Darkness Falls (Closed)

[JadeKnight]

The clash of metal on metal echoed through the woods, the few sounds heard at the moment. The sword was not enough to pierce the heavily armored orc, not even a scratch being made. The orc stood there for a moment, a wicked grin on his face. Suddenly his right arm swung upwards and then down through the air like a whistle. The heavy battleaxe sliced through the knight, cleaving him in half. The knights fell to the ground, dying in only a matter of moments. Satisdifed, the orc turned and made his way further into the woods.

That was the scenrio which had been played over several times since the end of the war between the humans 25 years ago. The war had been started over a religious squabble a hundred years before. It was soon ended in an uneasy truce, but turned once more to peace. However, the peace was soon shattered as monsters began appearing through out the countryside, many being brought out from hiding by the war. The Orcs was one such group.

Another group to come out were dragons. There were several species of the race, adapted to every part of the world. Some dragons helped mankind while there were others who fought against man.

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Salina Ledaro was the youngest of her five sisters. She came from the Ledaro family, rulers of the Saek Kingdom in the Kolden providence. Though she was a princess by blood, she had been raised to live by the way of the bow and magic. Her parents felt that her older sisters would be enough to carry on and rule because she never seemed fit to rule. It could have been the way magic seem to come to her, a rarity among humans. There were wizards and sorceresses through the world, but the often came from the common people, not royalty. It would not be right for a queen to have such power on the throne.

At first her parents were going to give her up to a common family to raise, but Syvia, the captain of the Saek Army, suggested that her talents be put use in protecting the kingdom. Her parents agreed reluctently and Syvia was soon learning the ways of the sword at the age of 5. Syvia also had the court wizard help Salina develop her magical abilities. Selina was a natural at magic and soon reached the point that the court wizard could not teach her any more by the time she was 18. Selina had also become a masterful fighter, prefering to use a short sword in one hand and a dagger in the other.

At the age of 18, Syvia released Selina from her care and told her to find her own way in the world. She had many battles with monsters, fought bandits, and even rescued a young queen dragon from danger.

Selina was now 25. The young queen she had rescued was named Beth'ria and had became her traveling companion, often carrying her in the sky and over land on her back.


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It was growing dark by the time Beth'ria landed a little ways from the small inn which sat by the main road from the capital city of Droth in the Castrel providence. Selina slid down from her companion's back, landing lightly on her feet. She took a deep breath for a moment and pulled her riding hood down from her head to let her hair free. Thick, wavy red hair tumbled down to stop just below her shoulder blades. The riding cloak she wore was wrapped around her lithe body, hiding what she wore but accented the gentle curves of her body.

Leaving Beth'ria to find some food, Selina made her way to the inn and pushed it open. The sounds of music, laughter, and warmth rushed out to greet her as she stepped in, her leather riding boots stepping over the wooden floor softly. Soft green eyes looked around at the crowd gathered, mostly men, but there were women as well, some serving wenches, others soldiers as well. She figured most of the crowd were mercenaries stopping for the night. She made her way over to the bar and placed five silver pieces on the table, the firelight and lamplight wavering over her lightly tanned skin.

Her lips moved softly in the din as the innkeeper nodded, taking the money and placing a mug of ale on the counter for her.

 

[Armphid]

Across from the inn along the road was a Royal waystation; a post of the guard kept manned to keep the road clear and also make sure order was kept at the often raucous inn. The day shift of guards was finishing up for the day, preparing to head out for the inn themselves or ride home.

The sergeant however was being delayed, paying out a bounty to an adventurer. He was a diligent man, still hardy but starting to go to seed. "Here you are, Miss. Standard bounty for creatures like this." Laid out on a canvas roll on the edge of his desk were a trio of orc heads. "Damn if I know how you do it. Those things are deadly; kill our men out in the hills all the time."

