The Succubae Seduction Ch. 29

"You won't last in TanaVesta's domain," Brooke states consolingly. "It nearly killed me to be there for more than a few hours."

"But he needs me!" She complains. "Think of all the trouble he'll get into, if I'm not there to help."

"Like bringing a dragon to Earth in the middle of a city?" Becky asks solicitously, making the golden woman blush prettily.

"This is eerie," the elf's voice sounds in my mind, drawing my attention back inward.

Make yourself at home, I tell her while walking to the balcony where Blue is waiting for me.

"Two last things before I forget," Gaia says, walking over to me. "It's about the outsider and your succubus, Angela." Why do I have a feeling she didn't really forget?

"Yes," I ask, or try to, remembering too late my forked tongue.

"That trick you used to scare the outsider away while rescuing the mermaid was a very dangerous thing to do." I raise one scaly eyebrow at her, not quite sure what she's referring to. "You attempted to absorb some of its power. Instead, you were absorbing it. Had you succeeded, the outsider would have taken over your body with ease, and you'd no longer be here."

I shudder, remembering the desperation I'd felt as I'd begun to black out down under the water. Instinctively I'd reached for the power coming from the light creature, and suddenly it'd gone. I hadn't understood why at the time, but now I do. Mentally, I tell myself I'll never do that again.

"And Angela," Gaia continues, "she's working for TanaVesta. I don't know what her motives are, but she went to the Pillar of Fire after leaving you, and abased herself, asking for forgiveness. I'm not altogether certain why TanaVesta took her back into her graces, but I think it's safe to say that if you run into Angela, don't trust her." Even with the speculative way she talks, I know she's certain about her facts. "I take no joy in telling you this, but you need to know. TanaVesta is working with the outsider, as you know, but Aldol has taken an interest in the succubus's sexual prowess. It has been interested in sex ever since it tried to kill you through sex."

Looking around the room, I see sad eyes trying to console me. Brooke and Becky step forward, and I can easily see their intentions in their beautiful loving eyes.

I can't take their pity. Turning away, I dash past Blue, spreading my wings wide and leaping from the balcony. The Earthen city passes below me in a blur, either from my speed or the tears stinging my eyes, I'm not sure, and I don't really care. I'm not even concerned if Blue is following, just wanting to get away from those pitying eyes.

I can't fly, though I desperately wish I could, and the ground eventually comes up to meet me just outside the city walls. A thump besides me lets me know that Blue has followed. I refuse to look at her, as I move in the direction of TanaVesta's demesne. I don't know what I'll do if I run into the succubus, but I'll face that event if it happens.

"What's the deal?" the unfriendly elf asks me.

I thought you didn't want to be friends, I mentally snap back at her.

"I don't," she replies coolly, "but if I'm going to be working with you, then I should know what to expect."

Don't worry about it, I snarl, and proceed to ignore her as I crawl over the terrain, using the strength granted to me by the adamantium to cover the ground quickly.

Blue keeps taking to the air, looking back at me, and then landing before repeating the process. It's obvious she wants me to fly.

I CAN'T FLY, I telepathically send to her.

I expect the dragon to laugh, or ridicule me in some way, figuring it would be par for the course today, but instead she simply lands and walks next to me for a while. After maybe moving a half mile, she nuzzles the wing on my right side and then backs away. When I ignore her, she repeats the gesture, this time spreading her wings and flapping them for a second.

YOU WANT TO TEACH ME HOW TO FLY? I ask, shaking my head. I'VE TRIED. I'M JUST NOT SUITED TO IT FOR SOME REASON.

Blue snorts, sending out a gout of smoke in the process.

"Maybe a dragon can teach you what you couldn't teach yourself," the elf's voice says soothingly. Her attitude is so different from her behavior from before, that I actually listen to her this time.

What could it hurt? I ask myself, not expecting a response. Besides, it'll take my mind off other issues.

"Your pride, but I'm guessing you don't have much of that left right now." And there she is, coming back with her usual hatred.

I'm not sure if I do it just to spite her or for some other reason, but I spread my wings feeling the slight wind move across the thick membranes, and push hard off the ground.

Air moves across my body, and I flap my additional appendages powerfully to keep me aloft. Unfortunately, that sends me into a spiral, and it's only with the last minute aid of Blue that I don't pile drive right into the ground.

