FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

On Wings of Shadow

1 - A matter of tradition

The Sun stood high above the empire of Iskalath and its radiant light danced over the waves of the wide river, that wound silently through the plains surrounding the palace of Iskar. The palace itself was bathed in warmth, as the light streamed across its walls, giving the empress's banners, that waved gently in the breeze, an aura of forgotten glory.

On a terrace on the opposite side of the main hall, the empress was lying in front of a small fountain. Ki'Jala sighed. She loved to be out in the sun, the way the light warmed her scales and created myriads of sparkling reflections in the fountain. She breathed in deeply, enjoying the wonderful scent of the flowers in the palace gardens and the sweet scent of the grass on the plains.

She really spent way too much time inside, but there was always so much to do for her. And the last time an emperor had started to think only of himself, her people had been driven to the edge of extinction.

She wondered if her father had felt like this too, before he had chosen to be selfish just that one time. It had been a different situation of course, but it had ultimately led to the death of two of the last three remaining male shadow dragons, one of them being her father himself, and a lot of the females. Civil war. She shuddered at the mere thought.

After rallying some of the last surviving huntresses of her shattered empire, she had claimed her rightful title and taken over the palace of her father. There were other dragonesses who had proclaimed themselves queens, but after seemingly endless hours of diplomacy, she had managed to establish a stable alliance between all of them.

If only her father had been that foreseeing, she could have.. Well at least she would have been able to spend more time in the sun.

The gate at the far side of the hall opened and one of her guards walked out into the light, a black dragoness just like herself, clad in the ceremonial bronze armor of the imperial guard. The dragoness walked up to her and lowered her head.

"Milady I'm sorry, but you are needed in the main hall. Your messenger has returned from Silhall." Ki'Jala looked back at her. Silhall. What a depressing place it was. The queen of Silhall had decided, that the old fortress of a mountain dragon clan would be an appropriate location for her hoard. She had even named her entire kingdom after it.

The diplomatic relations with Silhall had been difficult during the last couple of weeks, mainly because of her brother. The discovery of a living male had been an enormous stroke of luck after all, since all the other males of her race had been killed and other dragons were unable to sire shadow dragon hatchlings.

The kingdoms had been searching for a forgotten male for years. To actually find him against all odds.. There had been no clues, just rumors and stories. And then one day a portal had opened right in front of her.

Only the most powerful males were able to open gates through the shadows, and the last one who had managed to do this had died centuries ago.

Ki'Jala remembered the portal. Jet black like a hole in the night, radiating the cold clear air of the mountains and the scent of rock and snow. She had felt a tickling sensation on her scales as she passed through, and on the other side.. Her brother. She giggled as she recalled the look on his face.

If the other queens knew what he was capable of.. Well, it was good they didn't. She had already explained the situation to him and he had promised her, not to use his "skill" unless it was absolutely necessary.

Of course she had had to take him home and claim him for herself, which was her right as empress. He was her brother, but he was also the last male in the entire realm, which pretty much made him the emperor and by that; her mate.

The other queens were still jealous of course, but since it was her right as empress, she would get to mate with him and bear his eggs first. Having eggs and hatchlings of her own.. She wondered what it was going to feel like.

The guard scratched at the ground nervously. "Milady?"

Ki'Jala realized she had been staring at the captain the whole time, completely lost in her thoughts.

"Of course.." She got up, folded her wings against her back and turned around, as she started to walk towards the gate.

"Um.. Milady?"

Ki'Jala frowned and stared at the guard behind her. "What else, captain?"

The guard lowered her head again. "Your crown milady.."

Ki'Jala turned back and noticed that she had left her crown on the rim of the fountain. She walked up to it and watched as the reflexions of the water played over the gemstones and the glistening golden surface.

The crown was covered with tiny pearls of water, just as if the fountain had tried to add some gemstones of its own. A crown they called it. She had seen the things, the two legged mammals called crowns. Basically their crowns were just jagged rings of metal.

Iskalath's crown was more like a helmet, crafted to grace the head of a dragon. She picked it up with a paw and lowered her head, gently placing the crown on top of it.

The golden metal was quite heavy, but its creator had been trying to design it as comfortable as possible. Of course the whole thing was covered with jewels, sapphires, emeralds and a pretty large diamond, placed right above her forehead.

She didn't exactly know why an emperor would have worn something like this, but the male ambassadors always dropped their jaws when they saw her wearing it, and the way their robes suddenly seemed to change their shapes in a very specific place always made her grin. It was kind of annoying, that they always started to drool all over her carpets though.

She heard a low coughing sound behind her and groaned. The damn messenger, she had forgotten about the messenger again.

She turned around and started to walk towards the gate. "Let's see to it then, shall we captain?"

The guard sighed "Of course milady"

The two dragons passed the gate, which was shut behind them as they entered a long corridor leading to the palace's main hall.

Ki'Jala focused her thoughts on the message she had sent to Silhall.

The queen of Silhall was truly a beast, much like the monsters that had built her crumbling ruin of a castle.

And she had had the nerve to ask her to send her brother to Silhall so that the queen could mate with him.

A demand like that was unacceptable for Ki'Jala, and that old hag knew it full well. It was an open insult, but she had been diplomatic about it. She had sent the queen a letter, telling her that the emperor was going to stay at his palace, where his safety could be guaranteed by the imperial guard. She had also written, that he would be very pleased to grant her an audience and mate with her after he had successfully impregnated his empress.

The two dragons stepped into the main hall, which was used to receive visitors who were not of noble birth, which meant that it was used pretty often.

It was a great round hall with a high ceiling, its walls lined with marble pillars. Right at the top of the ceiling was a rose window, that bathed the hall in bright colors and allowed a small cone of golden light to fall on the empress's pedestal in the center of the room.

Ki'Jala walked up the stairs to the pedestal and sat down on the red silk cushions. Then she lowered herself down on her front legs, allowing her paws to hang slightly over the edge of the pedestal. Her wings were still folded against her back like most of the time. She briefly thought about how nice it would be to spread them out and fly over the plains, but quickly snapped back to reality when one of her guards opened the portal and announced her messenger.

