Sarlene's Touch Ch. 30

Calleslyn awoke suddenly. She felt refreshed, invigorated, as if she had just had a long nap and was ready to face the new day. And yet... she was sitting on a small, backless armchair, bound to it by her wrists, and with her ankles also tied together. There was a man sitting across from her.

"Welcome back," said the man, "it would seem I owe you an apology."

"You attacked me!" snapped the elf, as her memory returned.

"In fairness, you had just attacked my fighting companion. What was I supposed to infer?" His voice was calm, sounding reasonable, and almost affronted by the accusation.

"And now you've kidnapped me."

"That was a necessary precaution. I did not know how you would react when you woke. I have not treated you badly."

Glancing around to gain her bearings, Calleslyn had to admit that things could have been worse. She was not in a dungeon, or anything of that kind, although neither was she in the house where she had first encountered the pair. Instead, she was in what appeared to be a tent, a large and luxurious one of red and gold cloth, with soft cushions and mats upon the ground. The chair she was sitting in was padded, and would have been comfortable had she not been bound to it... with, she now noticed, white cords of silk that were tied firmly, but not overly tight.

There were two other people in the tent with her. Imrilda stood beside the man, dressed again in the strange mail armour that showed off most of her body, her hand hovering above her sword. She looked more worried than anything else.

The man himself was unusual and striking. He was tall, a little over six feet, and dressed in a long robe of pale blue and white, decorated with abstract designs reminiscent of no culture she was familiar with. It was a large world, of course, but still... The man had long hair of such a pale blond that it was almost white, and which seemed to have a slight silvery lustre to it. His skin was pale, and his limbs long and slender, but it was his eyes that really caught her attention. They were pale blue, paler than any she had seen before, the colour of ice crystals, and they bored into her as if looking at her soul.

Calleslyn was acutely aware that she was still dressed only in her underwear.

"If I take it that you will not attack me, Imrilda will untie you now," the man said. "We mean you no harm."

Imrilda looked less than certain about that, but she stepped forward, looking between Calleslyn and the stranger. Calleslyn slumped in the chair, and nodded reluctantly. Attacking them both now, when they were alert, was unlikely to achieve anything, and at least this way she would be free. The man nodded to Imrilda, and the warrior woman stooped down to undo the silken cords, still looking wary as she stood back, her hand moving back to the hilt of her sword.

"You say you owe me an apology," she said angrily, standing up to face the pair. "I think you owe me rather more than that. You are Ornejirhs, I take it?"

"I am," said the man, still watching her calmly, "I believe there has been something of a misunderstanding."

"She," Calleslyn pointed at Imrilda, "tried to drug me."

"A case of mistaken identity. I think, perhaps, I should explain."

"You can start with who and what you are."

"I am a magician, just like you. I met my fighting companion here in the lands you refer to as the South. She is a Shield Daughter, a skilled warrior, and trained in what we might call arts of distraction."

"I asked about you," said the elf, jabbing a finger towards the still seated magician, "your name isn't southern, your taste in art doesn't look southern, and you certainly don't look to be from the same part of the world as she does. I can believe she is what you say she is, but you are being very cagey about yourself."

"I am from the south," said the man, still looking calm, "geographically speaking, at least. My homeland is rather further south than Imrilda's, that is all."

"I do know a little geography," Calleslyn pointed out, "and there isn't anything south of the southern lands. Just tundra and ice."

"Well, that is true," conceded Ornejirhs, "but there is rather a lot of tundra and ice."

"I'm still waiting for a clear answer." There was much more she wanted to ask as well, such as what he was doing in the city, and who they had – supposedly – mistaken her for. But getting the man to confess his origins would at least be a good start.

"I'm..." for the first time, he hesitated, a worried look crossing his flawless alabaster features. "Yes, I suppose I do owe this much, under the circumstances. Very well, then... I am not human."

"What?" She hadn't expected that. His features were unusual, certainly, but not so much as to give her any hint about what he had just said. Which meant that it had to be a disguise for his true form...

"I am a dragon," said Ornejirhs, "I have the power to take human form when I wish it, and generally find it to be quite convenient."

