabbits, no foxes, hardly even a mouse. Obvious signs that she was walking in the territory of a large, ground-dwelling predator.

Suddenly, it was near... a rank smell. The sound of undergrowth being crushed under a great weight. And there, between the trees, a glimpse of red. She heard a snort, and then it came charging straight at her, breaking through the trees with ease. It was huge, bigger than she'd expected. And yes, it was red, a deep, bloody red, from head to toe, except for the hooves and horns, which were black as ivory. Even though she'd known approximately what to expect, she was nearly mesmerized by the terrifying sight. She dodged, rolling to the side in the last second, feeling the caress of a slipstream on her cheek as the huge hooves hit the ground where she'd just stood. He continued straight into a large tree, and she'd held some hopes that he'd get his horns stuck and thus give her an opening. No such luck. The strength of the impact was enough to break the thick trunk, and with a deafening boom it fell to the ground, scaring up every animal in the vicinity. The Tauros lifted his head from the stump, seemingly unaffected by the impact that had broken it, and snorted at her.

She pulled her sword from its sheath, and held it out before her, muscles tense and ready to leap into action as soon as he attacked. They didn't have to wait long. He leaped forwards, taking a swing at her with a fist as large as her head. She dodged back, and her sword flicked out to lick across his upper arm. The sharp blade cut through the tough skin with surprising ease, and she smirked as she saw his blood flow from the wound, thick and green. Then, her smile fainted as the wound healed before her eyes. The Dracotaur hadn't been kidding about his healing-factor - there was no way she'd be able to wear him down with an occasional cut. She needed to move in for a killing blow, before he got lucky.

He charged forwards again, this time continuing his swing into a rapid kick to her side. She saw it coming just in time to roll with it, but the impact still jarred her, although she could feel that nothing was broken. It was fast becoming clear that she had underestimated her opponent. He wasn't charging madly into battle, foaming around the mouth. His eyes, while certainly reflecting a large dose of cruel brutality, also glittered with intelligence. He was testing her defenses, and if she didn't start going on the attack soon, he'd probably find a hole in it.

Feinting to the left, she suddenly rolled forwards, trying to duck under his guard and bring her sword up in his chest. However, before she even managed to figure out what was up and what was down, her sword was swept aside, and a kick send her sliding across the ground. With a curse, she jumped back to her feet, relieved to find that she'd managed to maintain her hold on the sword. Both her flanks smarted now, though, from the powerful kicks they'd received. The armor had prevented his sharp hooves from breaking the skin, but it was clear that the battle wasn't rolling her way.

Narrowing her eyes, she looked around for something she could use to her advantage. The power that allowed humans to oppose the ferocious monsters of the world was, and had always been, their ability to turn their surroundings into a weapon - whether by taking coal and iron ore and forging swords, or by turning trees into barricades. And she was surrounded by trees. Grinning broadly, she sidestepped around the Tauros, who was watching her carefully, preparing for her next attack. It would, however, come from an unexpected angle. Suddenly, she spun around, slashing at the trunk of a nearby tree with her blade, cutting through it like it was thin fabric. As soon as she had sliced all the way through it, she reversed the direction and cut back, angling towards the ground this time. Finally, she completed the motion by kicking away the V-shaped segment she'd cut out. The tree seemed to stand still in the air for a slip second, and then it fell down towards the surprised Tauros.

But he recovered rapidly from his surprise. Rather than trying to dodge the falling tree, which might have given Anitra an opening for attack, he simply reached up and stopped it with his huge fists. His thickly muscled arms shook for a moment as the huge mass came to a stop, but his strength was so immense that he actually managed to halt the tons of wood that was heading towards his head. Then, before Anitra could recover from her surprise, he took a better grip on the trunk, and threw it to the side. Her side. She only just had enough time to realize how foolishly she'd fallen in her own clever trap, before the tree hit her in the chest, throwing her to the ground and pinning her legs down.

