Fantastic World Ch. 12

A cry escaped her lips followed by another as she felt him swell inside her, his overwhelming size stretching her even more. Beads of sweat broke out on his brow and he hissed loudly. He tossed her like a rag doll to the platform and covered her fully. His clawed hands sank into her hair, pulling her back upon his cock. His hips slammed against hers as he tore into her. Callia screamed at the sharp pulsing ache as his cock barreled into her quivering depths.

Relinquishing the grip he had on her hair, one hand skimmed down her spine to her hips while the other trailed down and around to find her swollen clit. He stroked it while ravaging her pussy with glorious deep, penetrating strokes of his cock.

Shimmering sparkles of light began to encircle him, pulsing and glowing as the passion between them rose higher and higher into something new. He surged over her and turned her head, bestowing upon her a blazing kiss. Unleashing a fierce cry that echoed through the heavens, he opened himself to her completely, releasing everything he had been holding back. Ethilathain surrendered his heart, his strength, his love, his very being to her.

Both of them cried out at the sheer beauty of the moment. He turned her in his arms, holding onto her as if she was his only lifeline. It seemed like an eternity had passed before their breathing slowed, before they came down from their mutual high. Callia gazed into his eyes and gasped.

His eyes! They had... changed. A fourth color had joined the other three. Crimson now accompanied the azure, cerulean and golden rings that made up his irises. He smiled and snuggled up to her, whispering something to her in his language that she did not understand.

She felt almost weightless and ethereal as she noticed her body beginning to change. Glimmers of crimson light encapsulated her, engulfed her until all she could see was crimson mist. She cried out, yet it was not her voice she heard. A roar pierced the air around her.

What is happening to me? Ethi! Ethi?, she called out.

Come with me, my beauty. Soar upon wings with me and experience what it is to be DRAGON!

Callia looked down at herself. Her body had changed. She looked in amazement at Ethilathain who stood beside her in his full draconic form. She let out a roar and flapped her enormous wings, taking off into glorious flight.

Ethilathain followed close behind her, nipping at her flanks ever so often. They soared through the clouds, entwining with each other to share a close intimate moment. After what seemed like an eternity in the sky, he nudged her back to their mountaintop retreat.

I shall call you Ethani and you will be my forever love, his voice boomed in her head. Callia responded in kind, flipping up her tail in dynamic invitation. She wanted to know what it felt like to experience him in all his glory.

Please, take me to the highest heights possible, she pleaded. She shuddered as he mounted her, penetrating her as he had during the blending. His teeth sank into her as he took her to the highest heights of incredible passion. The mountain peak trembled beneath their exertions. Their mutual roars mingled with the storm building over them. It had seemed that they were creating the life refreshing rains that now drenched peaks around them.

And when they were through, Ethilathain wrapped himself around her and held her close, "Sleep, my sweet Ethani, sleep and know that I will keep you safe from harm."

O.O

The watcher scoffed, "Safe!? Delude yourself that you can keep her safe from me and I shall catch her in my web once again!"

The watcher cackled out a laugh so evil that everything nearby recoiled instantly.

O.O

Callia awoke within Ethilathain's mighty embrace. He was still in his natural form while she had returned to hers. She sighed and ran her hand over the scales on his underbelly, noting the crimson striations that new accompanied the deeper shades of charcoal and midnight blue. He purred and immediately transformed into the elven form she knew so well. "Are you well, Ethani?" he asked, winking at her.

"Never better, my love," she replied and snuggled into his warm flesh.

He nodded his head at her and embraced her fully. "You are truly a wonder I had not thought to meet. I thought the rest of my days would be wasted away in that prison of brilliance. I thank the havens for you and know how fortunate I am to have you. You are my greatest treasure."

"I feared I would never see you again," Callia whispered as she wrapped herself around him fully.

He accepted her and eased himself into her silky channel. It had not occurred to him until that moment that loving her came as natural to him as breathing. It had not been so with Myanth, Ashaedrianna, or Sapphyria, any of his three former mates. He sank into her, sealing his mouth to hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck, spearing fingers into his hair to hold him to her.

