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The Elemental Portals

Book II – Medioterrae

Chapter VIII – How to Tame your Dragon

The trail leading north from the village where they found Magnus was good at first, but after passing the outlying farms and homesteads that surrounded the town it became overgrown and difficult to tread.

“It does not look like many people take this route.” Annie observed while they were looking for a decent campsite.

“That is because the locals believe old wives’ tales.” Ladread who was leading the way, answered over her shoulder.

“What kind of old wives’ tales?” Chris asked nervously. Despite being a fully trained assassin he had a deathly fear of spiders and they were currently headed to a place Ladread had called ‘Spider Valley’.

“Hah! Tales of wild creatures and giant insects that inhabit the forest.”

Chris went pale under his grey fox fur. “Wha- what kind of insects?”

Ladread did not meet his gaze. “Spiders, I suppose.”

“Actually,” Coyotka began, “spiders are not insects. They are arachnids and both fall under the Phylum of Arthropods, invertebrate animals with exoskeletons, segmented bodies and paired jointed appendages. The Phylum also includes ...”

“Yes, thank you Coyotka.” Paul said wearily.

“I don’t like spiders.” Chris sniffled.

Coyotka adjusted her pince-nez glasses and put a comforting arm around the fox’s shoulders. “Don’t worry, Mama will keep you safe.”

James’s brows shot up. “Mama?”

Before anyone else noticed what Coyotka had said, Magnus, the magical musical stag who also had a fear of creepy crawly things cried out, “Who will keep me safe?”

“We will all keep each other safe.” Paul insisted. “Or rather, we won’t have to because there is nothing to fear in Spider Valley, is there, Ladread?”

“Nope. Safe as houses.”

Yup cocked one brow and studied the elf warrior’s face. “Elf’s honour?” He asked.

“Yes, Elf’s honour.”

Yup shrugged. “Alright then.”

“That’s it?” Magnus asked. “She says it’s safe, so it is?”

“Tricky as they are, I never knew an elf to go back on something sworn under elf’s honour.” Yup answered. Coyotka nodded in agreement, deciding not to add any of her encyclopedic knowledge of elf culture as Paul was giving her the side eye.

“Okay then. If you all agree.” Magnus conceded.

They found a suitable campsite soon after. Yup and Magnus began to clear the ground as most of the couples split away to forage, but this time Ladread told Paul that she would stay to help them.

“Our party is growing, and you will catch more fish without me to distract you.” She explained, but Paul sensed that something had changed in their relationship, and he had no idea why.

By the time that everyone was back in the camp the fire was prepared for James to light it. Magnus watched him closely as he did.

“Yes.” The deer-man said when the spark from James’s flint lit the fire on the first try despite the kindling being damp. “That’s the passive ability of your ruby working through you. With a few quick enchantments I could make it so that you could set the fire alight just by holding the hilt of your sword and looking at it.”

Ladread interrupted. “Didn’t you promise to enchant Annie’s emerald first?”

“Did I? It must have slipped my mind.”

“No matter. maybe there will be time after supper. For now, I could use your help cooking these fish.”

Magnus was eager to chip in. The rest set up their bedrolls and adjusted their gear until supper was ready. After eating and washing up James asked Paul and Gael if they would mind sparing with him and Annie. The two Terrans agreed and asked if any of the others would care to practice with them.

Junafir picked up her cleaver and joined them but Chris declined. “My style of fighting elites on surprise, not confrontation.”

Yup shrugged and pointed to his Blunderbuss. “I need to get out deer friend to adjust the spells a bit and after that I’d be loathe to point it at any of you ... just in case it actually fired something more deadly than a pork sausage for a change.”

Ladread also stayed by the fire. “I’d be afraid of hurting you.” She shrugged. “But I’ll provide plenary of criticism rom the sidelines.” She smirked.

“It’s like she’s trying to get me upset with her.” Paul mumbled under his breath as he turned away with the others.

“Why would she do that?” James, who had overheard, asked.

Paul shrugged. “Females.”

James looked ahead to where Junafir was walking beside Annie. She was traveling naked again now that they were away from human habitation, and each step made her furry, rounded buttocks roll against each other while her swaying tail briefly exposed the small triangle at the top of her thighs. An unconscious grin spread on his face.