"Milady your messenger is asking for your permission to enter."

Ki'Jala grimaced as she raised a paw and waved it in approval.

A young emerald dragon entered the room. They were a bit smaller than shadow dragons and although their original home was far away in the northwestern jungles, there were a couple of their settlements in her empire.

"Milady, I bring you a letter from the queen of Silhall.."

Ki'Jala looked down at the young male and found him staring at the crown. Of course.. She had briefly forgotten about the light that fell through the rose window. The window was designed to let it fall right onto this very spot and since she was wearing her crown.. She watched as the young dragon's jaw dropped. Another couple of seconds and I will need to have the carpets cleaned again, she thought to herself.

"I'm afraid I don't remember your name." She watched as the male blinked in confusion.

The green dragon gasped and looked at the ground in embarrassment, his legs started shaking a bit. "Sirion milady.."

"Well Sirion, what does the queen write me?" Ki'Jala smiled down at him as one of her guards stepped forward and took a letter from the bag, which was strapped to the nervous dragon's body right under his left wing.

After a short examination the guard spoke up. "Milady, the queen announces her approval of the emperor's suggestion and wishes him and his empress health and fertility."

Ki'Jala gave a slow nod. The queen had accepted her terms. She had answered to the emperor instead of her, which was another insult of course, but she could live with that. She sighed. "Sirion you have served the empire well. Is there something we can offer you as a reward?"

The young dragon scratched at the ground nervously and looked up at her. "Milady.. I.. I mean I.. could you.."

Ki'Jala noticed a specific scent surrounding him. Oh please no, she thought. Please don't be stupid now. It was awkward for an ambassador if something like this happened, but a commoner? That would be a grave insult..

"You know it's mating time for my people.. and I am quite far away from home and.. Would you let me..?"

Ki'Jala could smell his musk as his erection slid out of his sheath, quickly growing to full size. An ambassador could hide his indecency underneath his robes, but dragons normally wore no clothing at all, except from ceremonial Armour in some cases, but even that covered only the head and chest. She groaned as two of her guards stepped towards the young male. One of them placed a paw on his back and shoved him to the ground while he yelped in shock. "You are under arrest for insulting the empress." She proclaimed.

The green dragon tried to get up, but the guard just shifted more of her weight on her paw, keeping him pinned down. "Please I.."

The second guard brought her paw down on his muzzle, shutting him up. "I'm sorry milady. We are going to deal with him."

Ki'Jala looked at the green dragon, who was still struggling desperately, his erection trapped between his stomach and the floor.

She looked at the captain, who was standing by the side of her pedestal. "Captain, what is the punishment for insulting the empress?"

The captain looked up at her. "Death your majesty"

The dragon on the floor gave a terrified whimper, unable to move. Tears started to form in his eyes and ran down his cheeks.

Ki'Jala nodded. "I thought so. I guess the protocol does not allow us to do anything in this case?"

The captain looked at the sobbing dragon in front of her. "I'm afraid not. It's a matter of tradition. Every male who insults the empress by indecent behavior or otherwise is sentenced to death. I know this is a pretty outdated law milady, but we will have to honor it. The queens would find out if we didn't and in our current situation that might cause a rebellion."

The empress looked at the terrified dragon. "I think I know a solution to our problem." She stood up and walked down the stairs. The guards watched her as she stopped in front of them.

"Listen closely boy. When my guards let you go, you will not try to run or fly away. It would be pointless as they are both stronger and faster than you. You will not say a word until I tell you to, understood?"

The green dragon nodded as another tear fell to the ground.

Ki'Jala raised a paw and the guards stepped aside. "As the captain already said. Any male who insults the queen has to stop existing and since you don't want to be executed, you can't be a male any longer right?"

The smaller dragon looked up at her in shock and disbelief. She noticed his tail curling under his belly to protect his maleness and shook her head. "Don't worry, "physical" changes won't be necessary. It's a tradition that an empress gives one or even multiple concubines to the emperor, to keep him company once mating time is over. And since it will be a couple of weeks before the next cycle.. You will be my gift to him, little one" Ki'Jala smiled at him. "You're allowed to speak now."

Sirion got up on his legs, still shaking a bit. "But I'm male.. You can't.." He blushed. "I mean.. He will notice that.. Do I have to mate with him?"

Ki'Jala smirked. "Of course an emperor mates with his courtesans, it's their primary purpose aside from keeping him company." She gently stroked his cheek wiping his tears away. "Don't worry, it's not going to be as bad as you think. It's totally natural that males enjoy the.. "company" of other males and I'm sure you will enjoy it too. My brother is really gentle and caring, you're going to like him. It's all going to be okay, you will live with us in the palace and your bedroom will be right next to my brother's. Of course you will also be cared for; you will never be hungry or thirsty again and you don't even have to work for all of this."

Sirion whimpered. "I guess.. I just want to.. okay.."

The empress gave him a pat on the back. "It's settled then. Captain please escort the emperor's new courtesan to his chambers and make sure he has everything he needs."

The captain lowered her head. "As you wish milady." She walked up to the young male and mentioned him to follow. Sirion looked at her and then at the empress who nodded at him before he turned around. When they reached the portal Ki'Jala called after them.

"Sirion please make sure to take a bath in your chambers. I'll have some servants visit you to help you wash your body and polish your scales and I will also have a selection of perfumes brought to your room. My chambermaid will help you decide which one suits you best. I wish you a pleasant evening."

After they had left, the empress returned to her pedestal to rest on the cushions for a while. What an interesting turn of events. She was sure that her brother was going to like him. The mating part of the job would be difficult at first though, even if he didn't mind the fact that his courtesan was male. This meant additional work for her, but she had saved somebody's life, which gave her a feeling of success. She wondered if her father had ever had to make a similar decision and what he would have done in such a situation.

* * *

A couple of minutes later Sirion was sitting next to the entrance door in his new chambers. He sighed. To him the room was like a palace inside a palace. The floor was made of red granite, covered with ornamental patterns of black and white marble, and seemed to radiate warmth, maybe produced by some kind of heating mechanism. He wondered how someone as big as a shadow dragon could have built something like this.