She began to swing her sword towards the trunk, trying to cut herself loose, but the angle was awkward. The Tauros rushed forwards, and easily kicked the blade from her hands. Then, he bent down and closed one fist around her throat. Her hands instantly flew to it, trying to pry the fingers apart, but great though her strength might be by human standards, it was still puny compared to the huge Tauros. However, rather than simply choking the life out of her there and then, he lifted the tree with the other hand, and pulled her out from under it. Now, she was hanging like a rag doll from his fist, her feet kicking helplessly against the air. His arm was so long that she didn't even have a chance of delivering a good kick to his chest, and it would have been a useless gesture anyway.

Then, she felt one of his salami-sized fingers hook around her panties, pulling them down, and she started struggling with redoubled strength. It was so obvious... The Tauros, like the Dracotaur, was the only one of his kind, and thus he could only respond to his lust by raping women of other species. The Dracotaur might not even be aware of this - in all likelihood, no-one had ever survived to tell the tale. Even she might have a hard time, if the size of his cock matched his body. But still, Minos had been somewhat smaller than his body would lead one to believe... she might still make it. And if he decided to try out her ass or mouth, she could also hand him a nasty surprise...

After removing her panties, the Tauros changed his grip, wrapping one large fist around each of her biceps, still suspending her several feet off the ground. However, with the hand around her throat no longer obstructing her field of vision, she got a clear view of his dick. It was huge. She had to wonder where he'd been hiding it all - she'd noticed nothing during the fight - but there it was, all three feet of it, curving slightly towards the skies. For the first time, she realized, she was facing a cock of a size similar to Blake's. Instantly, she changed her mind about him trying anal or oral sex on her - if he did, she'd be either choked or torn apart before The Quickening had any chance of happening. Fortunately, he didn't seem to care much about what hole he was getting - he simply positioned her over his cock, end began to pull her downwards. Quickly, she repositioned her groin to make sure it hit the right hole, and braced herself. Hopefully, the stretchable fabric would be able to adjust to this over-sized intruder.

She gritted her teeth ad the head began to spread open her cuntlips. The whole thing was as far around as her thigh, and inconceivably girth for any ordinary creature, and maybe even too much for a dragonrider. As the widest part slid into her, she screamed in pain, feeling the delicate tissue stretch to the absolute limit, without the soothing presence of Blake. Her scream continued until her pussy snapped back together around the slightly thinner shaft, lessening the piercing agony. She hung limply from the Tauros' grip, eyes half-closed, panting as she felt her nether regions burn with pain.

As the huge tool continued deeper into her, widening the tight canal as it went, she threw back her head and moaned weakly. Not only was the wide head causing intense pain as it proceeded into her, the shaft that was gliding across her battered pussylips also grew progressively wider. The friction that was being generated there added considerably to the pain, but unlike the rest of her situation, she could actually do something about that. Pressing her eyes tightly shut, she concentrated on her memories of Blake, thinking about how good it had felt last time he fucked her... it had been a lengthy session. He'd been in just the right mood, taking full advantage of his draconic virility to go for 5 times in a row. He'd started out with her pussy, then gone on to push his well-lubricated cock into her ass, and finally she'd sucked him off while she fingered herself, gaining an intense orgasm from the debauched pleasure of the anal-to-oral aspect.

As erotic images filled her head, she felt the pain lessen - it was still there, still intense, but the blinding agony faded, and as her pussy began to produce its slippery juices, the Tauros' cock slid into her with little friction. Pleasure began to shine through the pain, and as she continued going over her most recent session with Blake, it grew stronger still. She'd taken it up the ass again, yes... and with three loads inside her belly, she'd looked nine months pregnant - with twins. Then, she'd given him a titty-fuck, rubbing both her dissented cum-belly and large, full breasts up and down his slimy cock, while occasionally licking and kissing the head. His final load had showered her, covering her completely in cum, which she'd then lapped off like a cat cleaning itself...

Her moans of pain were taking on a tone of pleasure, and she was starting to twist her groin around the huge intruder, rubbing it against her clit and the inside of her cunt. The Tauros didn't seem to notice, however, merely continuing his single-minded penetration deeper and deeper into her. He was so deep by then, that the shaft was as wide around as the head had been, but with her rising pleasure she paid it little heed. As was the case when she made love to Blake, the boundaries between pain and pleasure were becoming blurred.