With one quick flick of his hips, he pushed himself into her all the way to the hilt. He met little resistance as he began to increase the speed and depth of his thrusts. Deep and slow, then shallow and swift, he changed his movements as his hands gripped her hips. All Callia could do was scream in pleasure.

Then one of his hands slipped to her clit to stroke it. He noticed the feel of her hips pushing back into him as she begged for release, begged for more. Ethilathain's own groans joined in with those of Callia's as he teased her swollen clit. He could feel his balls tighten even more and knew his own orgasm was close at hand. Yet he had to make her cum once more before he allowed himself his own release. He knew hers would bring his.

Ethilathain grabbed the edge of the platform for better leverage and raised himself. He gripped her hip with one hand, spreading her wider to accommodate his harder thrusts, almost brutal in their intensity. Harder and harder, Ethilathain thrust as deep as he could, grazing her sweet spot over and over again. It was too much for Callia to withstand. With a scream, she came to a body-shaking, heart-stopping, earth-shattering climax. The spasms within her cum slicked pussy set off Ethilathain's own orgasm and he let out a mighty groan. He pounded into her as pump after pump of his seed poured out into her. With one final grunt, he slipped himself out of her and gasped for air.

He rolled to his back, his heart still pounding in his chest. Callia slumped to the covers beneath her, groaning as her body shook. Moments passed while they recovered their breaths.

Knowing how sensitive he was after sex, Callia chuckled and moved her hand to his cock, sticky from both of their juices. Ethilathain whimpered and groaned, "Ethani..."

Moving down his body, she licked around the head of his semi-flaccid cock before dropping to lick along the length, cleaning up some of their spent juices. He pulled her back up and pinned her back on the bed, moving his mouth to her parted lips, planting upon her passionate kiss. She wrapped her arms around him, relishing in the glow of their spent passions. With a blissful sigh, he laid his head against her ample chest, his tongue flicking at her hardened nipple, while his hand roamed over her lithe body.

"I love you, my sweetness," he murmured before closing his eyes and slipping into a peaceful sleep. Callia chuckled and joined him, knowing full well they needed the rest. For she knew their passions for each other would reignite once they awoke.

O.O

With the blending complete, the two lovers spent several more days at the mountaintop paradise, further deepening their emotional connection to one another, before he flew her back to the tower and her quest for all the keys to the treasure vault.

Though she enjoyed her time spent indulging in carnal bliss with him, she knew how important it was to gather all the keys and make it to the subterranean vault where the treasure was hidden. The ever constant threat of Tathlyn's survival lingered in her mind. A part of her mourned the loss of Jaz'rin. She had yet to confide in Ethilathain all that had happened during the time she was missing and he had not pressed her for details. She knew she would have to tell him the truth. He deserved to know.

She entered the bed chamber they had shared and gathered her belongings. She clothed her body in a silken bodysuit before donning her elven made chainmail and strapping her large mercurial greatsword onto her back. Next she pulled on her haversack, checking its contents for anything that might be missing. She did not notice anything that might be out of the ordinary. Opening the secret compartment inside the haversack, she pulled out the two keys she had already gathered. A sigh of relief escaped her lips. They were safe!

She threw a glance at Ethilathain who had been watching her closely. His now quad-colored eyes followed her every move. She smiled and winked at him, throwing a kiss in his direction, "Shall we return to the portrait level and see to entering the final one?"

"That would be a good idea, my sweet, but first were you aware I took the initiative of returning Meridia and her friends to the Azure Forest? I made sure that she and her tree found a safe spot while you were missing." Ethilathain remarked, his voice almost accusing.

Callia's brow furrowed. "There is so much I want to tell you, but it is difficult." A chill raced down her spine. Something still did not feel right. He cocked an eyebrow at her and sighed heavily. She knew he was waiting for an explanation.

"Talk to me, my sweet," he pleaded with her as he sank down on his knees before her and rested his head against her belly.

"I went for a walk to think about the blending you had told me about. I knew I had a decision to make so I figured some fresh air might help. Jaz'rin followed me. He attacked me and then he.... he changed form into someone else. It made me wonder if it hadn't been Jaz'rin all along. Next thing I knew I was being assaulted by some kind of vile life sucking magic. After that, I awoke in a dark room and I was surrounded by a web. Not so much a cocoon, but like a webbed swing. I was naked and bound within it.

