FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

The Dragon Utopia

• Chapter 20 in the Chronicles of the DragonRider

The Bitterpeak Mountains were aptly named. A meteorological oddity of the continent's prevailing winds had left this harsh, rocky mountain-range drier than most deserts - no clouds clustered around its peaks, and no rain fell on their sides. Even the hardy animals and tough trees you could normally find eking out a living on the sides of other, equally steep and rocky mountains, were conspicuous by their absence here. Add to that the fact that the range held no mineral riches whatsoever - at least, nothing more impressive than a few deposits of low-grade copper, according to the dwarven prospectors who had scouted it - and those explorers who had first found and mapped it were left with a bitter taste in their mouths. It was, perhaps, the least desirable, most inhospitable piece of real-estate on the entire continent. Even the demonically-tainted Blasted Lands held SOME interest for those insane enough to think they could tame its power. This, however, was a place that offered absolutely nothing to anyone.

It was also the place that Lutan's Tablet had guided Blake and Anitra towards - the target of their long quest. The location of the fabled Dragon Utopia. Supposedly. Anitra had a bitter taste in her mouth herself as she looked across the grey, inhospitable peaks from the vantage-point of Blake's powerful (if slightly crowded) back. Certainly, the area hadn't been explored particularly deeply, so the possibility of a small enclave of dragons being concealed somewhere between the barren peaks was very real. But the idea that ANY habitat located in such a place could be described as a 'utopia' without massive doses of sarcasm seemed far more foreign.

She could sense the same uncertainty in Blake, but she also knew that he felt the same way she did - after coming this far, they'd see it through to the end. The tablet - for the first time since they assembled it - held some fairly specific directions. They'd follow them to the letter, and see what there was to see. And if they found nothing - or perhaps, merely a dragon-home that was rather less than utopic - they'd decide their next move at that point. The determination she'd felt when they left the battlefield of the last trial behind was still burning within her. They weren't alone anymore. The lithe body of Direza, the former High Priestess of the Spider-Goddess Lolth, was resting against her chest, shivering slightly in the cold, high-altitude winds. From behind, she could feel the heat radiating off the far more substantial bulk of Melora, Blake's new horse-girl servant. Whatever happened, they'd figure something out - together.

Blake's wings subtly changed their angle as he spotted their target and began to dive. In front of them, two particularly tall and spindly peaks rose, twin needles of barren rock - their harsh angles maintained through centuries with no rainfall to wear them down. Behind the peaks, the vast caldera of an ancient, long-extinct volcano could be spotted - or perhaps it was the impact-site of a fallen star? There were no other signs of volcanic activity in the range, so it was an entirely likely prospect. Either way, the directions on Lutan's Tablet had instructed them to fly between the twin peaks, towards the vast crater - and now, the moment of truth was at last upon them.

Anitra realized that she was holding her breath, and released it - slowly and deliberately. There was no indication of such nervousness in Direza or Melora - those two had only the vaguest idea of where they were going, and had climbed onto Blake's back with no other goal in mind than to remain close to Anitra and Blake, respectively. In a sense, they had already reached their goal - whatever happened next was of little concern to them.

She felt Blake tense his muscles beneath her as they approached the peaks. His nervousness had gained a certain spike - a specific point of worry. She was about to ask him what his concerns were when she spotted it as well. A shimmering in the air in front of them, like a vast, ghostly spider-web hung between the two peaks. Obviously not a physical construct, but rather a spell - subtle, but potent. Even for a black dragon, with all his magical immunity, flying into an unknown and obviously powerful spell was risky. But his wings did not hesitate, and continued to carry them all towards the shimmering veil.

As they reached it, Anitra felt the magic caress her skin. It did not feel like an attack - more like a probe. Like inquisitive fingers brushing across her skin in an effort to learn the shape of her body. Then, as they passed directly between the peaks, the shimmering became a bright flash, briefly blinding her. She heard Blake grunt, indicating that he'd been similarly affected. Then her vision cleared, and her heart soared. A flow of wonderment coursed through their telepathic link as they shared their amazement with each other. Direza and Melora just gasped, speechless with awe.

The crater in front of them had changed in a split second. Its steep sides were covered in green, a veritable jungle of plant-life spilling over its edges, along with several waterfalls. A gigantic structure filled its center - a massive castle, built not for men but for dragons, soaring towards the skies to serve as a home for its winged denizens. Vast portals yawned in its sides, with multicolored swarms of dragons emerging from them. Arching bridges and spiraling pathways connected it to the crater's rim and the lake below - for the bottom of the crater was filled with sapphire-blue water, the castle standing on great stone stilts above it.

Gradually, her peripheral vision picked up on the fact that it wasn't just the crater that had changed, and she reluctantly turned her head to take in the mountain-range surrounding her. The peaks no longer looked dull or barren. They were swamped with greenery and surrounded by fat, rain-filled clouds. Flocks of colorful birds rose cawing from the trees of the twin peaks as they left them behind, and nimble mountain-goats could be seen traversing the nearly sheer sides. Below them, fertile valleys stretched between the peaks, jungle-trees heavy with fruit growing dense around broad, fast-flowing rivers.

She could feel Blake's wings vibrate with excitement, the usually smooth ride suddenly a tad choppy. Her own eyes were filled with tears of joy. They'd been through so much, fought so many battles to reach this place. She'd prepared herself for disappointment - but instead, she found something that was far more grand than she'd ever imagined. A true utopia, concealed behind a spell so potent, its mere existence boggled the mind. A rumbling noise washed back across her on the whirling wind - Blake was laughing in almost childish joy as he whirled down towards the magnificent fortress on trembling wings.

Soon, they were met by a whirling cloud of other dragons. It was the swarm they'd seen take off from the castle when they first emerged from between the gate-like peaks - a dozen different colors, vastly different in size and strength, flying together. Anywhere else, a mob like that would have spelled a quick death to a black dragon. But here, they surrounded them with joyful cheers, waving their wings in welcome. The swift winds made any vocal communication problematic, but a few claw-gestures easily pointed Blake towards a landing-site - a wide plaza at the center of the soaring castle.

As he flew over the high walls and looked down, he could see that the floor of the plaza was made up by a stone mosaic - a stylized depiction of a circle of dragons, representing each of the known colors, surrounding a black dragon in the center. The symbolism was not lost on him, and with subtle movements of his wingtips, he steered his spiraling descent towards that black figure on the floor. With his descent, however, more details revealed themselves. The mosaic, he realized, wasn't just made from colored stones - but from gemstones and precious metals. The gold dragon on the floor was made from genuine nuggets of gold, the green from sparkling emeralds, the red from thousands of rubies, and so on. The black outline that he now touched down upon was, it seemed, carved from a single, immense chunk of obsidian.

He looked around, somewhat awestruck by this ostentatious display of wealth, even as more dragons began to emerge from passages and doorways in the wall surrounding the plaza, gawking at the new arrival. Clearly, the stories of the area's bottomless supply of wealth had not been an exaggeration. Anitra had noticed too, and jumped down from his back to run a hand over the mirror-smooth finish of the black silhouette beneath them. Direza and Melora followed, somewhat hesitant, clearly uncertain as they took in the fairytale-like appearance of the castle around them.

An golden dragon emerged from a wide portal in front of them - his scales dull and cracked with age, his movements slow and deliberate, his wings ragged and folded close to his back. He looked ancient, even by draconic standards, but his eyes were clear and sharp - and sparkling with joy. "Welcome!" He wheezed, his voice crackling but holding genuine warmth. "It has been a long time since a Black last flew amongst us. We were beginning to fear that, despite out best efforts to seed rumors of our existence amongst the draconic populations, we had been entirely forgotten..."

A young-looking silver dragon emerged from the same gate that had admitted the ancient gold, her scent informing Blake that she was female, and the droplets of water rolling down her scales informing him that she'd just emerged from the lake below. Her labored breath indicated that she'd run through the entire castle to get there. She quickly took up position next to the old gold, trying very hard to look like she'd been there all along. The gold glanced sideways at her and chuckled slightly before resuming his speech.

"I am sure you have flown long and hard to find us - but be at rest here, and know that you may call this home for as long as you wish. Your rider, too, is welcome amongst us, as is... ehm... which one of them is your rider, actually?" His old eyes peered at the three women clustered next to Blake as he raised a claw to scratch the base of one of his age-worn horns. The silver dragon next to him cleared her throat. "I would assume that it is the black-haired woman clad in armor forged from dragonscale, honored Elder." Her polite statement beat Blake to the punch - he was still feeling a bit tongue-tied and overwhelmed by his surroundings.

Quickly getting his tongue unstuck, he nodded. "As she said, honored Elder. Her name is Anitra. The other two are... servants of ours, who wished to join us here. I can vouch for them." The golden dragon nodded, and flashed a smile down at the young silver before replying. "Then we welcome Anitra the DragonRider as well - and your servants too. If they have chosen to travel in the company of a black dragon, then they are more enlightened than many of our own kind, so we could hardly justify throwing them out." He chuckled to himself, and Blake found himself grinning in reply.

The silver dragon cleared her throat, nudging the gold with her wing. He blinked a couple of times, glanced down at her, then jumped slightly and cleared his throat. "AHEM! Now that a Black Dragon has appeared, the ancient position of Champion of the Dragon Utopia will once again be filled! Step forwards, noble black, and speak thy name as our Champion!" The words were archaic and ritualistic, reminding Blake that he was stepping into a role that had existed for millennia. Slightly nervous, he took a step forwards and lifted his head. "I am Blake! From today, I take on the role of your Champion!" The words seemed to roll naturally from his lips. Was it part of whatever ancient magic protected this place, or was it just the kind of thing one naturally said when put in such an odd position?

The gold nodded, the ritualized requirements apparently completed, and around him, the many dragons that had turned up to watch roared at the skies and cried out their welcomes from the walls. "Then I welcome you again, Blake, Champion and Protector of the Utopia. I am Elecrastor, and I have the honor of being the Elder of the Utopia. You may come to me with any questions or concerns you have - to ease the troubles of others is my role, and my joy." He nodded a few times - then the silver dragon cleared her throat again and he paused. "Ahem. Of course, should I be indisposed, you may address your issues to my able-bodied protégé here. She needs the practice, I suppose." He chuckled, a teasing smile on his aged lips, and the silver dragon sighed.

"I am Argila," she introduced herself, "and as the noble Elder said, I am always ready to address any concerns that the citizens of the Utopia might have. As our Champion AND a new arrival, you may find more need for my presence than most. So please, do not hesitate to impose." She flapped her wings, pointing towards one of the gateways that led into the walled plaza. "For now, may I show you to your personal chambers? They have been set aside for our Champion since our founding, and include accommodations suitable for a Rider, as well as other human guests." She glanced up at Elecrastor, who was grinning increasingly broadly. "I suspect my noble mentor is eager to get started on the preparations for the welcoming-feast, anyway." He answered her with an energetic nod. "You better believe it! Throwing parties is the one privilege of my position that I never get tired of using..."

Argila started down the passage she had indicated, carefully keeping her stride short enough for Anitra, Direza and Melora to keep up. This simple gesture of accommodation made Blake's heart feel strangely fuzzy. The Utopia was clearly more than just a pretty front - the dragons that lived here genuinely seemed to be more open-minded and enlightened than any he had met, or even heard of. He was, in fact, starting to wonder if he could really live up to his new role as their Champion. Then he banished that niggling worry. Everything had already worked out better than he'd ever imagined - worrying that it really WAS too good to be true was as inevitable as it was pointless.

