Dragon Slayer 2_A Pulp Fantasy Harem Adventure

by Michael-Scott Earle

  I had no time to reach for my shield or throw myself in his way, so I used the only thing remaining to me: magic. I tapped into the chilly power coursing within me and summoned the ice magic. Every fiber of my exhausted being screamed, and it felt like my nerves were being rubbed raw, but I ignored the pain. I had trained to save lives even when it put me in harm’s way, and this was no different than throwing myself into a burning building or climbing beneath a car to rescue a trapped victim.

  I saved people. That’s what heroes did.

  I summoned the ice to form a shield around the Captain just as the aswang’s claw darted toward his head. A crystalline dome sprang into existence inches in front of the charging monster, and it rebounded from the icy surface with a loud thump. It monster fell back with a startled cry, stumbled, and then picked itself up and gathered its long, bat-like legs for another charge.

  “Fuck you,” I shouted, as I reached for my fire magic. The creature bounded toward me, and I met it with a pillar of flames that consumed its entire body. It let out a terrible shriek of agony as the fire engulfed it, and within moments, its leathery wings were turned to ash, its parchment-like flesh shriveled to nothing, and it collapsed at my feet. It convulsed once as I buried the pick side of my axe in its skull, then lay still.

  Captain Daxos’ face had gone pale, and he turned to me with a look of a man who had seen death coming for him.

  “Th-Thank you,” he stammered out as soon as he recovered. He let out a long, slow breath and sheathed his sword. “Once again, I owe you my life, Sir Ethan.”

  “No thanks needed,” I said with a shrug. “Working together is the only way we’re getting out of this in one piece.”

  A wave of dizziness washed over me, and my vision swam. I’d used too much magic all at once, and as Arieste once told me back in Whitespire, excessive use of magic could have severe consequences on the human body.

  “Come,” I said when the nausea had passed. “Let’s get out of sight and find somewhere to rest for the night.”

  Captain Daxos instructed the stocky Sergeant Dai to gather up Arieste’s still-unconscious form, then he and Lieutenant Trosken led the way through the darkened streets deeper into Ironfast.

  I shot a glance over my shoulder. The gentle glow of the mushrooms revealed nothing but the looming shapes of the stone buildings, but I could feel the faint pulsing of the ghoulins’ magic behind me. The river and Irenya’s fire had claimed more than half their number, but that still left more than thirty who could find their way back up the tunnels into Windwall. Dread sat like a stone in my gut as I thought of the danger facing the people in the city above.

  With a heavy heart, I turned to follow the others up the street. I couldn’t do anything more right now, not in my current state. Once the women and I rested, we could get on with the business of killing Vozaath, then deal with Emroth and her minions. I just had to hope our luck held a little longer. If it didn’t, Windwall was in serious trouble.

  Lieutenant Trosken chose the first solid-looking stone building we encountered and led us through the rubble-strewn hallways until we found rooms that seemed to have escaped most of the panic-induced damage. Instead of the simple two-bedroom apartment, it had three separate chambers connected by long hallways to a dining area in the center.

  Sergeant Dai settled Arieste gently onto one of the dust-covered beds, then left with a nod for me. I studied the platinum-blonde woman by the light of the threads of fire magic I summoned to my fingers. She looked so pale and the lines around her face were deepened by exhaustion. She was pushing herself too hard, first on the journey from Whitespire, then in the battle in the tunnels, and now with the ice bridge. If she kept pushing, she could burn herself out, as she’d warned me.

  That meant I needed to rely on Irenya more. Truth be told, the red dragon would probably be more useful in a fight against Vozaath. She was bigger, more powerful, and her fire could do a lot more damage than Arieste’s ice shields. If only I could trust her not to flee once the demon was defeated. I needed both dragons to keep Whitespire and Windwall from total destruction by the three dragons plaguing Iriador. But until I could rely fully on Irenya, Arieste would continue to bear the burden.

