Dragon's Tale 20

When I woke up, I was feeling warm and comfortable, and more than a bit aroused. Not a big surprise considering I was sandwiched between two sexy beauties, both already woken up but still wrapped tight around me. The fact that Lillian was gently jacking me off while Astrid was massaging my balls had likely played a role in my arousal, though. 

“You girls seem enthusiastic,” I murmured warmly even as I sneaked my arm around their waists, only to receive two instant slaps the moment my hands wandered lower. 

“Don’t even think about it,” Astrid murmured, though her tone was no different than a cat purring with satisfaction. 

“Yeah, my backdoor is still hurting horribly, and I doubt Astrid is feeling any better,” Lillian answered, and received a nod and a smile from Astrid. I couldn’t help but chuckle a bit at the scene. Who could have guessed that they would abandon their jealous competition through a threesome? Not that I was complaining, of course. I wasn’t an idiot. 

“Pity,” I murmured, only to receive another pair of simultaneous playful slaps, this time to my chest. I gasped in playful outrage, and the girls echoed it. I was tempted to go back to sleep, enjoying their warm but playful embrace, but unfortunately, reality had other demands. I had already delayed it enough last night, even though the storm was an excuse. 

A furious storm that was still raging outside. 

I continued to lie silently for a while, enjoying the warmth and comfort before opening my mouth, and asking a serious question. “So, who wants to tell me what's happened since I fell unconscious?” I asked.

“Not a lot, considering the significance of the trigger,” Lillian explained. “The storm started as you fell unconscious, forcing us to find a place to rest, and the trading post was the only alternative.” 

“So, the storm started during my Ordeal,” I asked, feeling curious. Considering the way the elements had raged around me, only for a shower of lightning to save me, the fact that the storm was linked to me was not a huge shock, but still a curiosity. “Do you know if that’s something typical?” 

“Of course not,” Lillian answered. “Unlike you, other Magus aren’t crazy enough to actually have their ascension ritual in the middle of the wilderness. I doubt that there’s a precedence for it.” 

“Good,” I murmured. If my enemies —and they were my enemies now after I had ruined whatever plan they had in such a spectacular manner— were any weaker, I would have advertised my new power level, which would have made them pull back. But while I didn’t know their full power, I had strong suspicions that they had more than one Sorcerer in their employ, as their actions were too brazen to be otherwise. 

I needed them to underestimate me by thinking of me as a Magus. A strong and capable one, maybe, but nothing I had done under their gaze —other than the show I put on against the raiders— had suggested I had the potential of a Sorcerer; and that one could easily be assigned to a runic trap or another long-winded trick, considering they would have no idea about my idiotic plan to swallow a Dragon’s Heart actually working, but ruining my control in exchange… 

“So,” I continued. “Anything interesting happened after we came here?” I asked. 

“No,” Astrid said immediately while Lillian chuckled. 

“Well,” Lillian murmured despite Astrid’s angry look. “Considering our dress, more than one trapper tried to hit on us, until Astrid punched two of them hard, then they tried to retaliate, forcing me to threaten them with a couple of spells. It was quite amusing.” 

I chuckled, more at Astrid’s sudden blush than the situation itself. “Anything else?” I asked, this time looking at Astrid. I remembered her quiet desperation to direct us here. When I agreed, I hadn’t cared about the risks because I would be awake to observe her. Staying unconscious for a few days changed the issue significantly, giving her the chance to act if she had any ulterior motives. So, the question was my way of testing her. 

Astrid looked hesitant, but when I let my gaze harden for a moment, it quickly melted. “I have received a message from Matron Helena,” she whispered. Lillian’s head suddenly rose, suggesting that Astrid hadn’t run that particular nugget by her. Before she could say anything, I tightened my arm around her, signaling her to stay out of it for the moment. 

“Good, so she’s alive,” I said calmly, carefully watching the way relief spread on her face. Also, I slid my hand up, gently caressing her back, but this time, it was not about enjoying her smooth skin. No, I was discreetly feeling her heartbeat, a perfect technique to check whether she was hiding a secret enough to make her panic. “So, what did the message say?” 

“It was a coded message, giving me a location to meet her in the next ten days.” 

“Do you want to go join her?” I asked, only for her heartbeat to jump. 

“No!” she exclaimed in panic. “No,” she repeated calmer but desperation still clear, her arms tightening around my chest. “I want to stay with you…” 

I carefully watched her expression, making sure that it wasn’t a ploy, but I was satisfied with the honesty I could see in her eyes. “If you so wish,” I said, leaning forward for a quick kiss, one that she responded to rather intensely. I kept it short, however, because I felt a set of fingernails digging into my arm, courtesy of a jealous Lillian. “You know that you can stay with me as well if you wish so, right?” I said before delivering a kiss to her. 

“I know,” she murmured as she snuggled tighter after we stopped the kiss. “But I need to go back to my family. I can’t just abandon my responsibilities. But why don’t you come back to Britanium as well? You might have been under risk before your ascension, but you’re a Sorcerer now. I’m sure your uncle will be powerless against you, and people would race to be your allies.” 

