The Dragon's Den

by Katy Katz

  "It's more private than you think. The other girl lost consciousness. She might be difficult for even me to wake. The two of you have little time, as you are well aware of, I suggest you take advantage of that time. You never know much you have left, or how much it's going to hurt when you get back…if you get back. I'm fairly certain of you." The Witch said pointing at Haley. "The others…well…I'll do my best…but I'd enjoy the sex now just in case."

  "A woman after my own heart." Isabela snorted.

  "That I very much doubt." Flemeth laughed.

  "Honestly, I don't know if the sex is more romantic or just pragmatic at this point," Flemeth seemed to take a moment to take care to consider this point, "but I do think based on lust, it should be a great deal of fun. Don't waste time ladies. Even when after you make it back, it's going to hurt for a good long while. I suggest you enjoy it, now. I do remember such pleasures. At least other women should enjoy them."

  Flemeth tapped an Eluvian near Haley; it showed the blood-spattered field on which they just fought. Haley could see, as if through a window, how broken and banged up her body was. "You look in better shape than your girlfriend, if it makes you feel any better. Of course, it's going to hurt when you go back in to your body. That much I can tell you. I've been in enough of them to know. Bodies that is." Flemeth laughed haughtily.

  Isabela looked around. "Why do I think we wouldn't be laughing at the same joke?"

  "You might be smarter than I give you credit for." Flemeth laughed and continued on, "Your pirate queen is lucky to have you."

  Flemeth pointed to the Eluvian where the battlefield stood. "Skilled with a blade, too, always handy. She'll pull through."

  "I am right here, you know." Isabela said.

  "Sort of." Flemeth smirked. "The two of you, will remain here for a bit, while I finish up doctoring you up on the other side."

  "I don't know how long you have here. Your bodies are alive, but at least one is in poor condition. No idea how poor a condition. I don't know how much of the damage can be reversed. We shall see what I can do, and time will tell the rest.

  Please. Make yourselves at home. Don't get too comfy though. You're not staying. People were never meant to stay here for longer than a brief respite. Something Morrigan had to be reminded that. Perhaps a rushed hello or a brief goodbye. Make good use of your time."

  Flemeth turned to face the Eluvian as though she were about to take flight. She paused and turned cocking her head as she so like to do when trying to appear both curious and enchanting at the same time. "I suggest you two take time to enjoy this this. You don't know how much or little time you will have here or on the other side."

  Flemeth turned with her usually flamboyance and shot a fireball she had just summoned to her hand at the mirror. For a moment, flames engulfed the Eluvian, and those flames fell away exposing a blue-green energy pulsating gently with Flemeth through the mirror. Her head held high, her long white hair buoyant with energy she sached as she entered the mirror that had just shown the battleground they had just come from.

  Their bodies and their friends were now out of the view of the mirror.

  With her body out of view Haley felt different not being able to gaze down on her crumpled body with the short cropped mussed dark hair.

  Haley felt like this place was real and she was really in it. She had been leaning on her wrist and her warm dulled hand had fallen asleep even amongst the nerves crying in pain where she had embedded the soft skin of her palm against a cement crack on the ground/sidewalk she was sitting on.

  She felt a familiar touch and rough warm hand slide gently up and down her arm from behind. Even the callouses from lock picking were familiar. Haley looked back to find Isabela looking very alive, and a little coy with her bright brown eyes.

  Isabela laughed. "I have no idea what that crazy witch is on about, but I can tell you, whatever just happened wasn't so bad if the universe is giving me a last minute bootycall; I'm afraid I'm going to have to say yes."

  Haley was shocked and started to respond, but Isabela was sincere in her statement as she was in her laughter at Haley's surprise in her frankness. It's not like they were in the Chantry, though that might be fun…to do it in the Chantry sometime. Of course, she didn't know why she would walk into a Chantry other than to have sex in one. Kill bad people? Rob a bad one? Have sex in one?

  These are probably not on the top five reasons other people visited the Chantry, but other people weren't Isabela.

  Isabela pushed Haley closer. She wanted to breathe something into her ear, but couldn't think of anything to say. Isabela's breath on Haley's ear was enough to elicit a reaction.

  Haley caught herself gasping in a quick breath: her nipple was instantly hard, and her left side of her body was on alert and covered in goose bumps. She swore it felt like her ear was ringing.

  During their constant game of cat and mouse, sex and no sex, Haley hadn't really been on the recipient end of sex. She had been in complete control the whole time. Isabela hadn't minded…until now. Isabela had lied to herself; from the minute she set foot back in Kirkwall. She thought she had come back to Kirkwall for the sex, so getting as much sex from Haley as possible seemed logical.