“Yeah, females.”

Paul shook his head and they continued to an open area in silence.

Back by the fire the ever-curious Coyotka was admiring Ladread’s armour, and those small bits of the elf that it covered.

“Your armour is very ... scant.” The academic observed. “It just protects a few critical points on your, uhm, body. Is that common among elf warriors?”

“Oh yes, we elves hate to be weighed down.”

Coyotka leaned in for a closer look at the material the armour was made from. The plates were thin, jet black and shaped like scales. “It looks very light, but it must be very tough.”

“Ha! It ought to be.”

Coyotka frowned, not understanding.

Yup, who had surrendered his blunderbuss and amulet to Magnus saw her perplexed look. “Her armour is made from mature dragon scales.” He explained. “They are the toughest things on this world. She must be a formidable warrior to have won them.”

“How does one get dragon scales?” Coyotka asked, looking at Ladread. “I heard that they never shed them.”

“Oh, they do,” Yup answered, not realizing that the question was addressed to the elf, “but only in their dens, so one would have to go in there and retrieve them, and dragons that size guard their hoards jealously.”

“So, you would have to kill the dragon to get some.”

“Yes, I suppose.”

“Or,” Ladread offered, “one could go when you know the dragon is far away.”

Coyotka’s eyes narrowed. “You seem to know a lot about dragons.”

“Yes.” Ladread smirked. “More than you, teacher. Now you’ll have to excuse me, I think our intrepid warriors need some encouragement.”

“What I wouldn’t give to have her hogtied while I try out a few of my favourite butt plugs on her.” Coyotka fumed as the tall, muscular elf wandered toward where the sparring was taking place.

“Speaking of which,” Chris said, plucking her sleeve, “could I have your permission to remove this one while I make a quick trip to the woods?”

“What? Oh, yes. Go ahead.”

Magnus busied himself with the Blunderbuss until it was dark, when the others returned from their weapons practice.

“There.” He said as he passed the avid gun back to Yup. “With my ring moderating the effects it should work much better now.”

“Shall we try for a dozen goose eggs for breakfast?” Yup asked, fingering one of the glittering rods that fired it.

“Better not.” Paul advised, pointing to their dwindling supply of the purple fuses. We’re going to run short of them if we keep using your blunderbuss for food and comfort items and we’ve nothing to make more with. We’ll have to make do with what Annie can call to us with her emerald.”

They all agreed. “And remind me to work on that emerald tomorrow night.” Magnus added. “With the right enchantments the grouse will be lining up to have their heads chopped off.” He finished by licking is lips and rubbing his belly.

“You eat meat?” Gael asked the stag, leaning away a bit.

“Sure. I’m only half deer after all, and even the wild ones here eat eggs and nesting birds if they catch them asleep.”

“Ugggh.”

Yup had the first watch and the rest of the group settled down for the night. Annie and Gael shared a bedroll, as did James and Junafir. Coyotka let Chris curl up at her feet but Ladread set up her blanket a few feet away from Paul.

“Ladread ... is there something wrong?” The puzzled collie asked.

“No.” She answered without looking at him. “I just need to focus on the upcoming battle, as should you. Any ... personal ... feelings would just distract us from what has to be done.” With that she rolled up in her blanket and refused to say any more.

The next day dawned bright and clear, much like the one before, but they could see mist in the forest ahead of them where the land rose toward the foothills of the mountains.

“It’s going to get cooler as we go up.” Ladread warned them. “And once we’re in Muspelia a proper a fire will only attract the attention of any nearby dragons, so relish your comforts while you can.”

The day passed mostly in sullen silence with Ladread striding ahead and Paul bringing up the rear. Not only were their sour moods infectious but the forest itself was growing darker and denser, making their progress slow.

“Are you sure that we’ll be able to turn east soon and meet up with Darryl?” Gael asked as he fought to free himself from a stand of brambles that had caught in his tail.

“Oh, yes. Very soon. Tomorrow for sure.” Ladread called back, sounding cheerful. The burrs and bracken could find no purchase on her bronzed skin or dragon scale armour and the rest thought that she must be taking delight in their struggles.

When they stopped for the night, she again avoided Paul’s company.

