Ogres and Ogresses Ch. 34

He found her curiosity for books endearing, though he refused to teach her how to read without...a horrid favor.

" I plasss...ced, my mouth on yoursss...it is pleasurable...why would you refuse to return the favor?"

"I've no use for the ability Scall. No thank you."

He'd laughed, a rattling sound. "I'll find something you want eventually sssZatannya..."

Despite her best efforts she could not get him to shake that name. She'd given him other names, but she was still a poor liar. He said it suited her more than Bera or Oma.

Scall was a strange man for certain. He was a man of many moods, his attitudes as abundant as his scales. He'd given back her clothes, and provided newer ones, similar to his but always in green. Probably because his own ego wanted her marked, and another because green was easy to spot.

Zyra had tried to escape several more times, getting farther each time, but seemingly stuck in whatever world this was. She'd stolen a manless centaur, and ridden it deep into the mist, but she'd found nothing but land. No people, no landmarks, nothing. Soon she and the creature were quite lost. She'd fallen asleep on it, and with no instruction, the beast had gone home, right back to Scall's stables. They'd found her lying on top of it, the both of them asleep in his stall. Scall had given her that horse in response, telling her she was free to take it for rides for once again there was no escape. When she tried to run he was never mad, merely amused.

The castle was attacked three more times, twice by rebels, once by a real army. The Scall that came for her then was a bloodthirsty monarch, vicious, and cold. The first rebel attack was directly after her first war experience, and she'd refused to go on the field. He had the guards drag her there and left her with no sword. She'd had to take a rebel's and defend herself. Sometimes she wondered if he would intervene if she was in danger. When he was like that, she wasn't sure.

The next time he summoned her for war she did not resist, remembering how traumatizing it had been to beat a man with a rock until she acquired a weapon. She reminded herself that none of this was real, that the men whose blood they were soaked in were only memories and only she was at stake. If she died here, she was actually dead. Those men were dead already. But still, after every battle, she would feel herself hardening, her skills honed for a deadlier swordplay. Her anguish at taking life rising and falling. Her resolve to defeat Creedon only cemented with each fight. She had never seen the Akeerans' brutality, and until now she had never been face to face with unnatural death. These things that seemed in the past would touch her people if Creedon was not defeated.

But being there, covered in the carnage, always unhinged her. She hated playing into Scall's sick game. She hated feeling like he was punishing her. He would always hold her close afterwards, ignoring how she fought, complimenting her on being merciless. She never cried, and she never thanked him.

Seemingly bored with her response, after the second battle he spontaneously offered to give her swordplay lessons. She would have refused, but she was afraid of the time truly passing in the remembral. What if it had been months? She hadn't trained in quite some time, and Scall was in fact a mighty warrior. She accepted, waiting to hear what he would want in exchange. He asked for nothing. At first.

"Your sssstance is clearly invented," he stated frowning. "Your natural ability issss ...sscertainly enough to handle an amateur, but a real opponent would gut you in a ssecond..."

"My shield..."

"I have killed many witchessss in my day...if you wissh to live you never rely ssssolely on magic. Tighten your sssstance, it isss too wide. A sssword isss not a ssspear..."

She obeyed and he adjusted her grip. For an hour he made her hold this position, taking short advancing and retreating hops, back and forth. Then, without a single strike, the lesson was over. Considering it was the least painful lesson she'd ever received, she was happy with it. He proceeded to make her run a good distance, and found her stamina up to par. He made her push her body from the ground 50 times, and complimented her on her strength.

"You are a perfect foundation...this sss isss the perfect time for your instruction. You will grow quickly."

"Thank you for your tutelage." She gave a Rovian symbol of thanks, and turned on her heel.

"Not sssso fassst..."

She turned with dread. "What?"

"There isss the matter of payment..."

"Of course there is. Thanks for my first and last lesson."

" A kissss..." he said softly. "One kissss, one lessson...sssurely that isss a fair prisss...ce?"

She frowned.

"Or you can grow fat and weak like all the other humansss..."

Could she afford to not learn from a master? Her Scallen was helpful but secretive, reserved, always full of riddles and withholding information until he deemed necessary. Scall was open, simple like a child, showing her his every skill and waiting to be praised. She could learn a lot while trying to find her way out. This need not be a useless trip.

"One kiss," she stated.

Wait...this was still Scallen.

"On the lips. The lips of the face only...and of a duration no longer than the count of 3."

He giggled like a child. " Ooh...how sssspecific...my future ssself offered you sssuch a kisss hm?"

She flushed just thinking about it.

"You are a tricky snake. Does this mean you believe me? That I am from the future?"

" You are not from here. Asss for the future, I do not care. You are mine, and if I have grown weak enough to lossse you, I do not dessserve you...enough sstalling. I will honor all termssss sssave the duration. The count will be up to me. Deal?"

She stuck out her hand. "Deal."

He eyed it strangely then grabbed it, yanking her forward. She could feel a rumbling from deep within him. He pressed his lips against hers and she focused on not feeling anything. He drew her closer, deepening the kiss, setting fire to a throbbing between her legs. Scall nipped her bottom lip, begging for entrance and she nearly granted it in a moment of weakness. His hand slid down her back, lower and lower until she angrily shoved him off.

"Enough!"

"Iss it?"

"Yes."

"I can ssmell that it iss not enough," he rasped. "But I digresss...I hope you enjoyed your lessson."

The next lesson, he combined the footwork with two short sword swings intended to block. In addition, he began teaching her how to throw daggers.

The 'correct' way.