He took a look around the wide room, which seemed too big for a dragon like himself. On the opposite side of the chamber was a low bed, which looked like it was built to accommodate at least three dragons at the same time. At its head stood the statue of a dragon about to take flight, his wings spread out to the sides.

He got up, walked over to the bed and examined the soft cushions and pillows that covered it. The stitching on the pillows seemed to be made of gold. He was pretty sure he couldn't have afforded just one of them, even if he had saved his money for years. He laid a paw on the statue and ran it across the surface. The statue was made of black marble, but it was just as warm as the floor. He looked up and noticed that the statue was smiling down at him. What a warm smile it was; so nice, so comforting.. Sirion couldn't help but smile himself.

He thought about the journey he had taken to Silhall. The castle had been so cold, the exact opposite of Iskar. And the queen of Silhall.. She had treated him as if he was something disgusting that had crawled out from under her doorstep. Sirion shuddered. He didn't want to remember her, not even for a second.

He turned around and let his view wander across the room. Sunlight fell through curtains made of thin red silk, which seemed alive as they moved in the soft breeze that was waving in from the open door to the balcony. The scent of blooming roses reached his nostrils. As he turned back again, he noticed another door next to the entrance. Sirion opened it. On the other side he found a room, which was just as big as the first one, but with a great pool filled with hot water right in the center. On the far side of the room he noticed an enormous silver mirror and a huge wardrobe, which seemed to be made of black oak.

"Are you satisfied with the accommodation?"

Sirion turned his head to find the origin of the voice and noticed a female raptor sitting on a chair in the corner of the room. She was smaller than him of course, but she seemed to radiate strength and confidence. The raptor was wearing a short red dress and her dark yellow scales glistened in the light as she got up and smiled at him.

He smiled back at her nervously, trying not to let her notice his insecurity.

"My name is Naissa and, as you have already noticed, I am a raptor. I'm the chambermaid of the empress of Iskar." She lowered her head in a gesture of respect before she continued.

"My lady has asked me to assist you while you get used to your new position. As you can see, I have prepared a bath for you to help you relax. Don't worry, I made sure the water is nice and warm." She winked at him. "The pool is deep enough to get you all cleaned up, but not deep enough to drown in it."

Sirion looked at her in confusion, as the raptor started to giggle. "I'm sorry, I thought a little joke would help to break the ice."

Sirion walked up to the pool and looked down at the water, dipping a claw in it. It really was nice and warm, there were even small clouds of steam rising from it. He noticed various leafs floating on the water and looked at Naissa. "What are those?"

"A selection of herbs. My lady said I should choose something appropriate, so I brought ebon leaf, winter's flame and gold root." When she noticed the clueless expression on his face, she continued. "Ebon leaf grows in the southern marshes and is known for it's ability to soften up dragon scales. It also makes them as smooth as silk. Winter's flame is used to calm the spirit, that means it also helps against nervousness. And gold root.. well, it is used for relaxation too, but it has an effect on.. other parts of your body." Sirion blushed as he figured out what she meant.

"It's nothing harmful, you don't need to worry about it. The empress wants to help you and so do I. Now, please step into the water."

The young dragon looked down at the pool, then he sighed and waded into the water. It was deeper than he had expected, covering most of his body except for his head and neck. He hissed in pleasure as the water warmed his scales.

"Feels good, doesn't it?" Naissa ran a hand along his neck. "You are a very beautiful male, you know that?" Sirion gulped and blushed again as the raptor continued to caress his scales. "The emperor is going to like you and you will like him too. Just imagine all the fun you are going to have together, all the pleasure you will share."

The green dragon slowly began to become aroused. His erection started to slide out of his sheath and his balls seemed to get heavier with every passing second. It was not the thought of another male claiming him that caused his arousal, but the tender affection of the raptor in front of him, or was it?

Naissa noticed his body tensing up. "Don't worry, I've seen a lot of aroused dragons before." She smirked. "I can feel your muscles tensing, your heart beating faster.." She traced a single claw along the back of his neck, right down his spine, until she reached his shoulders. Sirion moaned softly. "I know you want nothing more than to release all that pressure between your legs, but you will have to wait. I want you to save it for your mate."

The green dragon groaned. His balls felt so heavy.. "I know it's going to be difficult at first, but I am afraid you will have to get used to it." She gently stroked his head to calm him down, then she got up and walked towards the back end of the pool to take a closer look at his rump. "Would you mind raising your tail for me? I have to examine your hindquarters.."

Sirion turned his head and looked at her. "I.. um.. Why do you want to.. I mean.."

Naissa stroked the base of his tail gently. "I promise I won't hurt you. Now please raise your tail." The green dragon obliged. He slowly raised his tail for her and moved it aside, until it rested on the rim of the pool. The raptor sat down and proceeded with her examination. "You look pretty tight." She placed a hand on his ass, gently kneading his butt cheek, before she slid it under his tail and carefully prodded his tailhole. Sirion gasped as she slowly massaged his pucker with her fingers.

"When was the last time you were with another male?"

Sirion looked at her nervously. "I.. Actually I never.. You know.."

Naissa picked up a small vial and poured its contents over her fingers, before she slowly slid one of them into his tailhole. "And here I thought there were no virgin dragons left in the empire." She smiled at him. "Then tell me about your first mate. Was she pretty?"

Sirion blushed. "No, I mean I have never mated with anyone." He lowered his head when Naissa looked up at him in surprise.

"You mean you never had a mate? You're a complete virgin? I always thought that an emerald dragon, who doesn't find a female to mate with, would be claimed by a stronger male without a partner.. Why didn't one of them claim you?"

"They tried to, but I can fly pretty fast." Sirion looked her in the eyes.

"Don't worry sweetheart, that's totally alright. The emperor will certainly be even more pleased with you"

She started to gently stroke his tail, while she kept fingering the young dragon's ass. "I guess we'll have to stretch you a bit if you don't want your first time to be painful." She kept her rhythm for some time as she watched the young dragon moan and writhe in pleasure. He started to thrust his cock forward and grunted in frustration since there was nothing he could sink it into.