"There's a trick t' it, ye know." The speaker was a woman who could barely be seen above the desk and the orc heads. She stood at only 4'8" tall but despite her height she was perfectly proportioned as a human. Her legs were shapely, supple, and muscular, her arms strong but still round and feminine. Her waist was slid and her stomach sleek, flat, and taut. Her breasts were large, almost huge, nearly the size of her head, and her ass was an ample handful of sweet, pert flesh. Her hair was the color of beaten gold that fell down to her ass in a pair of long, thick braids. Her face was pretty and saucy, with plush, full lips and bright blue eyes. "I'd teach ye sometime but I'd have t' charge ye. Ask yer wife first, since I like to unwind after a workout," she added with a wink.

Anya Ironpounder was dressed in well protective but sultry armor; cunningly articulared gauntlets and boots of plate armor that moved easily and a fine mesh that went from them, offering protecting while making her thighs and upper arms look bare and exposed. Her breastplate was in a corset-like style; not only protecting but also lifting and showcasing her delicious breasts and leaving her shoulders bare. A round shield was on her back and a thick bladed short sword was at her side.

The dwarven warrior gave the blushing man a wave and sauntered out of the waystation, making sure to give her hips a little wiggle. It had been fun killing those orcs and Gods knew they deserved it. But it adventuring wasn't like it used to be. She missed her old companions. It wasn't the same doing it alone.

But! She had fresh money in her pouch and it was time to celebrate!

Anya crossed to the inn and pushed the door open, the rush of noise and happy babbling and the smell of food and booze washing over her. "Innkeeper! I've just saved the inn from orc attack and I've the gold t' show fer it! I want yer best meat an' cheese, a tankard of ale at least the size of my head, and yer prettiest girl for me to sit in her lap!"

 

[JadeKnight]

Salina raised an eyebrow as she heard someone yelling over the din for service, not bothering to turn. It shouldn't have surprised her that such patrons came in, after she did visit this tavern from time to time. She looked down the length of the bar to see one of the younger serving wenches being direct to serve the loud newcomer. The blonde girl deftly maneuvered her way through the crowd with a tray full of drink and food, shortly disappearing in the mixture of the crowd.

She sighed for a moment before downing half of her goblet of ale. It was time relax, but she needed to find out the latest news or rumors first. After all, she had been living off the land the last few months. She gave a rap on the bar top to get the innkeeper attention before speaking low.

"What's the latest rumors Simon?"

The grey haired barkeep continuing to wipe out a goblet as he spoke just enough to be heard over the din.

"Things have been getting worse in the North. I hear rumors of Demons prowling the land and attacking the villages."

She blinked for a moment and stood up quickly, spilling her ale.

"Demons? Where did they come from?"

Simon paused for a moment to examine the goblet he was cleaning. Satisfied, he put that goblet down before picking up another one.

"I don't know."

The princess sighed and shook her head. Tonight was not what she had planned for. She let her goblet be refilled before she slipped from her seat and deftly made her way through the crowd towards the musicians and the fireplace.

 

[Armphid]

Anya sighed happily as she took a long, deep drink from the huge tankard that had been provided for her. "Ahhh! Good, fer a human brew!" She was seated at a table by herself, a special chair made for dwarves and the smaller races had been provided to make her level with anyone who would join her. The table was set with a generous and steaming slice of beef roast, steamed potatoes and butter, steamed fresh vegetables, a sharp white cheese, and warm brown bread. "An' as fine a spread as I've seen in a year or more."

The pretty young wench who'd brought the food inclined her head, "Thank you, miss. Will that be all for now?"

The sensual dwarf woman smiled at the girl. Probably not out of her teens, by the look of her. "Well, now, if we want t' join me, then I'll that tha'." The girl blushed brightly, clearly not expecting such an invitation from a woman.

She shook her head, "I-I have to wait on the guests, Miss. I'm flattered, thank you."

The warrior laughed, not at all bothered by the refusal, "Naturally. Yer a professional wench, young though ye are." She slid a a handful of silver, "That's fer the meal an' the drink, an' there's a few coins fer ye there too."

"Oh! Oh, thank you, Miss!"