However, when at last he had two feet of thick cock lodged inside her, her fantasies came to a brutal halt as his cockhead hit the mouth of her womb. The continued pressure indicated that he fully intended to continue until he was buried balls-deep inside her, even if it meant violating her tight cervix. The pain that flashed through her as it began to stretch was translated into pleasure by her foggy mind, but even as she began to shake in orgasm, she knew that she was in big trouble. The size of his head had nearly torn her cunt apart, and her womb was much smaller than that - if he actually forced it all the way inside, it would rupture. That would, at the very least, mean that she'd never be able to carry Blake's child, but it was more likely to mean her death as he continued to mindlessly thrust into her innards.

Into her blurry mind, a sound entered, awakening hazy memories of a nigh long, long ago. A sound like sheets flapping in the breeze... yes, it all fit... last time she'd heard that sound, she'd lost consciousness shortly after, and now she could feel her mind slip away again...

Then, a loud roar tore through her trance-like state, followed a second later by a howl of pain so close to her, that she thought it would break her eardrums. Her head cleared as her eyes flew open, taking in the scene before her. The Tauros' mouth was open in a continuous howl, and the reason was clear - three large, black talons were sticking out of his chest. Behind him, something huge, black and scaly, something very familiar... her beloved Blake, face contracted in the most ferocious expression she'd ever seen on him.

The Tauros was clearly already dying, but as a matter of reflex, his hands flew to the claws that was stuck through his chest, trying to pull them out - and releasing their hold on her. Propelled by the force of gravity, she slid down on his cock, feeling a sharp pain as the head popped inside her cervix... but, with the proximity of Blake, her powers were growing, and she could feel the tight orifice stretch to accommodate the intrusion. Yet, the pain as she hung suspended on the huge cock, feet still far off the ground, was enormous. Fortunately, Blake noticed her plight, and struck out with his free claw, neatly slicing through the air between Anitra and the Tauros, severing the beast's cock from his body. She rolled backwards as her feet hit the ground, stretching out on her back with the cock still stuck inside her. She could feel it rapidly deflating as the blood that had held it erect pumped out of the open wound at the end, while its owner drew his last breath a few feet away.

With an exclamation, she pulled the huge, red cock out of her pussy, and then sighed in relief as the tender tissue relaxed after the long stretching. Looking up, she saw the Tauros sink to his knees, green blood running continuously from the wounds on his groin and chest, while his healing-factor fought futilely to save his life. Feeling an immense rage suffuse her, she leaped to her feet and sprinted to where her sword lay forgotten on the forest floor. Skidding to a halt, she scooped it up, and immediately leaped towards the dying Tauros. "For the pain you have caused me..." she shouted at him as she rushed towards him, blade glinting in the sun, "you shall die at my hand!"

Swinging the black sword at his neck with all her strength, and with the momentum of her approach behind it, she cut deeply into his throat. She felt the snap as the thick muscles of his neck were severed, and the crunch of his spine breaking under the razor-sharp edge. She saw the green blood spurt from his jugular vein, and his eyes roll back into the head. She heard the gurgling rush of air as his windpipe was opened, and the >glich< of strained tissue giving way. Finally, as the thick neck was completely severed, the huge head rolled off of the shoulders, and fell to the ground as the decapitated corpse collapsed against Blake's claw. The world's first and last Tauros had died.

Anitra stared at the head in the grass. It stared back at her. Then, she lifted her head and smiled at Blake. "Thanks, love - nice last-second rescue." He grinned back, pushing the dead body off of his claws. "Hey, I'm your knight in shining scales, right? Saving you in the last second is what I do." She laughed, and started looking around in the grass for her panties. "How'd you find me?" she asked. "I haven't been able to contact you at all since entering this valley. I was actually a bit worried." Blake guffawed. "You? Worried about me? Hah! It'll take more than some piddling avalanche to do me in - sure, I got kinda' buried under a few hundred tons of snow, but that's no problem for a black dragon. One good blast of fire cleared the area around my mouth, and then a powerful fire-spell melted the snow above me. Piece of cake."