  I kissed her pale forehead, stood, and strode from the room. Captain Daxos had taken up watch position at the entrance to the apartments, and his face was a mask of grim determination despite his fatigue. He had insisted that the women and I sleep while he and his two Blackguards keep watch. Right now, I was too tired to argue.

  The room set aside for me was dark and cool, and I slumped onto the soft straw mattress with a tired sigh. I closed my eyes and let the fatigue wash over me. It felt wonderful to relax after the day’s ordeal, and every breath seemed to lift the weight from my shoulders more and more. I found myself drifting off in seconds.

  Then a soft and warm weight was atop me, and I felt hot breath on my cheek. My eyes popped open, and I found myself staring into Irenya’s face. Fire flicked among her fingers, and the glow revealed desire burning in her eyes. The sudden tightness in my pants brought back all the feelings I’d had when feeding her the fire magic. The wild, raw thrill of passion burned up and down my body and the heat of her bare flesh against mine only fanned the flames.

  I gripped her mane of fiery red hair and crushed her face to mine in a kiss that set every fiber of my being sizzling and burning. I gasped as I felt her tugging at the magic flowing through me, and instinct caused me to hold back. She broke off the kiss and stared into my eyes.

  “Let it bind us,” she whispered, and her voice was hoarse with desire. “Let the fire consume us and unite us in our passion.”

  This time, when she tugged at the fire magic within me, I didn’t fight it. The surge of heat in my veins set every nerve in my body on fire, and I gasped at the mingled pleasure and pain. Irenya’s back arched and her eyes closed as she let out a deep, shuddering breath. She pressed her hips down on mine, and she gasped as my hardness pressed against the soft flesh between her legs.

  She reached for my belt and nearly ripped my trousers in her haste to unbuckle it. Her hand was warm on my penis as she pulled it free, and I went fully hard as she stroked it with gentle movements.

  Then she guided me inside her with a single thrust of her hips.

  We both gasped when our bodies were joined, and in an instant, she was gyrating wildly as she lost herself in the near-overwhelming passion. The fire of our conjoined magic only served to enhance the pleasure of our entwined bodies.

  My hands roamed up her curving figure, and I marveled at every inch of soft, warm flesh. She let out a breathy moan as I cupped her full breasts in both hands, and then she leaned down to press the yielding flesh harder into my grip. Her hips never stopped moving as she rode me, and I felt myself pushing deeper and deeper until I could go no farther. The coursing fire of magic set our nerves ablaze, and waves of pleasure washed over me.

  Her delighted cries soon filled the little room, and she made no attempt to be silent. I lost myself in the sensations coursing through me until the combination of magic, flesh, and passion overwhelmed me and I climaxed with her.

  We lay there for long moments, Irenya still atop me, neither of us willing or able to move. The fire magic still flowed between our entwined bodies, and minutes passed before the waves of pleasure died down. Finally, Irenya gave a little gasp and slumped atop me with her face buried in my chest.

  “Well, now I know why Arieste is so in love with you,” she said after we had finally recovered our breath. “Is it always that good?”

  I wanted to say yes, but the truth was that it was unlike anything I’d ever experienced before. The fire magic had done something to our bodies, something that no normal desire could explain. It joined us in a way more than physical, and it had driven our pleasure to new heights I’d never thought imaginable.

  “Can we do it again?” Irenya asked before I could respond.

  “Definitely,” I said, with a little nod. “Though maybe
give me five or ten minutes and a bit of water first, eh?”

  “Of course.” She rolled onto the bed beside me, and I could feel her amber eyes roaming down my body. Her fingers traced the tattoos on my chest, arms, shoulders, then down across my stomach toward my waist. I felt my body stiffen in response.

  “Oh, look, we can do it again now!” she said in an excited voice. “This time, why don’t we try it the other way around?”

  “Gladly,” I said, “but first tell me, Irenya, why are you here?”

  “What?” I heard confusion in her voice.

  I tapped into the fire magic to summon a little thread of fire to illuminate the room. The light revealed her magnificent body, from her red hair down her slim back to the gentle rise of her butt. I felt myself stirring in response, but I kept talking before my body betrayed me.

