index


Message-ID: <56417asstr$1186999804@assm.asstr-mirror.org>
From: netwolf.thepub@gmail.com
Mime-Version: 1.0
NNTP-Posting-Date: Mon, 13 Aug 2007 02:02:46 +0000 (UTC)
User-Agent: G2/1.0
Complaints-To: groups-abuse@google.com
Injection-Info: b79g2000hse.googlegroups.com; posting-host=71.87.191.156;
   posting-account=ps2QrAMAAAA6_jCuRt2JEIpn5Otqf_w0
Subject: {ASSM} Dragonseekers, by Net Wolf [2 / 20] (ff, mF, mf, first, inc, rom, solo, teen, voy)
Lines: 907
Date: Mon, 13 Aug 2007 06:10:04 -0400
Path: assm.asstr-mirror.org!not-for-mail
Approved: <assm@asstr-mirror.org>
Newsgroups: alt.sex.stories.moderated,alt.sex.stories
Followup-To: alt.sex.stories.d

Story is (C) 2006 by Net Wolf

   This story will be posted one chapter a day until it is finished.  If
you don't want to wait, or you want to see my other stories, you can visit
my website at
http://netwolf.wolfpub.org

   The Mystic Wolf Pub also has several other good authors.  Check it out:
http://www.wolfpub.org

   Please let me know if you enjoy the story.

   Net Wolf

   **********

   Dragonseekers
   Chapter 2 of 20


Genre: Fantasy
codes: first time sex, incest, romantic, solo, teen, non-sexual violence,
voyeurism

pairings: ff, mF, mf

description:

   Don White and his friends are transported to Zemlia Nov through a
computer RPG.  Their mission?  Find a way home.  But that's not the whole
story...

   **********

   --===Dragonseekers===-

   Chapter 2

   Don was awakened by a hand shaking him softly.  He rolled over and
blinked his eyes clear.  He couldn't make out the person standing over him,
and he mumbled incoherently.

   "Your turn at watch, buddy," Gill said quietly, so as not to wake Kate,
who was softly snoring next to Don.

   It took Don a moment or two to remember what the hell Gill was talking
about.  After that, he came rapidly awake, realizing he wasn't lying in his
bedroom, which would, of course, explain why his bed was so hard.  He shook
his head at Gill to acknowledge him, but Gill waited until Don was sitting
up and stretching before he moved off to sleep next to his own sister.

   Don did a few stretches to work out the stiffness he'd gotten from lying
on a cold, hard surface.  He looked over at his sister, who was sleeping
soundly.  Her body was outlined in the dwindling firelight.  He couldn't
help himself, and he stroked her soft wing with his hand.  She murmured in
her sleep, but did not wake.  He left her to walk to the edge of their
campsite, as far away from the fire as he dared go.  Although it was colder
this way, his night vision would be a little better, so long as he kept his
eyes away from the fire.

   He hadn't been camping in a long time, but the sounds of the forest
brought it all back to him.  He heard an owl hooting, and the flapping of
what he hoped were just bats.  Then he heard a distant howl, long and low,
that sounded very much like a wolf.  He hoped the sound would stay distant.
He had no illusions about their ability to take on wild animals just yet.
Although Susan could probably take down one animal with her bow, or even
two, a whole pack of wolves would certainly be trouble.

   He wandered quietly in a wide circle around the camp, trying to peer
into the darkness, to see if anything was there.  The firelight reflecting
off the trees was killing any ability he had to see anything beyond the
meadow, and so he concentrated on his hearing, hoping that sound would
carry any necessary warnings.

   His hope of this was dashed when he felt a soft hand touching his arm.
He nearly jumped out of his skin as he felt it.  When he finally got his
heart restarted, Kate whispered, "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you."

   He nodded at her, still not quite ready to speak.  How had he not heard
her get up?  Finally, he asked, "Why aren't you sleeping?"

   "I can't sleep alone in this place.  It gives me the creeps.  Mind if I
keep watch with you?" Her voice was small and pleading.  He couldn't
possibly resist.  He gave her a hug - easier to do when her wings were
folded - and nodded his head.  They walked the circle together, not
speaking so that they wouldn't wake the others.



   ...---=== http://netwolf.wolfpub.org ===---...



   The morning revealed a blood-red sky that indicated nasty weather for
the day.  As soon as it was light enough, Kate resumed her flying practice
by flying just above the trees, so she could see the coming storm.  She
came back with her weather report.

