Tears For The Dragon Ch. 02

"You just...oooohhh...let me worry about that," replied Celia. "The length is not a problem. But damn, you are real...aaahhh...girthy." She managed to get the thick and swollen head into her as Gard gripped the sides of his bed-nest. The sensation was amazing, like his cock was being trapped in a velvet vise. She was almost tight enough to be painful.

Celia stared at the wall in utter blissful concentration as she slowly edged herself down on him. Gard reached up with one hand and gently rubbed one nipple. She gave a gasp and pressed her chest towards his questing hand. Gard raised his other hand and began to fondle both of her tits. He paid particular attention to them, both because he loved hearing her moan and to distract himself and keep from going off too soon.

He was so distracted, in fact, that he was surprised by the feel of her pelvis bumping into his. Gard looked down and saw that she'd taken all of him inside her. He looked back up at her sweaty and triumphant face. "Are you all right?" he asked.

"Wonderful. Just let me get used to it for a bit." Her breath was coming in shallow gasps now, but as she relaxed around his impaling member her breathing slowed. Gard placed his hands on her thighs and rubbed them as he waited.

Then Celia began to move, slowly at first. Gard reached back and cupped her slim ass-cheeks as she rocked on top of him. They gasped in unison as she then pulled herself up slightly and then pressed back down. "Oh Goddess," she moaned. "It feels like you're going clear up me throat."

Before he could ask if she was in pain, she began bouncing on him with more vigor and speed. Her cunny gripped him on every up-stroke as if it didn't want to let him go, and as she pushed back down the delicious friction of her inner walls made his head spin.

He finally lost control near the end. As Celia bounced faster and faster, his grip on her ass tightened and he began to thrust up into her while growling.

"Oh, yeah," she said with a gasp. "Fuck me, big guy!"

That was all he needed to hear. In a lust-filled haze Gard gripped her hips firmly and slammed himself up into her. Celia put her hands on his shoulders and held on for dear life as he took up the beat and pounded her relentlessly. Then she gave a little quaking cry and he felt her thighs shake. He gave another triumphant growl as he thrust one last time and felt the bright flare of his pleasure while he blasted another copious stream of his seed deep into her.

Celia collapsed on top of him as he panted. "Oh, fuck yes," she said in a syrupy voice. Then she pulled herself forward off of him, and he felt his emission seep out of her and puddle onto his stomach. Right now he couldn't care less. Gard rumbled with contentment as he gently stroked her bare back.

He was then surprised by her kiss. Ogres didn't do such things, as the tusks made it dangerous. But Celia's head fit nicely in between his tusks, and so she pressed her lips against his. "Mwah! So what did you think of your first time with a human?"

Gard brought his hand around and stroked her facial scars with his finger. She smiled and gave him another kiss.

"You were amazing," he finally said. "I'm sorry I got kind of rough at the end."

"Ah, that was nothing. It felt great. I'll be walking funny fer a bit, but I'm more bendy than most." She reared up and stretched her arms over her head. Gard reveled in the sight of her scarred skin as her tight muscles flexed with the motion. Then she lay back down on him and rested her head on his shoulder "Mmmm, now I think I can get some sleep."

"Me too," he replied. "And I will be sleeping with a smile, as you promised." He stroked her short hair. "Would...would you like to sleep here tonight? I find your presence very relaxing."

Celia chuckled. "I guess I can do that. You make a pretty good pillow for bein' such a big muscle-y guy."

They both drifted off to sleep as they held each other. Eventually the candle guttered and winked out, leaving the pair in darkness.

__________________________________________________________

Petra was almost ready for the move. She was not sure what facilities, if any, would be available at the Katona manor for her work. So she made sure that she had a nice selection of fuses and detonators, along with some of the more esoteric explosives and chemicals.

If she needed anything more basic in the way of materials, the alchemist was sure she could 'procure' them when Vasalat. Especially if she had both the burglar and the battle-mage watching her back. Petra was pretty sure that the two of them had 'done the deed', so to speak, on the same night that they'd arrived. Petra would ordinarily roll her eyes at such behavior, but she honestly couldn't blame them. Emsari's pheromones tended to have that effect on people. For herself, the gnome had learned to stuff wool around the edges of her door to keep out the scent. Otherwise she'd be lying in her cot and diddling herself to exhaustion every time Emsari and Tibor screwed. She hoped that the pair would not be quite so...'active' once they moved to Miklos's house.