After supper that evening Magnus picked up James’s sword and began to study the ruby on its hilt but Ladread again reminded him that he had promised to enchant Annie’s emerald.

“Sure.” The stag said, reluctantly putting the katana aside. He took up the spear with the emerald embedded in the blade and bean mumbling spells and waving his hands over it. The amethyst in his ring glowed brightly all the while.

When he was done, he passed the spear back to her and sat back, exhausted.

“That does take a lot out of you.” He said with his hand at his chest. “I can’t manage more than one gem a night, and even that would be pushing it.”

“How many nights before we reach Aldreda’s lair, I wonder?” Paul mused.

“One more to reach the junction with the main road.” Ladread answered absently as she poked at the dying fire. “One or two more for the fingerling to catch up and then a good week’s march to reach the high mountains where Aldreda lives.”

“You know where her den is?” Annie asked. “I thought that Darryl was the only one who could lead us there.”

“Her den? I ... no ... I mean, no I don’t know where her den is ... exactly. But I have heard from those elves that have been to Muspelia that all the big ones live in the high mountains so it would take at least a week to reach them, and more to find her I bet.”

Coyotka’s eyes narrowed. “The same elves that brought those dragon scales back?”

“Uh, yes. Exactly.”

“Ha!” The coyote exclaimed, slamming her plate down on the ground. “I knew it. You can’t fool me.” She squinted and pointed a long, clawed finger at the elf. “You are here under false pretences.”

Ladread froze, and the rest hardly dared to breathe.

“What do you mean, Coyotka?” Paul asked, still inclined to defend Ladread despite her chilly attitude of late.

“She is no elf warrior.”

Ladread did not move, but she finally spoke. “What do you think I am?”

“A pretender! A fraud! A charlatan! You did not fetch those dragon scales back yourself, you bought or seduced them away from some brave elf that did. You are no more a warrior than I am.”

Everyone looked at one another to avoid having to make eye contact with either the coyote or the elf, except Paul who was staring at Ladread openly.

Ladread stood, her muscles tensed so that each individual one stood out from its neighbor as a dozen angry expressions crossed her face. With her teeth barred she reached down and picked up the log she had been sitting on. It was a thick as Gael’s thigh and as long as the elf was tall, yet she handled it like a twig. Placing her hands at the points where the log might be measured in thirds she grit her teeth, bunched her shoulders and squeezed until the log snapped in two.

“I am ... Ladread.” She said, brandishing the two halves of the log. “A queen among my people. I have fought and defeated a thousand enemies with naught but my bare hands and the powers of my kind.”

The elf warrior stood up tall and raised the remnants of the log over her head. “And I will not be called a pretender!” She screamed as she slammed the two pieces down on the fire.

Sparks and embers flew and the group had to protect their eyes and fur, those that had it, from the fiery fury. When the smoke cleared Ladread was still standing there, breathing heavily, arms cocked and ready to fight. Coyotka had crawled several feet backwards and her jaw hung open in shock as Chris jumped in front of her with his crossbow drawn. His eyes shifted from the elf to James Douglas, who he had sworn to protect with his life, hoping that he would not have to choose between keeping his oath and defending his mistress.

Ladread let out a large puff of air. She sat down on the ground, a bit awkwardly as she had destroyed her seat, and then she poked at the fire to gather the scattered embers back to the center.

“And I got the scales from my father.” She said with a pout.

Coyotka began to stammer an apology, but Ladread’s glance silenced her. As the others moved to their bedrolls the elf gathered up her things.

“Have someone take my watch.” She told Paul. “I need to be alone.”

Before the collie could object, she was gone.

* * * * * * * *

Darry and Nahal were making good time on the much wider and smoother main road as they headed north. The human was light and swift on her feet and seemingly tireless while Darryl, his wings rested, was able to fly up at regular intervals to check to see if the road ahead was clear. Although there was no rush, as he assumed that the rest were a day behind him following the same route, he wanted to get to the rendezvous at the border with Muspelia as soon as possible so that he could relax with Nahal for a day or two before they caught up.

