Δράκος: Νερό Pt. 02

"Yes, yes, go ahead and make her something, as well."

She continued to watch him, leery, but not particularly so, after all, he had given her water and was making a meal for her. They watched each other this way for while. Finally, he spoke.

"I can't help but wonder what a girl like you is doin' in the woods," he rumbled, but she noted his voice didn't reverberate the room. She immediately chastised herself; of course it didn't; only Jareth's voice did that. "And naked at that...." He added, after a moment.

She hadn't considered the implications of what was happening here, she had always been naked when she was with Jareth, for they morphed so often it was silly to try and dress – their clothes would be ruined so quickly that way. She was glad, at least, that he didn't seem to realize who she was.

"Yes, sir," she chose her words carefully, "I was on a morning ride and was thrown from my horse. Thieves attacked me and took my clothes and parcels, leaving me completely stranded.

She was so obviously naïve, thieves would never take a woman's clothes without raping her in the process, but what had happened to her mattered very little to the man.

"I see. Well, we shall fetch you some clothes immediately. You really must stay here for now, though, because there are several men in the village who may not be as kind as I, and we would hate for anything to happen to you, wouldn't we?"

She nodded, though she silently thought to herself that she could handle anything that tried to "happen" to her, her dragon form could devour this whole village, her ability with water could flood it in an instant.

The man moved over to her and silently undid her bindings, and held out a simple dress to her, implying that she put it on. She took it and stood, dressing quickly, but she suddenly longed to remove it, feeling more naked it in that she did without clothes.

She nodded her thanks and took the bowl of stew offered to her, devouring it quickly-she was starving. Once her belly was full, she settled down on the cot next to the fire, feeling warm and hazy, and happy at her new-found freedom.

The man watched her sleep, sighing sadly to himself. He hated that they had to do this, offer up young girls as sacrifices, but what choice did he have? It was either this beautiful young woman before him, or one of his own, one of the villagers. He couldn't let that happen. Tomorrow she would be gone, and hopefully, the sacrifice would be met.

~~~**~**~~~

Layra woke to hushed voices whispering, but she kept very still, trying not to show that she was awake, for the topic of conversation was most definitely very interesting to her.

"The King has been searching everywhere for the princess - haven't you heard?" This came from the woman who had given her the stew.

"Yes, there have been rumors of that, but I don't believe them at all. They say that whoever brings her to him will receive a lordship." The man answered.

"I just wish I knew what she looked like!" The woman snorted. "What do you think he'll do with her?"

The man shook his head, though Layra didn't see this, she somehow sensed it. "Who knows? I've heard he means to kill her, others say to take her as a consort."

Layra bit her lip. So Jareth was right after all, her father really did mean her harm. Lucky for her, these people had no idea who she was. She made up her mind to leave in the morning light, not wanting to risk being found out.

Layra had no such chance.

~~~**~**~~~

Early that morning, before the sun rose, she was hauled to her feet and the dress removed from her body while she was still bleary-eyed, and dumped into water. Two women scrubbed her from head to toe, making sure she was extra clean, and her hair was brushed until it shone. She no longer kept it in the braid, though Jareth had instructed that she must, but had left it down and long since she had left, no longer his possession.

After the bath, she was removed and dried, then clothed again. She made to protest this treatment, but she was gagged, and then bound, though she thought she saw pity in the women's eyes, and taken outside into the sunrise, looking like maiden marching to her wedding bed.

Layra was taken to a small circle made from stone, and she saw that not a soul was in sight, though her heightened senses told her they were watching. She hadn't morphed herself yet, more out of curiosity than anything else, but she was starting to reach her limits. Just when she was about to utter the word, the man came to her and sighed, running a finger down her cheek.

"I am so sorry that it has to be this way, but you see, if we don't offer you, he'll take one of us." He moved away from Layra, and bound her to a stake in the center of the ring, and then moved out of it himself. He went back to the house, quickly, and latched himself inside.

Layra pondered this for a moment, what was she being offered a sacrifice to? This was all very much like a dragon sacrifice, but Jareth didn't take sacrifices-she always thought he was too weak to do so- and he was the only one within leagues of here...wasn't he?

