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From: Crimson Dragon <dcrimsonp@nym.alias.net>
Subject: {ASSM} New: Inverness - Challenge (5/11) (FF, fantasy)
Date: Fri,  6 Jul 2001 09:10:04 -0400
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Inverness is a land of magic. We all live there, in some sense.

This story is the continuation of "Magical Encounters" and "Autumn
Equinox" that I wrote in the past and can be read on my website. If
you didn't enjoy them, then you probably won't enjoy this one either.

In a break from tradition, I've switched main characters. I'm sure
Janey won't mind.

This story is fiction. Hear that? Fiction. Those that can dispute that
statement, won't.

In a further break from tradition, this story is rather long. As such,
I decided to break it into eleven parts for posting. Rest assured that
all eleven parts are written, and will be posted, but I will only be
releasing them about one a week. Real life intrudes sometimes.

I want to thank Mike Ink, especially, for providing invaluable
assistance, once again, in editing and proofing the story. Sorry MInk,
this one was a long one, but I appreciate the effort. Even so, I must
take responsibility for any errors in the text. If it's wrong, most
likely it was pointed out and I ignored it.

Comments, and questions, are always welcome at dcrimson@yahoo.com.
Offers for fast money and pictures of Britney naked, are far less
welcome.

Please don't redistribute or repost this work in any format without
written permission from the author.

As usual, this story contains scenes with erotic imagery. This may
include depictions of nudity, female-female sexuality, outdoor
settings, group sex, and all sorts of other wonderful activities that
may offend the moral minority. I have no idea what the moral minority
would be doing reading anything here, but consider yourself warned.

On the other hand, my descriptions of human sexuality aren't nearly as
graphic as some around here. We are all blessed with an imagination,
and sex is much more than slippery hydraulics. At least to my
characters it is. And so, if you are looking for detailed descriptions
of pussies and penises, there are many "stories" lurking about that
can do that. Consider yourself warned.

And for the rest of us, on to the story,

- Crimson (dcrimson@yahoo.com)

http://www.asstr-mirror.org/files/Authors/Crimson_Dragon/www
http://members.tripod.com/files/Authors/Dr/wwwagon_Of_Crimson

========================================================================

Inverness [FF, fantasy] - Part V - Challenge

Crimson Dragon

========================================================================

(c) Copyright February 2001 - All Rights Reserved

========================================================================

The number of people that they encountered steadily increased as they
approached the castle.  Some were garbed in tunics, some in modern
dresses, or jeans.  Some were nude, some topless, some bottomless,
some wore strange translucent robes.  Mercury waved to all, calling
most by name as they passed.  Many commented jokingly on Mercury's
state of dress.

"Hey, Claudette," Mercury waved easily to a naked girl of about
fourteen approaching along the path.

"It's good to surprise them once in a while by wearing clothing," she
whispered to Alison as Claudette waved once and performed a
double-take as she skipped passed.  "Most of them have to check again
to make sure it's me."  Mercury seemed to enjoy the notoriety she was
generating.  Alison, for her part, was beginning to get used to the
casual nudity abounding.  While she wasn't sure that she would be
prancing around in her birthday suit anytime soon, she was certainly
getting used to seeing people unashamed about their bodies.

As they approached the drawbridge, Alison again stopped, and it took a
moment for Mercury to realise that Alison was no longer beside her.

"What?" Mercury asked as she turned and trotted back.  She followed
Alison's gaze towards the east.  Mercury laughed, gently pressing
Alison's jaw up until he girl's teeth clacked together.

"You want to try that?" Mercury asked quietly.

Alison shook her head slowly, unable to tear her eyes from the scene. 
A copse of birches stood a number of metres from the main path.  A
petite brunette stood with her back firmly against one of the trees. 
Even from this distance, the whiteness of the ropes that criss-crossed
her body, between her breasts, around her bare thighs, was acutely
visible.  Her face radiated tranquillity and peace.  A naked redhead
knelt in the grass at the tied girl's feet, her fingers caressing the
restrained girl in front of her.

"Is she OK?" Alison whispered.  "The brunette?"

Mercury laughed gently, tugging on Alison's fingers.  "Oh, I think
she's just fine."

A nagging throb raced through Alison as she accepted the guidance of
Mercury's fingers.  She glanced back once as they moved further down
the path.  She thought she could hear a faint moan cross the distance
between the pairs of girls.