The inside of the castle was labyrinthine - well-worn corridors criss-crossing and leading into various chambers both large and small. It was clearly not the architecture of humans, but rather built by someone more used to dwelling in caves. To Blake, at least, it seemed... homey. Cozy, even. It had all the comforting qualities of a nice cave, with none of the dank moistness - or darkness, for that matter. Windows were everywhere, as were portals large enough for a full-grown dragon to pass through, leading out into the empty air. Here and there, shafts of multicolored light shot down from above - those were apparently bounced down through the mass of the castle by reflectors on the roof, and judging by the colors, no mere mirrors were used. Gemstones, once again. No wonder humans had desired this place for so long.

As they walked, Argila glanced over at Blake. "If you don't mind me asking... where did you hear of this place? We have planted leads in various places over the years, and there is some debate amongst the elders about the efficiency of the methods used - so knowing which of our planted hints lead you here would be helpful for the future." Blake threw Anitra a quick glance, then shrugged. "Well, I heard about it in what amounts to a fairy-tale, told to me by an old red dragon... heh. I can already tell that there were at least SOME inaccuracies in the version I heard, too."

Argila nodded thoughtfully as they turned yet another corner. "From dragons, then... that's good. We were worried that stories left amongst dragons wouldn't have a chance to reach the ears of blacks, what with the... general attitude, you know. If minor inaccuracies snuck their way into the tale, well, that's fine. I trust you aren't disappointed, anyway." She smiled over at him, and he replied in kind, shaking his head. "Well, at least the DIRECTIONS obviously weren't inaccurate. Ah, here we are, the Chambers of the Champion!"

Blake looked inside as she pushed open an ancient, wooden gate. Most of the rooms they'd passed on the way had lacked doors, but apparently, somebody had decided that the Champion rated some privacy. The chamber beyond the gate was large, well-appointed, and pleasantly cozy - a proper dragon's den, with a large, comfy-looking nest in one corner, several large windows, and its own external door leading out to a balcony. A small door in the side led into what he figured were human-sized chambers. Very convenient.

"Heh... there weren't any directions or locations mentioned in the story I heard... hey, this place is NICE!" He was talking absently as he walked inside, checking out the various conveniences. He'd never seen a den with internal plumbing before, but this one came with its own waterfall, providing him with drinking-water or a shower as needed. A hole in the corner, set at the bottom of a small pit, indicated that there were other kinds of plumbing as well. "Well, if you didn't get the location from the story you heard, how DID you find your way here?" Argila sounded somewhat mystified, but Blake just shrugged as he watched Anitra and the two other women explore the smaller, human rooms. "Eh, we had to piece together this old, magical tablet... it was a major hassle. Guess we took the long way around, but hey, we got here in the end."

He could almost hear her stunned silence, and turned around to lift an eyebrow at her. "Something wrong?" Her mouth opened and closed a few times before she found her voice. "A tablet... you've completed the Tablet of Lutan? THAT'S how you got here? Do you still have it?" Blake nodded, lifting a claw to dislodge the saddlebags still slung over his bags. "Yeah, that's the one... got it right here." He patted one of the saddlebags, reasonably confident that it was the right one. Anitra was the one who usually dealt with the bags and their content. His claws were a tad too clumsy for that - not to mention sharp enough to shred the hardened leather with an incautious gesture.

The young silver dragon looked at him with something approaching awe, then slowly closed her mouth before opening it to speak again. "I... should go check up on Elecrastor, see how the preparations for the party are going. I'll be back to guide you to the feast-hall later." Then she dashed out, not waiting to hear his reply. Blake lifted a claw to scratch his chin. What had gotten into her? Well, maybe she was just impressed by the size of the detour they had taken to get there. From the sound of it, there were other, far easier ways to locate it. He shook his head and grinned down at Anitra, who had just emerged from what they'd already decided to dub 'the servants' quarters'. "Did you hear that, my love? Seems like we took the scenic route getting here..."

It took some time before Argila returned - enough for them all to settle into their new home and begin unpacking. They had been traveling light, after all - a couple of saddlebags was about all. Melora had added a small backpack's worth of cheap adventuring-supplies to that, and Direza even less. The gold and gems that remained in Blake's saddlebags were now no more valuable than pebbles and slate, but a few of the odds and ends stashed in the large bags carried some affectionate value. And of course, there was the Tablet of Lutan. Its surface had shifted again - the map that had guided them to the Utopia was gone. Instead, it was now covered in arcane scribbles - the same indecipherable symbols that had been visible on the fragments, before they were joined together.

Seeing it as a whole, however, set off a spark of recognition in Blake's mind. "It's magical runes! Well, that makes sense, I suppose. The runes are largely forgotten these days, but back in Lutan's time, it would've been the go-to method for imprinting a whole lot of magical power in a simple object." Anitra nodded - she had heard of the Runes before. Few mages still studied them, their old 'friend' Lezard Valeth amongst them. Narrowing her eyes, she could see the magical aura of the tablet still - it was faint, near-invisible. The tablet, having accomplished its task of guiding them here, had clearly gone dormant - though its power still remained.

While Blake and Anitra were poring over the runic tablet, Direza and Melora were getting over their initial awkwardness with each other. They hadn't had much chance to interact at the orgy earlier, and during the trip from there, Anitra had literally been between them. Now, as they divided the roomy 'servant chambers' between them, they had time to chat and get to know each other. The chosen name for their new habitat was mostly a jest, however - the human-sized rooms adjoining the 'Champion's Chambers' were still enormously roomy and richly-appointed. Obviously, they had originally been used to house visiting scholars and other guests.

Even Direza, once accustomed to the opulence of a grand palace, could find little to complain of - not even the company. While the two women had come from vastly different species and cultures, and were centuries apart in age, they both found the other to be remarkably similar. Both had made the reckless decision to abandon their home and their people, to go off on a seemingly hopeless adventure, aiming to reclaim a fleeting love. Both had accepted that they would never be more than a second priority for the one they loved. And while their chosen loves were different, neither could fault the other for her choice, for after all, it was the same choice that THEIR beloved had made.

They also both found some comfort in the other's background. Melora, born and raised in primitive, simple circumstances, was overwhelmed by the conveniences and opulent décor of her new home - such extravagances as 'internal plumbing' was foreign to her. She was thus grateful that Direza, who had spent centuries in similar circumstances, could tell her what everything was and how it worked.

Direza, meanwhile, was nervous and worried about her new status. She'd accepted the DragonRider's offer to become her personal servant without a second thought, but despite having grown up surrounded by servants, she wasn't really sure what that ENTAILED... other than the obvious. She keenly felt a need to EARN the DragonRider's embrace, but did not know where to begin. Here, Melora came to her aid - she knew a thing or two about chores, and it was by her instinct that the two located a cupboard of ironically dusty cleaning-supplies.

Armed with feather-dusters (and a ladder), they set to work cleaning up the cavernous interior of the Champion's Chambers. It was obvious that the place had already been hurriedly swept by someone when Blake first appeared on the horizon, removing the debris of what was most likely decades at the very least - but dust and cobwebs still lingered in corners, and the two newly-minted servants chased it down ruthlessly in the hopes of impressing their masters.

Blake and Anitra certainly WERE impressed by their earnestness - neither having really thought of what they expected from their 'servants' beyond sexual favors. Their cleaning also served to remind them that they'd be headed to a celebratory feast soon, and that the dust of their travels (and the residue of a not-too-distant orgy) still clung to them. With that in mind, they availed themselves to their indoor waterfall, bathing scale and hide in the pleasantly-warm water. Direza and Melora soon joined them - by invitation - and the bath rapidly got steamier as the servants paired up with their masters.

Anitra pressed her large breasts into her pet drow elf's back, relishing the woman's embarrassed blush. She leaned in closer to her partner and whispered into those pointy ears that she'd show her how to properly clean certain hard-to-reach places. Gently, she let one of her arms slide down Direza's slate-gray belly, fingers reaching for the point between the dark, slim thighs, which were reflexively opening for her in invitation. Before she could go any further, however, a knock on the door heralded Argila's return.

The silvery dragon seemed even more respectful in her demeanor than when they'd first met her. She bowed slightly towards the four of them as they started climbing out of the bath, Blake shaking himself dry while the other three reached for their towels. "The feast is ready - awaiting only the guest of honor." Her voice seemed overly formal to Blake - something had definitely shifted in her. Perhaps he would ask Elecrastor at the feast - she was his protégé, after all, so if something was bothering her, he'd probably know.

While he mulled this over, the silver dragon placed two packaged on the floor in front of the room's two-legged inhabitants. "I assume that the DragonRider would prefer to attend the party in her armor - however, I have taken the liberty of preparing suitable attire for the rest of your retinue." Even when addressing Anitra, her voice was loaded with respect bordering on awe, and Blake felt increasingly convinced that there was something going on he wasn't picking up on. Sure, he was a black dragon, and those were honored around here, but she hadn't acted like this out on the plaza before...

The packages contained a pair of dresses in an ancient cut - their beauty, however, was timeless, if a tad opulent. Gold thread and decorative gems were much in appearance. They also fit Direza and Melora as if they'd been tailored to them, hugging their extremely different curves perfectly. Somewhat incredulous at the thought of some ultra-fast draconic tailor having prepared the dresses for a pair of visitors that nobody had taken the measurements of, Anitra strained her eyes as she gazed on the expensive fabric and found what she'd expected - magic, woven into the very threads of them.

Blake had noticed too, and chuckled. "One-size-fits-all dresses for visiting dignitaries, huh? Good way to impress people, I suppose." Argila shrugged it off, looking vaguely embarrassed. "Most of our past visitors have been scholars, noble Champion. They rarely seem to think of bringing fancy clothes on a trip to a place like this, and then become embarrassed when invited to a feast or audience. We had these made a long time ago, for such occasions." The dresses, however old, certainly didn't seem like they'd embarrass anyone, even at a king's court. Melora looked somewhat ill-at-ease in her finery, while Direza wore hers with all the style and panache of the empress she'd once been. The difference showed - despite the dresses being mostly identical (other than, obviously, their sizes), the two of them together looked like a queen and her noble handmaiden.

Of course, when Anitra - clad once again in the shining scales of her draconic armor - stepped up next to them, Direza's demeanor changed almost instantly, her stance and poise shifting from authoritative to submissive in ways too subtle to easily describe, and yet too obvious for anyone accustomed to reading social cues to miss. And so, walking between Argila and Blake, they marched out of the room - like a warrior-queen with her twin handmaids. Once again, they were lost in a warren of twisting hallways, though Anitra felt like she was starting to get the hang of the odd design sensibilities employed by the dragons. For now, though, all she could say for sure was that they were heading downwards - the dragons apparently favored spiraling hallways over stairs.

She could tell that they were getting close to the main hall, though. Echoes traveled far in the stone hallways, and the din of countless dragons in close quarters, chatting and whispering to each other, was audible some ways out. Even though she couldn't make out any actual words yet, she could tell the tone - excited. Overjoyed. Happy. It set her at ease - she, too, had noticed the sudden change in Argila's demeanor and had started worrying that they might be walking into a trap of some kind...

Turning a corner, they walked through the doorless entryway of the main feast-hall. They had just enough time to get an impression of a huge room with a decorated ceiling, filled with dragons and fire-pits, before a wall of sheer noise nearly bowled them all over. No sooner had they appeared before the assembled dragons than their quiet chit-chatting seized, and a roar of greeting rose from a hundred draconic throats. It took them all a few seconds to recover their equilibrium after that greeting, and the cheering continued as they walked down the center of the room towards a human-sized table on a dais on the other side of it. Considering that Elecrastor was lying on it, and that Argila was guiding them towards it, that dais apparently constituted the 'high table' of this draconic assembly. The place of honor.