Suddenly, there was a terrible roar and a familiar beating of wings, and she screamed into the gag as a blood-red dragon dropped before her, looking its wine-red lips eagerly. She could feel its green eyes boring into her soul, and before she had a chance to morph herself, it picked her up into its talons and took flight. Despite her defiant resolve, she lost consciousness as the ground rushed quickly away from them.

~~~**~**~~~

Layra awoke to a very familiar feeling, and she sighed as she realized it had all been a dream. A very, very bad dream. She may detest Jareth, but it was better than being eaten by a red dragon. She made to sit up and couldn't, she looked and realized she was chained to the wall, a collar around her neck. Like a pet dog...

Or a slave.

Jareth had once told her not to leave their cave, because other dragons out there were known to make slaves out of the humans they found.

She shuddered, trying to acclimate herself to what she was seeing. Unlike Jareth's cave, this one was very shabbily furnished, and she could tell this dragon didn't take any interest in higher education. She looked around for more clues as to just where she was or what she had been taken by, but there was nothing there to give it away. She sighed, closing her eyes, feeling a little bit of remorse for the first time in a long time. Why had she been so hateful to Jareth? He had proven time and time again that he could take care of her, why had she denied him herself? He was powerful but merciful, passionate yet tender, and was undoubtedly a slave to her demands. She had treated him like a spoiled child would treat their nursemaid, when really, she had this new-found power because of him. He had given her every wish she had, being "cruel" to her for her own good, and she had denied him and ran away.

Layra curled into a ball on the floor, at least as much of one as she could accomplish because of her chains, and cursed herself for her stupidity. She was lost without Jareth, he was her whole world, and now she didn't know if he'd even want her. The fact that they were mates had little to do with it. Still, she held on to her hope.

She just had to wait a little while, and Jareth would rescue her. He always did.

~~~**~**~~~

Layra jumped at the feeling of cool breath on her neck. She opened her eyes blearily and looked into the burning green eyes of the large red dragon. He laughed softly, and she could feel him leering at her, taking in her naked body for his own pleasure. She shuddered under his gaze, but she tried to remain strong, she knew if she got the chance to morph, it would only be for a moment, and she had to time it just right. That was the only way she could hope to get away from this monster. She could feel in his gaze that compassion and kindness were not there.

He sniffed at her sex lazily, noting how dry she was, and then stepped back, uttering a word. An explosion of rocks surrounded him, but amazingly didn't hit her, and she was staring at a tall, red-haired man before her, with chilling green eyes. He was not nearly as tall as Jareth, and though his hair was long, it was not braided neatly, but pulled up into a type of plait, though still unruly. He studied her for a moment.

"You are not surprised by this change..." He stated it rather than asking, as if he was alone in the room. Though she was no longer gagged, she did not make a sound.

"It would seem as if you have seen a dragon before." He nodded, as if by coming to this conclusion, he was brilliant. "How interesting that you are free now, though. I do not know of any dragon that frees its slave once he has acquired it."

Then, it suddenly dawned on Layra.

Jareth's kindness, his tenderness, these were because he was allowing her the choice to be with him, the choice to be his mate. He could easily, just as this dragon did, take her as a slave, keep her chained and collared, but he did not, instead giving her the chance to love him as desperately as he loved her.

He loved her.

Jareth, though he was confusing at times, loved her deeply.

And she had betrayed him.

She felt a tear fall down her cheek, but the man before her mistook it for fear instead of remorse.

"Do not worry, it will be quite pleasurable for you as well, if you let it be," He said, his voice holding some strong reverberations, but nothing like Jareth's deep voice.

She realized he fully intended to have his way with her. His erection stood out from his body, and she detested the sight of it, although she couldn't help comparing its smaller size with that of her mate's impressive equipment. She blushed at the thought, and again, the dragon man mistook her reaction.

"Like what you see, eh? That's a good sign, slave. You will be easy to train. I'll give you the benefit of seeing how loyal you really can be."

With that he moved and released her bonds, though he knew full well that if she resisted he could easily snap her in two, so he felt no real risk. As he turned around and walked towards a chair in the room, he heard a loud voice behind him, and whirled around.