He thought that things were going well between them. Nahal appeared to like his company and she seemed to like to experiment with him in the evenings after they ate whatever they caught along the way. She claimed to be experienced in these matters, but Darryl thought that she was very maiden like in her exploration of his body and what it could do for hers.

Of course, he had never had a real maiden, but she had probably never had a real dragon either, so it really was like it was her first time, he decided.

For her part, Nahal was beginning to feel something for the adolescent dragon. She liked the way that he was eager to do things that she might enjoy, and the pains he took to avoid pressuring her to do anything she did not feel like. When they were done eating and had cleaned up he never made any suggestions, not even as much as a sigh or a hopeful glance cast her way. It was always up to her to make the first move, and until she did, he would just talk.

Darryl talked a lot, actually, mostly about the lands he had seen since leaving his mother’s den and occasionally about dragons in general, but he was also curious to learn more about Nahal. She did not mind talking about her people or they way they lived, never letting on that she was not from the southern hemisphere of Medioterrae as he had assumed. Whenever his questions got too personal though she would deflect them by sliding up beside him and initiating another round of sex.

She did find his body intriguing, having never seen anything larger than a few small snakes and geckos in her village, and never while they engaged in sexual activity; not like the farm animals or the stray dogs and cats that roamed the village. She could imagine the anatomy of a horse-man like the one Darryl said had taken up with a human warrior princess or that of the tiger-lady that the red-haired Douglas slept with easily enough. Even the dog that led them would not be unfamiliar, not after Rory Douglas and Sevade, but this man-sized lizard was new in her experience.

Back in the brothel a number of the girls used to pleasure each other or themselves with tongues or fingers and toys, but Nahal had never indulged. Then, while Rory Douglas tried to work his way through the Kama Sutra in record time and after with Sevade she had been to tired and sore to think of her own pleasure. But since killing the injured assassin and setting out to find her revenge on the other fox she had time to take comfort in little things, the feel of hot food in her belly, of a soft bed that she did not have to share, of clean water on her body when she bathed and of her hands on her skin as she washed herself.

If the young dragon had not come along when he did she may well have started pleasuring herself, with her fingers most likely, because anything that resembled a human or fox cock would bring back too many bad memories. But now she had something novel to experiment with, someone that did look like any of her abusers with a cock so exotic that it appeared nothing like the ones she had grown to hate.

True, she needed Darryl on her side, to lead her to James Douglas and get the boy to trust her long enough to collect his head and get away safely, but why shouldn’t she get a little something in return? Males had been taking advantage of me my whole life, she told herself, it’s about time I took advantage of them.

So, in the evenings, and sometimes in the mornings before they dressed, she played her part as the timid maiden while sampling what the dragon had to offer.

He was good with his hands but limited in what he could do with them by his long, razor-sharp claws. His tongue proved to be clever and long, but too thin for more than foreplay. Even his supple tail could be used to get her going, but it was his cock that she was most interested in.

The morning after they met she began rubbing the tender spot on his abdomen while he was still asleep, and was rewarded by the appearance of that thick, dark blue phallus. It was hard, as he said it always was, even when inside him, and slick with a clear mucus that kept it moist and ready at all times.

“Female dragons don’t believe in foreplay.” He had informed her. “When they want it, they want it right away. Any male that is so old that his cock has dried out and withered is not long for this world.”

That first morning she had stoked its slick surface, running her small fingers over its many bumps and ridges until it trembled. It felt strange in her hand, a hand that had held a thousand pricks: long, short, thick, thin, limp or eager. It was so thick at the base, so thin at the tip, with its little cap that resembled the symbol for the suite of spades on the western playing cards, but it was just as warm and alive as the best of the ones she had held. It had not been long before his rapid breathing told her that he was no longer asleep. He may have awoken, but he pretended not to have, to see what she would do next.

What she did was use her tongue to examine every crack and crevice on that blue dong.

The mucus was slightly sweet, slightly salty, and no better or worse than the lubricant Rory Douglas rubbed on himself before shoving his cock into one of her holes. It had the advantage of being self-renewing though, as more seeped out from the slit in his crotch to replace whatever she licked off of it, so she could explore as long as she wanted without fear of it drying out.

