Surfacing Ch. 30

"What's the Dragon's name?"

The Lead swallowed, smacking her lips and her tongue, testing. She cleared her throat, rubbed her bare hands. "Iskomitneh."

Rausery grinned. "Hm. Not what I was expecting."

The younger Sister shook her head, looking bemused. "I know, Elder. I would have liked something shorter."

"Anything you'd want to tell me right now?"

Jaunda rubbed her jaw like it was half-numb. "He has walked among the Illithids just as he has us, Elder."

The Elder scowled. "You're fucking jesting."

"No, Elder. Don't know how long he loitered around the conclave after we left, before he followed us here, but he's playing both sides. The captive we had before definitely made it back to them. That's confirmed through Iskomitneh; don't know what he's confirmed for them about us. But at least that's how they know about Sirana. Unless the Dragon's told them what we've said, they don't know when she's coming back, they're just...preparing for the possibility. They can wait a long time."

While Rausery's own leaders "knew" just about when it would happen yet hadn't been preparing nearly as much. What was the Queen's excuse? The Dragon even wanted it to happen, enough to protect the Consort who was having visions like the Queen, so even confirming that the Dragon danced both sides of the fence didn't make Rausery regret her actions thus far. Doing nothing wasn't her style. At least the Dragon would do something.

"Mm. Good, then. Get dressed, Lead."

Jaunda smiled slightly as reached for her boots, though now she looked more nervous like the Dragon magic which had been keeping her calm was now wearing off. She would hang in there, though; she always did.

"Elder D'Shea still alive?" she asked quietly. "Haven't heard her or the Prime recently..."

Elder Rausery nodded. "She is. Has to stay where she is, I'm afraid. You have to go upstairs with me, though. Now."

"And do what, Elder?"

Rausery signed that one. *Help Shyntre the way you helped Auslan. However we can.*

At first Jaunda looked confused, but then she seemed to remember something. *Gotcha, Elder.*

"I'm ready."

Only at that point did Elder Rausery call her superior to meet her at the Palace, well away from Varessa D'Shea.

*******

"Enter."

The Prime and the two Red Sisters bowed. "Valsharess."

Phaelous and Lelinahdara turned to look at them, each of them with placid expressions even though Rausery could smell the tang of nerves. Shyntre was beside the Valsharess...actually kneeling beside Her throne the way Rausery had pictured doing with Jaunda as she waited for her to speak...

Her Queen blinked at Jaunda, then clearly remembered now was the time.

Fucking Abyss, She had actually forgotten?! Why could Rausery even read that? She shouldn't be able to...that was D'Shea's skill.

Everything she'd known was turning upside down.

Rausery pressed down on Jaunda's shoulder, getting her to take to one knee. "Report, Lead."

And so she finally could. She gave a report where she was alone with the Dragon for five cycles after bargaining with him. It was...graphic. A grueling interrogation, as Jaunda clearly expected it to be, particularly with the Prime badgering her unnecessarily about the details of what the Dragon did to her, as if Jaunda could stop him. It distracted them and caused Rausery's and even Lelinahdara's nerves to fray. Even then though, Jaunda acted like it was not as grueling as the five-cycle ordeal itself, the constant testing, the resistance and endurance under Iskomitneh's direct power.

"Iskomitneh," the Queen reflected. "That is the name he gave you?"

"It is, my Queen."

"Not 'Sargt'?" She asked.

"No, my Queen."

"Not 'Lethrix'?"

"No, my Queen, but he did offer 'To'vah' as well."

Jaunda caught Phaelous's eye and the Headmaster almost seemed to get the jest, assuming there was one.

"Why so many names?" the Priestess asked.

"He thinks very highly of himself," the Prime grumbled. "The same why our Spider Queen has many names. The last time he w— well, whatever, regardless...he's not a god."

"We know this," the Valsharess muttered, distracted. "Else he would not be able to breed with our kind."

The Priestess started. "What?"

Most of them looked at Jaunda, but she put her hands up. "Whoa! No. Elder D'Shea already checked, I'm not—"

The Valsharess snapped Her fingers. "We know this as well, do not bore Us, Lead."

Jaunda shut her mouth immediately but the rest of them were left bewildered over those last statements. As the Queen stared off to one side, none of them had the courage to bring it up again.

"About the Illithids, Valsharess," Rausery began.

"Don't waste Her time, Elder," the Prime interjected.