   "It looks pretty nasty off to the east and the south.  I can't tell how
quick it's moving, but I did hear a faint rumble of thunder."

   "And me without my galoshes," Don quipped.  Kate didn't like
thunderstorms very much, so he knew this was going to be a rough day for
her.  "We'll be okay, but we should probably get moving soon.  We can't
stay here forever." On further thought, he said, "Your flying seems to be
getting a lot better."

   "Well, I'm not crashing into things any more," she answered.

   He chuckled at her.  "Could you do a little recon for me?" Seeing her
confused look, he explained, "Fly up to about two or three hundred feet,
and see what's north of us.  That's the direction the scroll told us to go,
but I don't want to run into anything really nasty our first day out."

   "What if I fall?" she said, suddenly frightened.

   "You won't.  Look, if you start to get tired, come down immediately, no
matter what you've seen.  But if you can make it, it would be a big help."

   "Okay," she said, not really sure of herself, but her brother's
confidence buoyed her.  She took off, heading straight up out of the
clearing.

   "Wish I could do that," Paul said, coming up beside Don.  They both
watched her, Don in concern, and Paul in amazement.  "My knee would sure as
hell feel better about it."

   "I suppose.  Bad weather coming today," Don told him.  "A big storm in
the southeast."

   "Shouldn't it miss us, then?  I mean, don't storms move east?"

   "They do on Earth, but do you want to assume that here?  Besides, the
wind is blowing from the east at the moment.  We're going to have to get
moving right after breakfast.  Are the others up yet?" The camp was behind
him, and he didn't feel like taking his eyes off his sister.

   "Julie's up, but Gill and Susan are still sleeping."

   "Makes sense.  He got the worst shift.  I'll take middle shift tonight."

   "Okay."

   Kate descended from her lookout position then, and landed lightly on the
ground.  Don smiled at her in praise.  She blushed.

   "I can't see much other than more forest.  It looks like there might be
a clearing that way, but it's pretty far off, so I can't make it out very
well.

   "Okay.  Good enough.  Thanks.  Let's get some breakfast."



   ----



   The first loud roll of thunder arrived just as they began their walk
into the forest.  Kate jumped at hearing it, and Don put his hand on her
shoulder, to show support.  Behind them, Susan and Gill walked together,
not speaking at the moment, and Julie and Paul brought up the rear.  Julie
was actually hanging on Paul's left arm, while he kept his staff in his
right.  He was enjoying having her there, but was a little puzzled at her
sudden rush of affection.

   Kate grew more and more skittish as the storm approached.  They walked
on as fast as they could without getting tired too quickly.  The storm was
moving more quickly than they, however, and it was less than an hour before
it arrived on top of them.  The first sprinkles made it appear to be
nothing more than a summer shower, but everyone knew that was not to be. 
Don pulled the hood up on his robe, and Paul raised the hood on his cloak,
but the others were left unprotected from the weather.

   Kate was the worst off, for her outfit was rather skimpy, and the rain
was cold.  Finally, she could stand it no longer, and did what she hadn't
wanted to do.  She unfolded her wings, and brought them together over her
head, forming an umbrella of feathers.  Her wings didn't seem to be
bothered by the cold or the wet, and it kept her mostly dry, except for her
legs, which were already soaked, anyway.

   Don smiled encouragingly at her, and gently wrapped his arm around her
waist for a moment, to let her know he was concerned for her.  She smiled
at him as she hugged herself, trying to warm up a bit.  Behind them, Susan
looked at Kate with a half-sneer.

   "Freak," she uttered.

   "Stuff it, sis," Gill hissed at her.  Susan thought to give a nasty
reply, but again, something kept her from it.  Why could she not put these
people in their place?

   Their walk continued on in misery.  All of them were drenched.  Julie
and Kate were both shivering from the cold.  Paul had wrapped his cloak
around his sister, so that his body warmth and the cloak would help to warm
her.  Don wished he had something to do to help his sister, but he wasn't
wearing much beneath his robe, and so couldn't mimic Paul's actions.

   They walked on.



   ----



   The rain slowed in the late morning, but it showed no signs of stopping.
By the time they paused for lunch, everyone was thoroughly miserable.  They
sat in silence, eating their food without conversation, each person alone
in their wetness and chill.  Don rubbed his sister's arms in an attempt to
warm her, but it was simply too cold in the rain.  She appreciated the
gesture, and her brief smile warmed his heart, but it looked as if they
were just going to have to tolerate this disgusting weather for now.