  “I heard you and Arieste talking a while ago, before we had to run from the ghoulins.”

  “Oh.” Her face fell, and the glimmer of desire in her eyes darkened.

  “I understand why you feel the way you do,” I told her. “Honestly, if it were me in your place, I’d feel just as trapped.”

  Her expression grew calculating as if she was trying to figure out what I was going to say next.

  “But I don’t want you to feel like that,” I said. “I don’t want you to feel like you have to serve me because I’m going to kill you if you don’t, or because I’m the only source of your magic.”

  “But you are,” she said. “You told me yourself, back in my lair, what you’d do if I betrayed you.”

  “I did, but that was the only way I could be sure you weren’t going to harm me, Arieste, or anyone else.” I stared deep into her amber-colored eyes. “I know you want your magic back, and you want to be free. It’s what I want for you, too. But right now, I need your help. Hell, all of the humans on Iriador do.”

  Her expression grew pensive, and a little frown tugged at her lips.

  “Listen,” I continued, “I don’t want you enslaved to me, Irenya,” I told her. “Back on--” I caught myself before I said “on Earth,” then changed it to, “--in my hometown, we didn’t treat women like that. We proved through our words and actions that we were men worth being interested in. I know our situation is a bit weird because you used to be a dragon, and you are bound to me by magic, but I want us to be friends that trust each other.” It sounded strange to sum up dating in so few words. “That’s what I want for you, for Arieste, too.”

  Mention of the platinum-blonde woman elicited a scowl from Irenya.

  “Arieste chose to help me, so I don’t need to think of her as a slave or servant any longer,” I told her. “She is my ally, my friend, and my lover. We’re working together to help the people of Whitespire and Windwall survive. I want you as my ally as well. Hell, I need you as my ally to take down Vozaath, Emroth, and all the other threats we humans are facing.”

  The word “human” still elicited a strong reaction, and I could understand that the dragon instincts within her still saw humans as weaklings to be exploited.

  That was the main reason I didn’t trust her.

  “They were once my enemies,” she sighed. “Along with the other dragons.”

  “But you are human now, just like Arieste, Captain Daxos, and everyone else,” I said and fixed her with an earnest stare. “Except you have the chance to be so much more than ‘just’ human. You have magic and the power of a dragon. With that, you could save thousands of lives and make the world a better place. You don’t have to go back to being the dragon you were, but you can be a new dragon, one who saves people instead of killing them. A dragon that protects the weak. A champion. Hell, a heroine even. That’s what I want for you, Irenya.”

  Her expression grew thoughtful, and I could see my words were having some effect on her.

  “I would release you from your oath to serve me if I could trust that you will help me of your own free will,” I said, and I gripped both of her hands in mine. “Choose to help me, and I will share the magic with you freely, just as I share it with Arieste. I am not a jailer to hold you captive. What I want is for you to be free, and to use that freedom to help me help others. Will you do that?”

  “Very well,” she said after a long, tense moment of silence. “I will help you, Sir Ethan Dragonrider. I will be your champion and heroine.” A little smile flashed across her face and her eyes sparkled. “Who else could look this stunning while saving the world?”

  Chapter Thirteen

  I lay in the darkness and listened to the steady rhythm of Irenya’s breathing. Her skin was soft against mine, and her body was the perfect temperature. We’d made love again, driven by the passion of the fire magic burning inside us, until her screams of pleasure threatened to bring down the stone walls around us. Afterward, she had fallen asleep quickly, like a dragon after eating a heavy meal, and I was left alone with my thoughts.

  “Well, this is going to complicate things with Arieste,” I said in my mind.

  “It doesn’t have to,” Nyvea purred. “In fact, it could make things better with her. You’re halfway to a three-way already.”

  “Arieste and Irenya aren’t exactly best of friends right now,” I replied. “I have no idea how she’s going to take this.”