Her temper nearly flared but she just got hold of it; the Elder kept her focus on her Queen. "You've granted us Your Vision that the Illithids are going to attack us. The Prime has had me looking into options—"

"Options that *don't* include the Sisterhood taking over the Tower, Elder," the Prime growled.

The Valsharess frowned at them, pulled out of Her thoughts. "The Tower?"

"Elder Rausery has had a wizard or two doing some experimentation with the suppression collar while we waited for Jaunda to speak, Your Highness," the Prime informed her. "Looking to turn it into a defense piece, something our fighters could wear. I've allowed it and we've even started gathering supplies to make more of them, but Elder Rausery keeps asking for permission to move all of the battle mages under the Sisterhood."

"Absolutely not," the Valsharess said immediately.

The Prime smirked at Rausery with a clear "told you so" expression. Fucking Abyss. Just a "no"? Just like that. Maybe she should have waited and not pushed it, but when was the last time she'd even had an audience? Not since arresting D'Shea. The Prime was constantly blocking her just because they couldn't change the way things were too much...

It was going to get them wiped out.

"Do not worry, Elder," the Valsharess spoke again, this time with more surety and grace. "Lethrix will not want the Illithids to take over this cavern. We know something of him."

"With all due respect, my Queen, that does not mean he will see us remain as we are," Rausery protested. "In fact, if I were him, I'd let the Illithids take over and then wipe them out myself, so both of us were gone. He could do that, right?"

The Prime wasn't so quick to gainsay her now; she saw the point, at least, even if she would continue to do what the Valsharess wanted.

"Then why would the Dragon do this now and not in our past clashes with the mindflayers?" Lelinahdara asked.

"Because he was asleep," Jaunda spoke out of line, fearless and impatient, "and this particular Elder Mind has never held a Drow captive until Sirana. It's young, not quite five hundred years old. It wasn't long they held her, never even got to drag her away, but it was long enough and she was strange enough that they got scared of what they saw. They call her 'the corrupter.'"

"Why?" Phaelous asked curiously when no one else interrupted her.

Jaunda shook her head. "I don't know, but when our captive Illithid escaped, it brought everything about the Priestesses and the Draegloth that it had to the Elder Mind, which was a lot. And yet...they're more scared of Sirana than the Priestesses and all of the Abyss. They're massing now, ready for the possibility she could return. It's the perfect time for the To'vah to be awake."

Rausery couldn't help but smile at the Lead, sharing it with Phaelous before looking at the Queen. "Lead Jaunda's insights are valuable. More will probably come back to her as the spell wears off further."

"So We see," the Valsharess murmured, resting Her chin thoughtfully in Her hand, staring at the Red Sister. She thought about it a moment more. "She will stay with Us for a little longer. Lelinahdara will remain here as well. We instruct the Prime and Elder Rausery to continue this defense plan. Phaelous, you will now return to your Tower and regain control of it. You may work with the Sisterhood as necessary."

Well, that was something.

"What of Elder D'Shea, Valsharess?" Rausery asked.

A final shake of Her head. "She will remain where she is."

Damn it.

"Go."

Rausery made eye contact with Jaunda; the Lead nodded ever-so-slightly. She would help them. She wasn't afraid.

*******

Shyntre had been silent the entire time, listening to everyone else debate and argue and question Jaunda. Hearing her tale, of course, made him shudder inside. Sargt...or Lethrix, or Isko-whatever...could have done all that to him as well. Right in his room, on the same floor with the Queen.

But he didn't. The Dragon had wanted to show him something, as he ultimately had shown the Lead Red Sister what she needed to see. He'd talked with her, it was obvious now; he didn't *only* fuck the living Abyss out of her. Shyntre wondered if he could have held up as well as Jaunda had.

The three of them—himself, Jaunda, and Lelinahdara—soon followed the Queen back to her private altar room. As he'd expected, Jaunda was ordered to strip out of her red uniform down to her skin. She began without complaint, and when he moved to help her out of her armor neither she nor the Valsharess protested. He was only relieved the Queen wasn't preparing a protection circle as they worked; She merely secured the room at large.

Soon Jaunda stood naked, her hair short, her body strong and muscular, straight and proud; she looked pretty much as he remembered those decades ago. She'd been one of the better Red Sisters to please, as it turned out, though he hadn't known it at the time.

Now he watched with a different set of eyes—it wasn't just her, it was him—and he could see a few beautiful whorls of shining, dark yellow curling around her waist and hips, lifting up her stomach to curve just beneath her right breast. It was like she had been painted in golden smoke, though not everyone could see the design embracing her with an odd intimacy.