   After he finished his lunch, Don decided to look through his magic book
briefly to see if there was anything in it that could help them deal with
this weather.  His hand reached inside his robe, but he reached too far. 
His hand brushed against a small fastener he'd not noticed before. 
Curious, he pulled his robe away from his body far enough for him to look
in.  He realized that there were a series of such fasteners along the
length of his robe, on either side.  *Really big pockets?* he thought to
himself at first, but on checking, it didn't seal at the bottom.  It was
merely an extension to the garment.  *Maybe that's in case I get really
fat,* he thought with a chuckle.  He dismissed it, and reached for the
book.

   While Don was looking through the book, Gill came over and sat down
beside him.  He stared off into the rain for a little bit, and then looked
over at Susan, who was sitting quietly beneath a tree.  This was unlike
her, because she was usually the one telling others what needed to be done.
Now, she just waited for the group to get moving again.

   "Don?  Have you noticed anything weird about the girls?"

   Don looked up from the book.  "Hmm?  Other than the fact that I have an
Elf for a sister, you mean?  Not really, why?"

   "Doesn't Susan's behavior strike you as odd?"

   "How?

   "She's normally a lot bitchier than this."

   Don chuckled.  "True, I guess.  Maybe she's just not gotten her bearings
back yet, after being naked in front of all of us."

   "Damned nice bod, though, huh?"

   "Damn straight!"

   "I don't know, Don.  I think something's up.  I mean, Paul has mentioned
that Julie is being a lot more affectionate, too."

   "Really?"

   "Has Kate?"

   "Not...  well, now that you mention it, I guess she has been a little
more dependent on me than she usually would be.  But I just figured that
was because she was scared."

   "Maybe.  But I think it's weird that all three of them are acting that
way." Gill sat silently for a minute.  "Why do you think the game asked all
those sex questions?"

   Don didn't answer, only because he had been about to voice the very same
question.  They looked at each other, and Don nodded almost imperceptibly.
He said, "But what are we supposed to do about it, anyway?"

   "I don't know.  I'll try to talk with Paul about it when we get going
again."

   "We need to find out if it's true before any of us does anything... 
rash."

   "Agreed.  I'll see if Paul has any ideas."



   ----



   The group got moving shortly after Gill got up.  Don looked back at the
group a couple of times, and noticed that Susan and Julie were now walking
together, so that the boys could talk quietly between themselves.  Don
thought to drop back and join the discussion, but figured he'd just let
them come to some kind of decision.  Besides, Kate was so distraught that
she really needed him with her right now.  She was chilled to the bone, and
she was scared out of her mind, and she was clinging to him as her last
thread of sanity.

   The forest changed not a bit as they continued their walk.  The rain
came and went, but never stopped completely.  A cold, chilly mist joined
the rain to add to their misery.  It was an utterly disgusting day, and
they walked on through it like men to the gallows: heads down,
conversations in whispers if at all, eyes looking only at the path before
them.

   For hours they walked without any change in their condition.  It was
apparently reaching nightfall, something that was only obvious because the
light was dimming.  Neither the path nor the sky above them showed any
signs of changing.

   Without warning, a large beast broke from the forest around them,
lunging for Kate.  Don quickly swept her back, turning himself so he was
between her and what turned out to be a very large forest cat.  A light
green coat of fur was cut through with brown stripes, and no one had seen
the animal, lying silently in the trees.

   The cat's first lunge missed, but it swiped a giant paw at Don, slashing
his side with its claws.  He and Kate stumbled to the ground, and the cat
began to advance.

   Susan reacted as soon as she saw the animal, but she didn't think she'd
have enough time.  The cat was too close.  She had an arrow out, and was
stringing it in the bow, but the large animal was only feet away from her
two friends.

   Then, suddenly, Don stretched out his hand and shouted something.  A
burst of light surged forth, and dazzled the creature.  It would have
dazzled Susan, too, if she hadn't been so focused on the cat.  The forest
cat faded back a little, waiting for its eyes to clear, but Susan wasn't
giving it that chance.  With a heavy *twang*, her arrow flew, and embedded
itself deeply into the creature's side.  Another arrow strung, she
approached the cat, who was snarling fiercely, but lying on its side in
pain.  The second arrow, aimed at the head, ended the creature's suffering.