Calleslyn was so stunned by that revelation that she found herself sitting back on the chair, staring at the man in amazement. It actually made sense, now that he said it. The unusual name, the skill at magic, the oddly abstract designs that he favoured... even his preference for living in luxury, surrounded by what might well be called treasure. Not many dragons were said to be able to take on human form, but neither was it something entirely new to her.

"I hope I do not need to transform to convince you," he continued, "that would be rather awkward at the moment. Suffice it to say that when I claim to be a hunter of demons, that also, is entirely true. There are many of my kind that spend their days gathering hordes, or that seek to dominate the lands around them, but I am not one such."

"Silver..." said Calleslyn, finding her voice again, "you're a silver dragon, aren't you?"

"Yes, I am," replied Ornejirhs, giving a slight tip of his head, "and if you have heard of my kind, you have also heard, I hope, that we are an honourable breed. My choice of lifestyle is unusual for a dragon, perhaps, but it has its merits. Demons are as much a concern of ours as they are for the humanoid races. Which is why I have dedicated my life to defeating them, and why I have arrived in this city."

"Well," he added, "we are now outside the city, as you may have guessed, but we are close by, and I assure you that you may return at any time."

If he was telling the truth – and that was seeming increasingly likely – did that mean he knew of the demonic threat she and her companions had uncovered? If he was here to fight it, that would be good news indeed. But it still didn't explain why Imrilda had tried to drug her.

"My companion tells me," he continued, "that you wanted to see me because of a matter concerning a demon. May I ask what that was?"

"Once you have answered my questions, perhaps," she shot back, "you have said you a dragon. Very well, I believe you. But why are you here? What interest does Haredil hold for a demon hunter?"

"The answer to that is simple: I am pursuing a demon. He – or more accurately 'it' – is named Sashjant, and he entered our world in a place much further away from here than even my homeland. The other side of the equator, in fact – a land in the northern hemisphere. He is a corrupt being, as all infernal creatures are, yet very wily, and a master of illusion and mental powers."

"Indeed, I have been having difficulty locating him here. He is, I believe, aware of my presence, and his powers now alert him whenever I get close; a fact that, I confess, is most frustrating to me. That he has not left, however, may be significant, for normally he does not remain in one place for long, and I cannot imagine he would do so without good reason once aware that one such as I were so close to him."

"In short, I believe there may be something that keeps him here specifically. Which is why I am most intrigued by your claim that you have met a demon recently, and why I must once again apologise for the manner of our greeting. I understand why that might have made it difficult for you to trust us. None the less, it is Sashjant we seek, not you, although naturally any demonic threat is of interest to us."

"And, yes," he went on, seeing her expression, "I see I must return once again to the source of our mistake. You see, Sashjant travels around with what we might loosely call a 'harem'. He has a number of young, female human followers, all comely in appearance, who do his bidding. He controls them, using his powers, and they work as his eyes and ears, his merchants and artisans, warriors and concubines."

"Forgive me for saying this, but the reality is you are a very attractive woman, Calleslyn, a fact that made my companion wary. She believed you might be a servant of our foe, and sought to detain you until I could arrive and be sure you were not a trap, or a spy. I know now that is not true, for my own senses can discern no taint upon you."

"I will say, in our defence, that my companion did not actually drug you, although she had prepared for that possibility, should it prove necessary."

"No," admitted Calleslyn, "that wasn't quite how she detained me." She glanced across at Imrilda, noting that the woman was blushing, and carefully nor looking at either of them.

"Yes," said Ornejirhs, smiling amiably, "I understand that a dance was involved. She can be distracting when she wishes."

"You could call it a dance, I suppose," said Calleslyn, now fixing her gaze on Imrilda. The warrior was turning a brighter red, and seemingly entranced by some object in the corner of the tent.

"Oh?" said the dragon, looking genuinely curious, "what else might one call it? Imrilda?" He looked up at the blonde for an answer, but she was avoiding him, hands fidgeting behind her back.

"Let's just say it went a little further than a regular dance," replied the elf.

"It doesn't matter!" snapped Imrilda, speaking at last, and turning back to Ornejirhs, "I thought I needed to detain her, so I came up with a ruse. The details don't really matter. It was nothing."