"If you catch their attention, they'll probably invite you to
participate," Mercury whispered with a grin.

"Yuck."

Mercury's features settled into one of her understanding looks.

"We can try it later, perhaps less publicly, if you want."

Alison didn't reply, but the throb beat an insistent rhythm between
her legs.

                         <---===***===--->

"Most of the people here are women," Alison commented as the
drawbridge drew close.

Mercury shrugged and leaned in conspiratorially.  "It's much quieter,
don't you think?"

The warmth of rough boards of the drawbridge was a welcome change to
the hot dust of the path.  Alison sighed as her bared feet noticed the
change of texture.  Mercury straightened and continued, but quietly. 
"There are plenty of men around, though.  This isn't Lesbos, after
all.  Women just seem to be better at adapting to Inverness.  More
susceptible to magic, and more open, I suppose.  At least that's what
Crimson says.  Personally, I think she just prefers the company of
women and tends to offer them more passage to Inverness.  You're here,
aren't you?"

Alison nodded, but looked up at a sudden interruption from above.  A
male voice boomed a challenge from the ramparts above the drawbridge.

"Who goes there?"

Mercury stopped and looked up toward the voice; her lips broke into an
easy smile.

"Malinov, you old dog, you know damn well who we are.  And Inverness
is a free port.  Why the hell are you on guard duty?"

"My lady, I know not of what you speak.  Identify yourself."

Mercury turned to Alison shaking her head.  She had to contain a quick
laugh at the look of dismay on Alison's face.

"Don't worry, Malinov is always cooking up one scheme or another. 
Says it makes for good stories, and his works are in the library. 
I've read 'em.  Worth a look."  Mercury uptilted her face again. 
Sunshine illuminated her features.

"My Lord," she spoke in a clear, strong voice tinged with a mild
humour.  "By what authority do you challenge us?"

Alison noticed a few people gathering on the near side of the
drawbridge apparently waiting for Malinov's game to finish.  Alison
shifted awkwardly from foot to foot.

"Strange lady, there is a security ordinance.  Please identify
yourself and your compatriot."

"You know damn well who we are," Mercury repeated under her breath
then raised her voice again to the unseen male.  "We are neither
thieves, nor spammers, and you know it."

The male voice continued.  "All unknown travellers must identify
themselves.  See-el's orders."

Mercury turned towards Alison lowering her voice, again.  "Now you see
why there aren't many males around?  We could just walk in."  Alison
could see a large, green courtyard just beyond the portcullis.  Some
people within, in various states of dress and undress, were watching
the exchange with some interest.

Alison shook her head.  "Why don't we then?"

"The game is fun," Mercury replied enigmatically.  She again faced the
wall.

"Malinov, you know damn well who it is.  It's Mercury, and a guest of
Crimson's, Alison.  Now, let us through.  We need to start preparing
for Solstice.  We're tired, and dirty, and..."

"Solstice?" the male voice boomed.

"Solstice.  And don't tell me that you don't know what Solstice is."

"My lady, you are not the Mercury that we know and love."

"Huh?"  Mercury glanced down at herself at though expecting a
different image than the petite brunette that remained standing
barefoot in the middle of the drawbridge.

The voice continued in a firm baritone.  "The Mercury that we know
wouldn't be crossing the drawbridge in that state."

Mercury shook her head in mock frustration.  "Sometimes you authors
can be frustrating, you know that?  If you wanted a view, why didn't
you just say so?"  She actually stamped her left foot against the wood
of the bridge.

"And your compatriot.  Clementine, was it?"

"Alison," Mercury corrected.  "You know who she is as well as I do. 
And she's not going to flash you, so forget it."  Mercury's fingers
began to fumble at the buttons at her breasts.  After leaving the
barn, Mercury had fastened two buttons loosely between her breasts to
stop the translucent fabric from flapping in the wind.  With a smile
on her face, she released the buttons and held the fabric apart,
thrusting her bared chest towards the unseen wall.  She sighed.  "Good
enough?"

A kind chuckle issued forth from the wall, and a dark-haired head
sporting a helmet reminiscent of the Vikings emerged from behind the
upper ramparts.

"Why are you wearing clothes, Mercury?  Miranda finally get your
goat?"

Mercury snapped the fabric back across her breasts, quickly
re-fastening the buttons; her bare skin hid amongst the folds.  She
nodded.  "Maybe I decided to regain my modesty."