   It took several minutes for the group to settle down.  Kate was shaking
so badly now that she couldn't have stood if she'd tried.  Don was wounded
and bleeding, but Julie, who had taken first aid, was able to bandage that.
He thanked her for it, and she smiled at him, which was unusual for her,
since he wasn't her type, and she only smiled to flirt.  Gill gave his
sister a pat on the back, which lingered into a soft stroking of her lower
back.

   "Good work Susan," he offered, wondering how she would react.

   Her initial reaction to his touch was unfavorable, but the longer he
kept his hand on her, the better it felt.  Finally, she said, "Thank you,
sir." *Sir again?  What the hell is the matter with me!*

   Gill noticed the change in her, but he said nothing.  He let his hand
linger another few seconds, and then he left her to herself, to go see how
his friends were doing.

   Paul was standing with Don, who was looking through the book.  Finally,
he found what it was he wanted.  He moved his hands and uttered some words
that were unintelligible to the others.  A shimmering effect occurred
around Don, and that was it.

   "Healing spell?" Paul asked.

   "No, I haven't found one of those.  This one just fixed my robe." Sure
enough, the slash marks from the animal were gone.  Don turned to Gill. 
"You think you can skin this thing?" he gestured to the cat.

   "I can try.  I've never done anything this big, but I used to skin
rabbits when I was a kid.

   "Give it a shot.  I want to try to make something to keep Kate warm. 
She's freezing to death in this weather."

   "Gotcha.  Let me go to work."

   Paul said, "Don, I think we should stop here for tonight."

   "I don't think we've got much choice.  Kate won't be able to go anywhere
until she settles down.  Not that I blame her much."

   Paul shook his head.  "What about a fire?"

   "No room.  We start a fire here, we're liable to burn down the forest
around us.  That assumes we could get any of this sopping wet wood to burn,
anyway."

   "I suppose.  Nothing in that book that can help us?"

   "Not that I've found so far."

   "Hmph.  Not a very damned useful book."

   "You're telling me.  Well, we'll wait until Gill is finished, then we'll
eat dinner, and go to sleep."

   Gill, who was listening in while he was skinning the cat, asked, "What's
the guard rotation?"

   "You get first watch," Don answered.  "Wake me up for middle watch, and
Paul will get the last watch."

   "Without any stars or moon, how will we tell when our watch is up?" Gill
asked.

   "Good question," Paul agreed.

   "Wait, I think I remember a spell that would help with that..." He
rummaged through the book for a while, and came up with it.  It was hard to
read in the fading light, but he finally managed to get the spell in his
head.  He put the book away, and chanted the spell.  In front of him, a
small ball of yellow light formed, hovering there.  It gave off enough
light to read by, but no warmth at all.  Don explained, "The spell will
wear off after a given amount of time.  This ball will fade in an hour. 
Right before we bed down, I'll make one that will last three hours, so that
when it fades, we change watch."

   "Cool.  Plus, it'll give us a little light to work by, if we need to do
something," Paul said.

   "True.  Now, I'm going to see if I can help Kate.  I'm really worried
about her."

   After Don left, Paul bent down to help Gill finish up with the cat. 
Looking over to make sure Don couldn't hear him, Paul said, "When the time
comes, wake me up instead of Don.  He's got enough to deal with, taking
care of his sister, and trying to keep us on track."

   Gill gave him a look, and nodded in agreement.  "If we're going to make
it out of here in one piece, he's our best bet.  Hell, if we really are
stuck in a game, he's always been the best of us at playing them."

   Paul nodded, and then they continued to work in silence.



   ----



   After they had their dinner, Don cast one more spell, this one over the
cat skin that had been removed from the carcass.  The spell was a tanning
spell, but it would take a few hours to finish its work.  He cast another
glow-ball, and then he settled next to his sister.  The rain had abated,
finally, into a light drizzle mixed with a mist.  It was cold and damp and
dreary.  Kate tried to snuggle as close to him as possible, but still she
was shivering badly.  He had tried to cast a drying spell on her, but the
weather made that an impossibility: there simply was nowhere for the water
in her clothing to go.

   He hugged her tightly, feeling her shiver as they sat back against a
tree.  No one wanted to actually lie down on this ground.  Susan was
hunkered down against a tree about twenty feet away, and Paul and Julie
were huddled together across from her.  Gill was walking back and forth
quietly along the path.