As they walked, Anitra looked up, and realized that this hall had to be directly underneath the plaza they had landed on earlier... for she was looking up at the same jeweled mosaic she'd seen beneath her sandals back then, albeit mirrored. It was unlikely that the ceiling above them was thin enough that it was actually the same mosaic reaching through - it had, after all, supported the weight of several grown dragons - but the symbolism was too solid to be random, and they WERE at least a couple of floors below where they'd started. Not to mention that the room had the same size and proportions as the great plaza above them.

The room was roughly octagonal, and gates led out to the surrounding network of hallways from three of the four cardinal directions. The fourth was where the raised dais was positioned, against one of the walls. Throughout the room, fires burned in deep-set fire-pits, various large chunks of meat spinning lazily above them, the sizzle of juices dripping into the embers drowned out by the roaring dragons that surrounded them. There were also large troughs - for lack of better words - filled with water for the dragons to drink... through, from the color of it, some of them were filled with things other than water. Something golden and pearly. Did dragons drink alcohol? She'd never really through about that... if not, then they clearly had some other drink for festive occasions.

Once they reached the dais, the elderly golden dragon that had lain there pushed himself upright and lifted his head. The roaring of the crowd silenced immediately, and the two dragons - one ancient and gold, the other young and black - nodded to each other in greeting. Argila, at her master's side again in the blink of an eye, gestured at the table that had been set up there. The plates, goblets and cutlery set up around it looked aged, but did not bear signs of long use. Clearly, like the dresses and most likely the table itself, it was only pulled from storage when humans came to visit. The chairs, however, were richly upholstered, and Anitra couldn't help sighing with delight as she sat down on the sinfully comfortable seat. She'd spent the last couple of years eating her dinner either on Blake's back in mid-flight, or seated on some random rock or log by a campfire while he slumbered beside her... or, at most, in some dirty roadside tavern or inn. It would take some time to get used to this sort of comfort.

For now, though, Elecrastor cleared his throat, indicating that they'd have to suffer through a speech before they could get down to the food. But his voice - which had been a bit shaky with age when they met him at the plaza - was firm as he began to speak, and Anitra got a strange feeling that what she was about to hear wasn't your average 'obligatory speech in honor of our guest' affair. "Friend, neighbors, cousins!" He began, and she suspected that this probably covered everybody in the hall. Long necks swiveled and eyes fixed attentively at him as he drew in breath to continue, the sizzling of the meat now clearly audible.

"You gathered here today to welcome a new Champion to our home - a Black Dragon is amongst of once again. It has been nearly a hundred years since our last champion left, and so, this event is by itself more than worthy of celebration! However, as I have no doubt you all know by now - the rumor-mill spinning as swiftly as it tends to around these parts..." his voice crackled drily, and a few scattered laughs drifted up from the crowd. "...it has been revealed to us that this is no mere once-in-a-century celebration. No - tonight, we will have the celebration of a lifetime, and not just any lifetime - MY lifetime! Many millennia have passed since I hatched from my egg, but through I have seen both great joy and great sadness in that time, I never thought I would live to see this day..."

His voice sounded somewhat thick by now, but nonetheless he held his head high, a small tear glimmering at the edge of his eye. "Tonight, we celebrate our freedom! Tonight, we celebrate the return of our lost children! Tonight, the key to our gilded prison is amongst us at last, and the Utopia that many of us have long feared would end up our tomb, will once again be the paradise it was always meant to be!" He made a grand, sweeping gesture towards Blake and Anitra. "These two are not merely our new Champions, but also our saviors, for they have assembled the Tablet of Lutan and brought it before us!"

The silence finally broke as a new roar of celebration rose from the crowd, even louder than the first. Blake and Anitra looked at each other and at Elecrastor in confusion, trying to make heads and tails of his words. I'm DEFINITELY missing something here... commented Blake over their telepathic link, audible speech being effectively impossible over the celebratory roaring. I have no idea what they're on about either. Anitra scratched her head, feeling increasingly lost. D'ya suppose the Wise Elder might deign to bring us up to speed now that the big speech is over?

The speech, however, didn't seem to be QUITE completed - and a few insistent waves of Elecrastor's claws managed to quiet the crowd again. "AHEM. So, in honor of this momentous occasion, let us make this a celebration that will be remembered for generations to come. Our hunters and herders have been busy, and since the stupendous news filtered out, they're no doubt busier yet. I assure you - if you don't eat enough that we'll have to ROLL you all out of here, you're doing it wrong! So come, friends - eat, drink, and CELEBRATE!" Thus, the speech ended, and laughing cheers rose from the dragons. The large animal carcasses that had been spinning on spits over the various fire-pits were quickly torn into, and chunks of roasted meat were soon passing from claw to claw as the dragons dug into the feast.

Elecrastor, for his part, settled back down on the dais, while Argila quickly walked down to the fire-pits - presumably to grab him something well-done and tender to chew on. At the same time, a young bronze dragon approached, several silver serving-trays hovering in the air around him on a simple levitation-spell, each stacked high with choice cuts of meat, slices of fresh jungle-fruits, and carafes of sparkling, fresh water and whatever golden draught the dragons were partaking in. The delicious smells rising from the trays as they were deposited on the long table swiftly reminded the three women that they hadn't eaten since yesterday, and Anitra politely asked Blake - over their telepathic link - to pose the necessary questions to their golden host. She would be too preoccupied for the next hour or so.

Blake's mouth was watering at the smell of the meat too, but he wasn't nearly as hungry for food as he was for answers. He fixed Elecrastor with an inquisitive, raised-eyebrow gaze, and the ancient gold at least had the decency to look embarrassed. "I'm guessing you have no idea what that speech was all about, huh?" He spoke quietly, ensuring that his voice would drown in the growing din of the feasting dragons. Blake just nodded. Elecrastor sighed. "I figured as much, from what Argila told me of your reaction when she asked about the Tablet of Lutan."

He scratched his cheek thoughtfully, seemingly weighing his words carefully, while his eyes absently followed the aforementioned silver dragon. She was carefully removing the softest cuts from several of the spit-roast animal carcasses, piling them together on yet another levitating serving-tray. "Well, you saw the wall that surrounds this place on your way in, didn't you? It cloaks the minds of those who pass through it, so that they see nothing of the beauty or wealth of this place. It is a powerful thing - even dragons are not exempt from its power. As you no doubt noticed yourself."

Blake nodded, more thoughtfully this time. He HAD seen this entire mountain-range as nothing but a bunch of dry, stony peaks, devoid of life or anything of value. The requirements of creating such a potent spell was indeed mind-boggling, and that was without considering that it also worked on magically-resistant dragons AND magically-IMMUNE blacks. Elecrastor smiled bitterly as he saw the awe on Blake's face. "Yes, it is magnificent indeed, is it not? An unbreakable wall and an unbreachable gate, protecting the peace and sanctity of this place. Just a shame we never had the KEY to it."

Blake blinked in surprise. "Isn't it just a matter of flying through those two mountain-peaks like I did?" But Elecrastor shook his head sadly. "No... well, for YOU it is. As indeed it is for any black dragon. That was how it was set up. Any black dragon can enter freely, just by flying through the 'gate' between those two peaks. But any OTHER dragon can fly circles around those mountains for years - and will still see nothing but barren peaks and dry valleys."

His eyes, for once looking as old as the rest of him, glanced out across the feasting crowd. "And once you leave, the door slams closed behind you. All of us here - we were BORN here. No dragon, save blacks, have been able to enter this place since the wall was raised, thousands of years ago. This castle has room for a thousand dragons, comfortably. But what you see before you - that's pretty much all that's left. Well, there's a dozen or so out foraging for food or preparing it right now, but that's it. Less than 200 of us remain, and the number has been dwindling steadily."

He sighed again, looking up at the mosaic ceiling. "Our population's too small to be sustainable, really. And the young chafe under the restriction of the wall. The simple knowledge that you can never leave makes even paradise into a prison. So they leave. We cannot stop them. And once they're gone, they cannot return. Many regret their choice, once they've seen the bloodshed and ugliness of the outside world. They return here... and walk through our halls without seeing them, never hearing our voices. It is... heartbreaking. And sooner or later, they give us and leave."

His eyes returned to Blake as he absently regarded his own reflection in the newly-washed scaled of his flank. "That is - or was - the main boon of having a Champion in residence. We need no protection from invaders or attackers behind our wall - but since only a black can come and go as he pleases, such champions have been our only link to the outside world. They have brought us books and scrolls filled with stories of the outside world, to ease the pain of our confinement - and even human visitors, scholars and sages, to share our company and tell us stories of what has passed out there, in return for access to the arcane secrets of our libraries."

Watching the dawning understanding on Blake's face, Elecrastor smiled, all the way from his worn fangs to the wrinkles beside his eyes. "But now, it's changed. The one who created our wall was a mysterious man - though he was clearly more than human... Lutan. He believed that it was only when the world was united as one that our gates could be safely opened. To ensure this, he scattered the pieces of the runic Tablet that served as the keystone of the enormous spell to the winds. I suspect he hadn't realized just how long such unity would be in the making. If nothing had happened, we would've all died here, quietly, leaving this 'utopia' as nothing but a particularly opulent mausoleum."

A shaky old claw reached out to grip Blake's shoulder, as the gold's smile grew even wider. "But something happened. YOU happened! I cannot begin to imagine what hardships you and your rider have gone through to collect all of the pieces of that Tablet. Certainly, though you clearly did not know it, there were many easier ways you could have found your way here. But whether by chance or by destiny, you have come here, carrying the key to our salvation! With the tablet restored to its proper place - directly below this very chamber - we will be able to control the wall as we please. We can let anyone in we choose - dragon or two-leg. We'll be able to go out there and seek out others who would want to live in peace as we do, and invite them here. We might even be able to find some of the children who once left us, if they are still alive!"

His voice was exuberant as he considered the newfound possibilities, but Argila's return stemmed the flow of words for at least a while. A heaping pile of tender meat, steaming with heat, was placed before the aging dragon, and he dug into it after sending the young silver dragon a quick, grateful smile. Between bites, he continued. "We will be able to revitalize this place. Bring in more dragons, and more visitors. Spread the wisdom that our home contains to the humans, the elves, the dwarves, and all the other two-legs of the world - the fact that true prosperity doesn't come from robbing your neighbors, but from working alongside him towards mutual wealth. That was, after all, Lutan's vision - and if the world will not learn this truth by itself, then perhaps we will have to help it!"

With a delighted giggle, he burrowed his head in the meat again, and between the delighted noises he was making and the fragrant smell of the roast meat, Blake found his more physical hunger reasserting itself. His mind had, after all, been filled with new information - including the pleasant fact that he and Anitra hadn't been wasting their time taking a detour to the Utopia, but rather had accomplished something grand on the way. As he made his way down towards the fire-pits to grab some chow for himself, he saw the other dragons make way for him, their eyes filled with respect, he remembered something.

