Leo and the Dragon Ch. 04

"You will make a fine plaything. I do so love women with fire. First they warm my bed then they warm my belly," it teased, twisting its claw in Tear's insides.

Helplessly, she screamed her anguish into the cave. Leo roared, charging the dragon, wanting nothing more than to bash its face in. Arach was at his side, her sword a gleaming ray of gold in the light of the cavern. Her hand reached out and tapped Leo's arm. Almost on instinct, he jumped, barely clearing the tail the dragon swiped their way. As if in slow motion, he saw the dragon turn its head, opening its jaws, a glowing pinprick of white firing up in its gullet. Suddenly, Arach was gone, levitating upwards. Leo dove to the side, avoiding another fire blast by the skin of his teeth, coming to his feet thanks to the momentum of his mad dash. Then he was face to face with the dragon, the heat nearly knocking him senseless. Throwing all his might into the swing, he pounded his hammer into the dragon's jaw, scattering teeth and scale fragments everywhere. The dragon roared its fury into Leo's face, causing him to stumble backwards, shaking his head. Ears ringing, blinking moisture from his eyes, Leo saw Tear crawl away from where the dragon had pinned her to the floor, leaving a wet trail behind. Before the dragon could give chase, Zentam roared in fury, chopping his axe into one of the gashes left by their previous attacks, causing the beast to scream in fury and pain. Another globe of darkness materialized over its eyes.

"Your parlor tricks won't work with me!" the dragon roared, its head whipping out of the darkness, seeking the pesky levitating drow girl. Arach dropped almost ten feet, avoiding the wyrm's snapping jaws by sheer luck. It snorted a plume of fire after her, causing Arach to wail as her flesh was scorched.

An inspiration struck Leo. There was another stalactite just above the dragon's back, its sharp point hanging over the beast's spinal ridge. All the shaking had caused several wide cracks to appear in the large, inverted stone needle. Offering a quick prayer to Lord Justice, hoping that the strength-increasing spell of the Moon Maiden would be enough, Leo spun in place and tossed his hammer. Whirling end over end, the glowing weapon arced past the dragon's head.

"Ha, you missed," the beast roared, head shooting down towards Leo. The paladin's gaze calmly followed the trajectory of his weapon. With stone shards flying everywhere, the hammer head squarely hit the stalactite, then the weapon dropped to the ground. The dragon looked from Leo to the stalactite and back again then a hideous grin distorted its lopsided, broken-jawed face.

"Awwww, lost your weapon, holy man?" the dragon teased. Its wings came forwards over its shoulders, nearly buffeting Leo off his feet. Then it struck Leo with its healthy claw, slicing cleanly through his armour and clothing, carving four deep, bloody furrows into his chest and abdomen before the claw glanced off his still intact armoured belt. The force of the hit was enough to send Leo sprawling, tumbling end over end like a discarded toy.

"And now I'm done playing with you," the wyrm growled. "It was fun while it lasted, but-"

"Now just ye wait a damn bloody moment!" Zentam snarled, dropping his weapon and shield with a clamor that caused everybody to twitch in surprise. Even the dragon paused in mid-strike, instead looking at the bristling dwarf. Arach dropped to the ground next to Leo, a breathless prayer of thanks for the interruption on her lips. With her cloak flapping and clutching her holy symbol, she sprinted to where Tear was lying, whimpering feebly in a steadily growing pool of dark red. Frantically intoning the syllables of a healing spell, Arach dropped to her knees next to her lover and pressed her hands onto Tear's ravaged midsection.

Zentam had by now also dropped his backpack and was rummaging through its contents. The dragon's head whipped down, intent at snatching the insolent little man with its teeth, crushing it into a bloody pulp. At the last moment, the mighty beast stopped and recoiled at something the dwarf was brandishing with a flourish.

"Aha, I knew I still had it wit'me!" Zentam whooped, holding aloft a metal tube, ten inches long, rather wide and with a wick hanging from one end. Grinning at the dragon, he waved the thing around.

"Ye know what this is, right? Filled up with blast powder it is. Yes, go ahead and eat me, ye overstuffed newt, but prepare for one serious case of indigestion when this little thing right 'ere gets cooked by your internal fires!"

"Don't you dare threaten me!" the dragon roared, nearly bowling Zentam off his feet with the force of the shout.

"Threaten? Who said anything 'bout threatening?" Zentam huffed and trotted to the lava pool hugging one side of the makeshift battlefield.