Something that she was sure would *not* be available at the manor was anything like a proper bath. So she was taking full advantage of Emsari's huge underground lake while getting in a nice swim as well. As she lazily drifted and paddled, the gnome's mind ticked through possible sources of raw materials in Vasalat. She was also trying to figure out some of the more dangerous portions of the plan.

Petra was brought back to the present by a large splash. The scaled form of her draconic host sped beneath her like a huge green minnow. Emsari tended to be a little clumsy and waddling when on land, but in the water or in the air she became a figure of pure grace. Petra watched the dragon loop around with a little bit of envy. Not entirely because of Emsari's ability, but because of who she was with.

That was not a healthy thing to dwell on, and so Petra paddled over to the edge of the lake and pushed herself up out of the water. She had placed a couple of towels on the stone floor, but just as she reached for one a warm wind from nowhere swirled about her. In the space of a few seconds, Petra found herself entirely dry. She looked out into the lake and saw Emsari's big head poking out of the water. The dragon gave her a red-eyed wink and slipped below the surface again.

"Show-off," muttered Petra. But she had to admit it was nice to be completely warm and dry. She sat her bare bottom down on a towel and tucked her knees to her chest. Petra figured she could afford a few minutes of rest before finishing her preparations.

Emsari's green-and-gold form erupted from the water a little ways away. The dragon did the 'air-dry' spell on herself as well and then padded over to Petra. She lay down on her stomach beside the gnome and crossed her arms in front of her. Petra couldn't help but notice that Emsari's long tail now encircled the area where the gnome sat. The tail wasn't that close to her, but it formed a definite boundary.

Petra sneaked a glance at one of Emsari's muscled shoulders. She wondered again what it was that Tibor saw in her. Oh, the dragon was polite and kind...when she wasn't being terrifying. Even apart from the 'also a female' hurdle, if Petra was in Tibor's shoes she'd be worried about being broken like a twig. To be fair, Petra knew that some of her misgivings were due to misplaced jealousy.

"How goes your preparations?" asked Emsari.

Petra shrugged. "I'm almost done. I have some precision fuses that I need to make, plus a couple of acids that should be handy for eating through locks. Call it another two days."

"Good." The dragon didn't say anything more, and stared out at the lake. To Petra's surprise, the silence wasn't uncomfortable. It felt oddly peaceful.

And was it her imagination, or had Emsari scooted herself a little closer? She snuck another glance at the dragon and found herself pinned by Emsari's gaze. Her red eyes seemed to glow a little.

The dragon's voice was low and gentle. "Does he know?"

Petra jerked her eyes away. "I, erm, don't know what you mean..."

There was the softest touch of Emsari's tail-tip on her shoulder. "Petra, please. We are heading into grave peril. He should know how you feel."

The gnome scrubbed at her eyes. Damn it all, she was not going to bawl in front of a big stupid lizard. "That's why he can't know. We need to keep focused on the mission." She looked down at the floor. "And he's my friend, you know? My best friend. I don't want to screw that up by... well, by screwing him." She looked up in puzzlement at the dragon. "And besides, you and he are together, right?"

The dragon gave a hissing laugh. "I don't have a brand on his ass, the last time I checked." The tail tip stroked Petra's shoulder a little more firmly. "When did you know?"

Petra stared out over the lake. "When I was nursing Tibor back to health. It was after he'd clouted Metternich and gotten stabbed for his troubles. That damn stubborn beanpole just would not die. He's kind of admirable in that way, you know?"

"I know, believe me. But why not tell him?"

The gnome sniffed. "Because his fiance's corpse was still swinging in the city center. And Natalia was my friend too, right? I don't know about dragons, but us mortals consider it tacky to profess love in that kind of situation." She looked down at the stone floor and felt tears well in her eyes. This time it was from the memory of seeing the rotting corpse of Natalia being pecked at by crows.

A big scaled arm went around Petra's shoulders and slid her over against the dragon's chest. She was surprised at how soft Emsari's scales were; she'd expected something like sandpaper. She was also suddenly very aware of the fact that she was buck-naked and pressed up against a huge predator. The gnomish part of her hind-brain started yelling at her to run and hide.