"Νερό!" Layra shouted, standing at her full height, waiting for the transformation.

Nothing.

She shouted the word again, but the entire room was silent.

Then, the man laughed. Hard. She glared at him but he fell down into the chair, his whole body shaking with laughter.

She sank to the ground, feeling utterly confused. She had said the word that would transform her in the dragon tongue, but nothing had happened. She was still her.

The man walked over to her and grabbed her by the hair, hauling her up. She screamed at the intense pain.

"You are a mated dragon?!" He snarled at her, and she could see the fury in his eyes, despite the mocking humor behind them. She was surprised that he could tell this just from her attempt, but no humans knew dragon tongue, and she was clearly not a pure dragon. Layra could only conclude that this man before her knew of such information, as she assumed all dragons did. She didn't answer at first but nodded docilely when he pulled her hair even harder.

"You cannot transform, though, can you?" He mused out loud. "You have defied your mate and therefore can no longer embank on the power that he has given you." He laughed again. "Oh, how incredibly ironic! You sought freedom but found yourself as captured as a caged bird!"

Layra cried softly as he held her hair in a death grip, shaking his head as he studied her.

"Well, it doesn't really matter if you were another's mate, anyhow, for that shall not be my purpose with you."

At this he growled gutturally and dropped her down to the floor, lust and desire filling his eyes, though not with a desire to please her. He grabbed her face and pushed himself into her mouth, his erection choking her and causing her to gag. He held her face there, his fingers buried in her hair, and thrust in and out, delighting in the choking sensations her throat gave him.

As if reading her mind, he spat out hoarsely, "God help you if you even think of biting down."

Layra tried to block all of this from her mind, the intense pain of him, the feelings of guilt and disgust, and just focus on getting him off, hoping he would leave her alone and she could figure out how to escape. At last he came, but she ripped her mouth off of him at the last second and spat on the floor, unwilling to swallow his cum. He growled and backhanded her, then dragged her by her hair to the wall, chaining her collar around her neck once more and throwing her to the ground. Once down, she curled into a ball, and he kicked her, hard. She tried to muffle her cry, but she couldn't help it. He leaned down and whispered in her ear.

"I'll be back for more, little bitch, and you better be more cooperative next time."

With that he kicked her once more and stalked away, muttering and cursing to himself.

~~~**~**~~~

Layra wasn't sure how long she lay there, but it felt like days. She couldn't feel very much, she was numb and so hungry, her skin clung to her bones. Her hair had begun to fall out, and she desperately wished to braid it back how Jareth wanted it, but she felt too weak to move. The red dragon hadn't come back to her; she hadn't seen anything of him. She was grateful for this, but also afraid, if he was gone for so long, he must be plotting something sinister to do to her.

It was during those long hours that Layra thought back on the peace she had shared with Jareth, before she had become so resentful and conceited. They had spent many nights reading to each other, her curled up against his leg, though he never forced her to do so. She had mistaken his love and tenderness for her as weakness, believing that she had the upper-hand, when really, she should have been content to simply love him just as much in return. The hours they had spent together, where he never left her side except while she slept, and he would return in the morning with a fresh kill for both of them. He had doted on her, giving in to her every whim and desire, spoiling her more than any ladies' maid ever could, demanding obedience from her, but giving all of himself in return. She fell asleep thinking such thoughts, and always, she woke up hoping this was all but a dream, and she was once again in her mate's bed, curled up tight against his side, her face nuzzled in the hollow of his neck.

~~~**~**~~~

Layra awoke, suddenly, to the flapping of wings and a muffled scream. She looked over to see the red dragon perched in the mouth of his cave, a skinny woman clutched in his jaws. He dropped her to the ground carelessly and she landed with a thud, and Layra was sure she had broken something. She shrank back, trying to not draw any attention to herself, the look on the dragon's face was foreboding. The girl didn't move a muscle, but Layra thought she heard a low groan. The dragon morphed back into his human form, rocks flying around him for a moment but not hitting anything once more, and stalked towards this new girl lying on the ground. Layra tried to close her eyes, not wanting to see what happened next, for though naïve, she had a pretty strong feeling of what was coming. She couldn't help but stare on in horror.