"Jaz'rin was in one as well. It seems that Amakiir had captured us with Tathlyn's help. Tathlyn tortured Jaz'rin to death and Amakiir made me watch as he disintegrated what was left of Jaz'rin's remains. He let me loose out of the web and took me to a room to bathe. He made the mistake of allowing me to come to close because I was able to overpower him and kill him with my bare hands. At least I hope I did. I keep getting this bad feeling that something isn't right. I have yet to see Tathlyn ever since before she killed Jaz'rin. I don't know what will happen."

"I will protect you, sweetling." Ethilathain consoled her. "You are mine and I protect what is mine."

Callia nodded, desperately wanting to believe him. So much was at stake. She had to finish this quest in order to find a way home. She wandered if that was now possible without Jaz'rin to guide her. He had known so much about this realm. Now what would she do? She turned her sparkling blue gaze upon Ethilathain. She stared at him for several moments, wandering how much he knew about this realm he had called home from so many millennia. She assumed his knowledge would be more ancient than current.

He looked at her curiously. "What troubles you, my sweet?"

"I do not know how I am going to get home once I have succeeded in my quest here. Jaz'rin knew much more about this place. I had figured to follow his lead. He said something about having to go to Azure City, but he never said why."

"Do you not think I would be of help?" Ethilathain asked, accusingly.

"I did not know if you could be of help to me. I am from a whole different realm. It is not simply someplace you can fly me to. You have been trapped here for a long time and in that time, things are bound to have changed," she heatedly explained.

"The Mage Wars had not even begun when I was imprisoned here, so I have been out of circulation for a long time, but that doesn't mean I am supremely ignorant of where portals and the like were once located. You may even find one in this ruin. There is much you have not explored."

Callia sighed, shaking her head. Damn arrogant dragons, she muttered to herself.

"I heard that, my stubborn little blossom," he cracked a smile and held his hand out to her. "Let us continue your quest. Let us see what the final challenge may be."

Callia nodded and left the bedchamber behind. She remained ever watchful and cautious as she could feel the lurking danger in this wretched place. Climbing the circular stair, she scanned the room, keeping an eye out for trouble. She passed by the blank portrait frame with the depressions for the three keys on her way to the final painting. She viewed it curiously, her eyes flicking over the scene depicted within the heavily gilded frame.

An odd vertical network of parallel chutes and tunnels with chambers that could only be described as having been blasted into being filled the canvas of which she studied. Her brow furrowed as her eyes flicked over it. She found it supremely odd as she perused the picture thoroughly that she hadn't heard the phrase in her head that would allow her entrance. She skimmed her fingers over the image and concentrated on it. This one had stumped her. She glanced over at Ethilathain, noting how his eyes were closed. Hmm, what was going on? She tapped her foot, not sure what to do now.

She studied the portrayed landscape. It looked like it had to be underground. Yet it puzzled her as to what could be the guardian. She had never encountered anything like this before. She frowned and nudged Ethilathain, who opened his eyes and nearly glared at her.

She responded with a glare of her own. "Do you have any idea what this one is supposed to represent? Yours was easy to decipher as was Meridia's. I'm not getting any feelings from this one."

He winked at her and embraced her, "The Eye of the Beholder beckons thee," he whispered.

She felt a sharp pull and ended up crouching upon a narrow ledge. Callia groaned at the euphoria buzzing in her head. She glanced around, noticing Ethilathain on an adjacent ledge. She frowned and dug into her haversack for her length of rope and her grappling hook. She quickly and securely tied the rope to the hook and tossed it at Ethilathain. "Catch!" Callia called out.

He caught it and raised an eyebrow at her. "Now what?" he asked, looking up.

Callia sighed in exasperation. "We need to scale these chutes to find the guardian's lair. If it is indeed a Beholder, then we must be very careful. I have never encountered one before, but I have friends who have told me about them."