The return to Caristad... he and Anitra had chased off a bunch of orcs that had set up shop there. Anitra had played the role of the returning hero for the enslaved townsfolk, and they had cheered her on. Of course, they'd both known the truth - they weren't heroes. If anything, they were villains. Their quest was entirely self-serving, their methods were ruthless, and they both indulged in casual cruelty along the way. But he remembered lying in the midst of a crowd of former slaves as they clustered around him for protection - where normally, they would have fled screaming at the mere sight of him - and thinking that it wasn't such a bad thing. To be looked up to, respected, admired. He could certainly understand why so many mortals sought the title of Hero with such fervor.

But this time, it was no mere illusion, no dramatic play for the benefit of some scared townsfolk. He - well, THEY - had saved the Dragon Utopia from a slow death. Its denizens hailed them as heroes. A strange, fuzzy feeling filled his chest. He could get used to this, all right. And there was really no more need for him to indulge in the sort of selfish acts of cruelty that had peppered his path here. No need to kill, or torture, or rape. Particularly not rape, if the looks he was getting from the female partygoers were any indication. Maybe, at least for a while, he could stop being the monster he'd willingly become - in the name of survival and satisfaction - and be their Champion. Their Hero. Their Savior.

The party did, indeed, turn out to be one to remember. Dragons, after all, could easily stay awake for several days before needing sleep, and on this occasion, they took full advantage of this. It was three days before it even started winding down, and the exact end of it was hard to define - it just kind of petered out, bit by bit. Certainly, there was more than enough time for Blake to bring Anitra up to speed on his discussion with Elecrastor once she'd filled her stomach, and for Anitra to find out that the sparkling golden liquid that the dragons were putting away with such gusto was a kind of local cider, made from a mixture of different fruit-juices. It was also delicious, having just enough of a bite to give her a slight buzz despite her draconic constitution.

The feast was, after all, mainly about eating, drinking and merrymaking - and there was certainly a lot of that going around, with more meat being brought in as quickly as the dragons could put it away - and armfuls of freshly-picked tropical fruits for the less carnivorously-inclined. It wasn't just red meat either - several long spits were adorned with long rows of jungle-fowl, making for nice little snacks for the dragons - and entire meals for those of lesser size. Wild boars were also spun over the fires, with bubbly, crunchy rinds shaves off before the tender pork underneath was devoured.

But through it all, Anitra still managed to learn several interesting new things. For starters, she soon saw that dragons were every bit as vivacious as Blake had hinted when he first inducted her (partially) into their ranks. While the partygoers spent most of their time eating, drinking and chatting about how they'd take advantage of their newfound freedom, and how the Utopia might change now that they could invite other dragons in to live there, most of them also spent a fair amount of time having loud, unabashed sex in the corners.

While both of them tried not to oogle the various couples TOO obviously, Blake telepathically admitted that, based on what Inferand had told him of 'ordinary' dragonhomes, the Utopians probably took the customary draconic attitude towards sexuality a BIT further than usual. Dragons apparently lacked the otherwise-common emotion of jealousy, and as such found it easy to enjoy sexual liaisons for pure entertainment. This lack was quite in appearance during the party too, with the dragons frequently circulating amongst each others, trading partners as they went.

There was a fair amount of creativity in appearance, too. The most common position seemed to involve a female leaning against one of the walls while a male mounted her from behind, but based on the angles she could see, Anitra figured that at least half the matings were anal. Some of the female dragons also displayed impressive oral skills, wrapping their long, dexterous tongues around their partner's tools before pulling them into their maws. Considering the number of fangs in appearance, that HAD to involve a certain amount of raw nerves on the male's part, she figured, but none of the males looked particularly hesitant.

It's raw, sensual sex by default, Blake said, trying to find the right words to explain. Basically, female dragons can only become pregnant if they mate in flight. So if you're mating on the ground, you automatically admit that there's no point to it but pleasure. At that point, it's a short step to adding a lot of variation to it. Though probably not as much as we do, eh? He followed up the telepathic explanation with a physical wink, and she grinned in reply, continuing to surreptitiously watch the mating dragons while fingering Direza under the table. The slightly-built elf had made the mistake of trying to match Anitra's intake of cider, and was now heavily drunk, her face dark-red with a magnificent blush as she clung to Anitra's arm, spreading her legs as wide as her fancy dress would allow.

Melora was somewhat better off in the alcohol-department, her sheer mass allowing her to absorb the cider without getting much more buzzed than Anitra. On the other hand, she found the sight of the many mating dragons far more arousing, and - after making sure nobody was paying any particular attention to her - had slipped her own hands down between her legs in an effort to gain some release. Blake was studiously pretending not to notice, looking forwards to teasing her about it later.

Ultimately, the three women couldn't hope to last as long as the dragons, and with pleasantly full bellies, they finally retreated back to their chambers, with Blake electing to stay with the party a while longer. The ever-watchful Argila guided them back, and Anitra - despite her slight buzz - was careful to pay attention to every turn and corner, making sure she could find her way back to the hall later. Melora, meanwhile, had been tasked with carrying Direza - the drow priestess was snoring happily, mumbling vaguely in her sleep while she clung to Melora's chest, cradled in the horse-girl's strong arms like an infant.

It was a peculiar feeling for the three of them. They spent the night in their chambers, getting many solid hours of sleep, then woke up, saw to the needs of their bodies, bathed in the waterfall-pool, got dressed... and returned to a party that seemed to have changed not in the least since they left it the previous day. More fresh fruits were immediately brought in for their breakfast, though Anitra - used to the 'Adventurer's Diet', living on the road, had no trouble chowing down on a plate of freshly-roasted meat instead. Direza, looking noticeably more discomforted by the dragon's chattering than the day before, studiously avoided the cider.

When Anitra started throwing back a few mugs just to taunt the delicate elf, however, another revelation arrived by way of Elecrastor - who had, despite his advancing age, seemingly stuck with the party just as determinedly as the rest of the dragons. Leaning his large, time-worn head down next to Anitra's, he whispered to her. "Are you sure it is wise to drink so much? I do not know that much of human ways, but our females generally consider it unwise to drink heavily while pregnant. It is believed that it can harm the hatchlings."

Anitra coughed and sputtered as the cider went down the wrong pipe, surprise warring with lack of oxygen in her suddenly-fuzzy brain as Melora helpfully pounded her on the back. Blake, too, raised his head, wide-eyed, chunks of roast wildebeest hanging from his jowls as his meal was suddenly forgotten. He hadn't heard Elecrastor's words, but he could feel the sudden surge of emotions coursing through Anitra over their telepathic link. "What... what do you mean, 'pregnant'? How could you possibly know that? I don't know that!" She finally managed to find her voice, hoarse from the coughing.

Elecrastor flinched slightly, an apologetic expression on his face. "I'm sorry I startled you... I had assumed that you already knew. For a DragonRider to become pregnant requires several specific steps, so it doesn't usually happen by chance. As for how I know, well, I'm old - and I've seen a lot of clutches laid in my time. You get to recognize the signs. It's the smell, mostly. Very faint, very subtle, but unmistakable when you know it. And I know from previous Champions - and their riders - that it's the same for humans. Or, well, at least for DragonRiders."

This time, Blake had heard the words too, and it didn't take him long to catch up with the conversation. "What would these... 'specific steps' be, exactly?" He asked delicately. Elecrastor scratched his chin, looking thoughtful as he recalled the exact details. "Well, first the black dragon must undergo a period of celibacy. The exact length of time needed isn't clearly defined, but the longer he restrains himself, the greater the odds of a successful impregnation. Subsequently, after the impregnation, the DragonRider must abstain from any penetration of the womb, since this would effectively abort the pregnancy. Considering that a black dragon will almost inevitably reach womb penetration on a rider, this is quite frequent."

Blake and Anitra looked at each other, their telepathic link synching as they both recalled the same memory. The second 'trial' - they'd been separated for months, leaving Blake with no outlet for his desires. Their reunion had been... passionate. And since then - by chance and luck, rather than design - Blake hadn't had vaginal sex with her. On their occasional stops between the Great Steppes and the mountainous region where they encountered the Dragon-Slayers, they'd amused themselves with anal and oral sex, as well as the other, more exotic variants that Anitra had picked up on during their travels. And after the big battle, Blake had unloaded his lust on Melora, while Anitra cavorted with other, less well-equipped males.

They eyes were locked together for some time, the emotions flowing back and forth over their link increasingly complicated as Anitra subconsciously put a hand on her abdomen. A life was growing in there. The fruits of her love for Blake. A dragonchild, who would one day go out in the world and spread his seed, leaving many a black-haired maiden to grow up behind him, unaware of the power that slept in her blood - until, perhaps, she one day had a fateful encounter with a black dragon. Gradually, the complicated feelings between her and Blake unraveled, leaving behind a shining threat of pure love.

Needless to say, Anitra abstained from drinking any more of the delicious cider.

The party, eventually, ended - but for Blake and Anitra, it had set the tone of their new home. Nobody expected them to work, or indeed contribute to the community at all. They were, after all, heroes - saviors. They had turned the Tablet of Lutan over to the grateful dragons, and it had been placed on a pedestal in a small, octagonal room directly below the great hall - on the lowest level of the fortress. The magical palling that protected the Dragon Utopia was now controlled by its inhabitants - which usually meant Argila, who refused to let the aging Elecrastor wear himself out on the steeply winding hallway that led to the chamber.

Many dragons flew out - scouts and messengers - and soon they returned, accompanied with others. There were tearful reunions aplenty as young dragons that had once fled their gilded prison, returned joyfully to their families. There were large-eyed stares as outsiders who had been judged 'suitably enlightened' by the scouts were invited in, and saw the wealth and fertility of the Utopia. And there were humans, too - and elves, and the occasional dwarf - as scholars, sages, mages and clerics were selectively invited to visit the utopia.

And amidst it all, there was no call for Blake or Anitra to do anything. Had they not brought the Tablet, they would've been asked to serve as messengers and transporters for what little outside contact the Utopia could get, but as it was, all they were expected to do was enjoy the fruits of their labors. And that, they found, they could manage quite well. The hardships of the road behind them, two eager servants at hand 24-7, and a whole city of dragons who were only too eager to show their gratitude to the two heroes in any way they could... perfect conditions to wallow in some good old-fashioned hedonism and debauchery for a while.

Even Anitra's pregnancy didn't put much of a damper on things - and a good thing too, seeing as Elecrastor had told her that it would take her nearly a year and a half to carry her firstborn to terms. Thus, she couldn't welcome Blake's tremendous shaft between the soft folds of her labia anymore - but they did, after all, know many other games to play, and what they couldn't do to each other, they could do with others.

Melora, of course, was helpful in this regard, eagerly offering her pussy whenever Blake was in the mood for something tight, wet and mammalian. Owing to the increased contact and trade with the outside world that their arrival had sparked for the Utopia, he was even able to fulfill his original promise and get her a rather nice leather bridle, complete with bit and reinforced reins. She wore it prettily whenever he rode her, neighing into the bit as Blake - with a claw hooked through the reins - pulled her back against his rampaging cock. Often, she'd wear the bridle unbidden, a signal to Blake that she was eager for another fucking - and he'd usually find some suitable task for her to 'earn' his attention.

Both Melora and Direza were also quickly introduced to the more unusual sexual games that Blake and Anitra regularly practiced. They both took to piss-drinking and ass-licking with varying degrees of enthusiasm (with Direza, somewhat surprisingly, showing an enormous appetite for gulping down Anitra's pee), and were soon involved in more and more complicated sexual encounters. The options available to the dragon and his rider had expanded enormously with the addition of two more warm bodies, and they frequently came up with even more possible ways for the four of them to pleasure each others.