Sirion looked at her pleadingly, starting to thrust his ass backwards against her intruding fingers, urging her to go deeper.

Naissa smirked. "Now there's a good boy. I told you you'd enjoy it, just remember that I won't allow you to cum."

Sirion whimpered and gave a slow nod. He looked so desperate, it was almost heartbreaking. The raptor stopped and slowly pulled her fingers out of him. She noticed his muscles tightening around her digits, trying to keep them inside, and gave the dragon a gentle pat on his butt.

"So much for the relaxing part." She said. "Now please climb out of the pool and get back to your bed. I have a surprise for you."

Sirion sighed but didn't complain as he climbed out of the pool. Warm water streamed down his body and some of the leafs stuck to his scales.

Naissa looked at him closely and Sirion blushed when he realized, that he was still rock-hard. She walked up to him and ran a hand along his length, starting at the base where it left his sheath then sliding it right up to its head. He moaned as she gave his cock some slow gentle strokes, while her other hand cupped his scaly sack, weighing it in her hand.

"Looks like we got you all worked up boy." She teased. "Your cock seems to be averagely sized for an emerald dragon." Sirion blushed as the raptor continued to caress him. "Your balls feel quite heavy.. I can imagine how much you want to empty them, but remember you can't do that just yet."

She grinned while she kept pumping his cock slowly and deliberately. "We do need to get a taste of you though.."

Sirion panted heavily. His maw opened and his tongue hung out to the side, but he didn't care. He was totally lost in the pleasure, that the raptors hands were giving him. His body reacted instinctively, his hips started to thrust, shoving his slick cock into those lovely hands.

"Good boy. Just like that.. just a bit more.." The raptor cooed.

The young dragon groaned in frustration when the raptor suddenly stopped her treatment and let go of his cock, leaving it to throb and slide through nothing but thin air. Sirion whimpered pitifully as the pleasure died down again.

"I'm sorry." Naissa gently stroked his flank to comfort him. "I told you I just need a taste." She brought her hand close to his cock again and slid a single finger along the underside of its tip, collecting the silvery liquid that had gathered there. Sirion grunted in discomfort while the raptor examined the sample of his essence before licking it off of her finger.

"Well, we will have to alter your diet I guess.. You can't fully enjoy cleaning up, if your essence tastes like this."

The green dragon looked at her in confusion. "Clean up?"

Naissa turned to face him. "Of course. It's a tradition to clean yourself and your mate up after mating.. That means with your tongue." She could sense the young dragon tensing up again. "Don't worry, it's not as bad as you think. Once we have altered your taste you will love it, and you will get used to it in no time." She winked at him. "By the way, have you ever tried to suck yourself off?"

Sirion looked at her shyly before he answered. "I.. um.. I tried to once.. It felt good, but I was disturbed while.. um.. sucking it and I never tried it again afterwards."

"Well, you don't need to be ashamed of that anymore. In fact, you should do it more often from now on. It's a good way to improve your oral skills, and you can demonstrate your "talent" to the emperor too." The green dragon blushed again, but he nodded slowly. "Get over to the bed. I can't wait to see you do it." The raptor giggled as they walked back into the main chamber, stopping in front of the bed.

Sirion swallowed hard as he climbed onto the bed, which turned out to be even softer than it looked. As he lay down on his side, Naissa pulled up a chair, which he hadn't noticed before and sat down in front of him. He arched his back and bent his neck as his cock slowly slid into view. He looked at it; the tip of his member glistened with pre as it slowly throbbed and twitched in the light breeze that flowed in from the balcony. He inhaled deeply, taking in his scent before he brought his muzzle closer, extended his tongue and gave the tip a soft lick. The pleasure he felt was unbelievable. Sirion moaned as he let his tongue continue to explore his shaft, gently dancing over all its sensitive spots.

Naissa licked her lips as she watched the young dragon enjoying himself. "You're such a good boy. Go on, take it inside of your muzzle. I want to see you savor your treat." She smirked as she watched him oblige. His tongue wrapped around his cock as he sank his lips onto it, allowing the throbbing rod to slowly enter his welcoming muzzle. He moaned again, sending soft vibrations through his rock hard shaft and causing a small but steady stream of pre to leak from the tip. Sirion started to suck gently as his tongue caressed his member, milking it of his juices. He shuddered in pleasure as he tasted his own essence and started to swallow it eagerly.

Naissa gently stroked his head. "Good boy. Don't let any of that precious liquid go to waste. Don't worry, you'll get a real taste of your essence soon enough."

She sat by his side and watched as the green dragon continued to pleasure himself, his tail twitching as his muzzle slid up and down his length slowly and deliberately. Naissa listened to his stifled moans while she waited for him to come as close as possible to his climax. When she noticed that he was starting to speed up, his hips thrusting against his muzzle, she grabbed him by his horns.

"Easy boy. No cumming yet, remember? Now be a good boy and stop." Sirion whimpered quietly, muffled by his still rock hard length, before he opened his muzzle and allowed his member to slide out while he raised his head.

Naissa watched his glistening cock and noticed a thin stream of pre leaking from the tip as it throbbed and bounced in front of her. She felt the heat radiating off of it, and she could almost feel the frustration caused by the relentless teasing.

"You did a really good job there, must be a natural talent." She gently stroked his head to help him deal with the stress that his denied orgasm was causing. Sirion groaned while his cock twitched and throbbed, his testicles looked painfully swollen.

Naissa examined the sight and felt sorry for him. She took a small pouch from underneath the bed and pulled out a small vial. "Hold still, this is going to help. Trust me, you will have forgotten about your frustration in a second."

She uncorked the vial and poured its contents onto the dragon's sensitive scrotum. Sirion hissed as he felt the cool liquid touching his scales and engulfing his sensitive crotch. The raptor started to rub it all over his cock and balls, while massaging them gently. The sensation quickly became extremely pleasant and relaxing and although his balls still felt swollen, the pain and frustration were drained from his body.