   "I'm sorry, sis," Don whispered.  "I don't know what else to do."

   "So c-c-cold," she stuttered back.  The night had brought with it a
chill as bad as the rain's.

   Just then, Don thought about his robe.  He wasn't wearing anything under
it, so he couldn't give it to her.  All of their old clothes were soaked
clear through, and so would be no help.  But his robe had that extra
fabric. *Would she go for it?  I guess all I can do is suggest it.*

   "Kate?" She looked up at him expectantly.  "There is one option, but I
don't know if you'll go for it."

   "Right n-now I'd d-do just ab-bout anything."

   Don reached in and unfastened the extra length of his robe.  Then he
explained.  "This robe is expandable.  It has extra fabric.  Maybe I can
wrap it around both of us.  Between the covering, and our body heat, it
should warm you up at least a little.  Of course, I'm not wearing a whole
lot under this robe, sis..."

   "It's ok-kay.  I n-need to g-get warm."

   He unfastened the outer clasp, and tried to wrap the fabric around them
both.  There was no easy way to do it with them sitting side-by-side.  It
just wasn't working.

   "Um, Katie, I think the only way we're going to make this work is if you
sit in my lap.  Sorry, but that looks like the only way."

   She didn't hesitate, but immediately climbed into his lap, facing him.
She wrapped her arms around his back inside the robe as he fastened it
around the two of them.  Maneuvering around her wings was a challenge, but
he managed to work it out.  Finally, it was done, and he could feel his
sister's shivering subside.  He wrapped his arms around her, holding her
tightly to him, to better help her warm up.  Or so he told himself.  He
hoped she was too preoccupied to notice his hardon.  His sister was
beautiful, and well-endowed, and she was sitting in his lap.  It was hard
not to think impure thoughts.  He kissed her lightly on the cheek as she
closed her eyes and laid her head against his shoulder.

   "Good night, sis."

   "Good night, Donny.  Thanks." It wasn't long before they both faded off
to sleep.



   ----



   Gill had stayed at the other end of camp when he noticed what Don was
doing.  He didn't want Kate to become embarrassed or nervous.  It was a
smart solution to her problem.  It didn't settle in Gill's mind, though,
whether or not she'd changed.  As cold as she was, she'd have gone for
almost any idea that got her warm.  He still wondered about Susan's
behavior, though.  He figured he'd have to start pushing her just a little
bit at a time, to see if she really was changing in her behavior toward
him. It would be at least an interesting diversion to this interminable
walking.



   ----



   Gill woke Paul some time after the glow ball faded.  The rain had
finally stopped, and the mist was fading away.  Gill made sure that Paul
was fully awake, and then he went over to sleep by his sister, who murmured
something as he sat down, but didn't awaken.  Unconsciously, she slumped
over and rested against him.  He put his arm around her in a brotherly
fashion, and she mumbled something before returning to her restful state.

   Paul stretched and yawned.  His sleep for the night was finished, but
that was okay, for he'd never needed a lot of sleep.  He looked down at
Julie, sleeping peacefully with a coy smile on her face.  He wondered what
boy she was dreaming of.

   He wandered back and forth quietly, trying to concentrate on keeping
guard, but it was difficult to concentrate on nothing at all.  His mind
drifted to the situation at hand.  Were they really in a game?  Was his
real body still back in Don's room?  Or was it more complex than that?  He
knew that, as dismal as the previous day had been, it had still been nice
to have a change from his dull existence back home.  And, truth be told,
having Julie hanging off his arm was starting to grow on him.  One of the
things that tied all three of the boys together was that they'd had a crush
on their sisters at one time or another.  Each of them secretly still did,
but that secret wasn't going to last much longer, if the girls were
changing as Gill had suggested.  Paul wondered if that was part of the
game, or if there was something else going on.  He paced back and forth,
letting his mind stray over these thoughts as his eyes and ears kept guard.



   ...---=== http://netwolf.wolfpub.org ===---...



   The first thing Don noticed upon waking was that it was already morning.
He wondered if something had happened, and quickly looked around, but he
saw Paul leaning against a tree at the other end of camp, so things were
obviously all right.