It had to be the Dragon's mark the Valsharess had been searching for on him but had not found. He wondered if it had faded from how it had looked when it was fresh, or had shrunk perhaps...he thought it might be.

"We still have time," the Valsharess murmured. "One last surge, We think, before it fades and We play again. What would it show Us? Do We dare?"

The Priestess glanced at them, a little nervous, as it was clear the Queen wasn't speaking to anyone but Herself, but she wouldn't ask for clarification. Lelinahdara was even a bit shocked when she got it right away.

"You carry the vial with you, Tarra," the Queen said.

"Y-yes, Your Highness."

"You must drink it here in this room, and We will enhance your vision with Lethrix's last remnants inside Our Lead. We will all See what you were meant to See years ago."

Now Shyntre and Jaunda glanced at each other, him more worried than her.

"Jaunda, upon the altar."

"Knew that was comin'," Jaunda muttered to him wryly, then cleared her throat. "Yes, my Queen."

Waiting until the Red Sister had climbed onto the stone and lay on her back, the Queen next commanded, "Consort, perform your duties."

Shyntre tried not to grimace, already far behind as he touched himself and tried to think about getting hard. *Sure, why not? Right here, instant ramrod...*

Or not.

"If it's all the same, my Queen," Jaunda said, sounding far more relaxed than she should've been in her position, "I've had my fill of dick for a while. Do you just need me to cum? I'll cum for Your Highness."

The Valsharess gave the Red Sister a very odd look, as if She had forgotten that not every one of Her red warriors came from the Noble Houses with their manners. More of them didn't, as a matter of fact, but Shyntre still thought Jaunda was pushing things. He waited for some form of controlling punishment to remind her where she came from...

"Hm. Yes, We command your climax, Lead. It is Dragonlust he put in you, every climax can utilize the magic. This way, We can channel it."

"Gotcha, my Queen. Makes sense. The Consort could suck me instead. It would be faster than him fucking me, I promise, and he's good at it."

The Valsharess looked at the wizard as if She hadn't known that... and only now wondered why the Red Sister knew it. He felt his face heat up. *Please don't get jealous, it was years ago...*

Frowning a little, the Queen agreed with surprising ease. "...Very well. Shyntre, service her with your mouth instead."

He released the breath he was holding and didn't question; this was his preference, too, if he had to make someone climax on command for a spell or ritual. He'd long since learned to lose himself in the musk and the folds, just close his eyes and go at it, make her feel it, make her cum...

He didn't even have to undress himself as he stepped up and helped the Lead position her hips and crotch to be within easy reach for him, her heels braced at the edge of the stone table. He waited to be told to begin, lightly holding Jaunda's hips.

"Lelinahdara, drink your vial and undress as well. Kneel above the Red Sister's face and let her service you the same way."

"Oo, fun." Jaunda chuckled and then cooed with a beckoning hand, "Come on, Priestess, hop on up. I won't bite."

He heard a scoff from the Priestess, then uncertainty. "Valsharess...?"

Now he looked at Lelinahdara. She was trying to maintain her dignity but Shyntre could tell the Priestess was the one most reluctant. She normally led rituals like this, not served in them. She didn't seem attracted to Jaunda, either.

The Valsharess snapped Her fingers again, pointing at the altar. "Jaunda has merely taken on a little of the Dragon's attitude right now. She feels no fear of this. It is good for you, Tarra, it will keep the ritual strong. Unless you'd like to bring in your Draegloth instead?"

Tarra shook her head immediately and did as she was bid, pulling out a small potion from inside her robes, shrugging out of them to reveal a truly voluptuous form, much different from Jaunda's warrior one. She unstopped the vial and tossed it back, swallowing with a grimace, then dropped the bottle on top of her robes.

The Priestess crawled onto the altar mostly by herself, though the Red Sister touched and stroked her hips and thighs interestedly while helping her keep her balance. Jaunda sniffed at her crotch and kissed her netherlips immediately, causing Tarra to gasp in surprise.

"I'm not ready yet!"

"So?" Jaunda licked her. "You'll get ready. Shyntre?"

Not able to help a bit of a smile, Shyntre leaned down and started sucking the Lead, holding her muscular thighs open at her discretion. He noticed that she probably hadn't done more than a cursory wipe-down in the dungeon the last few days, but Jaunda always had been one of the sweaty ones. Based on her musk alone, it took him little time to remember what it was she liked.