Echoing laughter rebounds in my head, but I ignore it. The other dragon lands gracefully next to me, and thankfully she isn't laughing. At least, I don't think she is. It's kind of hard to tell with her draconian features.

Blue spreads her wings, flapping them gently, and I know she wants me to mimic her. I do so, but when she growls at me, I stop. She repeats her previous gesture, and this time I try to time my movements with hers. Up, one, two, three. Down, one, two, three.

It dawns on me, that I'd been flapping too hard. I remember what Angela had tried to teach me the first time I'd become a dragon, and shake my head. Maybe flapping strong and fast works for a succubus, but it's different for a dragon.

Or had she been working for the Pillar of Fire back then, making sure I never learned the proper way to fly? Was everything she'd done an act?

NO! I can't believe that. Something had to have been real, between us.

Careful, son. The mind of a woman is never an easy thing to read. The voice of Shemhazau reaches me. The mind of the ones we love, even more so, but I have no doubt that she truly loved you.

Loved. Past tense. . . .

"Where did you come from?" my other passenger demands. "Why are you looking at me like that? Stay away from me old man!"

I chuckle inwardly, knowing the elf can hear it, as I picture the shade of my father hitting on the ornery elf.

Another growl in front of me reminds me of what I'd been doing a moment before, and I meet Blue's large eyes for a moment before shoving hard off the ground, wings tucked tightly to my body. As soon as I reach the apex of my leap, I unfurl my thick leathery wings, and slowly, gently, flap them up and down on a three-count. I can feel the air catch beneath them, and even though I wobble a little bit, I stay aloft. Another careful movement of my wings and I actually rise a little bit.

Blue joins me in the air a moment later, and this time there is no mistaking her grin. Even though it shows her sharp fangs, I find myself grinning back at her, giving a strong beat to my wings in my joy, and then frantically trying to recover from my mistake, before whooping—well, it comes out more like a joyous growl—in joy as I regain my lost altitude.

Over the next hour, Blue shows me how to use thermals to lazily gain altitude, before gliding over to another, saving on energy. With the adamantium in me, I don't feel a need to conserve energy, but I know she does, and it would look odd for a dragon to fly nonstop in a straight line. I still have to pretend to not be Lyden Snow the Generator, but a regular brown dragon instead.

Well, a regular brown dragon, carrying the last elf in existence, and all of the adamantium to boot, into the lair of the monster that is helping an even worse monster try to destroy two worlds. Did I mention that one of my girlfriends was working with the monsters? Why are things never easy?

We make better time now that we're airborne, and when we cross the border into Fire's domain, it seems like we are in one nonstop thermal, making even better time.

Almost too soon, I spot the top of TanaVesta's mountain, the flaming roof of her pavilion standing out with its four thick pillars and stadium seating.

We land off to the side of the seating, and I'm glad to note that the Pillar of Fire herself isn't here now. My eyes land on the spot where TanaVesta and I had had wild sex in front of her entire court, and shudder, remembering what had followed afterwards.

Where to? I ask internally.

"Go through that opening over there," she tells me, and somehow I know she's referring to a large hole off to the side. Walking over to it, I see that there is a ramp leading deeper into the mountain peak.

STAY HERE, I tell Blue. I'LL RETURN AS SOON AS I CAN. THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR HELP SO FAR.

To my surprise, she nuzzles my neck for a moment, before nipping playfully at my snout, and then turning away.

"We could use her to watch our back," the elf states.

I won't use her, or anybody else, I reply sternly. She volunteered to help us, and I don't want her in any more danger than she needs to be.

"I still think it's a mistake," she responds, but there is a note to her tone that I don't recognize. It almost sounds like respect, but I know that can't be true.

Stepping onto the ramp into the mountain, I'm glad to see torches here and there, lighting the way. Following the directions coming from inside my head, I soon begin to recognize our surroundings.

My suspicions are confirmed when we enter a large chamber that is unmistakably TanaVesta's. A large boulder still sits on the far wall, covering a hole that leads to the bed where I'd been raped countless times. To my right is a large opening, leading out to the open air and freedom.

"What are you doing?" the elf demands of me. "The Pillar of Air's mantle is behind that boulder, not out there."