   The next thing he noticed was that there was still a very soft and warm
body lying against him.  Kate was breathing softly into his ear.  It was a
peaceful sound, and he sat for a few moments listening to it.  Sometime
during the night, he had slipped his arms inside his robe, and his hands
were resting against the silky skin of his sister's back.  His fingers
unconsciously drew little circles against that skin, and she mewled in her
sleep.  His hands slipped across her back, and he accidentally brushed them
down against her ass as she shifted positions.  He didn't have time to move
them before her eyes opened.  She wasn't alarmed at his touch, and she
didn't move away from him.  She leaned her head back and looked at him
dreamily.

   "Morning, Donny," she mumbled quietly.

   "Good morning." He was scared, now, to move his hands.  To move them
would draw attention to something that she might be currently unaware of.
And, truth be told, her ass felt very nice.

   "You know," she said, breaking his concentration, "you didn't have to
wait until I was asleep to feel me up." She giggled at the shocked look on
his face.  She turned serious and said, "Thanks for last night.  I'm not
sure I would have made it without you." She didn't let him answer as she
kissed him on the lips.

   Don was hardly ready for her actions, but he recovered quickly, and
kissed back.  He felt her tongue insistently pressing against his lips, and
opened them to admit it.  Their tongues slid against each other, and his
hands involuntarily squeezed her ass in response.  She moaned very softly
into his mouth, as her own hands ran along his back.

   They continued for a few moments, but then broke the kiss, afraid they
would wake the others and draw attention to themselves.  "Thank you very
much, Donny," she whispered into his ear.

   "You're welcome.  And thank you for the wakeup."

   She smiled softly at him.  "You deserve it.  You probably saved my ass
last night.  Twice."

   "Well, it's such a nice ass," he quipped.  She wriggled in his grasp.

   "You ought to know by now," she said slyly.  He gave her one final
squeeze, and then moved his hands back up to her back.

   "You're going to have to get up," he said.

   "But I like it here," she pouted cutely.

   He chuckled.  "Maybe, but I doubt you'll like it if I pee all over you."

   "Ew!  Okay.  Um...  you have to unbutton us." They both giggled, and he
put his arms back through the robe's sleeves, and then undid the fasteners.
She got up, and then helped him up.  He staggered a bit.

   "My legs are just a little numb," he said in explanation.  She smiled at
him, and he blew her a kiss before he wandered off behind a tree.



   ----



   Paul had watched the two of them, discreetly, throughout the encounter.
*So.  It looks like Kate has been affected by this place.  I know those two
are close, but I don't think they normally make out every morning.  Of
course, they don't generally wake up in each other's arms, quite literally,
every morning, either.  But I really think something is going on.  I'll
have to talk to Don and Gill about it later.*



   ----



   After everyone was awake, and eating, Don wandered over to where Susan
and Gill were sitting.  Susan looked up at him.

   "Someone's awfully perky this morning," she said sourly.

   "Yeah, well, I'm well rested." He looked at Gill accusingly.  "*Someone*
forgot to wake me for my turn at watch."

   "Kate needed you," he said simply.  Don nodded his thanks at his
friend's understanding.  Then he bent down on one knee, to look Susan in
the eyes.

   "And I didn't get a chance to thank you for saving me and my sister."

   "That's what I'm here for, sir," she answered, and the warm flush
running through her body at his praise made her forget to question why
she'd called him *sir*.

   Don nodded to her, and gave Gill a meaningful look as he rose to rejoin
his sister.  Gill ran his hand along his sister's back, and she shivered at
the feel of it, making no objection.  "You did good work, Susan." Again,
her body flushed, and a soft smile came across her face.  Gill took note of
all of it.



   ----



   It didn't take long before the group got underway.  The forest cat's
skin had been crudely lashed together into a warm garment for Kate, but
today she didn't need it: the temperature was already warm, and steadily
climbing.  The meat of the cat had been wasted, as no one had a way to cure
it, and without the ability to make a fire, they couldn't even cook it.  It
was already beginning to stink by the time they departed.  On further
reflection, everyone thought it strange that no predators or scavengers had
come to collect the body during the night.

   This day's walk was rather more pleasant than the day before.  The
forest was full of sounds, and the sun shimmered through the trees.  They
trekked on, moving swiftly along the path, hoping to find something that
would lead them to the yellow dragon, and home.

   After a while, Don dropped back, leaving Kate in the lead.  He wanted to
talk to the other boys privately.  The girls all moved ahead, so they
wouldn't disturb the conversation.

   "Okay, so what have we decided about the girls?" Don asked quietly.

   "Did you see the way Susan reacted to you?"