“Not immediately,” I countered. “You’re right that I could easily go and take control of the family, but until I could identify who I could trust and who are die-hard supporters of my uncle, I would be vulnerable, and that’s not a position I want to be in after angering a group of mysterious strangers. I can’t give them a stationary target.” 

Lillian frowned. “They were just a bunch of pirates, right? Maybe stronger than usual, but pirates and outlaws nonetheless. Will they really go against a Sorcerer?”

“They will if they have a Sorcerer of their own,” I countered. “And I do expect that they have one. I’m not sure if I mentioned it to you in the chaos, but the dragon serpent I killed on that island was actually a familiar, and I doubt a regular Magus could have controlled it.” 

“A f-familiar,” she stammered, too shocked by the revelation to actually care about me concealing information. It was nice, because I didn’t need her trust getting shaken by things that had already passed. She had earned more trust. 

“Yeah, that’s why I’m afraid. Not only do they have at least one Sorcerer, but also they have a suspiciously wide web of connections. Pirates, raiders, and tribals. These are not groups that naturally have communication between themselves, meaning there’s a chance that there’s a mysterious backer.”

“You suspect that they are from Britanium?” she asked. 

“That is a reasonable possibility, considering how easy they were able to intercept you while they were traveling, but there’s an even more dangerous risk. They might have backers from the mainland, backers strong enough to exert power on the island as well. It’s not a reasonable risk to take.” 

“Do you think it’s that serious?” Lillian gasped, her expression stiff. 

I nodded, happy that she was taking my words seriously, even though I was sure that my Ascension had played a large role in that. Before, when I mentioned some of my suspicions, she had treated it like I was being paranoid, but my strength gave my words extra weight. 

I wasn’t surprised by the sudden change. Lillian wasn’t the only person that took the words of stronger, or more popular people, more seriously. Back in school, I seldom bothered to explain anything to others, but on the rare occasions I had to, it was an uphill struggle, even if I had the perfect evidence. Right now, the reverse was happening. Lillian was taking some of my wilder assumptions as the truth. 

It was convenient, though, as I didn’t have to go through a litany of explanations, including how I stole a Dragon’s Heart from the pirates, only to swallow it whole and somehow survive in the aftermath. 

“Yeah, it’s serious,” I continued. “Why do you think I asked you to give a different meeting location for your family forces. That way, even if they have allies, at least we’ll still have the initiative. Still, it’s much safer for you if you stay with us.” 

“Maybe you’re right,” Lillian said, her frown clear. “But we should still meet with them, if only to give them an explanation. Maybe we can ask them for some resources, even some guards to assist us in our journey. A few loyal retainers would certainly make our job much easier.” 

“Not a bad idea,” I said even as I leaned down and captured her lips once more, enjoying the kiss as much as I enjoyed the way Astrid hugged me from behind, her tits smashing against my chest. 

I once again turned to Astrid after the kiss. “So, where’s Helena’s new base?” I asked. “If it’s not too far away, we can swing by and meet with her before continuing our journey. From what I can see, there’s a certain overlap between our enemies, and there’s benefit in talking with her.” I leaned in for another quick kiss. “Not to mention it’ll be good for you to talk with her whether we stay there or not.” 

“She has retreated to a secret camp in Mount Triama. It’s one of the places we had established together in case there was an emergency,” she said, then sighed. “It’s a couple of days of travel away, but largely on our way. We shouldn’t lose more than a few hours, but…” she said, only to trail away. 

“But?” I asked even as I gently caressed her back, making her shiver under my touch. 

“It’s a dangerous place. More so the creatures. Not only are they strong, but they are also very aggressive. When we went there to set up the camp, Matron Helena had hid us with a protective charm, avoiding the attention of the creatures. Without that, the travel might be deadly.” 

“Don’t worry, I have that part under control,” I said. A talisman to hide from wild monsters might be a rare artifact for their tribe, but I could probably design one in less than a few minutes. More importantly, after my ascension, wild animals, even in significant numbers, didn’t scare me. “Is there anything else I need to know before leaving the room and going downstairs for a drink?” 

“Only that some people might try to attack you,” Lillian interjected. “They weren’t exactly happy after I smacked.” 

I couldn’t help but snort as I imagined the damage those tough hunters and trappers received to their reputation when they tried to treat two sluttily-dressed women, only to be beaten decisively. “I’m sure I can handle it,” I answered, unable to keep a wild smile from my face. After my ascension, my magic wasn’t the only thing that transformed. My body had received a qualitative change as well, from my senses to my muscles. I would have liked the excuse to test my new abilities. 

“That’s for sure,” both girls answered at the same time, then they started giggling. I extracted myself from in between them, no matter how much I wanted to continue lying between them, enjoying their warmth. I already lost several days while I was unconscious. The least I could do was to go down and get some information about our surroundings, especially about any possible suspicious activity. 

I made a show of dressing, giving the girls a small show that left them giggling, amused and aroused at the same time. They earned it after everything, I decided…

Then, I closed the door behind me, and walked downstairs, ready to get some information, and maybe release some stress…