"I have some knowledge of them. I shall tell you what I know. Come to me, my sweet." Ethilathain secured the rope around his body and pulled it taut.

"No, you must find somewhere up there to attach it to so I can climb up," she replied, shaking her head.

Ethilathain immediately changed forms, not into his full sized natural form, but the one who had so lovingly took her through the blending. He flapped his wings and took flight, soaring upwards until Callia lost sight of him in the pitch darkness. When he landed upon the topmost ledge, he wound the grappling hook and rope around a large splintered boulder jutted from the rock walls, securing it tightly.

"All is secure, my sweet." Callia smiled as she heard his voice in her head. She wound her end of the rope around her waist and began to climb upwards, using the rock face to aid her ascent. She knew the heights she must ascend were great and knew that one slip could spell disaster, but she couldn't allow herself to think of that. She had to make her way up to Ethilathain. She would need him more now than ever before. She recalled the stories her good friend, Onis, had told her of the Beholder he had faced once as he and a few friends had delved the depths of the treacherous Anderpeak to find a diamond big enough to perform a true resurrection on their friend, Lorna. She didn't possess Onis's magical prowess and prayed to the Elven gods that her warrior skills were good enough for her to claim the key from the guardian. If it was a fight that this Beholder was looking for, she would not back down from it. She would not be defeated in her quest for the treasure.

Higher and higher up the chasm she climbed until she reached the ledge that Ethilathain stood on. He had reverted back to his alternate elven form and embraced her tightly in his strong arms. Callia looked around and noted only one tunnel. She motioned for them to head down it and cautioned extreme carefulness.

"My sweetness, I have dealt with Beholders before. A long time ago one tried to invade my lair and steal my horde. The battle was fierce. They possess a bulbous body with a central, unblinking eye and a large maw filled with razor like teeth. They also have smaller eyes, all attached to wiggling eye stalks, that sprout from the top of their body. The smaller eyes can shoot rays with disastrous results. Paralyzation, petrification, disintegration, and even death are just a few abilities these eye stalks can produce. And the central eye is powerful enough to suppress all magic, even my breath weapon, but while the central eye is open it can not use its eye stalks."

"Lovely. So how can we defeat it?" Callia asked as she walked side by side with Ethilathain.

"And did I mention they can fly?"

"No you hadn't. So how can we defeat it? And furthermore, are they intelligent? Can they be reasoned with? Or bribed?" Callia reiterated.

"Beholders are known to be highly intelligent, deviously cunning, aggressive, and extremely hateful of all creatures not like themselves. They have been known to attack without provocation." Ethilathain explained to her.

"And how did you defeat the one who tried to steal your horde?"

"With Myanth's help. The beholder was not aware that two dragons inhabited my lair. It turned its antimagic ray upon me, thinking to stop me from scorching it, but failed to realize that my mate had disguised herself amongst the piles of golden coins. She roasted the foul abomination and once its central eye was closed, I joined her in the firestorm. She was protecting her home and the offspring she had just brought into being. At the time, we had two hatchlings."

"Well I am not likely able to disguise myself amongst a horde of loot and incinerate the thing so I'll have to come up with something else. I don't know whether brute strength will win the day or not, but I have to try. I can not fail in this task, not after everything that has happened. Jaz'rin's death will not be in vain."

Ethilathain nodded. He knew the death of her companion weighed heavily on her mind. He had tried to distract her from those thoughts in any way he could in order that she not sink into a pit of despair. "Shall we venture forth to beard the beast in its den of iniquity?" He offered his hand and led her along the uneven tunnel.

There were sections where they had to stoop down in order to pass through and others where they were forced to crawling. Up and down they climbed, following the unnatural passageway. Callia stumbled over a rock that jutted upwards sharply and fell to her hands and knees. She hissed upon impact and felt the rock below her tremble as it gave way. "Trap!" she managed to cry out before the floor below opened and she fell through, sliding down a narrow chute. Sparks flew as her armor impacted the rocky sides. She landed in a heap in a large circular chamber, full of treasure.

She cried out in pain from the fall and quickly rolled out of the way of a scything blade flying down to split her in two. "Ethi!" she screamed out, her voice echoing.