"See? An orgasm would have just spilled all the good stuff that you keep in here." Naissa ran a hand across his balls, gently caressing them. "My massage on the other hand has helped you to get rid of all the bad sensations, while allowing you to keep all your precious essence inside."

She winked at him. "I know it's no substitute for a real orgasm, but it's the best I can offer you right now." She got up and walked up to a dresser in the corner of the room. Sirion looked after her.

"Why is it so important for me not to cum? I mean.. I have spilled my essence before, you know.." He blushed a bit when she turned to face him.

"You have received a new life Sirion. You are a concubine now, and a concubine's essence is considered precious. It is the most important thing, apart from your body, that you share with the emperor, and only with him."

The green dragon sighed deeply. "You mean I will never get to mate with a female then..? I always hoped I could be a father sometime.." He hung his head.

"Well.. The emperor will be your mate and unless he decides to share you, you aren't allowed to mate with anybody else.."

She watched him as he sat on his bed. He looked so sad.. "Please don't be like that, everything is going to be okay. You have a great life ahead of you." Sirion nodded slowly and she started to gently stroke his head.

"We should get you dressed now, that will cheer you up" Naissa smiled at him warmly as she clapped her hands and two tigresses, dressed in blue, entered the room.

Sirion looked at them in confusion. "Dressed? You mean clothes? I mean I have seen dragons wearing armor and I know that royal dragons wear crowns, but.."

The raptor giggled. "You think just walking around buck naked all day would be befitting for a concubine? You have much to learn boy. Don't worry though you won't be wearing too much cloth."

* * *

Two hours later, Sirion sighed as he looked at himself in the mirror. He was wearing a couple of golden veils, graciously draped around his legs and tail, covering up his sheath and testicles, and a chest piece made of golden silk. His head was adorned with something, that Naissa called a tiara. It was an extremely thin golden chain draped around his horns and ears, where it caused a tickling sensation that was driving him insane whenever he tried to shake his head.

"This isn't me." He turned his head to Naissa, who was standing next to him.

"Of course it is." Naissa smiled at him. "You look pretty and now that we covered you up, you could easily be mistaken for a dragoness." She grinned as she ran a hand up his back to adjust his chest piece once more.

"Fortunately your scent isn't as potent as that of other males. It was quite easy to cover it up. Now you even smell like a dragoness."

Sirion blushed. "I don't want to smell like a dragoness, I'm a male." He sighed, scratching at the ground nervously.

"You don't have to become a dragoness silly boy, you just have to look like one in public." Naissa tried to comfort him. "You were chosen for what you are."

The young dragon shook his head, trying to ignore the tiara. "I'm here for doing something wrong and this is just some kind of weird punishment." He hung his head, gasping in surprise when he felt Naissa's hand slip under his muzzle, as she brought his head eye to eye with her.

"This is not punishment you silly lizard, it's an opportunity. A lot of people would kill to be in your place." She ran her hand along his head, stroking him gently. "The guards will be here soon to escort you to the emperor's quarters. Once you get there, they will stay outside and do what guards do best: they will stand right in front of the door all night long, so do yourself a favor and don't try to escape."

Sirion gulped and nodded. "Good boy. I know you don't want to ruin your second chance. I will come and look after you in the morning."

By now Sirion could hear steps in the hallway in front of his chambers, and the rustling sound of steel on dragon scales.

"You are a lucky guy, you know? Enjoy your first night in the palace." With that Naissa winked at him and planted a small kiss on the tip of his snout.

A heavy knocking sound echoed through the room.

"Come in" Naissa turned around as the door opened and two steel clad guards walked in.

"Good evening Naissa, it's always a pleasure to see you" one of them said with a grin.

"The pleasure is mine captain." Naissa bowed before the dragoness before she continued. "Since when does the empress's guard take care of the concubines, if I may ask?"

The captain turned to face Sirion "Well we do so since I convinced her majesty, that the emperor should be protected from people we can't trust."

Naissa stepped forward while Sirion stared at the guards in fear. "Kirinia this isn't necessary. The boy is scared enough already, don't you think? Are you trying to scare him to death?"

The dragoness looked at the trembling male in front of her and gave a short grunt before her features softened. "You know what's expected of you right? Now just follow us and don't give us a hard time on your first night and you have my word that we will treat you nicely."

Naissa stared at the dragoness. "He is not a prisoner, he's a concubine.."

The captain nodded. " And he will be free to stroll around the palace grounds as much as he wants tomorrow, as long as he doesn't intend to leave without permission. But tonight I have orders to escort him to the emperor's chambers." She turned to face the other dragoness, who gave a silent nod and left the chamber to wait in front of the door. "Now, if you would follow us."

Sirion looked at Naissa, who smiled at him gently and gave him a short nod. Then he gulped and followed the guards.

* * *

The way to the emperor's chambers was surprisingly short. Or unsurprisingly considering the fact that an emperor would want to keep his concubines as close as possible for most of the time, in case he got bored or his bed got cold.

Sirion sighed. They had passed through corridors of white marble, underneath enormous arches and the colorful eyes staring at them from dozens of tapestries, each of them probably worth a fortune. He looked at one of them as they passed.

The dragon depicted on it had to be Ssirgard the mild, one of the first emperors. Sirion tried to recall his story. After his father had died Ssirgard was proclaimed emperor, since he was the firstborn son. His brother, or maybe his uncle Sirion didn't quite remember that part, raised an army to conquer the empire himself, but through diplomacy Ssirgard managed to convince him to lay down his arms. It was a great victory for peace at that time. Too bad that Ssirgard's brother (or uncle?) had his own ideas about peace. Ssirgard died only two months later and nobody dared to ask about the circumstances of his death.

Sirion turned his head back and bumped into the guards in front of him, who had stopped in front of a large wooden door. He gasped as he suddenly found his nostrils right under the captain's tail dangerously close to her..

"Don't you think you're a bit too close boy? I can't remember asking you to put your snout there, or did I?" She turned her head and Sirion thought he could feel the heat of her gaze on his scales, or maybe the heat of her nethers..? He stumbled backwards as fast as he could.

"I'm sorry captain. I promise it won't happen again."