She offered in exchange to teach him how to use a bow and arrow but he refused, asking only for his kiss. This kiss was brief, respectful, and left her surprised. He'd given her a peck and sent her on her way. Then, the next time he'd practically assaulted her, dragged her down to the ground and gagged her with his tongue for as long as he could keep her trapped to the floor. When he was finished they could both smell her wetness, and he said nothing, knowing that he didn't need to.

Either way, despite these annoyances, she knew she was getting good. She could tell he was impressed by her growing abilities. On a whim he decided to throw a feast in her honor. She could not recall what she ate much, but knew that she had eaten. She'd wanted to wear her huntress robes but he'd put her in a long tarp dress than cinched at her waist. She argued it was not good to fight in, but he assured her that was what guards were for.

The dining hall was full of people she'd never seen, all basilisks, of so many different shapes and shades. Some with hair, some without. Scall wore a dark green droplet in his ear. She wore a headpiece full of them. As Scall reined in a few more guests, Skein waddled over and to her shock, kissed her hand.

"My lady."

"Uh. Hi Skein. Good to see you. How are the kids?"

"Ex...ssellent. I merely wisshed to congratulate you, and thank you for your sservice. You truly have a way with him. His temper hasss much improved ssince your arrival. I dare ssay the worriess the kingdom hass due to his rassh decisions, have all but dissappeared..."

He had been calmer, hadn't he?

"Thank you. Though I'm pretty sure it's because he has his hands full tormenting me."

" You are a good companion. I misjudged you, I ssee this now."

"Um, what do you—"

"A toassst! To my consssort ssZatannya..."

Skein pushed her to sit in a place of honor and retreated. She tried to ignore the pride she felt when the hall erupted in cheers. Scall strode up to her, in dark green robes with gold trim. He looked down at her fondly.

"Thisss beauty hass defended our wallss like any sssoldier, and hass brought me a kind of pea...sssce I did not foresssee. I have grown fond of her," his eyes lidded, "very fond...and so on thisss, one year sssince our meeting..."

"WHAT?"

"She will sshed the title of conssort..."

"A YEAR?"

"...and become my bride."

Zyra stood up, knocking over a chalice. "It's only been 33 days! I know, it's in my book!"

"My dear, pleassse calm down!"

"No!"

Zyra ran to Scall's bedroom and tore open his drawer to find her book. Scall entered the doorway, his expression grim.

"Look. Thirty marks, thirty days!"

He reached over her and turned the page. Another thirty days. He turned it again. She'd marked another 30 days. He did this twelve times. The marks were in her hand. How could she have been here for a year and not known?

"You're lying!" she shouted. "None of this is real! You're messing with my mind!"

"Do you truly believe you could learn all those ssswordplay lessssons in a month'sss time? Do you believe we were attacked thri...ssce per month? Could your hair grow to it'sss current length in thirty dayss?"

She pushed past him into the wash room and gasped at her reflection. Her hair was down to her breasts. How had she not noticed?

"Scall if you had any hand in this you must tell me. Please."

"Did you even hear my marriage propossal?"

"Scall—"

" I love you ssZataynna."

"I'm not Za—"

He lifted her and hugged her to him, his entire being racked with desperation. " With all my being. I do not mind your madnesss..."

"I'm not mad!"

"For I know you will alwaysss come out of it. Do you not remember the time we ssspent this year? The sssspring at the nymph poolss?

I took you to the Valley for a change of ssscenery. We made love for the firssst time..."

"None of that happened!"

"You told me you'd never felt ssafer, that the people of your village did not care for you, did not resspect you, feared you...I care for you. I respect you. I will care for every inch of you. I know..." He ran his fingers down her sides. "...every inch of you...of the birthmark on your bottom, the ssscarss on your back...I know of that place between your shoulderss that makesss you wilt, and that secret place...the one at the base of your sssspine..."

Zyra shook her head. "None of this is real."

"Remember me beloved..."

"None of this is real!"

"Pleassse..."

Images flooded her mind, of her and Scall running through the nymph forest. Of him demanding a kiss and it turning into more, her body never feeling so alive. She saw him bandaging a cut on her hand when a training session had gone awry, and holding her as she cried about her fate as a keromedio.

She looked at her hand, and saw a thin scar.

More images. She saw him whisper forbidden things between her thighs, felt the warmth of his hand, digging her fingers into his flesh, and the feel of his fingers digging into hers. The battlefield where she had stood between him and beheading a Queen, and had fought him for the woman's life. He'd thrown her on the bed and fucked her roughly that night, then began sobbing pitifully for her forgiveness. He begged her to never leave him. Why would she? When she was so unconditionally accepted for who she was? So fully loved?

"I am a monssster ssZatannya," he said. "But with you I can be ssso much more. I cannot breathe without you. My every action from thisss day will be devoted to your happinesss...I will never leave you."

"The witches will come for me."

"Then I will come for them. It doess not matter that you are the keromedio. I will never abandon you. I will never forsssake you. I love you. Tell me, pleasse...Look insside, what doess your heart ssay? Am I not everything that you want?"

Zyra...

Zara...

Za...

Zatannya looked up at Scallen, and kissed him with all her might. She pulled back, her green eyes twinkling.

"Yes. My heart says yes. I love you Scallen."

"Will you marry me?"

"Yes. Yes, I will."

Scallen placed Zatannya on the bed and ripped her dress down the middle.

*****

*Notes*

Oh snap! Scall got me feeling some type a way.

Then again, he is just Scallen. Or is he?

O.O

(No, he's just younger Scallen.)

Tell me what you think with the last wishes of 2016 ^_^

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Stubborn Dreamer

P.S.

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