A favorite was for Blake to lie down on his back, while Anitra stradled his cock - taking its full, enormous length easily into her ass, sinking down until her buttocks touched the thin scales of his abdomen. Then, she'd spread her legs wide to let Direza reach her pussy, the elf's increasingly practiced tongue dancing across her labia and clit to send waves of pleasure through her body. Meanwhile, behind her, Melora would be busy putting _her_tongue to work, caressing Blake's testicles and tail-hole with great enthusiasm, lifting him towards orgasm despite Anitra sitting still on top of his erection, rather than riding it like she normally would.

Even without thrusting, Blake would eventually reach his climax from the combination of Melora's tongue, and Anitra's ass contracting around him as she came repeatedly in Direza's mouth, often emptying her bladder somewhere along the way. They even made a bit of a game out of it, challenging Melora to make her draconic master cum before Anitra had climaxed ten times - a difficult feat, that only got harder as Direza's oral skills sharpened. When she managed, Blake rewarded her - usually with a good, hard fucking, sans his usual restrictions on when she was allowed to cum.

And when she failed, well, it was a good excuse for him to dole out some punishment for her. It had quickly become clear that Melora had a masochistic streak a mile wide, and she seemed to enjoy Blake's frequently-creative punishments almost as much as the rewards. And Blake's selection of combat-spells gave him a lot to work with - fire, ice and lightning being merely the beginning. Often, the torments would come with additional challenges, particularly if it was after one of the aforementioned sessions. She'd usually be tasked, at that point, to clean Blake's cock with her tongue - it having just spent somewhere over an hour inside Anitra's ass, it was usually noticeably stained. While she did this, Blake would begin to apply some form of pain to her genitals and nipples, with electricity being a particular favorite - and if she allowed this to distract her from the task at hand in any way, she could look forwards to additional punishment.

Some of the sessions Blake put the young horse-girl through was enough to make even Anitra quail a bit. She might be tied down or paralyzed in place while small orbs of incandescent fire hovered close enough to her genitals to spread a smell of burning horse-hairs in the room, or writhe on the floor as lightning wracked her body, robbing her of the ability to control her bladder or sphincter. She might be forced down, ass-first, on a column of rough, magically-chilled ice, suspended there while small, razor-sharp shards of ice were driven through her nipples, labia, and even into her clit - cold enough to literally freeze her blood.

And yet, despite the 'games' often requiring a couple of healing-potions to repair the damage afterwards, Melora always came out of them looking downright post-orgasmic, thanking her master for his 'attention'. Of course, the fact that he usually 'rewarded' her for taking her punishment well with a violent cock-pounding (invariably aiming for whatever orifice had been most severely tortured), might also have had something to do with that.

Anitra, meanwhile, preferred to tease rather than torment, though Direza probably didn't really appreciate the difference. Their first encounter - back in Commorragh - had set a certain tone, and it didn't take long for Anitra to pick up on the elf-girl's subtle cues of impending orgasm, even without the benefit of Umberto's borrowed tremor-sense. Her favored way to punish the elf for any mistake, real or imagined, was thus to tie her down to her bed, spread-eagled, and tease her to the edge of orgasm - only to keep her hovering there for hours, listening to the increasingly high-pitched screams for mercy and pleas for release.

Every now and then, though - just to keep the girl on her toes - she'd go in the other direction. Making full use of her tireless tongue and strong, practiced fingers, she'd push Direza to her first climax within seconds, and then proceed to keep her there, forcing dozens of orgasms to course through her more and more sensitive genitals - only stopping when the girl finally passed out, her elvish constitution usually ensuring that this took at least half a day. She'd usually spend the last several hours begging for it to stop before she went crazy, but this resistance was inevitably forgotten the next day, when she woke up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. At that point, she'd be even more clingy and submissive than normal, following Anitra around like a lost puppy and jumping at her every word for the rest of the day.

However, much as the four room-mates enjoyed each other's company, neither Blake nor Anitra limited their activities to that inner circle. The castle was, after all, full of dragons of both genders, who regarded the two of them with almost religious awe - and considering the generally liberal approach to sexuality espoused by dragons in general and this community in particular, none of them seemed inclined to turn down a sexual invitation.

Blake, for his part, finally got the opportunity to do something he'd honestly believed would never happen - a mating-flight. Those were generally regarded a bit more seriously than more ground-bound activities, since they could result in pregnancy - but since different races of dragons couldn't produce eggs together, this mixed community clearly had little use for such restraint. Several dragonesses both young and more mature offered to take him for a flight, practically competing to be his first.

In the end, he settled on a pretty young blue, for two reasons. Firstly, there was a good reason why the blue dragons were also sometimes called 'Sky Dragons' - their wings were wider and stronger than the other races, and their aerial maneuverability was unparalleled... save for, perhaps, in a black dragon. He figured it would make for a vigorous flight. The other, less wholesome reason was that not only had she never flown a mating-flight before either, she was actually a virgin... well, technically. By all accounts, she'd had numerous ground-bound lovers, but had pleasured them using only her ass and mouth, saving her cherry for her first proper mating-flight. When she had, with a slight blush, offered it to him, he'd been unable to refuse.

The flight was as exhilarating as he had hoped. She led him on a merry chase across the bright-blue skies above the castle, while several other couples rose to join them in mating-flights of their own. She skies above the great crater was filled with multicolored streaks as the dragons danced their age-old mating-dance between the clouds, human visitors watching from below in awe. But soon enough, the obsidian streak caught up to the sapphire one, the two colors intertwining as Blake matched his mate's movements from below.

Floating below her, a twist of his wings saw him flipped over, flying upside-down as a last, powerful flap of his wings pushed him up towards her bright-blue body. Their arms connected as they grappled in midair, pulling one another closer as their long, sinuous necks intertwined, binding them together. Their wings beat in perfect sync as they continued through the air, Blake's prehensile cock rapidly emerging from its sheath as it sought his partner's untried pussy.

It soon found its mark, pushing open her scaly labia as it forced its way into the tight corridor of her birth-canal. He could hear her moaning in mixed pain and pleasure as his girth stretched her open. In terms of body-size, blues were quite close to blacks... but in terms of equipment, well, he was packing a lot more heat than any blue male. He wasn't really sure if the girl had known this when she made her offer, but it was far too late for her to change her mind now. They were locked together in the mating-flight, entirely on auto-pilot as their instincts took over. Mentally and physically, they were tied together, and she could only groan as she felt her virgin pussy desperately try to accommodate him.

There was no thrusting, as such. Rather, the age-old rhythm of the mating-flight pushed them closer together, each wingbeat narrowing the gap between them. Soon, the gap disappeared altogether as their chests touched, their tails intertwining like their necks had earlier, binding them together. Their wings continuing to beat in perfect sync as they spiraled through the air - neither on top or below, but rather caught up in an environment where up and down were pointless, arbitrary notions. Of course, this closeness also mashed their genitals together with the combined force of their muscular bodies and powerful wings.

He could feel his balls being mashed against the soft scales surrounding her vulva as every wingbeat made his body move in counterpoint to hers, a snakelike wave of motion passing through his body to create a short, but powerful stroke. She was almost as tight around him as the much-smaller mammalian lovers he was used to, stretched tautly around his girth as his cockhead poked at her cervix. He could feel her body shaking against his, but the changing tone of her moans reassured him that it was more due to pleasure than pain by now.

For a long time, they floated together like that, whirling through the air unconcerned with the anything but each other. Their instincts would not allow them to crash or collide with any of the other revelers - whose moans of similar pleasure were all around them, carried by the same air that carried them. The blue dragoness writhed against him, her body clearly wracked with unreleased pleasure. When two dragons synced up in a mating-flight, their climaxes were also locked together. She could not cum until he did. And of course, knowing this, he'd made sure to empty his balls a few times with the help of Melora and Anitra before setting off on the flight, guaranteeing greater-than-average staying-power.

Of course, it hardly seemed like that had really been necessary. His sheer size had obviously done quite a job on her all by itself, perhaps combined with the excitement of her first mating-flight - and it being with the legendary hero, Blake, at that! Wanting to see the result of his labors, he partially uncoiled their necks, allowing him to bring his head up in front of hers. Her eyes were empty, pupils dilated from the constant flow of pleasure. She was staring at him - or, rather, staring straight through his head. Her mouth hung open, releasing a constantly flow of small moans and gasps as the rhythm of the flight continued pounding her freshly-deflowered pussy right to the limit of its capacity.

When he pressed his mouth against hers, their muzzles intersecting at a ninety-degree angle to lock their lips together, she returned his kiss with a mindless, primal passion that took him by surprise. Their long, agile tongues wrestled between the sharp fangs they both shared as she continued to moan into his mouth. The way her tongue was wrapped around his, he couldn't have broken the kiss if he'd wanted to.

He was loosely aware of the fact that they were surrounded only by the whistling of the winds by now. All the other couples who had risen to dance in the sky with them were gone - having apparently finished and landed. Despite the incredible tightness of the sapphire-blue dragoness, his pleasure was rising only slowly - he was used to more vigorous, animate lovemaking. When he screwed Anitra - or, more recently, Melora - he was using his entire shaft, pumping several feet of hard fuck-meat in and out in every thrust. And however powerful, the 'thrusts' involved in THIS session were little more than a couple of inches in length.

Eventually, however, he felt a stirring in his balls, and his cock began to pulse. As the white-hot liquid began to shoot from its tip, filling the young blue's womb completely, she finally broke the long kiss and lifted her head to roar in orgasm. As the long-awaited release flowed through her, Blake felt her entire body convulse against him, her pussy contracting as if to milk his still-spurting cock. Her orgasm continued well after he had finished emptying his balls into her, passing so smoothly into post-orgasmic tremors that he wasn't entirely sure when it had finished.

The poor girl seemed exhausted and half-asleep as they finally pulled apart, her wings shaking as she clawed her way back to normal flight-routines, the instinctive auto-pilot no longer showing them the way. They'd flown quite a ways from the castle during their mating, and were now near the rim of the immense crater that held the Utopia at its center. The blue dragoness, seemingly deciding that she wasn't up for the short flight back, spiraled down towards the shores of the crater-lake, and on a whim, Blake decided to follow.

She crashed more than landed, but a thick layer of moss covered the lake's 'beach', absorbing the impact. Blake landed seconds later, with a great deal more grace - but as he approached her to make sure she was all right, she answered the question before he could ask it. Folding her large, leathery wings tightly against her body, she got up on all fours and, with her rear turned towards him, lifted her tail to give him a peek at the results of his hard work. Her pussy was gaping open, the pale blue flesh reddened by friction while a small river of his thick cum could be seen emerging from the darkness of her body to drip over the edge.

Her head, turned to look at him, held eyes smoldering with pure lust. "More!" She croaked, her voice hoarse from the ear-splitting roar she'd emitted when she came before. "Please... more..." Licking his lips, Blake found his vigor begin to rise once more, his softened shaft stopping its retreat into his sheath, then reversing direction as it began to harden again. He... might have a few more rounds left in him, if it came right down to it. And a gentledragon didn't leave a lady in the lurch like that...

The overload of unreleased pleasure during the long mating-flight had clearly left her with some desires to work off, and now that they were both free of the instinctual confinements of the flight, he could help her with that... in any number of ways. She made no protestations when he pushed his juice-slicked cockhead into her tight ass, and moaned in rising pleasure as he forced it deeper and deeper inside of her. It had obviously seen a lot more use than her pussy - otherwise, gaining entry would have been much more of a chore - but it was clearly still unaccustomed to visitors of such girth. If it inflicted any pain on her, however, she certainly didn't show it - quite the opposite, really.