Kirinia looked at him and smirked without any anger in her gray eyes. "Don't make any promises you won't be able to keep boy, we both know that would be against your nature." She smiled at him. "I know you're nervous, but there's no need to be. Just enjoy yourself tonight." With this she turned towards the door and said a single word. It was as soft as a whisper, but Sirion could feel its power vibrating in every syllable as it brushed over the black wood and glowed on the golden ornaments. He watched in awe as the door's heavy wings slid open slowly.

Kirinia and the other guard turned around and took position at each side of the door.

Sirion looked at the captain. "So you're not going in..?" His question sounded more like a plea.

Kirinia looked at him and sighed, it was really hard not to feel pity for him, even if she had spent barely half an hour in his presence. He was just way too cute for a male dragon. It was like watching a hatchling cry.

"You won't need our protection boy. Originally our orders were to protect the emperor in case you tried something.. you know.. hostile." Sirion nodded slowly and took a step forward. "It will be okay. Now please go inside. We will stand guard out here for the rest of the night, you're not alone."

Kirinia watched as he entered the room, before the door closed behind him. She sighed. If she had had to look at that face of his just a couple of minutes longer, he might have managed to make her cry.

"Just like an overgrown hatchling.." She muttered with a grin.

* * *

Sirion winced as the door fell shut behind him. The emperor's chambers were definitely bigger than his own room. His view shifted over gold and ebony to a bed that looked pretty much like the one he had seen in his room, although it seemed to be made to accommodate five dragons instead of just three.

He didn't know what he was expected to do here.. Well, of course he had some idea about what was supposed to happen, but should he just lie down and wait for it? He was so lost in his own thoughts that he didn't notice the figure, who stepped into the room from the balcony.

"I guess some would call it impressive, but I guess you already know what a bed is right? Or maybe you are just eager to get started?"

Sirion jumped as he noticed he had been staring at the bed. He turned his head to locate the origin of the voice. In front of the door that led to the balcony stood an onyx black dragon, bigger than himself and definitely stronger. Sirion could see the thick muscles working in his chest and legs as he slowly walked towards him. He gulped.

"Do you like what you see little one?" The shadow dragon had stopped right in front of him, and Sirion had to look upwards slightly.

"I don't.. I mean.. yes milord?" He looked up into a pair of bright blue eyes.

The emperor looked back at him with a warm smile on his muzzle. "There's no need to be scared." He lowered his head slightly and inhaled Sirion's scent deeply. "Yes you're definitely male. Sorry, I just wanted to be sure on how to address you." He winked at him. "Naissa does wonders with her perfumes, but at close distance you can still smell a dragons gender."

Sirion felt more and more uncomfortable with all the attention he was getting. "Thank you sire, but I.."

"My name is Karr'Serath, high emperor of.. you know.." He gave a short laugh. "Just call me Serath though please, I don't care too much for titles and all that." He brought a paw up and gently stroked the side of Sirion's muzzle.

The green dragon whined softly as the tiara was gently lifted off of his head. The expression on Serath's face became serious. "Boy, do you want to be here with me? I mean out of your own free will?"

Sirion started to mumble nervously when he felt a paw gently stroking the side of his muzzle while raising his head, until his view found those comforting blues eyes once again.

"No.. I mean.. maybe not?"

Serath let go of his muzzle and shook his head. "I'm sorry if I have caused you discomfort little one. The guards just told me, that I was to expect some special company tonight." He sighed as he turned away.

Sirion watched the emperor nervously. This was not supposed to happen, it was not what he wanted to happen, or was it? "I.. I kind of insulted the empress, you know.. she saved my life by bending some kind of tradition, so.."

"I will talk to her tomorrow, afterwards you will be free to leave." Serath sighed deeply. "Please feel free to use the bed. I will spend the night over here." He lay down, resting his head on his folded paws.

Sirion tried to think of a response of some sort, but after a moment he just sighed and walked over to the bed.

Three hours later he was lying on the bed, still awake and unable to sleep. It had been quite difficult to get rid of all those veils by himself. He had tried to sleep, but after rolling around on the pillows for what had seemed like an eternity, he had simply given up on that. His eyes wandered over to the form of the black dragon. He had to be asleep by now, so if he tried to climb over him and then managed to reach the balcony.. He swallowed nervously. No, that plan wouldn't work anyway. Considering how lucky he had been the entire day, he would trip over the larger dragons body, waking him up and hurting himself in the process. He shuddered at the thought. No, he had had enough trouble for a day. This whole situation was just too confusing, he wasn't even sure if he still wanted to leave. There was something special about that dragon, he made him feel safe.. and warm..

Sirion cleared his throat. "Isn't the floor a bit cold.. Serath?"

The black dragon didn't move, he just kept lying there quietly.

"Are you.. still awake?"

Serath raised his head to look back at him.

"Yes I am. Why aren't you sleeping little one?"

Sirion nervously licked his lips. "I don't feel safe.. I mean.. I've had a pretty stressful day and I am unable to calm myself down. And.. So.. Could you.. um.. would you mind keeping me company here?" He gave the bigger dragon an uneasy smile.

Serath got up from the ground. "How could I possibly say no to such a nice request?" He smiled at Sirion as he walked through the moonlit room and climbed onto the bed, lying down right next to him.

Sirion could feel his warm breath against his neck. "I know you're not going to take advantage of me, I mean you could have easily done that at least thirty times by now.." He rolled over onto his other side, facing Serath as he looked deep into his eyes.

"I mean why didn't you?" The two dragons looked at each other.

Serath smiled. "There is no pleasure in forcing somebody to do things they don't want to do. I want my mates to enjoy themselves."

"I see.." Sirion softly stroked over the silken pillows with a paw. "I've never been "together" with somebody else before, you know? And today I spent the entire afternoon being dressed up and fondled by some weird females." He blushed. "My heart is racing so fast right now, that I'm afraid I might die as a virgin tonight."

Serath started to stroke his leg comfortingly.

"I can imagine how you feel right now." Sirion's view shifted towards his face again. "I can help you calm down if you want. If you trust me.."

The green dragon smiled weakly. "Okay I guess.."