The dragon shook his head.

"You'll only hurt your friends when throwing this at me!" he grumbled.

Zentam bent down and used a half-molten ceremonial sword to light the wick, which flared to life with an ominous hiss. Turning to face Leo, he said, "And who said anything about throwing this at you?" He pulled his arm back and threw the missile.

In a wide arc the metal tube flew through the cavern, missing the dragon's snout by just a few inches. The dragon, intent on not colliding and possibly setting off the thing, even snaked his head back in a hurry. Leo caught it and finally understood what Zentam was all about. With his magically enhanced strength, he threw the hissing and smoking tube at the stalactite he failed to break loose earlier. The missile tumbled end over end and almost every eye in the cavern was on it. The throw was solid. Clanging softly, the tube hit the stone and the wick stopped to hiss. A moment later, an enormous detonation rocked the cave to its foundations as the blast powder tube exploded. Bits of ceiling rained down onto the combatants, nearly deafened by the explosion. And then, with a sharp clap, the stalactite cracked free from the ceiling. The dragon tried to toss its bulk sideways, even shielding its back with its wings, but to no avail. Like a massive guillotine, the heavy rock spire slammed into its back, pinning the beast to the floor, shattering its hip bones. The roars of the dragon were loud before but now they were overwhelming, rising in pitch and volume as the beast struggled against the massive weight boring down on it. With a savage grin, Leo got to his feet and reclaimed his hammer. He pondered if he should simply turn and walk away but he had to make sure this monster would never terrorize the land again. Hurting in a dozen places, the paladin limped towards the writhing head of the dragon.

"I hope you made peace with whatever dark deities your kind worships," he began, barely sidestepping as the dragon snapped his way, "because I will send you straight to them." With a mighty heave, he brought the hammer down.

***

Even the dragon's death was violent. Instead of simply huffing out its last breath, something deep inside the beast went out of control, consuming it in an infernal blaze, burning the dragon's corpse to a cinder, until only the fireproof scales remained. Leo carried his hurting frame to where the dark elves huddled. Arach had her hands pressed onto Tear's stomach, her fingers aglow with a soothing, greenish radiance. But even with her healing, the wound looked ghastly. The dragon had rammed its red-hot talon into Tear's soft midsection, the whole area around her stomach looked at the same time raw, minced and burned. Tear whimpered as her body was flooded with healing energy. Arach shot Leo a worried look.

"I can't keep her together! You need to help me!" the younger drow called, an edge of despair in her voice.

Leo kneeled down at Tear's other side and invoked the name of Lord Justice, adding his own magical healing to Arach's. Gritting his teeth, he poured everything he had into the body of his friend, praying that she still could be saved. Tear moaned as her body slowly knitted, the ravaged flesh seemed to move and writhe under Leo's touch.

"That's it, just a little more," Arach urged, intoning the words of yet another healing spell and pressing her hands onto Tear's ravaged stomach. Slowly, as if resisting every inch of the way, Tear's mangled flesh mended. Fresh, unbroken black skin grew under Leo's fingertips and Tear panted as the pain lessened. Yet another healing spell poured from Arach's fingertips and Tear sighed, her hands slowly clasping Leo's and Arach's.

"Will she be all right?" Zentam asked. Leo had almost forgotten about the dwarf. But there he was, sweating profusely but otherwise unharmed, happily heaping helmetfuls of coins into his backpack. He was wearing a garishly jewel-encrusted crown on his head and grinned madly as he plonked an egg-sized ruby into his pack.

"Yeah, I will," Tear groaned, using Leo's offered hands to come unsteadily to her feet. "But I have no desire to stick around much longer. Let's grab what we can and be out of here before the cultists come back."

***

With a splash, Arach slowly rose out of the steaming bathtub, the water cascading down her curves, her long hair plastered to her back, a wide smile on her face. She, Tear and Leo were sitting in the cellar of the Three Oaks Inn, in the small village of the same name. It was the first bit of civilization they found after leaving the Depths through a different passage than they had entered it. Now they were soaking in huge copper bathtubs the innkeeper had hurriedly prepared when Arach threw a plate-sized gold piece on his bar and had ordered the royal treatment for the companions.

"Already done, little imp?" Tear asked, her arms spread, head comfortably leaning back on the lip of her own bath. Her nearly fatal wound had healed surprisingly well, only leaving a nasty scar on her stomach, and apart from sudden bouts of thoughtfulness, she seemed none the worse for wear.

