What is this love thing, exactly?
It was strange; how, after spending nearly his entire life living and learning within his tribe's homelands, could Tor have shaken off all of his instinct and tribal traditions so unwittingly and quickly? He had never felt this way for a female, much less anyone, Lizardfolk or not. He felt as though he would die to protect her and kill to be with her. Of course, these measures certainly wouldn't be carried out... he hoped. Perhaps this is what the humans and elves call "love", he thought, staring longingly across the tavern. She can't even bear your young, he told himself. Tor snuffed, disturbing the foam atop his mug of ale. I've only felt like this for a week, and the emotion has me drinking already, he thought. Tor took the mug and downed a mouthful, wincing at the bitter, burnt taste. "Ugh. How do you drink this piss, Heian?" The skeletal elf looked up from his book and toward Tor, his expression neutral.
"What, ale?" he asked. Tor nodded quickly, scraping his tongue against his teeth in disgust. "Oh, I don't drink ale; I prefer wine, my friend."
"Will wine get me drunk any faster than ale?"
"Why would you, of all people, want to get drunk? You hate drinking," Heian replied, a hint of concern slipping into his words. Tor sighed, noting that his very breath tasted of ale now.
"See that woman there: the half-dragon in the robe?" Heian squinted through his thin spectacles and nodded. "I think I may be experiencing what your kind call ‘love' for her." Heian's gaze immediately snapped back to Tor, his eyes wide in astonishment.
"You? A Lizardfolk? In love?"
"You know I hate when you do that," Tor snapped in a low voice.
"But... that makes no sense, Tor! Lizardfolk don't love: they mate for the sake of procreation! To increase their numbers!" Heian nearly shouted, standing from his chair and leaning over the table. Tor gave him an irritated stare, quickly silencing the excitable elf.
"I know all that; when you talk about my people, it's as though you forget I happen to be one of them."
"Heh, yes, I do manage to forget my present company."
"But all facts aside, you and I know I'm not exactly a ‘typical specimen', as you would say." Heian nodded, pulling out and thumbing through another of his many tomes.
"Yes, but if what you're saying is true, then you may be an example of a coming cultural evolution for the Lizardfolk..."
"A cultural evolution?"
"Precisely; all sapient species go through at least one. Your kind seems to be a late bloomer, but, heh, hardly the latest." Tor sighed, once more tasting ale on his breath.
"Why did I bother saying something?"
"Perhaps you thought you could elicit some sage advice on this strange and conflicting new emotion you've been experiencing?"
"You think I'm joking when I tell you I'll throw your dictionary away, don't you?"
"I don't think so, my friend: I know so," Heian countered with a grin. Tor simply frowned and tried to chug the rest of the ale, failing spectacularly in doing so. Heian all but burst into laughter at the sight, though none of the other patrons seemed to notice. Tor coughed up what ale had made an errant turn in his throat and groaned.
"So... *kahh* are you goi- *kahh* going to help me out?"
"Hmm. Why don't you go talk to her?" Heian asked flatly.
"Just talk to her? Don't humans keep blathering on about courtship?" he asked, staring at Heian in disbelief.
"Only the nobles court each other. Besides, she seems like an intelligent sort."
"How do you figure that?"
"See the badge on her right lapel?" Heian asked, pointing sharply. Tor nodded. "That's a Dawnstar Academy graduate's badge. She's a wizard." Tor let out a near silent groan. "What?"
"A bookwyrm," he said with no small amount of dismay. "She probably wouldn't be interested in my type."
"Oh, come off it! Your predicament alone will provide an excellent conversation-starter! Now get over there and talk to her!" With a shove from Heian, Tor reluctantly stood and walked over to her, weaving between the numerous tables and chairs. As he neared her table, he could hear the conversation at it come into focus; something about how the dwarf at the table had accidentally set fire to a tapestry at some king's castle. Wonderful, he thought. She has an
entourage of crazy fire-starters.
* * * * *
"I was only lookin' at the craftsmanship o' the masonry! I didna know I was gettin' too close to the fabric!" Rurik laughed, nearly spilling his mug. Kyrissa and the others also burst into laughter, remembering the event vividly.
"Excuse me, miss," a deep, unfamiliar voice boomed. Kyrissa looked up from her plate and saw a towering, muscular, khaki Lizardfolk man in little more than a chainmail shirt and some baggy, sackcloth pants. Near seven feet tall, at a glance, and about 250 pounds, minus the chainmail, she guessed. What grabbed her attention the most were his eyes; a deep, wild hazel, sharp and alert while remaining friendly.
"Can I help you?" she asked hesitantly. The Lizardfolk nodded slowly.
"May I speak to you with privacy?" he asked nervously. The group gave her an untrusting look, most of them reaching for hidden weapons. She looked back to the Lizardfolk and nodded, standing.
"May I ask what this is about?" she asked, following him across the room. He sat with a sigh into a corner booth and bade her to join him.
"This... is not as easy as my friend would have me believe," he started, looking away in what seemed like shame. Kyrissa called to mind one of her few one-word spells; this one would temporarily blind him, should he try anything less than friendly. "I have noticed you around town for the last week and," he sighed, mustering up courage. "I seem to have developed an attraction toward you." Kyrissa instantly felt herself blush and quickly tried to hide it. "I don't really understand how this is supposed to work; this is the first time this has happened to me... I--"
"No, it's... it's alright. I understand it's not your fault."
"I just... I want to know if this would work at all," he said, wincing after he realized what he just said.
* * * * *
How could I be so thick, Tor asked himself. He resisted the urge to take a nearby mug and beat his own skull in, hoping this situation would be resolved somehow. "I-- I really don't know," she chuckled. "We've only just met." A smile quickly found its way onto Tor's face.
