Arthurs Court Ch. 04 - Benefits

So initially this chapter was going to be switching to Arthur, but it didn't really line up. So here's another Lance chapter first! And there's your teaser/spoiler that this will be a multiple point of view story. From both Lance and Arthur's perspective mainly, perhaps some others.

There's a character in this chapter that I think is a prime candidate for someone to guess who they are from the legends. There are clues. Get in the comments!

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Lance squatted on his haunches, feeling the pull of his Achilles as he finished his stretches. He felt good. Better than he had in... well... ever. The experience with V and a good night's sleep seemed to calm down whatever the fuck was going on with him. He was loathe to say dragon... but if the shoe fit. It didn't seem to be awake yet, but he had no way of really knowing other than the curled-up image on his shoulder.

He took a few deep breaths and slowly exhaled before standing up and stretching towards the sky, his breath fogging up the air around him. Lance preferred working out in the morning. There were less people around, and it gave him the rest of the day. Putting one foot back, he pressed the button to start his stopwatch and pushed forwards. Within moments, all his worries melted away as the wind rushed past his cheeks. Nothing was better than the freeing feeling of running on a track. Nothing to think about, nothing to worry about. Just you, the constant pounding of your feet, and focusing on the burn as it inevitably grew. Quicker than expected, he reached the line for the first time and looked down at his watch.

Frowning, lance shook his wrist. He must have double pressed the button or something. 50 seconds was way too quick for 400m when you were planning on running distance. He focused on keeping steady, and the next time he passed the line he pressed the button on his watch again, hearing the singular beep.

Soon enough, the line came back around. 49. Lance's eyes widened and he slowed down considerably, jogging around the track as he thought to himself. 49 seconds was close to the normal 400m Olympic women's time. He quickly did some math in his head and stumbled. If he kept that pace up, he'd do the 10,000m in 20 minutes. And he didn't feel puffed in the slightest, like he might actually be able to keep the pace up. The world record was over 26. No one should run that fast for that long. His best 10,000m time was 32 minutes last week. How could he explain a 12-minute gain in a week to a time that is physically impossible. He slowed even further.

A rush of wind brought him out of his thoughts, and he watched as Tenika flew past. Tenika was one of the women's middle-distance runners. He watched her fly around the track as he jogged, her bleached braids tied up in a loose ponytail. As she passed by him again he followed her ass with his eyes. An ass that only an athlete could sculpt, atop solid runner's legs and all squeezed in to tiny lycra shorts. Running shorts were the original tiktok leggings, and nothing beat them.

As she turned the corner, Tenika turned her head and Lance quickly adjusted his gaze to meet her dark brown eyes. She smirked and picked up the pace. Something inside him burned. A need to prove himself that wasn't there before. Running was getting him through school, he didn't care if she was faster. But he did care this time. He wanted to show her. Needed it. Before he could even think about it, Lance's legs were pumping. He could hear the scrape of the track against his shoes and he heard tearing noises as the fabric strained. Who cares. I just need to win. He was in front of Tenika in a very short amount of time, and now it was Lance's turn to smirk. He slowed down beside her for a moment.

"You just out for a jog this morning, Tenika?"

Then he put the jets on again before she could respond. The reaction was immediate. He could hear and see her pushing herself behind him as he carefully kept just in front. After a few laps, she lagged back. On the next lap, Lance pulled back to run alongside her again. Her mocha skin was shining with a heavy layer of sweat and she was panting considerably, but her eyes still burned with that fire as she looked at him.

"When the fuck." Breath. "Did you." Breath. "Become king shit, Lance?"

He smiled. He hoped he was sweating, or that she wouldn't notice if he wasn't. He didn't feel sweaty. He wasn't puffing. What the fuck is happening?

"Just a good day I suppose," he said and shrugged. He needed to pass this off like it wasn't a big deal. "I'm going to head for a shower, keep up the grind." Lance gave her what he hoped wasn't a suspicious grin and peeled off back to the change rooms. He really didn't need to get reported for juicing right now.

V hadn't mentioned anything about physical benefits to this curse or whatever it was. Clearly something was going on though. If he had run as fast as he just did ever before, he would have made national news headlines. Maybe international. He stripped off and threw his clothes in his bag, taking a moment to grab his phone out. He fired up discord and sent a message.