She doesn't understand, though. I know what's behind that boulder. Torture. Pain. Horror. Humiliation. Bliss and pleasure almost beyond any I'd ever experienced before those horrible two days.

"Whoa, whoa!" the feminine words come to me, but I can't seem to focus on them. "I didn't know. What she did to you was wrong, but she isn't here now." Her words of compassion seem so wrong, that it finally breaks me from my daze. "All we need to do is go in, grab the mantle, and we'll be gone before she ever knew we were here."

Yes, I think I can do that. Just get in, and get out. I had no idea that being back here would affect me so much, but I've been through a lot since then, and I can do this.

Slowly, as though at any moment the Pillar of Fire is going to leap out and start forcing herself on me again, taking bites out of my flesh, I approach the blocking boulder. I let out a deep breath of relief when nothing happens when I place my chrome and black tipped paw on the boulder and give it a gentle nudge. It moves easily, though I cringe at the noise it makes as it moves out of the way, revealing a dark opening on the other side.

The thought that it still smells like sex strikes me, but I shrug it off as I poke my head inside.

"You see Angela, I told you someone would come to take the mantle, and here is the thief now."

The new voice exudes raw power, and I can feel the solid rock beneath my paws crumple as my talons dig in, pure fear filling my veins.

"You were right, my Queen," an all too familiar voice says, and I can feel my heart break at the sound of obeisance in it. "What should we do with them?"

Slowly, as though I'm afraid of what I'll see, even though I already know I'll see her, I pull my head out and turn towards the voices. TanaVesta stands proud in her red dragon form, about three times my size. Angela, in her true Asian-black form is standing next to her, eyes locked on me.

I see recognition enter Angelica's brown eyes, as they grow large, and know that at any moment she's going to give me away to her current master.

"Thieves must be made an example of," TanaVesta states, and at least for now she doesn't recognize me, "but not before we find out who he is working for." The way her forked tongue licks her lips sends shivers down my long spine. In my fear, it doesn't even occur to me to wonder how she can talk with a forked tongue.

"Let me out!" the elf screams in my head. "I'm no use to you in here. Let me out so that I can at least die fighting."

Die? Somehow the word triggers a response in me, allowing me to unclench my claws. Fighting is the only option right now, not dying. I'll never let her treat me like that again! NEVER!

The ground cracks as I shove off of it, jaws open wide and aimed for TanaVesta's throat. I know I should have gone after the succubus first since she's weaker, but I can't bring myself to do it. Even though I know I'm leaving my flank open to her attack, I'm hoping to be quick enough, to surprise them both.

A large red blur catches me from the side, as TanaVesta effortlessly bats me aside; laughing at how easily she'd defended herself.

"Pathetic," she scoffs at me as I use my tail to regain my balance, and land, sliding along the floor. My talons dig furrows in the ground as I slide to a stop. My head is ringing, and my right wing won't move right. "I don't suppose he's willing to give us any information. He looks to be from the dumber kind of dragons. I hate to even think of them as the same as me." Her tone is level, as though she's just talking about the weather. "Or is he even a true dragon? Oh well. Watch, Angela, as I burn him to a crisp."

The large red dragon inhales deeply, and I look to the opening on the far wall. To reach it, I'll have to go through the Pillar of Fire, but to reach the entrance I came in through; I'll have to go through Angela.

I know the decision I should make, but can't. Why hasn't she given me away yet?

Just as I'm about to leap at the red dragon, her flame breath catches me, pouring from her sharp-toothed maw with enough force to blow me backwards. As the flames and heat surround me, I scream, knowing that I'm already dead. Even though there's no pain, I assume that my nerve endings have already been fried.

It only takes me a moment more to realize that her flame isn't touching me. Or more accurately, the flame is all around, but the heat of it isn't affecting me.

I don't stop to take stock of why I'm still alive, or why I'm immune to her immense magical blaze, but instead restart my leap, heading straight for the source of her fire. Inhaling her heat as I go, I turn it back against her, breathing my own fire directly down her throat.

TanaVesta screeches in agony, falling back and staring at me in shock. I land hard on the flooring, unable to guide my decent with a bad wing, but keep my eyes on the larger dragon. Unfortunately, she's still between the large exit and me, though the smaller one is now clear, with Angelica behind me.

The succubus!

