The Missing Dragon Ch. 03

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be so-" he started. Talina's finger quickly silenced him again before he could get too far along.

"That was your first time. You were wonderful. Also, you have this strange face when you cum that makes me smile." Talina mimicked it by crossing her eyes and feigning an expression of someone who looked like they might have just seen a unicorn playing dice with a dragon.

Torren let out an involuntary laugh at that and felt her stir beneath him. He quickly raised his weight from her and she slid her way free. His thick seed still dripped from her glistening, pink pussy and reminded him of his lack of stamina. The sudden silence that resulted caused Talina to roll her eyes.

"My dear Torren, contrary to what most men say, few of them even bother to check if their lady is even awake, let alone enjoying themselves during the act. I just enjoyed myself immensely. You've just got a little more work to do, that's all. Now, you can either get sulky or you can realise that although multiple orgasms might be a ways off in our future... " Talina rolled over onto her hands and knees, lifting her tightly rounded bum into the air and wiggling it in his direction. She then looked over her shoulder and gave him a wink that would have made sinner of a saint within a matter of seconds. "Practicing certainly isn't."

- - - - -

A few days later, Gregory finally emerged from his tent. The morning mist of the surrounding jungle still hung in over the camp as he took his first breath of fresh air in weeks. Janette was by his side along with Valise who was supervising his first outing with watchful eyes. The scar across his chest was mostly healed over, though visible to all who laid eyes upon him. He wore his trunks and the thick fur boots he'd been given by Talina. Thankfully even in the morning mist, the Embervine Forest was warm and humid enough to need little else in the way of clothing. The medallion Bolut had given him still hung around his neck. The only addition to his garb was the notable accessory of a long staff that he used in place of a walking stick. He was mostly fine on his feet, but at times he would feel disorientingly light-headed and then the staff was a comforting companion.

The encampment came alive in his presence. Many cheered and smiled at seeing him on his feet again. It was oddly touching that so many of the human servants obviously cared about his fate even though he hadn't known them for very long. Rudd even made an appearance to congratulate him on re-acquiring the power of his legs once more. The good cheer of the morning eventually faded back to the hard work of the day and Gregory sat off to the side of the camp, cradling his staff in his hand and drifting off into his own thoughts.

Some approached him throughout the day and he politely but firmly excused them from his presence. Janette took the hint faster than most and spent the day with Fiona, learning to dance and sharing the news that apparently Torren and Talina had become an item. She was somewhat apprehensive of passing this news on to Gregory, but when she finally did his only response was a distant smile followed by the words "that's nice."

The day passed into night and he seemed to become more of his old self. He visited Valise's tent after dinner and spent an hour tasting her sweet sex for dessert before claiming her on her own sleeping furs. Then, leaving her dozing and with a dreamy smile on her face, he retired to his own abode where he found Janette and Algra already pleasuring each other. They had no problem in accommodating him between them and the three of them continued late into the night.

The next morning, Algra awoke to find him gone. Suppressing a low growl that might have awoken Janette, she swung her legs over the side of the bed and slipped on her garments before heading out into the camp. He was nowhere to be found and she had to follow the puncture's that his new staff made in the soft earth in order to find him. It worried her when those tracks moved away from Bolut's camp and out into the Embervine Forest. Relief coursed its way through her when she saw that he hadn't gone too far.

She found him in a glade of long grass. He appeared to be dancing.

No, that wasn't quite right. The movements he used were precise, focused and had a purpose other than displaying the dexterity or beauty of the dance. She saw the elements of a battle stance there, then an attack before he fell into a repose. It surprised her so much to see him doing this that she simply stood by the tree-line and watched his body as it moved within the fresh mist. The vapour whirled about his limbs as he increased his tempo gradually.

It wasn't until he raised himself onto one foot to gracefully swipe his foot through the air in seeming slow motion that he finally lost his balance and stumbled to the ground. The fall snapped Algra out of her trance and she ran through the long grass and out to him.