L: Uh. Hi. How's it going?

Lance winced to himself.

L: Is this thing making me faster and stronger? I just ran faster than I ever have.

It was still like 6 in the morning, so he didn't expect V to be up yet. He just shoved his phone back in his bag, grabbed a towel off the shelf and headed for a shower cubicle. Soon the water was steaming and Lance was trying his best to not stress out about what was going on. The steam shifted outward as the door to the change rooms opened and someone broke the serenity of the moment. There was a click of the door closing, and then he heard the new person throw their bag down on one of the benches. There was the sound of fabric rustling. One of the other guys in early, probably. They did have a track meet coming up. Suddenly Lance's cubicle door opened and Tenika walked in completely naked.

She was tall and slim, very much a runner's perfect build. Her small tits had large brown nipples, currently moving up and down with her chest as she was still breathing heavy. She clearly had come straight in from the track. Lance's gaze kept moving down her hips to her powerful runner's legs and the puffy lips between them, a darker shade than the rest of her skin. A small and carefully trimmed bush just above it, shaped into a little triangle with the point right at the top of her slit. He looked back up to see Tenika licking her lips as she checked him out in return.

She stepped forward and grabbed his dick in one hand, jacking it excruciatingly slowly.

"Don't talk, king shit. Just put this in me and drill me through the fucking wall."

There was no foreplay, no pretense. Tenika moved around him and turned around, bending at the waist against the wall, twisting to keep a grip on the cock in her hand before spreading her legs slightly to get the angle right. That ass that he had been admiring on the track was now in front of him, bare and inviting. It was a runner's ass, just like her legs, but so perfect. The old saying of bouncing a quarter... nah. You could do gymnastics vaults off this it was so firm. Lance reached out a hand, but Tenika pulled harder on Lance's tool and he stumbled forward a step. She rubbed his cock up and down against her lips, spreading the wetness between them, and Lance moaned. The girl kept rubbing, not moving back, nor pulling him forward.

It was moments before Lance couldn't wait any longer and he grabbed her hips and pushed himself forward, feeling the molten core slide around his length. He listened to a small moan emerge from her mouth and that same feeling bubbled up inside of him. That competitive fire. That wasn't close to loud enough. He bottomed out, getting a grunt in response as he felt completely enveloped by warmth. Reaching around, he slowly rubbed around her nether lips, avoiding the exact spot he knew she wanted most. Tenika shifted, trying to guide his fingers, but he kept it out of reach. There was a growl as she realised in this position there wasn't much more she could do.

Slower than he thought his self-control would allow, Lance pulled out. Once only the head remained inside, he pushed forward again, still slowly. As he did so he felt her shudder and a low groan escaped her mouth. A ripple went up his cock, but it was more of a shiver than an orgasm. That was fine, he was building the tension. He kept going, repeating his slow movements, and was rewarded with soft growls and moans. At one point, Tenika reached backwards and dug her nails in to his ass cheeks to try and speed him up, but she didn't have enough purchase in the slippery shower and the rhythmic pumping without her hands for support just caused her to lose balance and stumble forward, tits pressing into the wall of the cubicle. Lance followed her momentum and pressed her tight against it, picking up the pace. Her moans became grunts and mewls of pleasure. A constant "Uh! Uh! Uh!" He still wasn't even puffed. So he kept the pace up, constantly. The moans slowly grew in both pitch and volume.

Then Lance felt Tenika's legs shaking and knew it was time. Her moans were loud enough now to probably be heard outside. He redirected one of his hands from her hip and grabbed her hair to get better leverage. Grip secured, he proceeded to drill her into the wall as hard as he could, just like she asked. The wet slapping of their bodies coming together reverberated in his ears and the force was enough to sting him slightly where his hips made contact with her taught ass. Tenika's response started out a moan, but quickly became something else. Her cunt pulsed around his member and she thrashed against him. Her head leaned back against his shoulder. She sucked in a deep breath and then screamed.

"AuuuuuuuuooooOOOOOOOOOOOMYFUCKINGGOD YESSSSSSSSSSSS, FUCK YESSSSSSSS."