Realizing I'm in a bad situation, I lash my tail out, hoping to come into contact with her. I hear an, "Oomph,", and a moment later the succubus vanishes, her mass added to my own. She's impotent to hurt me physically now.

"What are you?" my powerful enemy demands, and I can see fear in her eyes now. "What have you done with my bed servant?" Her voice is a little raw.

Bed servant? What the hell? Then I remember Gaia's words about Aldol using them for sex. Apparently TanaVesta hadn't minded it so much.

"Lyden?" Angela's voice sounds internally. A moment later I can hear the elf and succubus fighting, my father happily cheering them both on.

It takes only a spare thought to form my human tongue. "You once kept me locked up for your own pleasure, beast. I've come back for revenge."

"The generator?" Her eyes grow large as she comprehends who I am, and then to my surprise, she starts laughing. "I've missed our time together, generator. Tell you what, give yourself up to me, and I promise to let you live. Who knows? I may even be gentler with you this time."

"Lyden, who is this woman?" I hear Angela grunt in my mind, but I ignore her.

"I have a counter-offer," I state, trying to mimic the elf's tone of derision that she'd kept using on me. "Give me Fujin's Mantle, and I'll return the succubus to you."

TanaVesta's eyes narrow as she regards me for a moment. "No." The word is a simple one, but filled with finality. "I've grown fond of her over the last little while, while Aldol has forced me to use her sexually, but if I lose the mantle, it'll mean my death."

Her words confuse me for a moment—I didn't know she could grow fond of anyone!—and the red dragon uses that to her advantage as she launches herself towards me. I have just enough time to move my neck out of the path of her fangs, but not out of the way of her talons. They sink into my sides painfully, easily piercing my tough scales, and I scream in agony. Desperately I claw back at her, and barely note that my dual-toned claws easily part her hide as well.

New energy floods into me, as my Murasame augmented talons absorb her soul. Unfortunately, she's powerful enough, that the strength pouring into me isn't enough to counteract the damage she's causing me, nor is it enough to drain her before she kills me.

I can hear the elf and succubus screaming out in shared pain, as I try to redouble my efforts, but even with the adamantium in me, I can feel my strength slackening. I'll be long dead before I take enough from the Pillar of Fire to kill her.

When I feel her teeth sink into the back of my neck, I know all is lost. I barely even notice the loud shriek that echoes off the cavernous walls of her chambers, as blackness begins swallowing my vision.

My body grows lighter as I mentally release the elf and Angela. I won't take them down with me.

"Lyden, no!" someone screams, as I feel my blood seeping out in a pool around me.

Odd, I think. Even in the realm of Fire, I'm surprised I can feel so cold.

* * *

Water from the nearby stream burbles happily as I sit in a cloth camping chair, and stare at the trees around me. The tent where I'd spent those last precious moments with Lisa sits behind me. The scene is almost the exact same, except that the sun is setting, and someone has built a fire.

It seems fitting, that I should see this, I think, before I finally pass away. It's peaceful out here.

I wonder if Lisa will come for me? The thought sends a stab through my heart, but I remember her telling me to be strong, and I try to hold my head up higher. No one can say I hadn't been strong after her passing. I'd done all I could, and it hadn't been enough, but I'd still tried.

A twig snaps behind me, and I spin around. Blonde hair vanishes behind a tree, and I jump to my feet to chase after Lisa. I'm confused at why she's here, but maybe it's to take me to the afterlife.

"Lyden?" A different voice states right then, and I turn to see Angelica standing on the flowing water's edge.

"What do you want?" I demand, wondering if she'd been killed too. Despite my feelings of betrayal by her, I'm saddened that she hadn't been able to escape TanaVesta's wrath.

I can see that my tone hurts her, but I do my best to ignore the tear that breaks from her left eye. Probably just another ploy of hers. How could I have been so stupid, as to believe she loved me? She is a demonic creature. As soon as she'd left me, she'd gone back to the Pillar of Fire. The one person who had tortured and hurt me the most, and if TanaVesta is to be believed, the succubus had gone and become her sexual plaything. Even though Aldol had played a part in that, I'll bet the succubus enjoyed it.

"I'm so sorry I hurt you," she tells me, but I turn away, trying to catch sight of where Lisa had run off to. Why had she run away? "Shemhazau explained what had happened," she continues, her tone imploring me to turn and face her.