She kept her tail curved back and her head low on the ground to give him an optimal angle of access, and as he eagerly poured long, powerful thrusts into the depths of her rectum, her moans rapidly became more high-pitched. Now that the restraints of the mating-flight were gone, she could cum as often and as quickly as she was able - and she was obviously quite able to do so from anal sex alone. Before his overworked balls were able to work up a fresh load, she climaxed at least four times - he wasn't entirely sure of the count, since they seemed to blend together a lot. The rapid, powerful contractions these orgasms sparked in her rectum certainly helped push him towards the orgasmic plateau too, though.

Even then, she wasn't satisfied. When at last he'd shot his load into the darkest depths of her intestines, his cock rapidly began to deflate and retreat once more, leaving him with little choice but to release his hold on her rump and pull out. This, however, prompted an immediate reaction, as she spun around to face him - eyes still burning with unreasoning lust. She struck like a snake, engulfing his shrinking shaft in her mouth, her tongue spiraling around the length of it and squeezing down.

Despite the speed and seeming desperation of her oral attack, however, she demonstrated great skill - suggesting that lots and lots of experience at it. She expertly kept her fangs away from the sensitive skin of the blood-filled shaft, instead sealing her smooth, scaly lips around it while her tongue went to work. It was long, slick, muscular and slightly rough on the surface - very different from the tongues of Anitra and Melora. It wrapped itself around his cock, sliding back and forth as she cleaned the anal residue off of it far faster and more efficiently than any two-leg could've hoped to.

The ferocious, unrestrained fashion in which she sought to revive his cock for another round reminded him of a certain dark-skinned slavegirl who'd entertained him in a glass cave, hidden in the sands near Mirage City. The fact that he'd prompted such a reaction in a DRAGON, however, filled him with equal parts twisted pride and arousal. Gradually, his overworked dick began to harden and expand once more, filling the blue dragoness' mouth. As it grew, it pushed into her throat - but she refused to pull her head back, stubbornly keeping her lips locked around the very base of his shaft.

By the time he was fully erect, half his length was lodged down her throat - and from the way her involuntary gag-reflex was massaging it, he gathered that she wasn't used to taking something that big, that deep. Still she carried on, until it had reached a satisfactory hardness - but once she released it from the hot, tight confined of her mouth, it almost immediately began to soften and droop again. Her face fell, the driving need for more pleasure, more orgasms, obvious in the desperately horny look in her eyes.

He grinned down at her. "If you really wanna get me up for another round, I think you'll have to move a bit... lower." He leaned back, supporting himself on his tail as he spread his legs a bit wider. Her eyes immediately panned down to his tailhole - and without a moment's hesitation, she darted forwards again, her tongue reaching for his sphincter. She dug in like a starving beast, first dancing around the rim, lubricating it with her spit and relaxing the muscles - then pushing her tongue into the hole itself.

Both Anitra and Melora often provided him with such anal stimulation - whether to get him worked up for a particularly vigorous fucking or, like now, to get him to stay hard at the end of a lengthy session. The slave-girl back in the desert had used it as one of her main tools, too. But all of them had been limited to caressing the outer rim and first inch or two of his asshole. Not so with this one - her tongue was more than a foot long, and she seemed eager to work every inch of it inside.

Her jaws spread wide, she pushed forwards until her lips touched his groin, her nostrils resting neatly against his testicles. Inside, her long, agile tongue danced around, caressing his prostate as it cleaned out the very depths of his rectum. There was no trace of disgust or hesitation in her eyes as she worked, licking his ass with single-minded determination - only lust, and a look of triumph as the tender treatment coaxed life back into his cock, causing it to once again rise to hardness.

She kept at it for another ten minutes, however, seemingly determined to make sure he didn't deflate so easily again. By the time she finally pulled back, withdrawing her tongue from his asshole with a slurping sound, he felt confident that the last foot and a half of his lower intestine was cleaner than it had been in his entire life. He was also quite confident that his hard-on wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.

The fact that she immediately turned around, presenting her two rear orifices for his use - both of them by now stretched open by him, dripping with his cum - contributed too. They were right on the shores of a clear freshwater lake - she could've grabbed a mouthful of water just by stretching out her neck, without even moving. Instead, she invited him to mount her again with the taste of his ass still on her tongue.

He picked her pussy this time. It felt subtly different, taking it from behind like this, compared to earlier. It wasn't as tight as it had once been, of course, but the smooth, well-lubricated inner walls still hugged his shaft closely. And this time, he could use his full length - and strength - to fuck her with long, smooth, powerful strokes. He went at it like that for well over an hour, his exhausted balls slowly, reluctantly, producing another load of hot cum for him to shoot. His partner, meanwhile, came repeatedly, cresting too many climaxes for him to easily count.

By the time he finished - adding a second, much smaller load to the one he'd filled her womb with during the mating-flight - she'd been reduced to a groaning, semi-comatose, orgasmic wreck. Her entreaties for him to keep fucking her had long-since lost all coherence, turning into nothing but animalistic grunts. Once he pulled out - releasing his grip on her hips as he did so - she collapsed on the moss-covered ground altogether, as if his cock had been the only thing keeping her standing. His tool, meanwhile, was deflating with incredible speed, collapsing into his sheath almost instantly. There was no chance for him to get it cleaned beforehand - the covering of cum and pussy-juice it had received would soon ripen inside his sheath. Heh. Would be fun to have Melora tongue-wash it later.

Meanwhile, his sapphire-blue partner had passed out altogether, and now slumbered on the mossy shore - snoring slightly. Blake halfway felt like joining her - but he had a powerful constitution trained by years of adventuring, and while he was certainly tired, his wings could still carry him. He glanced over at her one last time before he rose into the air - her tail was still curled along her back, revealing the twin holes he'd stretched open for her. The asshole was starting to resume its former shape, but her pussy was still gaping wide-open, her labia-scales locked in place. Even as she slept, she presented an open invitation to the world. She looked so vulnerable and helpless lying there - if they were anywhere else, he would've felt bad leaving her behind. But this was the Dragon Utopia - there were no beasts or monsters that'd willingly approach a dragon, even a sleeping one, and no bloodthirsty adventurers lurking in the wings.

When he returned to his chambers in the castle - taking advantage of the fact that he had his own personal entrance - he found Anitra sitting naked on the edge of their waterfall-fed bath, Direza busy between her legs. "Hey, loverboy, finally back from your first flight? How'd it go?" If her human side had left her with any spikes of jealousy in this case, she hid it well. He nodded at her, smiling. "Well, I could get used to it, I suppose. And I think I managed to leave a good first impression. Still - just ain't the same as flying with you, y'know?" They grinned at one another, their telepathic link sharing vivid images of those times when she'd preferred to fly below his belly rather than on his back, suspended from a network of ropes as his every wingbeat pounded his cock into her orifice of choice.

His assessment of his 'first impression' seemed to have been accurate, certainly. However many dragonesses had competed to be his first, even more seemed eager to be his second, third, fourth, or whichever place in the line they could get. Clearly, his sapphire-scaled mate from the first flight had wasted no time to kiss and tell. And while he certainly didn't mind, he decided to institute a personal policy, just to weed out some of his suitors - demanding a 'service' of some sort before he'd consider flying with someone.

These services generally took the form of the dragoness pleasuring Anitra in some way - as a way to remind BOTH of them who his first and last love was. Anitra certainly didn't seem to mind, and whatever depraved service he requested, there were always some dragon willing to do it just for a chance to experience his by-now legendary sexual skills in person. And of course, those who HAD sampled them usually came back for seconds, including the blue.

Knowing just how eager she'd be - and how wanton she was - Blake pushed his request even further than usual... but the blue dragoness didn't even flinch. Her well-worn tongue quickly found its way into Anitra's asshole up to the root, at which point the dragonrider was effectively sitting spread-legged inside her fang-lined maw like it was a throne. At that point, she released the contents of her strained bladder directly into the dragoness' throat, grinning with perverted pleasure as the powerful creature willingly swallowed it. The blue kept her tongue moving all through it, eventually pushing Anitra to a powerful orgasm - and winning herself another flight with Blake.

Of course, while Blake was busy wowing the local ladies, Anitra wasn't just shuffling around in their shared chambers, waiting for him to return. The Dragon Utopia, she decided, was the perfect place for her to deepen her understanding of draconic sexual practices... and she soon found that it was a far broader field of study than she'd thought. For starters, she discovered that Blake's tackle was far from typical amongst dragons - on several levels. In terms of bodysize-to-cocksize ratio, Blake was RIDICULOUSLY well-hung - though this was apparently the norm for black dragons. The other races were still enormously well-equipped by human standards, due to their large bodies - but many of the smaller types were just perfectly scaled for her. Big enough to suit her, but not long enough to threaten her currently-occupied womb.

Also, while Blake's cock was exceedingly simple - straight and smooth, without so much as a defined head - it turned out that the other races had more complex equipment to play with. Common features included a well-defined head with a tough crown, scale-like ridges along the bottom of the shaft, and a knot reminiscent of the canines Anitra had dallied with. There were, however, a seemingly infinite amount of variety on those themes, with every color and variant having its own twist and peculiarities. Anitra went into it like a kid in a candy store, determined to sample everything.

Blue dragons were sized just about right for her - and the scaly ridges along the bottom of their cocks were more defined and more numerous than most others. They also had a delightful curve to their tools, helping them to reach areas of her pussy that rarely got scratched. The swamp-dragons were also appropriately sized, and while the scales that ridged THEIR shafts were significantly smaller than on other races, the fact that they lined all four sides of them was more than suitable compensation. They also seemed to be even more prehensile than other draconic penises, moving inside her like a small, hard-ridged tentacle.

The red dragons were, of course, the biggest kind around... but she managed to find a young stud whose tool she could at least accommodate in her hungry ass. Their scaly ridges didn't stop at the bottom, she found out - rather, they went all the way around the shaft, making it feel like there were four or five 'crowns', one below the other. The knot was also more defined than usual - as she found out when the young red managed to 'tie' with her ass, despite her otherwise impressive elasticity. Not that she particularly minded. She wasn't a die-hard masochist like Melora, but the pain of having her ass stretched to the limit was one that she undeniably enjoyed.

Compared to that, silver dragons proved a bit of a letdown. While they stood out for having several 'ripples' directly below their crown, and more right above the knot, the scales that usually lined the underside of the shaft, providing blissful stimulation, were almost entirely absent in them. They did, however, prove capable of cumming very heavily, and she enjoyed sucking one off if she needed a quick boost of energy. Greens, meanwhile, proved more interesting - while their knots were somewhat slight, their scale-ridges were along the TOP of the shaft rather than the bottom. She couldn't begin to guess why, and she didn't particularly care either - all she knew was that this enabled her to screw them in several alternative positions while still ensuring that their ridges would be stimulating her clit on every thrust.

The bronzes, too, proved an enjoyable ride - though they WERE a bit on the big side, forcing her to pick her lovers carefully. Their scale-ridges were broader than most, nearly full-shaft like the reds, and though they were significantly less heavily defined, there were also more of them. While the one red dragon she could safely mate with had a mere 3 scale-ridges, the bronzes all had 5 or 6. They had other nice touches too - small, bony nodules lined the underside of their cockheads, and otherwise ridgeless back of their shafts, providing additional stimulation, and their knots were wider and noticeably double-bulged, as if they were actually two smaller knots mashed together. It was an interesting and pleasurably feeling, and Anitra caroused with several bronze lovers before she found her perfect match to settle on...