She threw him a sidelong glance as she continued to search the ground. "Sounds like a fairly big piece of cake." With a sigh, he nodded. "Yeah, okay, it wasn't all that fun. But, I managed to dig myself out eventually. That's when I found out that I couldn't contact you anymore." Finally, she spotted the red panties, glittering in the afternoon sun, and picked them up. "Yeah, I couldn't reach you either. It's because of a magical field surrounding the entire valley." Blake lifted an eyebrow as she pulled the panties up. "How'd you find out about that?" She grinned up at him, and explained how she'd been brought to the valley, and told him about the exchange she'd made with the Dracotaur.

"A Dracotaur? Sound like that ancient wizard had some serious skills... well, now that you've killed the Tauros, I guess you just need to head back and collect the tablet, huh?" She nodded. "Yeah, I guess I'll bring along the head, for proof. It's good to know that you're handy, though, in case he decides to double-cross me. I think he'll keep his promise, but it's always good to have a backup-plan. Incidentally, how did you get here? Did you find the cave?" He shrugged. "The map was lost in the avalanche... without it, there was no way for me to find the right cave. So, I took the alternate route. I flew over the mountains, and used my eyes. It's an impressive illusion that hides this valley, but it's still just human magic, so I managed to see through it. I dived down here, and as soon as I got through the illusion, I could feel your presence again. I could feel that you were excited, fighting something, so I decided not to try and contact you, since that might distract you at a crucial point. So, I just homed in on you, and arrived in the nick of time - of course."

"Of course." She replied, winking at him. With a grunt, she then lifted the Tauros' head from the ground, and staggered over to Blake with it. "Good thing I don't have to carry this all the way back by myself..." she grumbled as she fastened the bulky trophy to her saddle with a rope. "Yeah, you're fortunate to have such an accommodating pack-donkey as me, huh?" Blake said jokingly, craning his head to watch. She laughed loudly in reply. "Pack-donkey AND knight in shining armor... you're a real jack-of-all-trades, love." After making sure that the ropes were tight, she turned smoothly and gripped Blake's head with both hands, passionately kissing him. "I'm not expected back at any particular time, y'know..." she whispered as she rubbed her head against his. He grinned. "A knight never shirks from his stern duty to aid a fair maiden in whatever needs she might have!"

Minos sighed as he watched the sun sink under the horizon. Sitting next to him, Lupus echoed him. After Anitra had left the ruins, they'd headed back to his place for breakfast, but the minotaur had lost his otherwise considerable appetite, so he'd soon headed home. There, he'd attempted to get on with his daily chores, tending the small farm he maintained, but he simply couldn't concentrate on his work. At noon, he'd finally given up and eaten a hasty lunch, before heading to the tower ruins to wait. Arriving, he'd found a somewhat shamefaced Lupus sitting there already. After exchanging ironic grins, they'd settled down and watched the sun progress uncaringly across the sky. The Dracotaur was somewhere in the ruins as well, probably meditating or something like that.

"How long do you suppose it takes to walk to those hills?" Minos asked, nodding his head in the direction Anitra had headed in that morning. Lupus shrugged. "At the rate she was walking? Some four hours, I guess." Minos nodded. "Right... so, she'd have reached it sometime around noon, huh?" "Yeah, sometime around noon." "And it'd take the same time to walk back... say, how long has she been gone, anyway?" The tall wolf-man rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Oh, around twelve or thirteen hours, I'd say." Minos nodded, and they were both silent for a while. "Do you suppose she might have a hard time finding him?" Lupus suddenly said, looking at the minotaur, who shrugged in reply. "Maybe. But I doubt HE would have a hard time finding HER." Lupus sighed, and shook his head. "She's not coming back, is she?" he finally said, looking up at the stars that was now starting to emerge.

"You write her off too soon..." a voice suddenly grumbled form behind them. Looking over his shoulder, he saw their leader walk out of the shadows in his usual, soundless fashion. "I wouldn't have sent her if I didn't think she had a chance. I don't know exactly what she is, but she's certainly not an ordinary human. I also noticed that her sword possesses a powerful magic - she is a warrior worthy of the Tauros." Minos nodded, but Lupus just closed his eyes. "I don't want to sound like a nay-sayer, ancient one, but wouldn't she have been here by now if she'd made it?" The Dracotaur shook his head. "There can be many possible reasons for her being late. For instance..." he stopped in midsentence, and looked up sharply.