"Far from it," Arach chirped and carefully placed one foot on the slick granite tiles, making sure to wriggle her behind Leo's way, before finally leaving the bathtub. She shivered in the relative chill of the cellar and scuttled over to Tear's bath which she entered with a contented sigh, wrapping her arms around her lover's neck. Then she began to whisper into Tear's ear, occasionally interrupted by little sobs. Tear's smile became radiant before she wrapped Arach into her arms, hugging her to her breasts.

"It's all right. Thanks to you and Leo, I'm still in one piece. I really had forgotten what a nasty piece of work a dragon could be," she cooed softly, nibbling at Arach's ear. She looked up at Tear, her eyes still bright and wet, and Tear, smiling gently, kissed her cheeks, even licked up the errant tear still spilling from her eyes. Arach started to giggle helplessly then her hands came up, cupping Tear's breasts, caressing as much dark-skinned flesh as she could get her fingers on.

"I really would have hated the thought of losing you," Arach sniffed but smiled nonetheless, bowing her head to capture one of Tear's nipples between her lips. Tear bent her head back, sighing in pleasure.

"You know, Leo would have taken good care of you," Tear whispered, her hands travelling up and down Arach's back, disappearing under the sudsy water for quick caresses of her behind.

"I know but he isn't you. Without you, I'd still be completely lost and alone," Arach murmured, her own hands wandering under the water, "or even dead. The surface dwellers would have killed me, were it not for you."

Tear gasped in surprise. "What are you doing?" she giggled, writhing against Arach.

"Oh, just checking if you're really whole. Mind sitting on the lip of the tub for a spell?" Arach suggested.

"I don't know, that might get a little chilly, don't you think?" Tear grinned at her but rose obediently from the waters, sitting down on the broad lip of the bathtub. With a low growl, Arach spread Tear's knees and her head all but disappeared between her thighs, kissing and licking with abandon.

Leo smiled inwardly as he rose from his own tub. It was so nice to see both of them returning to their usual, playful selves, he didn't want to intrude. So he wrapped himself in a towel and retreated to the room he and Zentam shared, quickly checking up on the dwarf on the way up. Since their arrival, Zentam was lodged at the bar, telling tales of his magnificent victory to the innkeeper and his two serving maids, with a steadily growing array of mugs and bottles in front of him.

Up in the room Leo finally realized how wrung out he was. In their hurry to get as far away from the dragon's hoard, to avoid any contact with the cultists, they had barely slept in the last few days, and then there was the matter of their packs, filled to bursting with gems, jewellery and other valuables Leo intended to return to Storm Harbour so the Storm Lords could reimburse some of the people the cultists had blackmailed out of their fortunes. So, not bothering if it was only midday, Leo folded his towel and slipped under the covers of his bed, already asleep as his head hit the pillow.

***

"Wake up, sleepyhead," someone whispered into his ear. Leo grumbled softly and tried to turn away but there was a weight pinning him to his back. Slightly irritated, his arm folded inwards, his hand landing smack dab on warm, supple, curvy skin.

"Whuh?" the paladin mumbled, his eyes fluttering open. A pair of amber eyes was sparkling at him. Slowly, the cobwebs in his mind dissipated and recognition set in. "Arach? What are you doing here?" he stammered.

"Not taking any chances this time," she purred, moving against him. Leo noticed she was as naked as he was, sitting astride his hips. He also noticed that the room he and the dwarf were supposed to share was rather empty, only illuminated by a small wick lamp on the night stand.

"He's still downstairs, by now he ought to have bested a whole herd of dragons," Arach laughed softly, following Leo's gaze to the vacant bed. "It's just past midnight."

"And what about you and Tear?" he asked, realizing that his hands had wandered onto her shapely behind almost on their own. Arach wriggled under his touch, smoothing her behind into his palms.

"We've had our grand reunion, it took almost all afternoon," Arach whispered, leaning over Leo's chest and dragging her hardened nipples over his skin. He shuddered in pleasure at the sensation. "But I made a promise and a princess of House Undrearth keeps her promises and her threats both." Her lips brushed his nose, then she held still, an inviting smile on them. Leo realized she was again offering a chance to bail. He smiled back before pulling her into a tight embrace, gently bringing his lips against hers. Arach buried her hands in Leo's golden curls and really kissed him, her tongue slipping between his lips. This time he knew what she wanted and sought her out with his own. Arach sighed into his mouth and ground her body into him, pressing as much skin as possible against his broad chest. Her lips closed around Leo's lower lip and she sucked gently, making him gasp in surprise. Coming up for air, she chuckled throatily.