Malinov laughed.  "Modesty?  You?"

"It's been known to happen," Mercury said with a wry grin.  People
began to pass the two stationary girls, apparently determining that
the game had played its course.

"What about Clementine?"

Mercury glared up at the writer-guard.  Alison trembled a little. 
Exhibitionism wasn't really her game, either.  Though around here, she
might have been tempted to follow Mercury's lead, if it were necessary
to pass into the castle.  Malinov didn't seem to be perturbed by the
others now passing the girls and entering below the portcullis
unhindered.  Mercury's hand entwined with Alison's, giving her a
squeeze of reassurance.

"She's not flashing you, Malinov.  She's new here, as you well know. 
And her name is Alison."

Malinov's eyes twinkled mischievously.  "Clementine, my lady, welcome
to Inverness."  The man above tilted his head in greeting.  "Don't let
Mercury get you into too much trouble."

"I won't, sir," Alison replied.

"Sir?  Christ, I'm not that old," Malinov muttered.  "Call me Malinov.
 Everyone else does."

"May we go in now?" Mercury asked in an exasperated voice.

"Sure, what's stopping you?"

Mercury shook her head with a smile, and tugging on Alison's hand,
resumed walking under the guard.

"We'll see you tonight, Malinov," she called up as they passed.  "And
I'll be more in the state you are accustomed to."

"Happy Solstice," he replied with a small wave before disappearing
into the wall.

                         <---===***===--->

After passing under the entrance to the castle, Alison sighed as her
feet encountered soft, green grass.  Perhaps ten couples were spread
across the small entrance courtyard, most lounging under trees, or
lying on the grass together.  Some were naked, others were dressed in
more modern attire.  One couple was kissing under what looked like an
old oak tree.  One group of three naked girls, sitting cross-legged in
the grass, waved a greeting to Mercury and Alison as they entered, but
then turned back to a conversation involving a great deal of quiet
giggling.

"Who the heck is Malinov?" Alison asked as they made their way across
the grass towards another archway on the other side of the court.

Mercury stopped, tilting her face upwards into the sunlight.  She
answered to the sky.  "Malinov is one of the writers around here."

"So he could have given me shoes?" Alison worked her toes into the
grass, not sure anymore that she still wanted shoes anyway.

Mercury laughed.  "Didn't you hear him call you Clementine?"

"I did."  Alison's voice conveyed her confusion.

"Why do you think he did that?"

Alison shrugged.

"Malinov has a warped sense of humour, sometimes.  If you'd asked him,
he would probably have given you the shoes."

"Would I have had to flash him for them?"

Mercury laughed.  "You think he demanded to see my chest before he'd
let us in here?"

"Didn't he?"

"Alison, no dear.  We could have walked right past, and the worst that
would have happened is that Lord Malinov might have been a little
disappointed.  Well, if he had been serious in the demand, he'd
probably be banished.  Inverness isn't like that.  We are all free
here.  Writers really aren't any different from you or I, they merely
can create magic -- give you a new wardrobe, for instance, whether you
want one or not.  But other than that, they aren't any different from
us.  No, Alison, Malinov asked me because he knows me.  Knows that I
don't mind playing his games, and would gladly show nearly anyone my
boobs in a heartbeat.  I normally walk around buck naked, remember? 
Hell, I would've stripped for him, if he'd asked.  If it makes him
happy, and it's fun, why shouldn't I?  And besides, he'd be the first
one defending my honour if someone was trying to take advantage of
me."

Alison nodded, but wasn't quite sure that she fully understood.

"So, I wouldn't have to expose myself for shoes?"  Alison made a
gesture to walk back towards the drawbridge.  Mercury's hand on her
shoulder gently stopped her.

"You wouldn't have to pay anything.  No.  And Malinov up there would
give you what you asked for in a heartbeat, with a twinkle in his eye.
But you probably would end up with boxes without tops's that you
couldn't remove from your feet until he took pity on you, sometime
after midnight."

"Huh?"

"Malinov's humour.  And besides, you've done without for the walk
here, and you certainly aren't going to want them where we are headed.
Ask Crimson when the infernal creature returns.  Okay?"

Alison nodded as the girls continued to cross the courtyard.

"Where are we going, anyway?"

                         <---===***===--->

-- 
Pursuant to the Berne Convention, this work is copyright with all rights
reserved by its author unless explicitly indicated.
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