"What's the matter?" Lupus asked warily, searching the night with his own, sharp senses. He perceived nothing out of order, but he knew that the ancient Dracotaur possessed senses sharper than his. "I'm not entirely sure..." he answered, sniffing at the evening breeze, "but I think I just heard the sound of wings. Big wings." He shook his head. "Maybe I'm just imagining things... there are no-one in this valley that could make such a sound. He sniffed again, and a smile suddenly spread across his scaly lips. "However... there IS definitely something in the air."

Lupus sniffed at the air too, and picked up a strange scent. Before he had time to figure out what it was, however, a large object flew over a nearby wall, and hit the ground near the exploded cauldron with a thunk. A lithe shape followed agilely, black armor blending into the shadows, making her appear like a number of unconnected limbs. "Hiya, guys - hey, Lupus, Minos, you still sitting around here?" She said cheerily, waving at them. "Anitra!" They said at the same time, leaping down from the wall they sat on. "You made it!" Grinning broadly, she shrugged. "Of course I did - what else did you expect? Hey, take a look at that thing..." She gestured at the object that had preceded her over the wall. Both Lupus and the Dracotaur had excellent night-vision, and instantly recognized it for what it was. Lupus gave a low whistle. "Impressive." Minos just grumbled, narrowing his eyes, trying to see through the increasing gloom. Stepping a bit closer, he finally recognized the shape - a head, with huge horns. He couldn't help but to flinch, one hand rubbing his throat.

"I see that you were, indeed, up to the task." The Dracotaur said, nodding at Anitra. "As per out agreement, the tablet piece is yours." Walking over to the ruined cauldron, he lifted the fragment from its resting-place, and handed it to her with a grave expression. She took it, with an equally serious face, but nonetheless carefully studied it before nodding. "Nice doing business with you. Well, I'll be going, then." Lupus' eyes widened in surprise. "Huh? Now? Won't you stay over-night? You're welcome in my house..." Then, realizing what it sounded like, he rapidly shook his head. "Ehm, I don't mean it like that... unless you feel like it, of course..." Anitra giggled girlishly. "Thanks for the offer, Lupus... I'd be happy to stay the night in your bed. But I'm afraid I need to get going - these tablet-pieces don't collect themselves, y'know. So, maybe you could just point me in the direction of the exit?" The wolfman sighed, and nodded. He could hear Minos barely suppressing his laughter behind him, and had no trouble understanding the hilarity of the situation. He, who was usually so confident with the femmes, had come across like a love-sick pup.

The Dracotaur couldn't help but to grin, too, as he pointed towards the cave that led out of the valley. "It's that way, on the other side of the village... it's quite easy to spot, even in the dark. It is only the other side that has been carefully concealed. But remember this, my dear Anitra... you will always be welcome here in the Valley of Wonder." She nodded, and blew him a kiss. "Good to know, old one... maybe I'll come back some other time. So long, everyone!" At this, she leaped over a nearby wall, and vanished into the night.

A few minutes later, even Minos heard the sound of huge, flapping wings, and looked up. A huge silhouette was clearly visible against the stars, gliding towards the exit of the valley. Both Lupus and Minos gasped in fear, while the Dracotaur just nodded. "So, I guess my ears weren't deceiving me earlier, after all. I think, my friends, that I now have a fairly good idea of what our recent visitor is..."

So, what's next? Blake asked as they floated through the air towards the exit. Anitra pulled a handful of parchments out of one of the saddlebags, her eyes easily penetrating the darkness as she read through the pages. The next piece we're looking for lies in an enchanted fairy forest... but according to these notes, it looks like we need to make a side-trip first. Blake returned an affirmative thought as he searched the ground for the cavern that led out of the valley. I see... and where will that lead us? Hopefully somewhere with less snow... Anitra grinned at the tone of his thoughts. Definitely. We're heading for he dry wastelands of the west, where it rarely rains, and never snows. Happy now? Blake sighed. Why does our quest never lead us to a pleasant tropical island? Ah, there's the cave... hold on, my dear, this is going to be a tight fit. She grinned mentally at him. I'm not worried, love... I've got a nearly complete confidence in your flying skills, y'know.

_ _

The End

Cuming soon, Chapter 8 of the DragonRider Chronicles: Hunt for the White Tiger!