The brown dragons, also known as Earth-Dragons. Flightless, massively built, and often regarded as somewhat dumb by the other races. In the Utopia, however, they were valued members of the community - as well as being the most numerous of the races. This was probably due to a combination of factors - for starters, due to being flightless, they did not require 'mating-flights' to become pregnant, but instead managed to produce clutches of eggs from down-and-dirty doggystyle mating just fine. Since this hadn't stopped them from internalizing the wanton approach to sexuality that was the norm in the utopia, they'd reproduces swiftly.

Their ground-bound nature also made them less inclined to leave the Utopia - a one-way ticket before Anitra and Blake had arrived. Of course, there was no shortage of work for the browns - they were by far the best diggers out of all dragons, and as such were always laboring away in the inexhaustible gem-mines below the crater, as well as digging out caves for those dragons who preferred to settle down outside the castle proper.

More importantly to Anitra, their sheer numbers combined well with certain other qualities of theirs. Their shafts were rather short and squat - possessing significant girth compared to the length. Thus, despite full-grown browns being rather large, their tools fit neatly inside her, stretching her pussy to the limit without so much as nudging her cervix. They were also more heavily textures than most of the other races, with full-shaft ridges near the top and bottom of the shaft, reminiscent of the reds, but passing into odd, highly individualized patterns of wart-like knobs around the middle.

They also had no knots at all - presumably because they didn't need to mate in flight. Normally, she would've counted this against them, but considering their girths, HAD there been knots involved, they probably would've 'tied' with her easily. And while a nice, firm tie certainly had its charm, so did a foot-long thrust with a heavily ridged and knobby shaft. Especially when one considered that quantity had a quality all its own. Venturing into the gem-mines, it was generally easy to find a few dozen fully-grown brown dragons that were quite willing to take a break from their labors to help her scratch an insistent itch.

Bedding even a single dragon was a pleasure like no other. Getting roughly fucked by a constant stream of them for hour after hour was indescribable. The earth-dragons' massive, muscular bodies covered hers completely when they mounted her, and their strong, sturdy legs enabled them to thrust with bone-shattering force. In the perpetual murk of the magically-lit mines, pounded in both holes by an endless stream of virile dragons whose ribbed cocks seemed to have been sized perfectly for stretching her orifices to the limit (but no further), powered by a regular injection of draconic Quickening, she could lose track of time entirely.

The first time she went down there, she hadn't been aware that the mines ran on multiple shifts. There were enough brown dragons around to keep the mines operating around the clock, and so they did. Thus, the stream of dragons who took her up on the open invitation to use her pussy and ass as they wished, never stopped - and as she bounced from orgasm to orgasm, she never wanted them to. In the end, it took three days before Direza found her there, and managed to convince her to return to her chambers. Blake, who'd been able to feel the constant pleasure flooding her mind through their telepathic link, hadn't wanted to interrupt her - but the needy drow elf finally couldn't go without her mistress any longer.

Anitra, needless to say, had been slightly put-out with her servant interrupting her pleasure and while she DID admit to herself - now that she wasn't being assaulted by non-stop orgasms - that it would probably be a good idea to go get some real food and maybe a bath at this point, she couldn't let it pass without punishment. Fortunately, a suitable one was close at hand - or rather, close at foot. The place where she'd set up her 'free fucking' station was a side-room with a hard basalt floor, deliberately chosen so as not to wind up in a pool of sex-juice-mud at the end of it. So instead, she'd wound up with a pile of JUST sex-juices between her legs.

What with running on pure power of Quickening for days, her digestive system hadn't produced anything - but her bladder had been a different matter. Whenever a fresh brown hadn't been waiting directly behind a recently-dismounted lover, she'd taken advantage of the opportunity to turn around and pull an additional load out of the last guy with an enthusiastic blowjob - wetting her palate in the process. The resulting gallons of cum had been filtered through her system and eventually left it as a stream of piss - usually while she was in the middle of a particularly powerful orgasm.

Countless loads of cum had also drippled out of her pussy, of course - and the end result was a large pool of cum and piss, accumulated over the course of three days. To say that it smelled rank was a sizeable understatement, and Direza got a chance to find out firsthand as Anitra pushed her face into the frothy mix with a ruthless foot, telling her - in no unclear terms - that she wouldn't be leaving this mine until she'd licked up and swallowed the whole mess. "And Lolth help you if you throw it up again - you think it's bad when I keep you on the edge of a climax for a few hours? I could do it for DAYS if necessary... and I don't have to actually GIVE you that release you so crave at the end, now do I?"

The elf whimpered at the threat, her imagination immediately conjuring up the entire scenario - kept helplessly restrained and denied orgasmic release for a subjective eternity... and then watching the DragonRider walk away at the end of it, leaving her with days of unreleased frustrations. Quickly, she set to work with her tongue, licking up layers of stale dragon-cum mixed with the harsh, bitter tang of her mistress' piss, her gag-reflex suppressed by sheer force of will as the stench of it filled her nostrils.

Anitra stood back for a bit, watching the girl work. She was naked, now, crawling on all fours on the cum-stained floor. These days, Direza usually wore a full, midnight-black cloak and a stylish pair of boots in the same color... and absolutely nothing else. By Anitra's suggestion, of course. It enabled the elf to walk around looking decent for any visitors the Dragon Utopia might have, while leaving her nubile body entirely exposed and available for Anitra's use with a single undone clasp. Said cloak was now lying bunched in a corner, lest it be stained by the dirty work.

Basking in the afterglow of the long orgy, Anitra found herself possessed by an odd sort of lustfulness. She didn't really feel like getting fucked any more - and now that she wasn't being assailed by non-stop climaxes, she had to admit that her nether regions WERE feeling a bit worn-out - but she still felt like doing SOMETHING. And the sight of Direza lapping away at the pool of cum and piss like an obedient puppy only reinforced it.

With a grin, she got down behind Direza's naked rear end, and gently put her hands on the ash-grey ass-cheeks. The girl jumped slightly at her touch, but she just mumbled "Don't stop..." as she leaned in, tongue and fingers ready for some exercise. From this angle, she could easily reach most of Direza's pussy - which was rapidly getting wetter as she approached it - and her tiny little dark-grey asshole as well. Her tongue and lips, she realized, were somewhat dry and cracked after days with nothing to drink but the occasional load of dragon-cum. She needed to correct that first of all.

Fortunately, her mere presence never failed to turn the cute ex-priestess' pussy into a veritable wellspring of sweet, tangy juices. While teasing the hardened clit between a pair of fingers she eagerly dug in, lapping away at the flow with her tongue, reaching in deeply between the wet labia. Direza moaned in pleasure, her knees automatically sliding further apart even as she continued working her way through her 'meal'. The steadfast obedience made Anitra smile even as she continued to tease the pink hole hiding between the ashen labia.

With extensive practice, she'd become just as good at teasing orgasms out of the submissive elf as at withholding them - and right now, she was doing the former. Even with her initial thirst quenched, she continued to dig in greedily, pushing her tongue deep into the sensitive folds. She'd rarely licked Direza from this position, and the angle meant that as she pushed her mouth against the elf's juicy pussy, her nose was practically poking into the tiny, dark-grey asshole above it. It smelled freshly-washed.

Direza had already climaxed once, but Anitra wasn't satisfied with just that. She knew that the task she'd set before the once-powerful drow was one she found disgusting - though not for the reason most would. The elf-girl had developed a taste for piss - or, at least, Anitra's - with remarkable speed, and was always eager to step in as her master's portable toilet. Even if some of the pee pooling on the floor was days old, she had no doubt the elf was enjoying the strong, concentrated taste of it. On the other hand, she also knew that Direza disliked the taste and texture of cum - she found it to be far too bitter and slimy. And that was what made up most of the pool - thick, slimy dragon-cum.

She couldn't ignore such an aversion in her favorite slave-girl... and this seemed like a good opportunity to change her mind. To force her to associate that taste, that smell, that texture - with pleasure. With quick determination, she moved her head a step upwards, her tongue now drilling into the elf's asshole while her fingers continued to tease the dripping-wet pussy below. She'd never rimmed Direza before - mostly because she felt it would confuse their submissive/dominant relationship somehow. But considering their current positions, there was little room for confusion - and the way the girl squealed as she felt the muscular and talented tongue dig into her sphincter was music to her ears.

With control of both pussy and ass, she played the elf-girl's body like a fiddle - neither pushing her to repeated, mind-rendering climaxes, nor withholding the pleasure altogether. Instead, she spaced them out, carefully building up to each orgasm, loading them for maximum effect. She even tried to time it so that each climax would hit just as Direza was swallowing another mouthful of licked-up cum. The occasional gurgling moans she heard indicated that she was at least partially successful.

As the pool shrank and Direza's stomach filled with the slimy mixture of old cum and stale piss, Anitra gradually stepped up the pleasure. The elf's well-lubricated pussy, loosened by repeated orgasms, put up little resistance as she pushed in more and more fingers, finally folding in her thumb and shoving the whole hand inside. The delicately-shaped labia stretched briefly around the hilt of her hand, then snapped shut around her wrist with a slurping sound. Inside, she moved her stretched-out fingers around, teasing the entire area - a trick that never failed to make Direza squirm, and the main reason she preferred this approach over a proper 'fisting'.

Even as she began to rotate her hand as she thrust it deeper and deeper into the elastic pussy, the asshole above it was getting a similar treatment from her mouth. Her face was now thoroughly buried between the slender ass-cheeks, her tongue thrust deep inside, right to the root as she rotated it ceaselessly around. She could feel the muscles of the sphincter contract around it every time the girl came and eagerly pushed back against it, knowing that the gentle anal stimulation was a big part of what was lifting Direza to such soaring, orgasmic heights.

Before, the drow's anal experience had been limited to a few rough ass-fuckings at Anitra's command - something painful to be endured for her mistress' sake. Now, as a beneficiary of said mistress' extensive skill at rimjobs, she was learning just how pleasurable it could be to have her asshole teased and stimulated. At the same time, Anitra's hand was thrusting deep enough inside of her to tickle her cervix, before pulling back far enough to stretch her inner labia around the broad hilt of her hand. The way she was moaning between mouthfuls would've made Anitra smile, had her own mouth not been otherwise engaged.

Knowing what Direza's asshole had been exposed to during the orgy that had marked their reunion, Anitra felt certain that if she tried, she could've forced her other hand through the resisting sphincter, thus nestling both of her hands deep inside the subtle elf's body. But, ah, that would be too easy. However old the drow girl technically was, she was still inexperienced in the ways of sensual pleasure, and had much to learn. Anitra would teach her, all right. From now on, anal stimulation would be on the docket regularly. She'd tease her with fingers and tongue, and perhaps other things, until she was begging to feel the whole hand inside her. Heh. Cum-eating and ass-fisting. Direza had a busy educational schedule in front of her, even if she didn't realize it yet.

By the time the puddle of mixed dragon-cum had been completely cleaned away, leaving Direza's tongue to trace the contours of the hard basalt floor as she searched for any missed traces, Anitra's tireless tongue and hand had brought her to several of the most mind-bending full-body orgasms she'd ever experienced. She felt an almost tangible sense of loss as the strong tongue and stronger hand were pulled out of her orifices.