Anya grinned and waved her off. The ale was great and the good did look good. But both would be better with company. She looked around the common room as best she could; the fire and the lanterns did cast light but there was still a fair amount of shadow in the place. Add in the smoke from pipes and it could get downright murky!

Then she caught sight of someone; a human woman, she thought, walking to where the musicians played. She could only see her from behind but she had wavy red hair and a very nice sway to her walk though her body was hidden by her cloak.

Anya watched for a few moments, then flagged the young wench down as she passed again, "Lass," she pressed a copper coin into the girl's hand, "Be a dear an' tell tha' red-headed lady over there tha' if she's of a mind, I'd like her t' join me fer a drink at th' least, and a meal if she's willing. My treat."

 

[JadeKnight]

Salina sighed as she sat down in an empty seat by the fire. She closed her eyes as she leaned back in her chair, her boots propped up next to the fire. She had just begun to drift off to sleep when a sweet voice interrupted it. She opened her eyes and turned her head slightly to see the blonde serving wench standing there.

"Ma'am, I was sent to give you an invitation at one of the tables, there."

Salina shifted in her seat to try and see where the young woman was pointing, but the lighting in the tavern wasn't much help. She really didn't want to be the target of some drunk patron, but maybe a little excitement might perk her up.

"Where and who is at the table?"

"Ma'am, it's the only table where a warrior is sitting."

Salina shook her head and stood up, handing the girl a few coin. She stood up and made her way carefully through the crowd, contemplating taking off her cloak. The fire did warm her up nicely, so she slipped it off and draped it over an arm.

The riding leather she wore was of a thicker leather make than normal, since the high altitude was rather cold when she rode on Beth'ria. A layer of cotton was woven beneath the leather for warmth, but it also made her lithe form bigger than it was.

When she came to the table the serving wench had indicated, she blinked for a moment. She had not expected to see the female dwarf who was sitting at the table. The last time she had seen Anya was before she had rescued Beth'ria, so the new outfit probably looked very different to the dwarf. She laughed and then grinned as she pulled out a chair across from Anya.

"I didn't think I would ever see your ugly face again, Anya."

She didn't mean the comment literally of course,

 

[Armphid]

Anya had sampled a bit of the bread and cheese while she waited to see if her invitation was accepted. If not, it'd be a disappointment but she'd finish the meal alone and probably just head to bed. There weren't that many men or women here who looked interesting enough to try and bed or interested in her, for that matter. What was wrong with her? She was a curvaceous and fiery girl; great figure, pretty face, skimpy armor...

Maybe it was her braids. Not everyone liked braids. Though they could make such nice handholds for-

Her thoughts were interrupted as she noticed that someone had come up to her table and was pulling out a chair. Her bright blue eyes went wide and her mouth formed a perfect "o" of surprise before she laughed and beamed, "Not after it got mashed in savin' tha' sweet butt o' yours."

The last time they'd parted, Anya was wounded seriously. Their adventuring group had found that a family of giants was raiding human villages; murdering, pillaging, carrying off women, and they'd gone after them. It was a victory but Anya had been nearly crushed to death getting in between a giant-sized hammer and it's intended target: Salina. But the healers magic had done it's job; you would never have guessed she'd ever had such injuries to her body or her face.

"Hammer and tongs, girl, it's great to see you. Let me buy you somethin' t' eat and whatever ye'd like t' drink. Got a fair bit to catch up on." Salina was beautiful as always; casually so, she was gorgeous without making any effort. Her lithe and slender frame was slinky and sexy, though the thick leathers she was wearing added some bulk to it. That was a change; she didn't remember the human woman wearing anything that thick. Her red hair was the same glorious wave of crimson she remembered as well.

"You're as pretty as always, no' that I'd expect different. How have ye been? I bet ye've had even wilder adventures since I saw ye than we had travelin' together."

 

[JadeKnight]

She grinned and held up her goblet of ale.

"No need to worry about a drink or food. I had a bit of venison before coming into the tavern."

She went somber for a moment as she leaned back slightly in her chair, folding her hands on the tabletop. The rose and sword tattoo on the back of her right hand was visible, the reminder of her home kingdom. She took a deep breathe for a moment, wondering how much she should tell her friend without upsetting her.