Darryl had stopped pretending to be asleep when she ran the tip of her tongue around the base where it disappeared into the gap between his scales, and he had to grab her head to slow her down when she moved up to see how deep the overhang between the cap and the shaft was. He almost came when she tried to stick her whole tongue down the slit in its tip, but expert fingers sensed his need and denied it by squeezing the tube at the base until he calmed down.

Once he had it under control again she slid on top of him and inserted his cock into her pussy, which for the first time in her life was already wet and ready without any outside stimulation. Having taken it in face-to-face with Darryl the night before she turned away from him before sliding down on it and felt the tip against the thin layer of skin and muscle that separated her vaginal canal from the one that ended at her anus. That felt good, but the ridge along the bottom felt even better as it bumped along her clit and the soft spongy pad of tissues inside her behind it.

She rode him like that the first morning, with her knees on the ground beside his thighs, setting the pace, changing the angle when she wanted more stimulation on the front or the back of her cunt. She went slowly at first but began to speed up after several minutes where she was sure he was biting his tongue to keep from cumming before her. He put his hands on her hips to help guide her when she leaned forward and braced her hands on his legs but had to let go when she began rolling her ass up and down on him faster than he could hold on to it. The best he could do was to lean back on his elbows and watch her perfect little brown ass rock and reel on his cock.

He was relieved when she came, as it allowed him to do the same without shame. The sight of great gobs of white spooge dripping out of her and sliding down his shaft as she continued to rub her clit on his perpetual erection was so erotic that he almost lost control and flipped her over for a second go, but he restrained himself. He had made a promise to himself that he would never be the aggressor and he intended to keep it; at least until she asked him not to.

He allowed her to use his body, especially his cock, as her plaything as they continued north. She ‘discovered’ new ways to tease him and different ways to mount him and once even asked if he could make her cum with just his tongue on her ass. It took a while, but with the help of her fingers inside her twat he was able to pull it off. What he had not expected was to have enjoyed it so much himself, to the point where he shot his load all over her breasts as she squatted on his chest.

“It’s too bad that you don’t have any balls for me to fondle while you do that.” She said after rolling off him. “It would make it more fun for you.”

“I have them, although they are shaped more like eggplants than balls.” He told her. “They never come out, but you can feel them if you press right … about … here.” He guided her hand to a place that dragons kept secret from other species, least they kick them there.

“Ah! I can feel them rolling around! Well, I’ll have to see what I can do with that information tomorrow, after breakfast perhaps?”

“Naked Breakfast?”

“You’re always naked.”

“But I’ll enjoy being so much more if you join me.”

Nahal smiled, and almost giggled, something she had not done since being sold to the brothel. Then she recalled that the last time had been at something her uncle said when unbeknownst to her she was on the way to be sold. She bit her lip when she remembered, and a flash of anger shot across her face before she could suppress it.

Darryl saw it. “Nahal, what’s wrong? Did I say something?”

She shook her head to clear her mind. “No, I was just thinking that your friends will be catching up with us soon, and then you will go away without me.”

“Nahal, you know that if I could, I would join you in your quest, but I swore to help them, and it’s the only way I can get my beloved Parasprite back.” He fell on his back and look up into the darkening sky. “Oh, if only your quest could wait until I can get Tenille and come back to join you.”

“Perhaps it can.”

Darryl sat up. “Oh?”

“My promise is not so time sensitive as yours or that of your friends. If they are willing to accept me, I could join your quest and we can return to Lyonesse together to get your … para ... bug, thingy. Then I can finish my quest.”

“And I could help!”

Nahal lay down beside him and wrapped her thin arms around him. “Yes, you can be a great help.” She said. Especially if I can get James Douglas alone near a portal that will take me back to his uncle’s castle, she added to herself.

Before she could reach for his cock to distract him in case he asked for details of her ‘quest’ they were startled by the birds in the vicinity all taking flight at once, accompanied by their warning cries.

“What the …?” She said looking to where the birds had been before something spooked them.

“There!” Darryl pointed to the sky, which had gone purple as the last of the light died.

She followed his claw, but having found what it was pointing at her mind was having trouble processing what she saw as the darkness made it difficult to judge scale or distance. It looked like a bat but it seemed to be too large. Perhaps it was a great vulture, but none she know of flew with their necks extended or had long thin feathers that resembled a … a tail?