"We should hunt dragons more often, you know that? I could get used to the victory celebration afterwards," she purred. "Also, you're one quick learner."

"Thank you kindly, milady," Leo huffed, his hands caressing down her back and behind.

"But would you be overly angry if we skip the niceties and pick up where we were so rudely interrupted last time?" Arach suggested with a lewd grin, hands sliding down Leo's body. For emphasis, she dragged her sex, hot and moist, against his by now raging hardness. Leo shivered underneath her.

"Not one bit," he rumbled, deep in his chest.

With a radiant smile, Arach lifted herself off his hips, resting her weight on her knees to either side of him while she fondled his meat with both hands, rubbing the shiny helmet against her nether lips. Growling herself, she placed his tip at her opening and lowered herself slowly, head thrown back. Following a hunch, Leo placed his hands on her breasts, gently caressing and kneading the firm flesh, causing Arach to sigh contentedly as she slowly slid down his pole until she had his full length in her. Eyes sparkling with mirth, she leaned into Leo's hands, wrapping her hands around his wrists.

"That's a good start, Leo. But surely you don't expect me to do all the work, hmm?" Arach teased, pushing herself off Leo, letting his member slide out inch by inch. The paladin had his eyes closed, revelling in the feeling of Arach's velvety tunnel fluttering and caressing his rod. Then the drow girl lowered herself again, slightly gyrating her hips slowly until their bodies touched again, adding her sighs of pleasure to his own.

"No, I don't expect that one bit," he growled, feeling those unfamiliar but wonderful surges rage through his body as she moved and shivered atop him. Almost on instinct, he humped his hips up when hers came down, driving himself even farther into the dark elven girl. Arach threw her head back again and moaned, a low, hungry sound.

Slowly, Arach rose, locking her gaze with Leo's. Again she lowered herself and Leo responded, raising his hips to meet her, driving himself deeper into her. Arach clawed her hands into his shoulders, her moan had turned into a low growl as she rose, quicker this time, daring Leo to impale himself into her like before. Faster and faster they moved until the bed creaked under their movements, each thrust shaking the wooden frame to its foundation, each thrust causing Arach to gasp or yelp in appreciation. Suddenly, Arach tensed up, head thrown back, mouth opened in a soundless scream. Her body shivered violently, her fingernails carved bloody furrows into Leo's shoulders. He stopped moving and looked at her in wonder.

"Are you all right?" he whispered, his hands gently caressing her sides.

Arach blinked twice then she erupted into a good-natured bout of laughter.

"Of course I am all right. Can't you tell? You've made me one very happy girl just now. It has been quite some time that I had the pleasure of... playing with a male so it came quicker than I had anticipated but I'm fine. Actually, more than fine," she murmured, caressing Leo's broad chest with her fingernails.

"So... are we done?" Leo asked, a little disappointedly. Arach smiled and tensed up a little, causing her insides to flex around Leo's rod, still embedded to the root in her.

"Does that feel like 'done?'" she asked breathlessly.

"Hardly," the paladin grinned back. To his surprise, Arach rose off him completely and pulled on his hand.

"Let me show you something. Would you get up for me?" she purred playfully. Throwing her a questioning look, Leo sat up and swung his legs off the bed. Once he was standing, Arach climbed back into bed, on all fours, and scooted backwards until her backside was brushing his hardness.

"Would you mind fucking me this way?" she asked, swaying her behind invitingly.

"Is that comfortable for you?" Leo asked, concern in his voice.

"Yes, I liked that very much when I was still back home. Just put your rod right here and take me," Arach suggested, spreading her legs and pointing with her slender fingers. Then she lowered her upper body onto a hastily claimed cushion. Tenderly, Leo rubbed his member against her crack, trying to find the spot she showed him. Arach moaned and stopped his clumsy exploration with gentle fingers.

"Yes, you could put it there but I think we both need to get used to one another before we actually do it," she giggled. Leo blushed furiously when he realized at which opening he had been stabbing. A moment later every thought of embarrassment was forgotten, though, when Arach's sex engulfed the head of his cock, guided by her deft fingers.