Serath returned his smile. "Then turn around please."

Sirion rolled onto his other side, now facing the balcony again. "Now what are you.."

He felt the black dragon cuddle up to him, his warm body pressing against his back and folded wings. Sirion groaned with pleasure. He could feel Serath's heartbeat against his back, slow and steady.

Serath pulled the smaller dragon into his embrace. "Now relax and watch little one." He smiled as he whispered a single word.

Sirion watched as the room around him started to glow in a dim blue light, before it slowly vanished into a star-filled sky. He lay there, looking at the glowing eternity and the only other sensation he felt was that wonderful, steady rhythm at his back. "I've never seen anything like this before Serath.. This is the most beautiful thing I have ever.. Thank you.." Sirion smiled as he gently drifted asleep.

Serath stayed awake for a bit longer, making sure to keep the emerald dragon safe and warm in his embrace, before he too allowed himself to fall asleep beneath the endless sky.

* * *

Serath woke up to the sight of a clear, bright blue sky and blinked into the light. He yawned, exposing his white, razor-sharp teeth. He whispered a command and the ceiling returned, replacing sky with stone. Tulain truly was an interesting material, solid as rock, yet flexible and extremely responsive to magic.

He stretched his legs and groaned in delight before he turned his attention to the green dragon lying next to him.

The morning sun graced Sirion with an aura of beauty he had never seen on another male before. For minutes he could just lie there, watching the light dance over his emerald scales, and listening to the calm symphony of his breath.

It would be a pity to wake him up just yet. He smiled as he slowly got up and out of bed, before he made his way to the door. As it swung open, the guards on the other side stood at attention.

"I hope you had a pleasant night sire."

Serath gave them a toothy grin. "The best I have had for some time captain. Now, since Sirion is still sleeping, and the two of you haven't been all night long, I suggest you go and get some rest."

Kirinia lowered her head. "As you wish sir." The guards turned around to leave.

"Oh, and Kirinia, be so kind and stop by the kitchen. Tell the servants that Sirion and I will be having breakfast together in my chamber."

Kirinia turned her head and grinned at him. "With pleasure sir."

Serath watched as the dragonesses disappeared around the corner. Well, at least they had something they could talk about now.

Sirion opened his eyes and blinked into the light of the morning sun, which was shining into the room from the balcony. He yawned and his nostrils caught the sweet scent of roses in the breeze. He looked around the room and gasped when his eyes fell on Serath.

"Ah, I see you are awake. Did you sleep well?" The black dragon smiled at him.

"Yes.. I mean, I haven't slept that good in weeks.. It's just that I thought we would.. I mean we haven't.."

Serath smirked. It seemed as if Sirion had finally managed to calm down a bit. He hadn't seen a dragon that nervous in months.

"I'm sorry, but I thought you didn't want to mate. You looked pretty stressed. I was worried that all that tension might be a little too much for you."

Sirion watched him as he walked over to the bed and sat down next to it.

"Maybe I was a bit nervous.. I mean I've never met an emperor before. Or a male shadow dragon. I would never have dreamed of waking up next to a legend and now look at me."

"Oh, come on." Serath grinned at the younger dragon. "I'm not a legend, just a simple male with tons of luck as it seems." He gently stroked Sirion's neck and felt him shiver under his touch.

"You know.. Every good legend needs a princess."

Sirion gasped when he felt Serath's paw wander up his neck and under his muzzle.

"But.. I'm male.. I couldn't.."

"There is not a thing in this world, that a dragon as beautiful as yourself couldn't do."

The green dragon blushed heavily, which caused Serath to smile.

"I have never seen a dragon blush like you do. One of your ancestors must have been a color shifter." He brought his head closer to Sirion's trembling muzzle and Sirion felt his warm breath washing over him as he continued. "I don't care if you are a princess or a prince, a male or a female. I like you and I am asking you, if you want to become my mate. It's your decision to make and I will respect whatever answer you give me. Like I said, you are free to leave if you want to."

Sirion gasped while Serath looked deep into his eyes. He definitely hadn't expected something like this. He watched the black dragon's deep blue eyes, shining like sapphires in the morning light. Sirion gulped.

"I.. I never thought somebody would ever ask me something like that. I mean.. Back at home it was always about domination, the strongest males took the females. And the rest.. A lot of them tried to claim me, but I never.." His heart was beating faster than ever before in his life, he could feel its beat echo in his head. "I have never met a dragon like you before.. You could have any female you want, but you want me?" Sirion smiled, his mouth felt incredibly dry. "I.. would love to be your mate.."

The green dragon squeaked quietly as Serath moved his muzzle closer to him, stopping just a fragment of an inch before his own. Sirion looked into his blue eyes once more, then he closed his eyes and slowly moved his muzzle forward, closing the distance between them.

Sirion gave a soft moan when their scaly lips connected. He could feel the warmth of the other dragons muzzle pressing against his own and the beating of his own heart, strong and fast, hammering against the cage of his chest. He lost all sense of time. Had they been kissing for seconds, hours...? He didn't know; he didn't care. Time was no longer important, everything that mattered was the two of them and the wonderful warmth he felt in his chest while the skilled lips of his lover caressed his own.

Suddenly Sirion noticed that Serath was starting to pull his head back and their lips lost contact. He moaned lowly in displeasure and moved his head forward, not wanting that heavenly sensation to end. He felt a paw gently brushing over his cheek and opened his eyes slightly. Through his half lidded eyes he could see Serath smiling at him.

Sirion looked at him in confusion.

"I'm.. Sorry.. to interrupt, but the servants have already delivered our breakfast."

"Please, I don't want to stop.."

Serath gave him a short kiss on his lips and the green dragon moaned in delight.

"How do you do that?"

Serath looked at him. "How do I do what?"

Sirion smiled, blushing slightly.

"How do you make me feel so good?"

"It's not just me you know.." Serath looked deep into his eyes as he continued. "It's you and me together."

Sirion looked back at him dreamily. "Will it always feel like this?"

Serath slowly shook his head and smiled. "No, it will become even better." With that he pulled his new mate into another kiss.