"Well, things have been up and down since we parted. I've mostly just been traveling, trying to keep up with the latest news. The hunting has been becoming rather slim, and nature has been feeling a bit..unbalance. And I just heard from Simon about rumors of demons further north."

She sighed for a moment and shook her head before taking a long gulp of her ale. She wiped her mouth off with the back of her hand before setting her goblet aside. She smiled for a moment.

"Well, enough of the bad news. I've had some success though. I got a few bounties in and managed to rescue a youngling from a group of bad men. She's been traveling with me for a few months now. And you just might get to meet her."

She didn't have the heart to tell Anya about Beth'ra being a dragon, at least not yet. Hopefully she wouldn't be too mad when the time came to see her.

 

[Armphid]

Anya shrugged as her offer of food and drink was turned down and began to eat her own meal in earnest. Her eyes stayed on Salina as she spoke, taking in what the young woman was saying and making note of it. "Nature out of balance?" She hadn't noticed but then she didn't have the powers that the other woman did. And reports of demons...might just be rumor or someone seeing a monster they didn't recognize...but it wasn't good either way. "Grim news fer sure. But then tha' might be good fer a pair of freelance problem solvers like us."

Whatever was going on up north, it was plainly weighing on her friend's mind. She could almost feel it settling in on the taller woman's slender shoulders. But it was put off a moment later after she took a long drink. Anya nodded and smiled, "Always good t' save a lass from a bad fate. An' she's travelin' with you now? Poor thing, no family t' go back to, eh?" She sighed. "Well, good o' ye t' take care of her. I'd be happy t' meet the little thing."

She shrugged again, "My story's much th' same, really. After the priests had me all healed up and we said our good-byes..now THAT was party, let me tell ye! Those boys an' girls can get downright wild if ye loosen their frocks enough! Anyway. I was able t' get t' th' nearest stronghold and get some new gear," she patted her breastplate. "I wanted something good, hard, an' enchanted but also a little flashy. A girl likes t' look good, ye know."

"After tha', I just been travelin'. Couldn't catch up with you or the others, didn't even know where t' start looking fer anyone." That had been kind of depression. "So I've been lone wolfing it fer a while. The odd bandits, rampaging monsters, retrieve a family heirloom kind of work." The busty dwarf rested her head on one hand, "S'been fine. A bit lonely, t' tell th' truth. An' I haven't had much luck finding a partner fer adventure or fer play. Folks seem t' be skittish all around these parts."

 

[JadeKnight]

Salina smiled as she listened to her friend's little adventure while they had been apart. She put her hands behind her head as she stayed leaning back in her seat, stretching some. She smiled for a moment looking over Anya's armor.

"Well, from the sounds of things you've been taking pretty good care of yourself. And the new armor suits you quite well."

She tugged at the collar of her leather tunic for a moment.

"This is the only thing I've really picked up since we were apart. I think you'll probably have to get some too. Trust me, you'll thank me later."

She lifted her goblet up, looking inside the empty container. She frowned for a moment before putting it back down on the table.

"It doesn't surprise me that people are getting skittish. As I said, the hunting has been pretty slim lately, so something is scaring away the wildlife as well. Though I wouldn't mind getting back together and find out what's going on."

 

[Armphid]

Anya beamed at the compliment. "Thanks! I hoped ye'd like it when I met you again." If she'd met her again. The energetic fighter hadn't been at all sure if she'd be able to find any of her old companions.

The comment about the leather was curious though. It looked like a riding leather but for cold weather or something. So that meant they'd likely be heading north. "Thinking of looking into these demon rumors then?" She nodded, "Sounds like a good idea."

She gestured to the nearest wench as she noticed Salina's goblet looked empty, "A refill fer my friend!" Then she smiled up at the lovely human, "Well, Salina, I've found ye and I'm not meanin' t' leave unless ye ask me to. And probably not then, actually."