But the more rational part of her found the situation kind of comforting, actually. Emsari's body was unexpectedly warm; they may have looked like lizards, but dragons were definitely not cold-blooded. Emsari's huge hand gently stroked Petra's tiny shoulder as she gave the gnome a sideways hug.

Finally, Emsari spoke. "I will tell you a great secret. When we are left to our own devices, dragons become very instinctual. We want nothing more than to eat, to amass our hoard, and to screw anything that moves."

Petra looked up at her with a raised eyebrow. The dragon was looking out over the water, as if lost in memory. "That is why we interact with all of you. We have to. The mortal races keep our kind grounded. You make us more civilized. When I first met you, my instinct was to pin you down, rip your clothes off with my teeth, and then lick you until you cried out in bliss like the adorable little thing you are." She gave another little laugh. "But, as you say, that would be tacky."

The gnome felt a little tingle of...something in her gut. It wasn't fear, exactly, it was more like intrigue. Her gnomish hind-brain told her to stop being horny and run like crazy, because Emsari could damn near swallow her whole. "You think I'm adorable?" she said aloud.

The dragon's arm gave her another gentle squeeze. "Cuter than a pail full of kittens."

Petra knew that she should somehow be offended. But Emsari's proclamation actually made her feel safer. She leaned her head against Emsari's chest and felt the huge, bass-drum throb of the dragon's heart. "Well. I didn't expect to hear that. I mean, I'm flattered, but you gotta understand if I'm a little intimidated by the, um, offer. Even apart from the dragon thing, I've never been with a woman before, but I might be...what the hell am I saying? I couldn't do that to Tibor. He cares for you, I've seen you two together."

Emsari gave a bass-heavy chuckle. "What I am trying to tell you, my dear little Petra, is that it is possible to love more than one person. I have loved many in my time, and they were all precious to me. Just as Tibor is precious. And just as you are precious. He and I have talked about this very situation, and he is fine if I, heh, lay claim to others. Even to you."

Petra felt her unease return. "Did you tell Tibor how I feel about him?"

"It is not my place to do so. That step is up to you."

"Oh." Somehow that made it worse.

"If I may offer some advice? I would tell him sooner rather than later. You might be pleasantly surprised."

Emsari's other arm came around and gave Petra a final, almost smothering hug. The gnome felt the dragon's snout nuzzle her head. "Mmmm," rumbled the dragon. "Yes, so very adorable. If you ever feel the urge, let me know. I'll be waiting."

Then she released Petra and padded off. The gnome sat on the warm stone floor while her mind whirled. Petra finally took a deep breath and ran her fingers through her rats-nest of hair. She had to focus, especially if she was going to be working with corrosive chemicals in a little while.

__________________________________________________________

The next few weeks passed in a blur for Petra. She finished packing all of her 'goodies' properly. The plan was for Emsari to fly to Vasalat with Tibor on her back. They would limit their flying to night-time only, to avoid being spotted. The other four on the team would set out before them and travel by standard means. Emsari had offered to fly the gnome as well since she was so light. But Petra insisted that she had to stay with her luggage.

"It's either that, or I bring it with me on yer back," she'd told Emsari. "And some of that stuff can be a little...sensitive to rolling around."

The dragon had actually shuddered at that notion. Emsari had seen some of what Petra's concoctions could do.

And thus Petra had wound up traveling with the other three 'mortals' of the team. For the most part it had gone well. Miklos varied between periods of utter delight and shy withdrawl. If something caught the Duke's fancy, then he was all over it and making myriad observations in a loud and penetrating voice. Otherwise he seemed to retreat into his books and sketches. It didn't feel like he was deliberately shutting them out, but more as if his attention was very fickle.

Gard was, well, guarded except around Celia. Petra had 'caught' them cuddling together on more than one occasion, often in some corner of a tavern. The gnome found it cute, but she gathered that some of the humans they encountered didn't care for seeing such affection. Nothing came of it, of course, except for some disapproving expressions. Nobody was dumb enough to pick a fight with someone who looked like they could crumble solid rock with their bare hands.

For safety, Celia had made a disguise for Petra. It wasn't much, just a change of hair color and some fake freckles. But it was enough to make Petra not look like herself. By now, Metternich certainly had a bounty out on her and the gnome wasn't about to take chances. Celia had also disguised herself by covering up her scars and adding a brown-haired wig.