When their lips parted again Sirion was panting faster, his heart racing in his chest.

Serath looked at his blushing mate and chuckled.

"We should really eat something now, before you pass out from lust.." He winked.

Sirion got up and joined him as they walked towards the balcony and out into the sunlight. A large table was standing in the middle of the balcony. The two dragons sat down and Sirion stared at the big plate in front of him. On it there were fruits he had never seen before, some pretty big fish that must have been caught in the river nearby, a slice of krelai meat and some loafs of sweet bread. His stomach growled as Serath grabbed a loaf of bread.

"Feel free to start if you want." He smiled and shoved a bowl over to Sirion.

Sirion looked down at it. The bowl contained a clear reddish liquid that smelled incredibly sweet.

"Spiced whine? Isn't it a bit early for this?" He looked at the black dragon at his side.

"That's no whine, it's just part of your diet." Serath gave him a toothy grin. "By the way, the scent of your arousal is far more intoxicating than any whine could ever be."

Sirion chuckled at the comment, blushing slightly. "Thank you I guess." He had secretly hoped the larger dragon wouldn't notice, but on the other hand, what did he expect to happen after such a kiss. At least he had managed to get his erection back down before he left the bed.

Sirion tried to change the topic. "Why do I get a special diet?"

"To keep you healthy of course. It will also slightly alter your.. taste."

"My taste?" He looked at Serath in confusion.

The black dragon grinned as he demonstratively lowered his head to look at Sirion's hind legs and licked his lips.

"Oh.." Sirion winced as he felt his member starting to slide from its sheath at the thought. He picked the bowl up and took a big gulp of the sweet scented liquid. The taste was amazing. Sirion kept drinking until he had emptied the bowl, and licked his lips as he set it back onto the table.

"Looks like somebody's eager to get started." Serath chuckled, then he picked up his own bowl, which contained a milky liquid, that smelled like vanilla.

"I guess your diet is slightly different from mine?" Sirion looked at him.

The black dragon emptied his bowl. "Indeed. Mine increases productivity and quality." He noticed the confused look on his new mate's face. "It means I don't have to rest so long after mating and it pretty much guarantees success. It also helps with the taste if you're wondering."

Sirion grinned as he took a bite out of one of the fruits.

They kept eating for a while. From time to time Sirion let his eyes roam over the other dragon's form. He admired his curled horns and the long thick tail, that brushed against his leg. Sirion's gaze followed the curve of his tail upwards and rested on the tight muscular cheeks underneath. He licked his lips, imagining what it would feel like to be beneath those hips, to feel the relentless powerful thrusts hammering against his backside, to feel that tail gently caressing his belly while he was being pumped full of..

He gasped and bit his tongue. Then he looked up to see if Serath had noticed and sighed in relief as he found him still eating as if nothing had happened. His eyes wandered back to Serath's ass for a moment, before they traced his spine upwards to where his wings should be. He noticed two long scars under the thick scales between his shoulders.

"Serath? I.. what happened to your wings?"

Serath turned his head and swallowed the fish he had been chewing. "I was born without wings." He replied with a sad smile.

Sirion placed a paw on his back, gently stroking between his shoulders. "But why do you have those scars?"

The black dragon sighed. "That's a long story and I'm afraid we don't have time for that now." He smiled at Sirion. "Don't worry though, I'll tell you about it later."

Sirion didn't want to keep pushing, so he smiled back and they continued their meal.

"Do you know why the palace is called Iskar?"

Sirion looked up. "It's draaktung, isn't it?"

Serath nodded. "It means ice chamber. Actually it's kind of a joke. The third emperor chose the most beautiful spot he could find when he built the palace. Then he remembered that politics would follow him here, so he named it Iskar."

Sirion looked down at the fountains and gardens of the palace. In the distance the river sparkled in the sunlight. "It truly is beautiful."

Serath smiled at him. "That means you'll fit right in."

The green dragon blushed as he started to gently stroke Serath's tail with the tip of his own.

They looked at each other wordlessly before Sirion slid closer to Serath and brought his head close to that of his mate. Serath smiled at the gesture and kissed him gently. Sirion moaned in pleasure as their lips connected. He could feel his new mates paw gently stroking his chest, before it started to travel downwards gliding along his belly until it finally reached his..

A knocking sound from the chamber door caused Serath to break the kiss. He turned his attention to the door.

Sirion whimpered and grabbed Serath's paw, trying to hold it in place. "Please.. don't stop."

The black dragon turned his head back and gave him a soft kiss. "I'm afraid you'll have to wait a bit longer little one. I'm sorry, I'll make up for it later." He withdrew his paw with a wink.

Sirion groaned in displeasure, but he let go of his mate's paw as he turned around.

Serath walked back into the chamber. "You may enter."

The door opened and Kirinia stepped into the room. "I'm sorry to disturb you milord, but the empress asks for your presence in an urgent matter."

Serath noticed that the captain was wearing her ceremonial bronze armor and sighed. "Something official I guess. I'd rather not leave my concubine waiting for too long."

"I'm afraid your sis.. I mean the empress insists milord."

He rolled his eyes. "Alright, I'm coming." He turned his head towards the balcony. "Sirion I'll have to leave you alone for a while, but I'll be back soon. In the meantime I will send Naissa to keep you company."

Sirion stepped into the room and sighed. "Thank you Serath."

"Don't worry, she will take good care of you while I'm gone." Serath smiled at him before he turned to leave.

Sirion's view shifted towards his mate's rump as he walked, tail swishing from side to side seductively, granting short glances at his heavy orbs.

Serath turned his head and winked at him. "I hope you enjoy the view."

Sirion blushed brightly while the two dragons left the room. The captain chuckled as she closed the door behind herself. Then he went out again to sit on the balcony for a little longer. The warm sunlight washed over his scales as he sat there thinking. He had started out as a messenger and now he was a concubine and not just any, but the concubine of the emperor. He winced as a soft breeze brushed over his erection and looked down at the palace. He had thought that this would be the end of his life, but instead it had turned out to be something new, something better. And it was just the beginning. Sirion smiled.