It was lucky Lance was still holding her against the wall because the intense shaking of her legs and the flailing of her arms would have made any other position difficult. That shaking was also happening inside her pussy as she came, and Lance felt his own release quickly building up. He pulled out quickly as he felt its approach and Tenika collapsed, falling awkwardly sideways into the wall of the cubicle. She slid down to the ground, eyes closed and gasping for breath, a dazed half-smile on her face. Lance lunged his hand down quickly and stroked his member, aiming for her small A-cup tits. White filled his eyes as his release pulsed out over her, again and again. When he finally stopped, he looked at the mess below him. Tenika's chest was literally covered in his cum. It looked like someone had dumped an entire tub of the stuff on her. Quickly, he picked her up and held her under the shower. He gently washed her off, keeping her head out of the water as he cradled her in his arms. After a few moments, her eyes fluttered open and she looked up at him from his arms.

"That... was fucking amazing."

Lance blushed and grinned. "You were pretty great yourself." Gently, he tried to set her down, but as soon as those long runners legs touched the ground they shook violently.

"This might be a problem. You're going to have to carry me."

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They settled on a piggyback, as it looked the least strange and they could play it off as something fun. Lance carried Tenika and her pack all the way to the quadrangle at the front of campus and the fountain. They were both shocked at how easy it seemed to be for him, and he tried his best to shrug it off and make excuses for his new-found strength. Once he had put Tenika on the ground somewhere she could 'bask in the sun and her post-fucking glow', he made his way quickly away, heading towards the food vans. He was starving.

Lance was sitting alone with a full tray of food and was halfway through a bite when he heard his name being called.

"Lance!"

He took a deep breath before smiling and turning to the direction of the voice. A tiny blonde woman was powering across the pavement of the seating area towards him. She had a smile on her face. As she got closer, still smiling, she slapped him. Lance recoiled and spat out his food, standing up in a rush. It wasn't a hard slap, but it still shocked him.

"What the fuck, Abby?!"

She just laughed, still grinning. "You've been holding out on me. I heard about the party! What does a girl have to do to get a piece of that."

Lance sighed and sat back down. Shockingly to most people, this was Abigail Haddin normally. Always provocative and in your face. Always teasing him. But she and Arthur were an on again/off again item, and Lance wouldn't go there. She knew it, too.

"Leave the man alone Abby. He's trying to work out how to handle being just another piece of meat." Arthur's voice came up behind them, and he walked around Abby, slapping her on the ass as he sat down beside Lance. She jumped and crossed her arms, rolling her eyes and sitting down across from them.

"And what a piece of meat it is, from what I've heard." She smirked. "Jenna said she caught a glimpse in the pool and she'd do anyt-" Lance coughed, cutting her off.

"Enough, Abby."

She grinned. This was her winning. Pushing him so far that he told her to shut up. They both knew it, so she did just that and stopped talking, just continuing to look smug. Arthur cut in, keeping the peace as always.

"When the children are done fighting. Are we car-pooling to next week's meet or not? I need to know now, or if I have to sweet talk someone for a ride."

Lance had forgotten all about the meet. If he was unnaturally fast now, how would he compete without it looking suspicious. What would happen to him if he got found out. He pulled out his phone to check discord and saw the notification from Dark Magician Girl.

DMG: Yes

That was it. Nothing else. No explanation, no helpful tips, just a yes.

L: Yes? That's it? No tips?

DMG: On what? Being super fast and strong? Deal with it. Or ask him when he wakes up. Suck it up, it's not that big of a problem. Ask me for help when something bad happens.

Something punched him on his arm, this time right where the tattoo was. He winced and cried out, looking over to see surprise on Arthur's face.

"Sorry bro, that wasn't that hard. Just trying to get your attention. You OK?"

Lance nodded and took a bite of food, trying to act like it was nothing. "Yeah."

Arthur moved swiftly on. "Great ok. Since you clearly weren't listening, a recap. Abby has got us seats on the cheer bus. There's apparently a noon game on that day, so the squad are heading up early to get the lay of the land. Even early enough for us lunatic runners, it seems. Cool?"