The dwarf boldly reached out to lay a hand on her friend's and give it a squeeze, "So, let's say we're reunited officially then. An' tomorrow we'll start poking our noses into this business an' find out what's going on."

 

[JadeKnight]

She laughed as her goblet was refilled once more. She picked up the goblet and swirled the dark brown liquid for a few moments before smirking at Anya.

"I had the feeling that I wasn't going to lose you short of divine intervention. Though why that would happen is beyond me."

She gave a smile at the squeeze,taking a sip at the same time.

"That sounds like a plan. And I take it in the meantime you are going to get blind drunk and wake up in a stranger's bed, like you've always done."

She grinned for a moment before downing her ale and putting the goblet back on the table.

 

[Armphid]

"Blind drunk? Ha!" Anya finished off her tankard and set it down hard on the table. "They don't have anythin' here strong enough t' get me more than tipsy." Well, they actually probably did but she wouldn't be buying it. Her bounties hadn't earned her that much money.

"Buuut maybe a little drunk," she amended with a wink. "As fer a stranger's bed...dinnae look like there's anyone interestin' enough. I didn't recognize ye when I saw yer back, cloaked and all, so I was thinkin' of endin' up in yer bed. S'why I had the girl invite ye over."

She blushed a little at that, though she never had a lot of shame. But she didn't know that she wanted Salina to know that she was attracted to her or would jump in her bed in a hot second. It could make things strange between them and she didn't want that.

"I guess after we've had a few more, I'll jus' get a room an' a bath, go up, get clean, an' go t' bed alone." She rolled her eyes and made a face, then laughed. "Like that'd be a terrible thing, right? But I think tha's th' plan now. Yer welcome t' come up an' bathe wi' me. Or anything else," she added with a teasing grin and another wink.

 

[JadeKnight]

Salina laughed and shook her head.

"It'll be the first time in a while you haven't tried to get more than tipsy."

She blushed a little at hearing that her friend had choosen her to be her company for the evening. She just gave her head a shake in disbelief. She hadn't thought of Anya in that way, but she did think she was pretty in her own way.

She gave a little smirk at her friend's suggestion and shook her her.

"Thank you for the offer, but I'll have to pass. I want to try and get up around sunrise. Hopefully we can beat the crowd trying to get out of here."

She gave a little grin before her goblet before drinking it. Flying would not be hindered for them, even if they had a crowd to contend with early-risers.

 

[Armphid]

She wrinkled her nose and sighed, "Sunrise? Lawks, ye think th' demons'll go bad if we don't get to 'em when they're fresh?" Anya chuckled then and shook her head, "An' I see yer still about yer monastic ways. But no worries. I'll nae get into my cups if we're leavin' tha' early."

The warrior beamed at her friend and companion, "I'll be ready an' rarin' to go! It'll feel damn good settin' out with ye on an adventure again, Salina. Means a lot tha' ye want me fer a companion again."

She gestured at the table, "I guess I'll finish up here and head up then. Early start means an early bed." Ah, well. It was too much to hope Salina would be willing to share a bath or a bed. She probably never even thought of Anya that way; a lot of humans never did with dwarves, due to the height difference. She'd even had well-meaning people treat her almost like a child because of it.

The buxom brawler tucked into the remains of her meal, determined to finish it and head up for her bath. Going to bed late with a partner was something she was willing to part with. Taking a bath was not! She loved to bathe and luxuriated in hot water whenever she could get the chance.

 

[JadeKnight]

She just smirked and shook her head slightly as she watched her friend finish her meal. She raised her goblet one last time before watching Anya head upstairs. Satisfied her friend wouldn't be coming down anytime sooner, she made her way to the bar. Simon paused for a moment as she approached, giving a nod.

"Our usual arrangement M'lady?"
"Of course Simon. Though you should have her leave out an extra meal for Anya, my dwarven companion."
"As you wish M'lady."

Salina had a nice little arrangement where Beth'ria would keep bandits away from the tavern whenever they were around, and Simon would let Brinty, the blonde serving wench, take half a day off to help take care of the dragon. The girl would also have a meal made for Salina waiting when she got up int the morning.