In a single move, the dragon man (for he had not yet given her his name, and she did not ask for it) flipped the girl onto her back and thrust deep inside of her, his eyes boring into Layra's, making sure she was watching. The girl couldn't possibly have been ready for him, and she cried out in anguish, though how she was even conscious was beyond Layra. The small form tried to move away from him, but with her body broken from the drop, there was no escape. He continued to rape her right in front of Layra, smiling ferally, and then flipped the girl onto her stomach. He paused for a moment and then rammed himself into her unlubricated bottom, and she screamed in complete terror and agony as she was taken unmercifully. He drove into her with wild animalistic abandon, not caring how she was hurting, with one hand around her throat, choking her. Layra tried to close her eyes, but she was forced to keep them open by some power beyond her control. She could not look away or move, but was made to watch what was happening before her.

The dragon man then did something beyond her imagination, and she screamed out in her own weak voice as it happened.

He pulled out of the girl, then morphed himself, and pushed back into her entrance in his dragon form, his member splitting the girl in half. Layra knew it had to have killed her, for the girl's face froze in horror, and then her wide eyes went glassy. The red dragon did not stop, but continued to take her, until he reached his release and pushed into her hard one last time. Layra felt hot tears rolling down her face for the girl, but she had little time to think of this, because as soon as he pulled out, the dragon leaned down, sniffed her dead body, then snapped her into his jaws in one bite, devouring her whole.

He looked back at her, the green eyes a swirl of black, and laughed gutturally at the mortification on her face. Without a backward glance, he stalked back into his cave, leaving her there alone, and terrified beyond her wits.

~~~**~**~~~

The next time he woke Layra up, it was to a low laugh. She slept most of the hours of the day, for there was nothing else to do in her present state, and without food and only enough water to keep her barely alive, she was so weak that she couldn't muster the strength to stay sitting, let alone to stand. At first she had thought it was just out of cruelty, but now she realized the red dragon man was purposely starving her so she wouldn't put up a fight. She turned her head in the direction of the voice, but she was so used to the dark, she had problems focusing her eyes on anything. When she had been with Jareth, her senses had risen beyond normal levels, but without him, she was once more an average human being. She tried to focus on where the laugh was, but could only make out the blurry figure of him sitting in a chair. His voice sent tingles down her spine.

"Well,princess, is it?" She tensed at these words, he knew who she was.

"I knew you looked familiar, in some way. I have just recently been to town to get some...necessities...and saw a picture of you in the market window. It would seem you are...wanted...by the King. Though I have no use for any type of Lordship, it does make you much more...let's say, interesting to me."

Layra held perfectly still, afraid of what he would do. While her father might be safer than being raped and eaten by a dragon, he still wasn't much better.

"So it would seem I am at a crossroads. I do not know what to do with you at this moment. Though I would love to keep you and devour you, it would seem that you may be a worthy enough piece to convince the King to offer sacrifices to me throughout the entire Kingdom." At this, he licked his lips, and she shuddered again at the memory of the girl from before.

"I suppose I could deliver you to the King myself. I would enjoy getting another taste of you, but perhaps I can up the ante by abstaining from such. A full Kingdom under my control is certainly worth passing up on a princess, though I'm sure you would be such a...delightful...morsel."

He stood from the chair and moved towards her, but she did not have the energy to shrink back.

"We will leave in the morning. Perhaps I'll even let you bathe before then."

And with a kick to her bruised ribs, he lumbered off deep into his cave. Before Layra drifted out of consciousness, she heard a woman's pleading scream from the direction he had headed, and then...

Silence.

~~~**~**~~~

Early the next morning, Layra was woken roughly and removed from the chains holding her. She was too weak to struggle, and the dragon man quickly bound her wrists together with leather straps, and formed a set of hobbles around her ankles, should she suddenly find the strength to run, though he quite doubted that. Since the cave was so high on a mountain that humans could never get to it on their own, he decided to fly them further down the road, so as to get to the castle faster and get the girl off of his hands before he changed his mind. While he would've loved to take a bite of her, he was more eager for the girls he knew he'd be getting at the end of the dirty deal.