Calleslyn frowned. She still had not fully forgiven the human woman, and the way she was speaking now only added to her irritation. She decided that a bit more truth was called for, to put the warrior in her place.

"So you were faking it?" she asked, "I congratulate you on how far you were prepared to go. You certainly seemed to be enjoying it when we were both naked together."

"It wasn't like that!" Imrilda cried, flushing redder still, "really it wasn't, Ornejirhs - don't listen to her. It was just a ruse."

"This sounds most interesting," replied the dragon, "do continue, Calleslyn."

The elven magician decided to twist the knife just a little further. "I can't speak to Imrilda's motives, but I really doubt she could have faked getting that damp when I was fingering her. Isn't that right, Imrilda?"

The blonde warrior glared back at her. "Why... I... I..."

"If it's any consolation, if that was really your first time, you were doing pretty well when you had your tongue between my legs."

Imrilda gasped. "It's not true! I didn't! Ornejirhs – you can't believe her!"

"I confess ," said the dragon, "that if what she says is true, it does reveal a side to you of which I was not previously aware." The warrior spluttered, apparently unable to find a good response to the remark, but Ornejirhs calmly continued. "On the other hand, it does not seem entirely at odds with your modus operandi."

"What do you mean?" asked Imrilda, now looking a little worried.

"You are a Shield Daughter, belonging to a group of female warriors that use revealing magical armour to distract their male foes. It is natural to assume that that is an advantage you would use for other purposes, and, indeed, I have observed it to be so. Consider the young ranger that you convinced to help us a few months ago, as we crossed the wilds to get here. It was evident to me not only that you flirted with him, but that the pair of you had sexual intercourse. I should add that I was grateful for his assistance, and was glad that you had persuaded him to provide it, no matter what means you chose to employ."

"Moreover, while I have not seen the purpose in mentioning this to you before, there have been occasions on which I have overheard you engaged in sexual acts with others, and always to good purpose so far as it concerns me. And on those occasions, I had observed that you certainly gave every audible indication of your personal satisfaction, for which I was also happy."

"I trust you do not mind that I speak so openly of this matter now, but the issue has been raised, and I sense that you are somewhat disturbed by it."

Calleslyn struggled to suppress a smile at Ornejihrs' polite speech, and the faintly bemused tone that had crept into his voice. It certainly supported his claim that he was not as human as he appeared.

Imrilda struggled for words again, but eventually found her voice. "You're not upset?"

The dragon frowned. "No, why should I be?" Then realisation appeared to dawn, "ah – I see it now. Of course, your species is generally monogamous, or at least professes that it be so. You are concerned that I might feel jealousy towards your partners. I should explain," he added, turning back to Calleslyn, "that Imrilda is not merely a sword-hand to protect me when I am in human form, but that she and I have enjoyed the delights of each other's bodies on more than one occasion – an act which we both find most stimulating."

"But you need not be afraid, my friend," he said to the warrior, "for my species is not monogamous, as yours is. We form no lasting partnerships, for such is not our way. The idea that you should remain faithful to me alone is not one I have ever entertained. Especially when, judging by the cries I have heard you utter, you find great joy in the act. Why should I not be happy that you are also happy?"

"It seems," he went on, a little ruefully, "that this is a conversation we should have had some time ago, for you may have been labouring under an unpleasant misapprehension, even a sense of guilt, for which you had no good reason. But, for now, I am curious – is what our new friend says the truth?"

Imrilda sighed, and reluctantly nodded. "I didn't think you..."

"Pay it no mind. And you reached sexual climax with this woman?"

"Yes, dammit," muttered the warrior, blushing again, "she made me come, all right?"

"And you her, by her account. But that both of you are female... this is, as I say, something new to me. I was not aware of such a practice, for it is unknown among my kind."

"It's an elven thing," said Calleslyn, amused at the way the conversation had turned.

"That may explain its rarity. It is even so, a concept I find most intriguing. Over the years that I have adopted this form and spent time with Imrilda, I have attained a considerable appreciation of the female humanoid form." He reached out a slender hand, casualty stroking his companion's bare flank above her belt. "Imrilda," he said, meeting her gaze, "despite my earlier statements, I have never yet had relations with a woman other than you. You are not of my kind, yet I have learned to find your body most enticing, and to take great pleasure in it. When I embrace you, and penetrate you, my every motion and thought are sincere."