"Then perhaps introductions are in order?"
"I'm Kyrissa," she chuckled, extending a hand.
"Tor the Kindly," he replied, taking her hand gingerly.
"‘The Kindly'?" she smiled, raising an eyebrow.
* * * * *
Tor carried Kyrissa across the threshold of her tower, laughing along with her. "By the gods," he said, setting her down gently. "I wouldn't have thought the Arcane Arena would be that much fun!"
"Not all mages are boring," she chuckled.
"Oh, I know all too well. But... I suppose I should let you sleep now," Tor said, stepping back across the doorway.
"Wait..." Kyrissa said in a meek voice. Tor stopped dead in his tracks and turned back slowly. "I wish you'd stay." Tor looked to her, staring deep into her teal eyes.
"Alright," Tor almost whispered, smiling. Kyrissa quickly returned the expression and led him up a winding spiral staircase. When at last they reached the top, she opened a small, rounded door, revealing a luxuriously furnished bedroom lined with bookshelves. "Read much?" Tor chuckled. Kyrissa only chuckled in return, quickly walking toward her circular bed. Tor eagerly followed after her, feeling his member slide out and begin to harden.
"Seems like you already know how this works," she giggled, cupping the bulge in his loose pants with a warm, slender hand.
"The natural stuff, I get. It's the social garbage I'll never understand." Kyrissa chuckled, letting her hand linger a moment longer before she began untying the knots in her robe. Tor followed suit, slipping the chain shirt up over his head and letting it fall noisily onto the floor. With half of the knots undone, Kyrissa let the top half of her robe fold over, revealing her perky, silver, supple breasts. Tor did all he could not to stare stupidly, untying the knot that held his pants up and letting them, too, fall to the floor.
"Gods, you're big," she nearly gasped, her eyes wide.
"Never thought of it much, really, as long as it was doing its job, heh." Kyrissa giggled lustfully, letting her robe slip off her lithe figure onto the floor, joining Tor's garments. Without hesitation, she crawled onto the bed, arse high, and smiled mischievously. Tor, too, crawled onto the bed and playfully wrestled her onto her back. The two lied next to one another, simply staring at each other's features, until Tor pulled her close and embraced her. For a moment, the two of them simply let their bodies touch; her soft, silver, leathery skin a stark contrast to his tough, faded tan hide. Kyrissa didn't mind his rough skin, for she knew it was just as sensitive as hers in the right conditions. She let a playful hand slide from his cheek to his shoulder, down his chest, around to the small of his back, along the base of his tail, and finally wormed it back around to his groin, gripping his firm member. It was a little thinner than her forearm, she noted, and a hand's breadth shorter. It was warm, too... so warm compared to the rest of his body. She let her hand play with it some more, trying to wrap her fingers around it. Tor watched with interest, emitting a low purr as she played with him, and relaxed. Up and down, she stroked, over and over, squeezing lightly as her hand reached the head. She giggled as it almost throbbed out of her grip. "By gods, I want to be in you now," Tor whispered into her frilled ear.
"Patience, Tor," she whispered back. "We have all night to play." Without another word, Kyrissa sat up and bade Tor to roll onto his back. As he complied, Kyrissa spread his legs and straddled his thick, muscular tail and leaned forward, bracing against his hips with one hand. With her free hand, she maneuvered his member toward her face, giving him a lustful gaze, and slowly draped her thin, whip-like tongue around it. Keeping her eyes locked with Tor's, she took the end of it into her mouth and slowly tensed her neck back and forward, taking extra caution to not shut her jaws. Tor tensed a little, curling his toes, and let out a deep hiss as she worked him over. Kyrissa could feel him swell between the coils of her tongue and readied herself; it would not be long now. With a booming growl, Tor let loose and released his seed. Kyrissa unwrapped her tongue and slurped up what little was dribbling through her teeth, giving Tor a lustful smile. "How was that?" she giggled.
"Amazing... I've never felt like that before..." Tor panted, feeling himself harden again already.
"Good... And it looks like you're ready again," she noted, crawling slowly on top of him until they were face to face. The two rubbed snouts for a moment, purring all the while, until Kyrissa felt his member rubbing up against her slit. She moaned for a moment, squirming in anticipation, and looked deep into Tor's eyes. With a smile, he took his member and held it straight, rubbing its head against her warm, wet slit until she lowered herself onto him, letting him penetrate her inch by inch. With over half of him in her folds, she rolled her hips, educing a low moan from Tor. "Oh, gods..." she moaned, raising her hips only to take him back in quicker than she rose. Tor groaned as his phallus felt as though it were ablaze, tensing his legs a little. Kyrissa gripped his shoulders and quickened her motions, moaning louder and louder as each penetrating thrust drew her closer and closer to climax. Tor, in turn, gripped her shoulders, massaging them with his wide hands, and wormed them lower until he was gripping her modest breasts. Kyrissa nearly screamed as Tor kneaded her nipples. She was on the verge, Tor could tell, as her folds clamped around him, making him roar out in sheer pleasure. Kyrissa joined in his feral revelry, screaming as her pulse pounded between her thighs. Tor, unable to hold it off any longer, felt his seed rush forth stronger than ever before, flooding her tight, moist cleft. With a moan of effort, Kyrissa forced his member out, showering his groin and the bed with an amalgam of their fluids.
"By... the gods..." Tor panted, feeling exhausted for the first time in a month. Kyrissa said nothing, but rolled to his side and curled up next to him. "You alright?" he asked through his pants. She did not answer; she had fallen fast asleep. I might as well, he thought, turning to her. He draped a thick arm over her and quickly fell into a deep sleep.