Lance nodded. This was normal when track meets and game days collided. He got relegated to the front of the bus and usually read a book while Arthur flirted and chatted with the cheerleaders. There were always multiple coaches present, so it wasn't nearly the dream that you might think. "Sounds good to me." He stood up, having eaten all his food. "I've gotta head out. I've got a study session booked."

Arthur stood up as well and they did their dorky handshake. They shook, then pulled away and fist-bumped before Lance bent to one knee and Arthur knighted him. Abby just snorted a laugh. "Losers. See you later, big boy." She couldn't resist one more comment, it seemed. Lance ignored it and walked off.

He headed straight for the dorm where he had left Sian yesterday. It was early, but hopefully not too early in the morning for her to be awake. On the walk he thought about a thousand different things he could say to her. Sorry my pet dragon mind controlled you; I promise I won't do it again. Obviously not. He certainly wasn't going to gaslight her, either. He knew something happened. If she was uncomfortable, he was going to tell her something. But what? Fuck. He arrived too quickly at the door to the dorm to come up with a decent plan, but he knocked anyway. No time like the present. There was no answer, so he knocked again.

"Alright, alright. I'm coming." He heard a voice that wasn't Sian's. Before he could check if he had the wrong dorm, the door swung open. A brunette woman with curves in all the right places and sparkling blue eyes answered the door with a coffee travel mug in one hand and a bagel in her mouth. She grabbed the bagel out of her mouth and looked Lance up and down. "Yes?"

Lance couldn't move. He'd seen this woman before in those dreams. Those eyes.

"Listen I don't know what your prob-" She started to look annoyed and turned her shoulder to close the door. Lance put his foot in the opening and kept it open, which was returned with an icy glare.

"Sorry. I'm looking for Sian," his mouth finally moved.

The woman looked him up and down again and then stepped back, but not enough to let him in. "Oh you're that asshole." Turning over her shoulder she called back into the dorm. "Sian, the 'guy' from yesterday is here. You want me to let him in?"

They both saw Sian's head pop out from a door in the hallway behind. "Yeah, we need to talk. Thanks Ellie."

Ellie smiled and stepped aside, letting Lance past. She put the bagel back in her mouth and pulled the door closed behind her as she left, leaving Lance standing on the inside of the doorway. He opened his mouth to speak but Sian got there first.

"Before you say anything. I know something happened. I know you did something, or maybe it was someone else, because you seemed as surprised as me." Sian stepped out from behind the door and walked down the hall. She was dressed more casually than in class the day before. No make-up, ripped jeans and an old Paramore shirt, but she was still stunning. Her red hair was loose, framing her thin face and really drawing attention to her hazel eyes. "So if it was you, what was it? And don't tell me it was just that you're hot. I physically couldn't stop doing what you told me to do. Not that I wanted to stop at the time. But a blowjob in the lecture hall after just meeting you? You're not that hot."

Lance swallowed in the face of the questions, mind going blank, not even registering that Sian just called him hot. He still couldn't think of anything that didn't sound like a stupid excuse.

"I... uh. I'll show you." He started to take his shirt off. Sian rolled her eyes, but just stood there and watched. Eventually the tattoo came into view and Lance nodded at it.

Sian looked at it and then looked back at Lance. "Yeah, it's a tattoo, a cool one. Good job. What about it?"

Lance looked down, checking. As the now curled up dragon slept, it was moving slightly. At that moment, Sian seemed to notice it as well.

"Wait... what the fuck? Is your dragon tattoo breathing?" Lance tried something, he reached out and stroked a finger down its back gently. The dragon kicked a leg out like a dog and a little puff of smoke curled out of its nostrils. "Holy fuck it is moving. What the hell, Lance?"

"So..." Lance began. "It's not a tattoo."

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"Let me see if I understand this correctly." They had moved to the living area of the dorm, and Sian was sitting cross-legged on the large sofa facing him. "You were at a party, are pretty sure you got drugged, and woke up with a tattoo. That tattoo then turned out to not be a tattoo at all but a curse."

She paused for a moment with a questioning look, and Lance just nodded in agreement. He had his shirt off so they could look at the tattoo while he explained. It was still curled up just on the top of his shoulder.