"Ohhh, fuck, yeah!" she groaned, gripping Tarra's thighs hard and lifting her head up to start sucking herself, pulling down constant and steady until the Priestess was almost smothering her and Jaunda wouldn't have a kink in her neck from the angle.

The Priestess lightly bit her bottom lip. "Mmm..."

"Concentrate, Tarra."

She closed her eyes.

Eventually, so did Shyntre as the Queen chanted, stepping deliberately around them. Instead of distracting them, it seemed to help. He felt Jaunda's heat rise as he tasted her; he avoided spearing her with his tongue because she didn't like that, but he did rim her as well. He listened to the Valsharess's deeper, husky voice and heard Tarra's breath become unstable. The exertion must have been something because soon he caught a whiff of the Priestess's new scent as well.

Briefly he opened his eyes to see Tarra grinding determinedly against the Red Sister's face, twisting her nipples hard. The Dragon mark on Jaunda's skin shimmered, the magic was building, all of their auras were bright and lightly melded...

He felt something shift in his brain just as Jaunda made the stubborn Priestess cum on her face. Then with a muffled roar Jaunda reached for the back of his head to smash his face against her. She squirted all over him, into his mouth, some of it up his nose.

He hit his knees and only needed a few more strokes of his own beneath his robe to add to the fluid on the floor. He felt only his third spasm in his cock when Tarra fell forward onto Jaunda, her face nearly falling into her pussy as she gasped for breath, watching him finish. Shyntre was kneeling, looking up at her and they made eye contact.

"C-come with us," she whispered, pleaded, still afraid. She grabbed his hand, which still held Jaunda's thigh as her feet had slipped off the altar.

He slipped away, and came with them back into the sands.

*******

It was just him and Tarra, with the Valsharess standing just behind them, gripping one shoulder each. Jaunda was nowhere to be seen. They stood upon one of the higher dunes, looking down below at long shadows darkening the deep red sand. The Sun was close to the horizon and without knowing exactly why—something about the exact shade of the light rather than any direction he could only assume—Shyntre thought that it was setting rather than rising.

Night was coming.

Tarra allowed the tiniest whine to escape her throat though she quickly turned her head toward the Valsharess, eyes wide looking for any possible displeasure from her Queen.

"Have you dreamed of this place before, Tarra?" the Valsharess asked, demanding truth.

"The one time I have since confessed to you, Valsharess."

"Any others since?"

"No, Valsharess. It has been over three centuries..."

"But you recognize it."

The Priestess hoped to make do with a nod and a grunt; the Queen allowed it.

"Tell Shyntre your dream."

"I-is it safe to do that here...?"

"No. But We command it."

The Priestess looked back at the horizon but avoided looking directly at the setting Sun then turned her wary gaze to Shyntre. It was clear she didn't enjoy showing weakness in front of him but he hadn't let her get away with pretending she understood what happened after the forming room ritual either. The wizard-Consort was the one ahead of the Priestess-sorceress this time, but he still wished he wasn't. It still wasn't enough to be anything but a useful pawn.

"Much of it is hazy and I do not even now know what it means," Tarra began.

"That is why you are to recount it here," the Valsharess said sternly, throwing off her attempt at building confidence. "Touch Shyntre's hand as you speak, Priestess, and it will be clear."

The Queen still held both of them and Tarra hesitantly, lightly looped her fingers around his, forming a bit of a circle between them.

"I was here," she murmured, "except there was a stone the size of a plow rothe jutting out of the sand, breaking the wind and the only feature to throw a shadow. In its shadow was a black dagger of exotic make, inscribed with red runes I could not read."

Shyntre didn't interrupt but he could see it clearly thus far. In fact, it seemed to be forming right in front of them...a hazy mirage in deep orange light.

"It whispered to me, cried like an infant needing food," she murmured. "There was a sense of great distance...as if it in itself was a gateway somewhere."

Shyntre shivered, and they stared at the dagger at the base of the looming rock.

"Did you touch it?" the Valsharess asked, more of a prompt.

"No..." Tarra answered softly. "I watched as the sand slowly buried it."

There was a pause. As they watched, so it was. It took a very long time in that spot, and it cried the whole time.

"And then what happened?" the Valsharess asked as only the hilt remained visible.

"Then..." Tarra blinked, tearing her eyes from the stone and looking toward the horizon, searching for something.