“What is it?”

“Oh, right. You said there were none in the south where you come from. That, Nahal, is a fully mature dragon.”

Now the image in her mind snapped into place and she realized how big and how far up the creature was.

“Is it coming here? Are we in danger?”

“No. She is too high to be hunting, especially in this light. By the look of it she is flying south along the route we took to get here.”

“She? How can you tell?”

“By the tail frets. Males have them top and bottom for quick maneuvering while females have them on the sides for braking, and for slapping overly eager males away.”

“Do you, uh, know her?”

“No, she’s no one that I have met personally, but from her size and the darkness of her scales I think it might be the dragon we’re after, Aldreda. There are no others so black or so big as her in this part of the world.”

“Where do you think she is going?”

“I have no idea.”

The sight of the great dragon upset Nahal and she abandoned thoughts of further sexual activity with Darryl for the night. The next morning, she got up early to hunt rabbits by a nearby pond before Darryl woke. She had a fat one in her sights as the sun began to rise but a sudden change in the light spooked it and she missed her shot. Looking up she saw what had caused it, it was the same dragon from the night before, or so she supposed, headed north-west this time.

When she got back to the campsite, she mentioned it to Darryl, who had also seen it.

“How far can a mature Dragon fly in one night?” She asked him.

“Quite a way.” He answered, rubbing his chin. “Probably to Lyonesse and back, with time to spare.”

“Do you think that she got word of Morholt’s plans and went there to destroy his castle?”

“No. Morholt’s keep is built too strong even for one her size, and she would be exposed to the ballista’s he has mounted on the outer walls.”

Nahal left it at that, but the thought of what the dragon could have up too bothered her all morning and through their quick stop for lunch. The forest on either side of them seemed quiet though, perhaps too quiet. Lichen and moss hung from firs that were laced together by spider webs as tall as Darryl. Some of the webs were hung with lichen, showing how strong they were, and one had the dried body of a pigeon wrapped up in it.

She didn’t see any spiders in those webs, though that just made her more nervous. Where would they be if not in their webs? And how big of a spider would it take to build a web like that? Back home they had something called a Camel Spider that was as large as an adult’s hand, but it had ten legs and did not build webs. It was not venomous either, although it’s bite was quite painful.

Darryl saw her checking out the webs.

“Wood Spiders.” He told her. “About the size of your hand in these parts, but I’ve heard that they can grow much larger in the deep forest west of here. They don’t like the sun so you only find the smaller ones here on the edge of the forest where it was cleared back for the road, but I wouldn’t recommend sleeping without a fire anywhere near the Valley of Spiders.”

“Are they poisonous?”

“Like, to eat? I don’t think so.”

“No, when they bite. Do they have venom?”

“Probably. No one who has ventured into their valley has ever come out to confirm it though.”

Nahal shuddered. Sevade had been afraid of spiders and it seemed that some of that had rubbed off on her.

“We should keep moving.”

“Yes. There is a good campsite right on the border with Muspelia, and although it is just east of the Valley of Spiders it is safe to camp there as the wall surrounding it has depressions to light fires in to keep them away at night.’ He checked the sun. “We’ll be there long before dark. Plenty of time to gather firewood and relax before dark. We can wait for my friends there.”

“How long before they get there?”

Darryl shrugged. “One or two days, tops.”

They reached the crest of a large hill that the road went straight up and over as he finished speaking. From there they could see the road snaking downhill to the river that marked the border with Muspelia and could almost make out the campsite Darryl had referred to. They could also see the tops of the trees of the dense forest west of them.

Before they could descend off the ridgeline and loose sight of the forest tops their attention was drawn back to the west by a thunderous roar. Their heads snapped to the left and Nahal drew her crossbow. Darryl’s wings snapped open as he instinctively prepared to fly for safety.

They did not see the great black dragon emerge from the woods, but they saw her rise up into the sky and they saw the blast of her breath as it made a pillar of fire pointing to the heavens.

“The dragon we saw!” She gasped. “What is it doing?”

“Calling someone … or something.” Darryl answered, slightly puzzled himself as the dragon circled twice before flying off at a leisurely pace. “Dragons do that to call allies to battle, but she’s turning north, back into Muspelia, like there was no battle to be joined. Strange.”