"I know," replied the human woman softly, taking his hand in hers.

Calleslyn cleared her throat. "Perhaps I should leave at this point?"

"You are free to do so, of course, yet that was not what I had in mind. If we are to cement a new friendship, a new understanding between my companion and myself, what better way to do so than we three together? If you are amenable, Calleslyn, I would be most interested to see this new practice of which you have spoken, and to take my part as well."

The suggestion caught Calleslyn entirely by surprise, especially given the dragon's continued polite and reasonable tone of voice. Perhaps she had been speaking entirely too freely, and giving the wrong impression?

But it was the warrior who spoke first. "You want to watch us?" she asked, eyes wide with shock. "I can't imagine Calleslyn would be interested in such a thing!"

It was Imrilda choosing to speak on her behalf that settled the matter for the elven woman. She strode up to where the pair were standing, and, with a swift movement, pulled the human's upper garment up around her shoulders, letting her ample breasts swing free. She massaged one with her hand, watching the expression on the woman's shocked face.

"We started like this," she told Orenjirhs, "your girlfriend has magnificent breasts."

"As I have observed," admitted the dragon, leaning forward to tweak the nipple of the other breast between his fingers. Then he bent his head, and poked out a remarkably long tongue, replacing his fingers with its moist tip.

Calleslyn moved down, planting kisses across the soft mound, rubbing the hardening nipple inside her own mouth, moving a hand down towards the woman's crotch. Imrilda let out a strangled gasp, and almost fell away from them, and quickly laid herself down on the floor, removing her sword belt and top. Calleslyn moved down on top of her, her mouth eagerly finding the breast once again, as Ornejirhs climbed out of his chair and lay down on Imrilda's other side.

The warrior woman panted and mewled, arching her back as the pair of them feasted on her breasts. There was no doubting Ornejirh's enthusiasm, Calleslyn reflected, as their hands met across Imrilda's belly, fingers briefly entwining before Calleslyn's hand darted lower, towards the woman's lower garments.

Soon she had pulled them down, exposing Imrilda's thick blonde bush. The dragon watched in interest as she stroked it, dipping a finger down to run across the damp pussy lips, presenting the moisture for his inspection.

"Ornejirhs..." breathed Imrilda, her shapely buttocks squirming against the blanket that they lay on.

The man got up onto his knees, and began to remove his robes, as Calleslyn began to move her fingers deeper, pressing them between the swollen folds, and planting a kiss on the other woman's navel.

Ornejirhs was naked now, kneeling beside his companion's head. His body was almost devoid of hair, an expanse of smooth milky skin, with nipples scarcely darker, and well defined muscles. His cock was fully erect, a short fuzz of golden-white hair adorning its base. Calleslyn reflected that it must have been a full eight inches long, larger than anything she had seen on an elven man. Imrilda was stroking it gently along the length, teasing back the foreskin as the man sighed in contentment.

Calleslyn bent down, her long golden hair draped across the other woman's belly and thighs, and pressed her lips to Imrilda's pussy. Her tongue darted inside, tasting the human's evident excitement, sucking gently on her clit. The warrior cried out, pressing her face against Ornejirh's thigh as she did so.

"Not faking anything now, are we?" asked the elf, releasing the damp pussy to sit back on her knees. Imrilda shook her head dumbly, and the dragon smiled, before turning his piercing blue eyes onto Calleslyn.

She slowly raised the hem of her shift, moving it up inch by inch until she could pull it over her head, and then slid her panties down her thighs. Ornejirhs watched every movement, eyes drinking in every curve of her body, cock still throbbing in Imrilda's hand.

"Most satisfying," he said, still watching her.

Calleslyn decided to give the human woman something other than the dragon's cock to focus on, and moved up to sit on the other side of her head, legs slightly apart. She pressed one hand against the warrior's cheek, turning the woman's face towards her own body. Imrilda got the hint, and released the man, rolling over onto her front, knocking the chair beside them over in the process, but not taking any heed of it.