When Anya came down in the morning, she would find a tray with a plate of food, goblet of ale and a note. The note stated to enjoy the meal and to go out behind the tavern stables when she was finished.

The sight Anya would find would most likely put her on edge. Beth'ria was the size of a small house, her golden scales gleaming in the morning light. She was a rare one, akin to the chances of finding an albino elephant in the wild. Her red eyes were closed and a low rumble of contentment could be heard as the serving girl stood next to her, humming as she used a large black thistle brush to scrub dead scales from her hide. Salina sat on a large tree stump watching the two as she sharpened one of her two daggers.

 

[Armphid]

Anya lay on the bed she'd bought for the evening, along and not yet covered up. Her sword rested by the bed, leaning against the headboard, and she had the usual knife under her pillow. Her skin gleamed from the bath she'd just taken, her golden hair was out of her braids and draped over her front, shielding her large, round breasts from view. Her legs were crossed, a carefully managed strip of golden hair above it all that could be seen of her pussy, and her hands here crossed beneath her head.

It was good to see Salina. Even better to be adventuring with her again. But things had changed for her friend. She had the feeling that Salina was hiding things from her; that she wasn't telling her all that she knew or that had happened to her.

That was mildly depressing. She would hope that her comrade in arms would trust her more. Anya had taken a literally crushing blow for her that had her laid up for a month and taken the magic of several healers to recover from; didn't that give her some cachet?

Well. She was probably just imagining it. It wouldn't do to think on it anyway. Just be happy you're with her again. And that you get to sleep in a bed tonight...even if it's sleeping alone.

She smiled and sighed, rolling over to blow out the candle by the bedside and pull the thick blankets around her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~​

The meal that greeted the dwarf in the morning was a pleasant surprise but not a great one. Even if you were leaving early, it was always a good idea to eat well when you could on an adventure. There was no telling how long it might be until your next good meal.

The inn was bustling briskly as other travelers are a hasty breakfast and departed, the baking for the day was started, and others came and went picking up a flagon or loaf for their toil in the forest or the fields.

The buxom dwarf ate without hurry or leisure; a steady rate of consumption usually seen in both professional soldiers and travelers. Once it was done, she hopped down from her stool, leaving a few coins behind, and headed for the side door. "Innkeeper, thank ye fer yer hospitality," she called out as she was leaving. "An' my best t' tha' pretty blond wench o' yers!" That was the girl who'd served her and that she'd flirted with last night. She didn't seem to be around now. Might have the day off or just be evening staff.

She could hear a strange sound as she headed around the stables; like there was a giant cat purring while someone ran a rasp over a metal grate. Anya slowed her pace but did not stop, coming slowly about the corner, "Salina, are ye-"

She stopped for a half second as she caught full sight of the dragon's bulk; her eyes went wide and her mouth fell open. Her instincts yelled at her to get her shield off and up, to get ready to fight and likely die. A dragon!

Dragons and dwarves had a long history that was not a good one. Dragons liked wealth, gold, gems, cunningly wrought trinkets, beautiful works of metal but not even those that were good liked or were even able to make them themselves. But dwarves made the best and often dug deep to find sources of wealth other races didn't even know existed. As a result, more than one dragon, and not all of them "evil" dragons, had stolen dwarf wealth for their own hordes. Dragon attacks on dwarf strongholds were greatly feared and weren't regular but were far from rare either. There were few dwarves alive who had not lost both family members and family wealth to the great reptilian creatures.

She'd never seen one this close herself nor thought she would and not be immediately slain or devoured. Her heart was pounding in her chest and her hands shook until she took hold of the hilt of her sword.

Salina was there, sitting nearby and sharpening a dagger, looking unconcerned. The purring she'd heard was the beast itself, being tended to by the blond wench from last night. Anya finally found she was able to speak again, "Tha's a nice surprise fer early in th' morning. Tryin' t' see if I have a weak heart?"

She approached but with slow, wary steps. "I'm guessin' there's a story here ye didn't tell me last night, or tha' ye did but leavin' out some o' the finer points."