   "Yeah.  Normally, there would have been a nasty comment in her reply."

   "Also," Paul said, "Julie and Kate are both far more affectionate than
I've ever seen them."

   "True, I guess," said Don.

   "How do we test it?" Gill wanted to know.

   "Hell if I know," answered Don.

   "Well, there is the obvious way, but which one of us wants to risk it?"

   "Shit, Don's damn near sleeping with Kate already!" The other two hushed
him, but the girls didn't look back.

   "I'm not sure I can push her like that, guys.  I mean, she's my sister,
and she's counting on me."

   "But you wouldn't object if she came on to you, is that it?" Paul asked,
knowingly.

   "Well..." Don answered.  He grinned, and the other two nodded.

   "I don't think Julie's ready yet," Paul said.

   "Why don't we all just take small steps, but keep sort of testing them,
to see how far we can go before they protest?"

   "That sounds like a good idea," Paul agreed.

   "All right," Don concurred.  "But don't expect much from me and Kate.  I
just...  I mean, dammit, I've been looking after her all my life, it's kind
of hard to take advantage of that."

   "You'll get used to it," Gill chuckled.

   "I've got another question, though," Don stated, trying to get off this
rather embarrassing subject.

   "What?" Gill inquired.

   "Well, we've seen my magic work, and Gill, you're skills are obvious. 
But we haven't seen anything from you, Paul.  Weren't you supposed to be a
psionic?"

   "True.  I hadn't really thought much about it.  I mean, I don't *feel*
any different, you know?"

   "Maybe you should try some things...  you know, just easy stuff.  Like
moving a pebble or something.  You could carry one with you, and try to
levitate it in your hand."

   "Good idea.  If nothing else, it'll keep me occupied.  I've never been
much for forests." He looked around for a while as they walked, and found a
small, round stone that fit well in his hand.  He focused his attention on
it, but it didn't move.

   "Well, shit.  I guess you didn't get anything, Paul.  That sucks."

   "Yeah.  I mean, we got what we asked for.  You should've got something,
too."

   Paul kept his peace.  He *had* felt something.  The stone had grown
slightly warm in his hand.  He hadn't been able to lift it, though. 
Perhaps he merely needed practice.

   Soon, Don moved forward to retake the lead position with his sister.  He
wrapped an arm around her as they walked, and her hand snaked around his
waist, as well.  They walked like that until they stopped for lunch.



   ----



   Lunch passed by quickly, with no hassles or surprises.  Everyone
considered this a blessing, for they didn't feel the need for any more
excitement just yet.

   As they continued to walk north, the forest seemed to thin ever so
slightly.  The group knew better than to increase their pace, even though
they could now see farther.  They stuck to their steady gait, making decent
time without tiring themselves.

   Gill, who had been watching Don and Kate walk together all morning,
wondered just how far he could push Susan.  First, he put his hand against
her upper back, and rubbed.  She looked over at him, at first looking
annoyed, but this very quickly changed to a smile.  He kept his hand there
for several minutes, rubbing between her shoulder blades.  Finally, he
moved his hand down to the small of her back.  Surprisingly, she actually
moved closer to him when he did this.

   After a solid ten minutes of tracing small circles on her lower back, he
got up enough courage to slide his hand down further.  His hand stopped
when it was firmly planted on her ass.  She said nothing, though she did
take another small step inward, so that she was now almost touching him as
she walked.  He squeezed her ass cheek, and she inhaled sharply, but kept
her peace.  Not wanting to push his luck, he removed his hand.  His
experiment had produced results, and he was happy for the moment.  Still,
he wondered just how far he could go with her.



   ----



   It was late in the afternoon when they reached a bend in the trail. 
Though it had meandered back and forth through the hours, this was the
first time that the path had taken a sharp corner.  Worse, there were
sounds of a large animal coming from around the bend.  The group came to a
stop, and considered.

   Finally, having come to a decision, Don, Gill, and Susan led the other
three around the turn.  Immediately, they came into a clearing.  Sitting in
the clearing was what could only be described as a dragon.  Its red scales
shimmered in the late sunlight, its large, leathery wings lay limp against
its body.  The head of the beast, which sat at the end of a short neck, at
least for a dragon, sat on the ground, its eyes nearly closed.  As the
group entered the clearing, it lifted its head to look at them.

   Susan immediately strung an arrow to her bow.  Don raised his hand to
stop her, just as the creature spoke.