They had almost made it to Vasalat before they ran into trouble.

It was the last night before reaching the city, and the four of them were tucked away in a dimly-lit corner of the inn's common room. The coach drivers were off in another corner, laughing and drinking.

The team was drinking as well, but much more quietly. By now Petra found her compatriots' relative quiet a pleasant change from the usual rowdiness that most humans displayed when inebriated. As if to demonstrate, there was a pair of human mercenaries at the bar who seemed determined to make enough noise for ten. They were laughing uproariously at each other's jokes and slapping each other as they roared.

Petra managed to ignore them for the most part. But then one of them looked over and saw Celia leaning affectionately against Gard's bulk. He nudged his companion and gestured with his head at the pair. He then muttered something to his partner.

The gnome suppressed a little groan as the two of them came swaggering over. It looked like alcohol would make anything seem like a good idea, even antagonizing an ogre.

The first one to reach them had a patchy beard and a missing tooth in the front of his mouth. "Now, this is sometin' ya don't see every day," he said. Petra could smell the alcohol wafting off of the man as he loomed over her shoulder. "What are you lot all about? Are you part of a travelin' show or sometin'?"

He hooted at his own joke as the other man joined him. The partner was bald and had a chunk of one ear gone.

Miklos was in the middle of making a sketch in one of his notebooks. "No, no show," he said absently without looking up. "Just passing through, yes-yes."

"Oh, yeah-yeah?" asked Mr. Bald in a high and mocking voice. He looked across the table to Celia. "Hey, darlin', do ya mind if my partner here asks you something?"

"I do mind, actually." Celia had one hand below the edge of the table, and Petra was pretty sure that she had a throwing dagger at the ready.

The gnome prayed that nothing physical would actually happen here. If there was a 'scuffle', as Miklos would put it, then it would draw unwanted attention.

Mr. Beard decided to ignor Celia's decidedly unamused face. "I gots to know if you're available. You're the cutest thing I've seen in a while."

Celia gave him a dead-eyed look that should have given a blind man the hint to fuck off. "Available?"

Mr. Beard pointed his chin at Gard. "Well, you don't seem to have any problem with ugly, here. I figure he must be payin' ya pretty good. And I got plenty of coin myself, enough for a nice session. So how much?"

Petra half expected Gard to simply flip the table over and tear the mercenary in two. Instead the big battle-mage smiled. It was a wide smile, with a lot of teeth and tusks on display. Petra began to ever so slowly edge herself away from Mr. Beard and out of the line of fire, so to speak.

Celia's voice was as cold as morning frost. "You are bloody well mistaken, mate. Go back to your drinks."

Mr. Bald shifted his voice to mimic Celia's. "Ooh, are we bloody mistaken, girl?" He slapped Mr. Beard on the shoulder. "Never mind, her nethers are probably all stretched out anyway from bein' had by that ugly brute."

Mr. Beard grinned, and then reached down and thumped Petra on the shoulder. "Yeah. Just like this one would be if I had a romp with her, eh?" He leered down at the gnome. "Whaddya say, little girlie? You wanna earn some coin?"

Gard had a mug of ale in one hand. His free hand lay flat on the table, but now it slowly clenched into a fist with an audible crackle of tendons. "It's time for you to leave." His voice was surprisingly mild.

The two mercenaries looked at Gard with contempt. "You don't scare us, ya bastard," said Mr. Bald. "We've taken down ogres before."

"I'm sure you have," replied Gard in that same mild tone. "You've probably killed a clanless brigand or two."

The ogre stood up.

It was a simple sentence, but it held a lot of detail within it. There were a lot of muscles involved in that standing up, things like quadriceps and abdominals and lats and triceps and many other names that Petra dimly remembered from her Anatomy class. They flexed and bunched beneath Gard's skin as he rose to his feet. His head bowed down as it brushed against the ceiling, and he loomed over the table like an ocean wave getting ready to crash down with irresistible force.

"I am no clanless brigand," said Gard. His voice was deep and no longer mild. In the dim light, Petra could see a faint aura playing over his huge form, a blue light that shifted and danced like slow-motion flames. "I am the living embodiment of the will of the ogre clans. I have been trained from birth to wield both arcana and blade. I have been in many battles, and I have killed enough men to build a mountain from their corpses. And I am asking you once more to leave this inn."