 

[JadeKnight]

Salina blinks for a moment hearing Anya's questions and looking up at her with a sheepish grin.

"I wasn't quite sure how you would react to traveling with a young dragon, so I kinda left it out for the time being. I knew you would find out, but didn't want to scare you too much."

She gave a smile before putting her dagger and whet stone away. She moved over to the dragon and knelt down, stroking her fingertips along Beth'ria's snout. One of her eyes opened to look up at Salina before looking towards Anya. She lifted her head up, yawning for a moment. Salina smiled for a moment.

"Say hello to Anya, Beth'ria."

A soft voice was heard in Anya's mind a moment later.

Hello Anya.

"As I said, a group of hunters was chasing her down through Dark Woods four years ago. I heard her cries for help and ended up rescuing her from them. She was half the size she is now, but she grew rather quickly."

 

[Armphid]

Anya quirked an eyebrow, her lips smiling despite her tension over the great and powerful beast before her. "I sure was nae scared turnin' th' corner and seeing her jus' there like that, no. Good plan," she teased. "But I dinnae how I'd have taken it last night. Probably thought ye were pullin' my leg."

The creature's yawn made her take a few steps back. The busty young woman wasn't sure if it was meant to be threatening but it did show off an awful lot of large, sharp looking teeth. Had this dragon ever tasted dwarf before? There were rumors some of them got to craving it once they did...

Then the voice sounded in her mind and she actually jumped. "Gah!" It was in her head! Fuck! Could it read her mind? "Uh, hello t' you too, um, Beth'ria. Yer...a fine looking dragon, I must say." It wasn't a lie; she was a pretty looking thing. And very lethal.

"So this is the youngling ye were talking about then? I expected ye t' be hauling a human child or somethin', quite a surprise!" It was also a little troubling. People often hunted dragons for good reason. They did tend, in her knowledge and experience, to do a lot of terrorizing, stealing, murdering and the life. But Salina wouldn't partner with any being like that.

Anya crossed her arms under her breasts and shook her head, "Any more shocks or surprises left? I'd rather get them out o' th' way an' have th' heart attack now."

 

[JadeKnight]

Salina laughed and shook her head.

"Me with a child? You should know that's not my lifestyle or traveling style."

She hmmed for a moment as she thought about the question for a few moments.

"No, no other surprises. Although, do I have to ask if you would rather fly or do horseback while we journey? We would be able to cover a bit more ground by flying."

Behind her, Brinty stood up as she finished scrubbing down the dragon, flicking off the scales from the brush.

"All done ma'am. Anything else?"

Salina blinked and looked back at the girl.

"Oh, no dear. You're free for the rest of the day. Have fun."

 

[Armphid]

The dwarf shrugged, "What was I supposed t' think? When ye say 'youngling,' the mind doesnae immediately leap t' baby dragons. No offense meant, Beth'ria," she added.

Anya considered the question about flying or horseback while the wench finished her tasks and was dismissed. She would prefer to go by horseback rather than trust a dragon. It scared her, if she was honest, to have her life in the scaly beauty's clutches.

But Salina...she trusted Salina. Even if her friend didn't want to trust her with eveything, she wasn't the type to do so. She called the woman her friend and companion and to a dwarf, that carried a lot of weight.

"Flyin', well, I'm ashamed t' admit tha' th' idea scares me a mite." She sighed, "But no doubt it'd be faster. An' what's th' point of adventurin' if ya don't try new an' terrifying things?"

Anya took a deep breath, "If Miss Beth'ria'll consent t' carry me, I'll give flyin' a try. An' I'll apologize in advance if I throw up on either of ye."

 

[JadeKnight]

Beth'ria tilted her head for a moment as she studied the dwarf. She gave a little shake of her head.

None taken.

The dragon stretched out her neck as Salina went about gathering up everything for the trip. As Anya mulled over her flying decision, Salina placed a folded over blanket at the base of Beth'ria neck. Her back ridges were small, so the blanket provided cushioning against them to be seated on. The blanket was held in place by some leather straps, and Salina added a few more to act as foot holds and hand holds.