“Do you think she saw us?”

“No. At this distance we would be just a couple of specks against the grey and green background of the trees, even with dragon eyes. She’s not coming this way, in any event.”

Nahal shivered, despite the strong light from the late afternoon sun. “I think we should get to that campsite as soon as possible.”

“Yes.” He agreed, also feeling uneasy with these strange sightings. “Let’s hurry.”

* * * * * * * *

The morning after Ladread had disappeared the group prepared to set about again, not sure if the elf would return to lead them though the forest. But return she did, just before they set out. She led them down a barely discernible path though the thickest brush they had ever encountered.

A mist had come though during the night, and it had condensed on anything cooler than the air. Dead branches and rocks were wet with it, as were a number of orb webs that were turned to glistening diamond necklaces by the dew.

“There seem to be an awful lot of webs.” Gael observed as he used his broadsword to clear away another in their path.

“It’s always like that in the deep forest.” Ladread said, twirling the strands of one around her finger. “No humans or large animals crashing about to disturb them.”

“The strands seem very ... thick.”

“That’s just the dew.”

Chris and Magnus stayed at the back of the pack, until something dropped onto Chris’s neck whereupon he decided that the middle of the group was the safest place. The two arachnophobes were burning up all their energy with nervous twitches and starts while the rest were exhausting themselves cutting through the dense undergrowth and sweeping the increasing number of cobwebs away.

“This one is as thick as my finger!” James exclaimed after cutting though a white cord that dropped from the branches above.

“It’s lichen.” Ladread exclaimed.

“It’s sticky.” James said, trying to pull the strands from his fingers.

“Yes, sticky lichen. Clings to flesh and fur to ... distribute itself.”

“Fascinating! Save me a sample.” Coyotka extolled.

“Let’s stop to rest.” Paul suggested. His arm was aching from hacking through the underbrush with the sword Gael had made for him.

“I agree.” Annie said. She was equally exhausted with trying to use her emerald to command the branches to part for them. “This is an evil place.” She added, convinced that there was a counterforce working against her.

“Relax and clear your mind.” Magnus advised her. “Feel for the soul of the plants and soothe them. Once they trust you, they will do as you command.”

“It would probably be easier to convince them that we mean no harm if we stopped hacking away at them.” She grumbled.

Magnus shrugged. “Probably, but until you learn how to use the emerald properly it is the only way through.”

There was no place to sit and relax at mid-day so they pushed on, eating the food they had prepared that morning for their lunch as they continued to hack through the brush. By the time they found a small clearing it las late afternoon and they were exhausted; the food had done nothing to recharge them.

Ladread alone seemed full of energy. “Here!” She said, brandishing a wine skin none of them had seen her carrying before. “This will help to invigorate you. You’ll feel sleepy at first, like you’ve had a big meal, but afterwards you will be filled with energy.”

She passed it to the dwarf.

“I’ve heard of elf bread that can keep one going for months on a mouthful a day.” Yup observed. “I could use the boost if this liquid is anything like it.” He took a deep swig.

The rest followed suit. Ladread herself did not partake, but then again, she was the only one with enough stamina left to stand. She stowed her wine skin and watched the others as they relaxed visibly.

“That is ... very good.” Gael observed as he tucked himself against Annie, who was already yawning.

“Sweet tasting.” Junafir noted, pulling James’s arms around her. He hugged her lightly and nestled his bearded face into her breast.

Yup, the first to drink and who had perhaps taken the most, was already snoring on his back. Coyotka had Chris’s head in her hands and was looking at him fondly.

“You are such a sweetie.” She said as she looked into his grey-blue eyes. “I might even let you spank me tonight.”

“Really?” Chris asked, wondering why the sky was growing so dim.

“Really.”

Paul had done no more than wet his lips, not because he distrusted Ladread, but because of his military training; one never drank their full ration in one gulp. He was not surprised or concerned with the other’s reactions to what tasted like sweet liqueur on his lips. As tired as they all were, a bit of a nap would do them good. But he did wonder why he was finding it difficult to move his arms and legs.