Getting back to her feet, Anitra looked down at the dark elf as she kneeled on the patch of freshly-cleaned floor, eyes downcast. "You missed a spot." She said it casually, but Direza's reaction was immediate and somewhat panicky as she looked around for any drop of cum or piss that might have escaped her worn-out tongue. "Right here..." As she spoke, Anitra stepped forwards and grabbed the elf's head, pushing it between her thighs. Direza instinctively opened her mouth to cover the wet pussy that was suddenly shoved into her face, just as Anitra began to relax her vaginal muscles.

Ever since she'd been interrupted by the elf's arrival, she'd kept her elastic pussy clamped shut on the last load of dragon-cum she'd received, mostly because she'd enjoyed the feeling of slimy warmth as she basked in the orgasmic afterglow. By now, it was liberally mixed with her own juices, and nicely frothy from the constant workings of her internal muscles. There wasn't as much of it as there might've been had she still been able to use her womb as storage-space, but it was still a nice couple of mouthfuls...

And, just as she'd hoped, Direza swallowed it all without hesitation, then pushed her numb tongue deeper inside Anitra's pussy to clean up whatever remnants stained its inner walls. Once she was satisfied that the exhausted elf had done the best job she could of it, she grinned down at the hopeful-looking girl and released the contents of her half-full bladder into the waiting mouth. For Direza, it was a soothing elixir, washing away the bitterness of the cum, refreshing her overworked tongue even as it rolled down her throat to her already over-filled stomach.

Finally, when the golden stream had stopped, and Direza's tired tongue had cleaned the last few drops off the upper labia, Anitra pulled the drow elf to her feet and rewarded her for handling her punishment so well, with a deep, passionate kiss. She could taste the cum and piss on Direza's tongue, and the other girl could probably taste traces of her own ass on hers, but neither let that distract them from a deep, slobbering session of tongue-wrestling. When at last their lips broke contact, there was little left to do but to pick up their scattered clothes and head back to their chambers in the castle - Anitra already planning her 'educational menu' for Direza, while wondering when next she might be able to slip away to the mines for a day or two...

However, try as they might, neither Blake nor Anitra could spend ALL their abundant free time on the pursuit of pleasure. Even the wildest, most depraved sex required an occasional break, in much the same way a man could not live on fine wine all his days without a glass of water here and there. Blake, for his part, found his diversion by participating in the management of the Utopia, as a member of the Council of Elders.

The Council ruled the Utopia, though generally with a soft touch. Each of the different races sent a representative to it, usually someone who was considered clever and wise by his peers. None of them were young, but Elecrastor was by far the oldest, and therefore stood as 'First amongst Equals'. Together they debated the issues that concerned the entire area, and made such decisions as were necessary. Before, the main point of debate had been whether the measures taken to guide black dragons towards the Utopia were effective and sufficient - and though Blake's arrival with the Tablet of Lutan had rendered this point moot, it had merely brought another, more immediate issue before them.

Now that the gates of the Utopia were open to any they decided to invite inside, how would that freedom best be used? Who would they invite? How many dragons, how many two-legs, and which? How much of their enormous wealth could they safely trade - though intermediaries, of course - to the outside world without attracting undue attention? The Council, used to taking the long view, were somewhat overwhelmed by the number of decisions that needed to be made in short order, and as a result, the debates occasionally got a bit out of hand, escalating to outright arguments.

Blake, however, had a chair on the council by virtue of being the ONLY black in the castle - and, more importantly, he was the Champion, which technically meant that he could overturn or veto the decisions of the Council if he felt it necessary. Added to that the universal respect he held as the hero who had brought the Tablet to them, and it was rarely necessary for him to do much more than lift an annoyed eyebrow at a slightly-too-loud dragon before the over-exited individual calmed down and yielded the floor to Elecrastor, who never failed to take advantage of such opportunities to be the calming voice of reason.

Blake rarely got directly involved in the debates, however, and had no plans to exercise any of the enormous power his office gave him. He'd spent his life concerned only with his own wellbeing, and one other - first Inferand, and then Anitra. Everyone else - be they dragons, humans, or any of the other sentient races that roamed the land - had no more worth in his eyes than the oxen he'd had for breakfast: Something to be eaten if hungry, killed if it got in the way, and otherwise ignored. The responsibilities involved in managing an entire community - hundreds of dragons and growing fast, now - boggled his mind.

But he nonetheless sat in on the meetings, because for the first time, he was PART of a community. The decisions made by the Council would affect him, and Anitra, and Melora and Direza too. His title as Champion had saddled him with a responsibility he couldn't shake off - even if the other dragons seemingly had no desire to force them on him. So he went to the meetings, when he had nothing better to do, and occasionally went anyway if Elecrastor had specifically invited him (which usually meant that there'd be a controversial subject up for debate, making his calming presence important.)

While her draconic lover was getting involved in local politics, Anitra had started exploring the famous library of the Dragon Utopia. It had been founded with an extensive collection of arcane texts claimed as spoils of war from the Archmage whose failed invasion of the area had sparked the creation of the Utopia itself - but since then, it had expanded steadily. The dragons, unable to leave without having the door slam shut behind them, had been hungry for any knowledge they could get their hands on from the outside world, and the black dragons that had occasionally been in residence had flown in many a load of scrolls and books.

That very isolation had also enabled the library to stand unmolested as its counterparts in cities elsewhere in the world had not. Over the course of millennia, many a rare book had been destroyed through warfare, accidents, or malice. Waves of religious censorship, mages eager to possess the only source of a particular piece of arcane knowledge, and corrupt politicians seeking to erase unpleasant truths from the past - all had contributed to the loss of priceless works throughout the world. But copies of many of these works remained in the Utopia, protected by powerful preservative magicks, untouched by time.

Initially, Anitra had sought out the library in the hopes of learning more about herself, and about Blake. Black Dragons and DragonRiders - two inexplicable creatures, intrinsically linked, yet obviously very different. The fairy-tale that Blake had told her about the origin of the DragonRiders the night they had first met had holes big enough to fly a red dragon through, even if one assumed that there was any truth to it in the first place.

The elderly bronze dragon who served as head librarian had helpfully guided her towards the tomes she sought, and also provided her with assistance in understanding some of the more archaic expressions used in the older scriptures. But even then, amongst piles of accumulated wisdom that could make the most jaded of Sages drop his lower jaw on the floor (as it frequently did, when one was allowed to visit), she found little more than speculation and conjecture.

About the only thing that seemed certain was that neither one of them were 'natural'. Their symbiotic bond was simply too convenient, too arcane, to have risen from sheer chance. Magic was involved - deep, powerful magic - but beyond that, nobody seemed to know. Theories were plentiful - ranging from demonic influences to forgotten gods - but there were no certainties, and whatever evidence supported these theories tended to be flimsy to the point of nonexistence, if it hadn't been outright disproven in the years since the ancient tomes had been penned.

The search, however, was not futile. Anitra had never exactly been a bookworm - she'd learned to read and write, as a young, well-educated woman should, but had rarely applied it outside the classroom. Now, however, the dusty tomes, with their tantalizing hints and obscure references to even older and dustier writings, had stirred the powerful curiosity she'd always possessed. Her studies gradually broadened as she read her way into tangential subjects and beyond.

One night, months after their arrival at the Utopia, Blake and Anitra were lounging on the former's king-sized bed, watching the stars through the gaping archway leading out to the balcony. Melora and Direza were sleeping next to them, exhausted after the lengthy - and quite creative - sexual session they'd just wrapped up. Both of the still-waking participants were still basking in the afterglow, with Anitra resting a light hand on her abdomen. Her pregnancy was only barely beginning to show, but already she could feel it. A life growing within her. It filled her with wonder whenever she thought of it.

"You know, I've been reading some books about the history of this place, my love..." She quietly started the conversation, and Blake half-absently nodded for her to continue. "There's been quite a few black dragons here before us, carrying the title of Champion. D'ya know what happened to them all?" Blake glanced down at her, his attention suddenly fixed. The thought HAD occurred to him - it was unlikely that they'd all have died of old age so quickly, after all. Anitra, still looking out at the stars, felt the sudden curiosity flash through their telepathic link and grinned up at him.

"Oh, don't worry, love - nothing bad happened. Well, at least, nothing bad that you could blame on the locals. From what I read, virtually all blacks who reached this place had a rider - there's been just ONE exception to this - and they usually stuck around 'till they'd had a kid and finished raising him. Then... well, the wanderlust caught up to them. They'd start traveling again, adventuring, just for the sake of variety. I guess neither black dragons nor riders were meant to live idyllic, peaceful lives for very long."

"And eventually, they just didn't return?" Blake guessed, and Anitra nodded. "Pretty much. Maybe they just decided to stay away from this place at some point. Or maybe the odds caught up to them, and they wound up tangling with something they couldn't handle. In either case, it left the Utopia isolated again - for decades or centuries - until the next black showed up at the gates." Blake nodded, his gaze returning to the stars, twinkling in the clear skies outside. "It makes sense."

They continued to watch the stars quietly for several minutes, comfortable in each other's company. Then Anitra broke the silence. "D'ya suppose we'll want to head out of here, to have more adventures, at some point?" Blake shifted his eyes to look down at her, grinning. She'd said it plainly, but he could feel an edge of hopefulness over their telepathic bond. "I suppose. Eventually. Maybe years from now." He was taunting her, and since their bond was two-way, she knew it.

She stuck her tongue out at him, and he chuckled. "Yeah, it wouldn't be so bad to stretch my wings. Strap on the old saddle. Heck, you literally haven't ridden on my back since we got here. I kind of miss that feeling." The simple statement struck her harder than it should have. It hadn't even occurred to her. In a way, it was an epiphany. She was a DragonRider. Riding dragons was part of her identity, her very being. But now that they had reached their journey's end, their goal, there was nowhere left to ride TO. Of course, there was nothing stopping them from taking a spin over the crater together, or to fly with as one of the scouts, messengers and traders who were opening communications with the outside world these days.

But it wouldn't be the same. Being a DragonRider wasn't that simple. Living on the road, fighting for her life, enduring torments and hardships, never knowing where next she'd sleep - that was where she'd found herself, and grown into her identity. To her, at least, THAT was what it meant to be a DragonRider. Leaving all that behind had left a hole in her life that no amount of hedonism could fill, and her literary explorations would only lake her over for so long.

Blake, feeling the thoughts that were flowing so rapidly through her, smiled gently down at her. "You know... you aren't all THAT pregnant yet. Barely showing. Certainly isn't hampering you in any way." She looked up, absorbing and interpreting his words. A cautious smile spread across her face. "You mean it? I mean... it probably isn't very advisable." He merely chuckled at her concern. "Since when have we ever done things the advisable way? We're dragon and rider! We overcame impossible odds just by existing, and then destroyed them altogether by meeting up. We reached this place by the most roundabout way possible, performing an impossible feat in the process."

They were both grinning now, looking into each other's eyes more intently than they'd ever gazed at the stars while the memories of their many adventures flashed through their minds. It was true, after all. Going beyond the impossible and kicking reason to the curb had practically become their way of life, and no amount of great sex, good food or societal respect could change that. However unwise, they both wanted to go back to the adventuring life... knowing that these chambers would be waiting for them when they tired.

Thoughts of future adventures now mixed with the memories of past glories, they leaned back once more to stare out at the stars, quietly discussing where their next adventure might take them...

The End

Thank you for reading The DragonRider Chronicles. I hoped you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it. It's been a long journey - for me as well as Blake and Anitra. Many years have passed, and many things have changed since I wrote the first chapter. But the adventure always continues - and so, I hope, will yours. These Chronicles, however, have hereby ended... as any good story should.