"Don't worry about that Anya. I lost a little bit the first time I tried to fly. I'll let you ride up front since you are smaller. I'll try and get a saddle made to have a better seat on her back."

She gave a little grin before strapping her pack along Beth'ria's back, securing it against her bulk.

 

[Armphid]

Anya gave a wan smile back in answer to Salina's grin. The dwarf pulled her own pack off her back and assisted her in strapping it in place. She tried to ignore the faint trembling in her hands as she did so; it shamed her that she was afraid.

Just thinking of being high up in the air, with nothing to catch hold of or save herself with if she fell, made her stomach clench. The harness looked well made and sturdy enough but it was still just bits of leather. If one strap failed...

She shook her head. It wasn't helping to think like that. "Well, no time t' be wasting! We got demons or whatever's north t' take care of, right?" Bravado was her solace in her fear. Act brave until you're actually brave; Drawven Vow # 13.

The blond dwarf approached the young dragon, Beth'ira lowering herself a bit to allow the buxom humanoid to mount. "Thank ye," she said, and then pulled herself up into the frontmost part of the makeshift blanket 'saddle' before scooting forward to allow Salina up.

She smiled at her friend as she firmly lodged her feet in the stirrups Salina had made, "While we're up there, since I'll be in front o' ye, feel free to use me 'hand holds' if ye want," she winked, patting one of her breasts with a hand.

 

[JadeKnight]

Salina giggled softly as she listened her friend, shaking her head at her front. She didn't say a word as she watched her traveling companion mount up onto Beth'ria, just smiling. She gave a little laugh at the suggestion of using Anya's breasts as hand holds.

"While those would make good hand holds, they don't quite help if you happen to fall off as well, right?"

She climbed up behind Anya easily, her boots sliding into the stirrups without missing them. She laid one hand on Anya's shoulder as she picked up one of the leather straps in her other hand.

"Besides, my leg muscles are plenty strong enough to hold onto my girl when needed."

She giggled and then tighted her hand on Anya's shoulder as BEth'ria launched herself into the air. It took only a few moments before they were flying just below the clouds.

 

[Armphid]

Anya's face paled as Saline joked about falling off the dragon but she tried to respond in kind to the joke, "N-no, but ye'd have a last thrill before ye went at least."

Oh, Gods. She was going to die. Or embarrass herself enough that she'd want to.

She closed her eyes and tried not to tremble as Salina mounted behind her. The teasing line about her legs made the lush woman smile and she opened her eyes again and started to speak, "Tha-ahaAAAAAAAAAAHHH!"

Beth'ira launched herself, leaping into the air and her great wings clawing and pounding at it to gain lift. Anya clutched the leather straps in his hands so hard they would have cut into her palms if not for her gauntlets. The feeling of so much muscle and power moving under her was incredible, insane, and the lurch of motion was unlike anything she'd felt before. Not like a horse, or a boat, or even one of the large ocean plowing sailing ships.

She snapped her mouth shut, and then her eyes. Her heart was pounding in her chest and she wanted to scream her head off. But wasn't about to! She was scared but she would act brave. Control yourself, girl!

And whatever you do, give them some warning before you vomit.

 

[JadeKnight]

Beth'ria stopped in the air, just hovering there. She swung her neck around, looking at Anya.

If you fall, I will catch you.

Salina took a deep breathe for a moment, readjusting her lungs to the difference in air density. It wasn't much thinner, but there was a subtle difference. Her fingers squeezed Anya's gently and reassuringly. She leaned forward and whispered gently in her friend's ear.

"It's ok Anya. Just take a few breathes slowly and deeply. It's going to feel a little strange, but you'll get used to it. Trust in us."

She leaned back carefully, turning her attention to the ground below. The tavern and stable was looking a little bigger than a brick. The landscape sprawled beneath them, giving them a wonderful view for every direction. Salina frowned for a moment as she noticed a swath of black north of them, heading north.

"I don't like the look of that."