Through eyes that were growing heavy he saw Ladread moving about, checking on the state of the others. They all looked to be asleep. He wondered if a brew made to revitalize elf warriors might not be too powerful for smaller creatures, but then remembered that Gael was a match in size for her.

His eyes were nothing more than slits when the elf stopped beside him. He could only see her lower legs, but he sensed that she was observing him. He wanted to open his eyes and ask her about the wine but instinct told him to keep still and breathe deeply, as if he had slipped into slumber like the rest.

After a few moments Ladread walked away, to the centre of the clearing where they had stopped to rest. Once there she looked up, and then she began to transform.

Paul was perplexed. Why would Ladread want to change into her elf maiden form now? Maybe she wants to snuggle with me, he thought idly, surprising himself with his lack of focus. It would be nice though, his mind told him as it continued to wander. A warm feeling came over him and he smiled in anticipation.

He continued to watch her through hooded eyes, and it took his foggy mind a while to realize that she was not getting paler and slimmer, as she did when she became the sexy blonde elf girl. Instead, she was growing larger, and darker. Something was growing from her back, and from her butt.

When she was done changing Ladread had become a half-dragon. She was similar in form to Darryl, with a human-like body and limbs but a dragon head, wings and a tail. She was larger though, and more muscular, with black bat-like wings as long as she was tall. Her scales glinted darkly in the patch of sunlight as she crouched and leapt toward the sky.

The big wings snapped open and caught the air, filling before massive shoulder muscles brought them back down, lifting her higher. She flapped furiously as she fought to lift her bulk straight up through the gap in the trees. It was hard work, but each snap of her wings brought her another body length higher until she was clear of the branches and free to fly off in any direction she choose.

But Ladread was not done transforming.

Flapping a little slower to stay in one place her body began to spread and thicken even more. As she grew so did her wings, until they blocked the sun from penetrating the clearing. Her legs became thicker and bent double. Her neck stretched until the head was merely a wider bit on the end of it and her tail lengthened, tapering from a thickness equal to her haunches to a slender tip adorned with flight membranes.

She was as big as a small castle by the time she began to circle above the clearing, and the sun glinted off her jet-black scales, the same type of scales she had worn for armour. A trickle of grey smoke escaped her nostrils as she gazed down on the sleeping forms of her former companions.

Too late, Paul realized the truth of Ladread, who was not an elf at all, but a dragon in disguise. A dragon that he suspected was named Aldreda.

Whatever drug she had given them was intoxicating enough to prevent Paul from moving or calling out, but not from seeing, or from being terrified. He was sure that the great black dragon was going to burn them all where they lay. Then she could fly back to Morholt, transform back into his elf advisor and claim that they had all perished before locating the holy spear he sought. The human warlord might be upset with her for not finishing the quest herself but would be unlikely to punish his favourite curiosity.

After circling near the treetops, however, the dragon shot up into the sky. When it reached a great height it made a fiery roar, sending the flames straight up, like a signal. Then she leveled off and circled twice before she turned north and sped of out of sight.

Draggy gone, his befuddled brain told him as Paul fought to hold on his last shred of reality, but it was slipping away fast. His eyes began to flutter, and he would have happily drifted away except for the chittering and scuffling sound coming from the nearby trees. With the last pinch of free will he turned his eyes that way and saw dozens more shining back at him from the shadows under the trees. The eyes were in groups of eight and appeared to be mounted on fuzzy heads that had hairy pincers instead of lips. Something clear and thick was dripping from them.

They reminded Paul of something, but it was slipping away from his pickled brain. Then one of the creatures made it’s first tentative steps out into the clearing and he saw a big fat body covered in brown fuzz that was held up by what seemed to be altogether too many pairs of legs, and something in his mind clicked.

“Puppies!” he said with a smile just before the darkness overcame him.

Paul Collieman © Collifan

Gael Tholkes © MarcusXLight

Junafir Pawstone © Frostlupus

Chris Cinereo © Kyroo Echos

Yup Thatchwatyahurd © Kyroo Echos

Sevade © Frostlupus

Constance “Coyotka” Jotkowska © Coyotek

Darryl D. Dragon © Major Matt Mason

Ladread © White Tiger Hunting

Aldreda © White Tiger Hunting

Magnus © Thwaitesy