  “So, you feel guilty for fucking another gorgeous woman?” Nyvea asked, and I heard a sharp edge to her words.

  “No, not guilty,” I said. It took me a moment to unravel how I felt about the situation. “The truth is that I couldn’t stay away from Irenya any more than I could stay away from Arieste. The bond we share through our magic is something we all feel, something that draws us together.”

  “But?”

  “But, as you said, dragons are territorial creatures. If the dragon part of Arieste and Irenya both see me as a precious shining object to add to their hoard, it’s going to lead to some serious conflict. Right now, we need both of them working together to take down Vozaath, Emroth, and the other two dragons.”

  “So, just don’t tell Arieste,” Nyvea said.

  “It’s not about telling her or not. You’ve seen Irenya, and you know she’s going to make sure Arieste knows exactly what happened here. I just don’t want them to rip each other to shreds when we need them focused on dealing with the real threats.”

  “Sounds like you’ve got a real quandary on your hands, handsome,” Nyvea said, with just a hint of mocking.

  “Well, that’s why I’m talking to you,” I replied. “You’re a woman, and you said you had experience with this. How would you deal with this situation?”

  A long silence passed, and I could feel Nyvea’s hesitation.

  “They are women and dragons both,” she finally said in a slow voice. “They share the fiery instincts of both races, yet the fact that they are both could work in your favor. Their minds are not filled with the same thoughts and emotions that rule the rest of you. They have been human for only a short time, so they have not yet had time for emotions like jealousy or possessiveness to develop.

  “Uhhh, it seems like they might have already had those emotions honed to a very fine point from being dragons, though,” I thought at Nyvea as I once again wondered at how the newly changed human women seemed to have taken so quickly to their situation.

  “Yes,” Nyvea agreed. “They can understand need and desire, for these things are what drove them to collect trinkets and build their hoard. You simply need to make it clear that you are not a prize to be claimed. Instead, you are like the sky they roamed as dragons. There is more than enough of you to go around, and no woman or dragon, no matter how large or powerful, can truly claim the sky as their own.”

  “You’ve given me some stuff to think about,” I said as I thought through the future conversation with Arieste. “Thanks for your help.”

  “That is why I am here, is it not?” Nyvea asked in her sultry tone. “To guide you on your mission to having a three-way with two gorgeous dragon women.”

  “That’s not really my mis
sion.” I let out a little laugh, and I felt the tension in my shoulders drain away. The exhaustion of the day’s efforts slowly washed over me and dragged me inexorably toward sleep. The cool darkness of the stone room and the warmth of Irenya’s naked body against mine helped to soothe my worries and fears of the day. My eyes fell closed of their own accord as I fully relaxed.

  I must have fallen asleep at some point because I woke up to find myself alone in the darkness. I didn’t know when Irenya had left, but it was probably for the best. I’d be hard-pressed to keep sleeping with that gorgeous woman beside me. Right now, my desire for rest outweighed my desire for sex. Barely.

  I awoke to find Captain Daxos shaking my shoulder. “Sir Ethan,” the captain said, “you said to wake you when the women were rested and ready.”

  “Thank you, captain,” I said as I leapt out of bed, fully awake now. “How long did I sleep?”

  “Five, six hours, perhaps,” Captain Daxos said. By the light of the torch in his hands, I could see his face flushing a deep shade of red. I guessed he’d heard Irenya last night, as she hadn’t made any attempt to quiet her sounds of passion.

  “Excellent,” I replied as I sat down to pull on my boots. “How are you and your men? Did you get enough rest?”

  “Four hours or so,” he said with a nod.

  “That’s not a lot of rest,” I told him as I pulled the laces of my steel-toed boots tight. “We could always delay a bit more if you need more rest.”

  “Our training to become Blackguards includes standing watch for three successive nights without sleep,” Captain Daxos said, and I heard a note of pride in his voice. “With the constant ghoulin threat to the Windwall, we quickly became accustomed to long guard shifts.”

  “Got it,” I said with a grin. “You guys are total bad-asses.”