   "Go ahead, miss.  End my misery.  You would be doing me a favor."

   Susan was so stunned that the creature could talk, she nearly dropped
her bow.  She stared at the creature for a full minute, unable to move or
speak.

   Meanwhile, Don moved further into the clearing.  He kept his distance
from the creature, but it was obvious that the animal was gravely wounded.
"We mean you no harm," he said.  "We are merely traveling through these
parts."

   The dragon looked at him balefully.  "I'd much rather you *did* mean me
harm.  My time is short, but much too long for my tastes."

   "What happened to you?" Kate asked, seeing the beast for the first time.

   The dragon took a long look at her, inhaling his breath raggedly. 
Finally, he said, "Pray tell, lovely one, how did you come to be captured
by this pitiful human?" His voice showed a faint hint of anger.

   "That's my brother!" Kate snarled in resentment.

   The dragon looked at her in shock for a moment, and then understanding
dawned upon him.  "You are not from Zemlia Nov.  I understand now." The
creature tried to rise, but couldn't manage.  He did lift his head off the
ground to look at them.  "My name is Dan-Eger.  This was once my territory.
I hunted here to my heart's content.  Now, it belongs to another of my
kind, and I...  I am not long for this world.  And yet, all too long."

   "I'm sorry," Kate said softly, understanding his pain.  "Is there
anything we can do to help?"

   Dan-Eger looked at her for a moment, judging her sincerity.  "Never has
a human given a rot what needs a dragon has.  I believe I am the first to
be blessed by such an event.  The only help I need, dear Elfling, is for
your lady friend to run me through.  I wish to die now."

   "But...  can't we...  save you?" Kate asked, with tears in her eyes.

   "Save me to what end?" Dan-Eger asked softly.  "I can no longer hold my
ground.  I am an old dragon, you see, and my time is over.  Dan-Gelmer has
defeated me, and it is my fate to die.  You cannot heal my wounds, you can
only speed my fate.  That is what I wish for."

   Don had approached the creature, who had not made objection to the
human's presence.  Looking at the wounds, it was surprising that the dragon
was still alive at all.

   "We will do as you ask, if you will give us some information," Don
offered.

   "What do you wish to know?"

   "Where can we find the yellow dragon?"

   "Vernior?  You seek Vernior?  Why, for demon's sake, would you want to
find Vernior?"

   "The yellow dragon is the only way for us to get home."

   "No one still living in Zemlia Nov has ever seen the yellow dragon. 
None who have attempted to find Vernior have ever been seen in the
civilized areas again."

   Kate paled at the thought, and Susan stepped back toward Gill, but Don
held his ground.

   "Still, I need to find Vernior.  Can you help us?"

   The old dragon's head slumped back to the ground.  "Alas, I do not know
where to find Vernior.  I have never seen the yellow dragon." His eyes
closed for a moment, and the group thought he had died on the spot, but
then his eyes reopened.  "There is, however, someone who might know."

   "Who?" Paul asked.

   "Iamor, the aged wizard of Castle Ballor.  He is older even than I, kept
alive by his magic.  He may know how to find Vernior."

   "How do we find him?" Gill asked.

   Dan-Eger turned his head to look at a path, one of four leading from the
clearing.  "That way.  It will take you three days to walk there from here.
I would suggest you take part of my carcass as food, after you kill me. 
You *are* going to kill me?"

   Don swallowed hard.  "If that's what you wish."

   "It is."

   "Susan?" Don asked softly.  She raised her bow, and pulled back on the
string.  For a long moment, no one moved.  Then, the musical *twang* of the
bowstring sounded, and an unmusical *thud* announced that the arrow had
found its mark.  Dan-Eger was no more.



   ...---=== http://netwolf.wolfpub.org ===---...


------- ASSM Moderation System Notice--------
This post has been reformatted by the ASSM
Moderation Team due to inadequate formatting.

-- 
Pursuant to the Berne Convention, this work is copyright with all rights
reserved by its author unless explicitly indicated.
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| alt.sex.stories.moderated ------ send stories to: <ckought69@hotmail.com>|
| FAQ: <http://assm.asstr-mirror.org/faq.html> Moderators: <story-ckought69@hotmail.com> |
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|ASSM Archive at <http://assm.asstr-mirror.org>   Hosted by <http://www.asstr-mirror.org> |
|Discuss this story and others in alt.sex.stories.d; look for subject {ASSD}|
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+