"By the First! What are you doing!?" she growled in orcish.

"Trying to get my shit together," he didn't seem surprised to see her and quickly brushed himself off before re-assuming his starting stance.

"By prancing about a field!?"

"This is actually kung fu."

"It is foolish! This is not how battle works."

"It's not really all about battle, Algra. It helps me keep my balance and clear my head."

"Your head is already too light."

That actually made Gregory cease his movements and laugh, albeit with a somewhat disbeliefing shake of his head.

"What can I do for you?" he asked.

"Come back to camp. You need more rest."

"Believe me, what I really don't need right now is rest. I've rested to the point where I'm not really sure I'm sane anymore."

"Ha! Says the boy who fights the Berserkers."

"That wasn't really my choice."

Algra curled her lip at him and jabbed him in the chest with her finger, right where she knew it would sting the worst.

"Everything is your choice! Now you come here so you can fight again."

There it was. There was no denying it.

"Yes."

Algra let out a roar of frustration that sent the startled the birds in the jungle enough to seek the sky. Gregory didn't even flinch.

"I'm going to fight again," he quickly added, "I'm going to fight until I win."

"You were almost killed!"

"Then I'll get better."

"How?"

"You're going to teach me."

That definitely cut Algra short. Confusion replaced frustration as she tried to work out if she'd heard him right.

"What?" It was all she could muster.

"You're one of the best fighters out there aren't you? So, teach me how orcs fight."

"We charge, we crush, we destroy."

"Then show me that, and I'll figure out a way to put you on your ass."

"You will not. I will not fall like I did when we met. I know you now." She started to circle him as she spoke, sizing him up in a uniquely predatory manner.

"And I know you, Algra Strongblood. You don't have to teach me how to beat you, just how to beat the best that Ulag can throw at me."

That challenge was something that brought Algra's blood to a pleasing sizzle. She wanted to hurt Ulag. If she couldn't do it in person, then perhaps she could bruise his ego instead.

"Very well. I will teach you to fight, pup. But only if you agree not to fight them until you can win a spar with me."

"One spar?" Gregory tilted his head, that seemed too easy.

Algra only nodded whilst her eyes blazed with the challenge.

"Alright then," he agreed.

"Then we shall begin. The Berserkers beat you, broke you, and then left you for dead. What are you going to do to them?"

"Look, all I need is to win the prov-" Gregory was interrupted by Algra's fist smashing across his jaw so hard that it sent him sprawling back into the dirt. "Algra! Fucking ow!"

She stood over him, her mouth curled into a disapproving snarl. "I said," she emphasised her point by giving him a quick kick against his thigh. It wasn't hard enough to do any real damage, but it was more than hard enough to cause pain. "The Berserkers beat you, broke you, and then left you for dead. What are you going to do to them!?"

Gregory ignored the searing pain she'd started across his thigh muscle as anger blazed up from his stomach and turned the pain into strength. He saw her point then. Whatever she was doing, he'd get it worse in the provings. If he couldn't handle it, then he was already dead. It was also becoming immediately apparent that he'd just recruited the meanest and most relentless trainer that he possibly could have.

So he gritted his teeth, dismissed using the staff in favour of resting his weight on his own two feet, and pulled himself upright. Finally, when he was face to face with Algra, he spat on the ground beside him to get the taste of blood out of his mouth and delivered the response he knew she was looking for.

"I'm going to destroy them."

- - - - -

Author's Note: Hi again! Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed the story. If you want to say anything about it, or to me, then feel free to leave a comment or drop some feedback. You should know that I never reply to feedback via email as I don't like sending my email addy out into the wild blue yonder. I'm happy to reply to comments though, and if you want to chat with me then you can always wing me a PM on the Lit Forums. Oh, and I do read all feedback I get, I just don't reply. So if you've got something to say and you aren't bothered about a response then by all means, zing me through the feedback button. Just thought I'd mention this, so I don't appear rude to anyone. Again, thanks for taking the time to read my stuff!