  She even accepted the lie until now. Maybe she even accepted it in her outside voice, but her inside voice told her something different.

  Haley had sealed the deal and made her fall in love with her. Isabela was going precisely nowhere, but Isabela had nothing like that kind of a confirmation from Haley.

  Isabela needed Haley to want her. To need her. To beg for her. When Isabela let her come, she wanted it to be with Isabela's name trembling on her lips.

  Isabela moved in and pushed upper body soft, but firmly against Haley's. When Haley started to speak and point her finger in Isabela's face, Isabela hooked her thumb around Haley's on thumb and pulled back and all the way up near her neck. Haley yelped in surprise when Isabela extended a tad too far and Haley let go.

  The little game had been intentional.

  "I've missed you so much, Bela. It hurt. I didn't want it to hurt again. I still don't. But…"Haley started.

  "But, is all I need. Let me make it up to you Haley. I owe you at least that much, at least."

  Isabela pushed her lover backwards and smoothly moved on top of her. For Haley it had been a while since she had been the sole center of attention so when Isabela reached down and effortlessly pushed past her small clothes for one quick stroke of her clit Haley was completely taken by surprise and an instant later soaking wet and slick with her own come.

  "I owe you a lot more. I'll keep making it up to you if you let me."

  When Isabela went to stroke her a second time it was almost like touching another woman. Haley's clit was swollen with excitement and she was dripping wet to the brim.

  Isabela had meant the second stroke to have been just as quick as the first.

  She had just wanted to toy with Haley for now.

  But when she felt how wet, hot, slick Haley had gotten, how her whole body shook at her touch, she pushed Haley's panties out of her way with her hand and slowly began to stroke her. She moved in close kissing her on the lips.

  Haley was too excited to last more than a few minutes, Isabela was pretty sure of that.

  It had been far too long, and for once Isabela wasn't going to tease her or deny her.

  As Isabela pushed inside Haley gently the way she knew Haley liked to be touched she stifled cry of pleasure with her mouth pressed on top of hers.

  "I don't know what's going to happen when she comes back." Isabela whispered "Or we have to go back through the mirror or whatever, but…at least in my dream girl version…we have right here, right now, so let's take advantage of that." Isabela said pushing her body harder up against Haley's pulling her tighter. "Touch me." Isabela whispered in Haley's ear. Haley felt a surge of electricity surge through the left side of her body where Isabela had just purred, and shot through her core. She felt a thousand butterflies ru
sh out and away.

  It felt incredible to feel this whoosh of excitement to feel this way with another person. Too ache for them to touch you.

  Haley could feel a pull at her core and a sudden rush of wetness renew between her legs right by her tingling clit that was already aching again to be touched.

  As if reading her mind, Isabela slipped her finger outside of Haley. It was so hot, wet and tight inside her, but Isabela knew she wanted to be stroked, needed to be stroked, Haley groaned as her lover set a slow steady rhythm swiping at her clit. It was almost hard to stroke her where she wanted her to, because Haley was so slick. The Rivani would accidently move passed the spot.

  Isabela pushed her lips against Haley's full ones, kissing her, parting her lips to deepen it with her tongue.

  Haley forgot everything in the universe in that moment but Isabela. She was all that existed. All that she wanted to exist. All that she needed to exist.

  Haley pushed passed Isabela's waistband of her dagger and slid expertly below. Isabela seemed to have gotten a bit excited herself when she had been entering Haley. That became clear to both women as soon as Haley touched Isabela. Isabela almost came. Shocked she grabbed Haley's wrist and had her stop short for the moment. Haley stopped and let her catch her breath.

  Since both women were on short time, as it were, they both just smiled at each other. There was little point in disrobing for this round. Both women chose their preferred hand down past their lover's small clothes. The whimpered and pulled each other close as they touched each other. Both were incredibly wet and a bundle of excited nerves.

  Isabela pulled back and smiled and Haley sweeping her eyes over Haley's face. "I guess we fuck like there is no tomorrow, because there is no tomorrow. Well, maybe more tomorrow." Isabela reached down and stroked the back of Haley's free hand with her own free hand before taking it in her own hand.

  On the odd occasion when Haley liked to break out a toy, it would always free up someone's hands during sex. Isabela had found a little trick she loved. Isabela always loved to feel Haley's hand, palm to palm when they were making love. No matter what was going on: stroking, licking, pounding, fucking, or screwing each others brains out, it was a touch of intimacy she had never shared with anyone else, just Haley. It was a simple thing; so simple she thought Haley probably didn't notice.

  She was wrong.

  Haley noticed.

  Haley had always noticed.

  All Haley had to do was stroke her thumb softly across Isabela palm and the pirate would close her eyes, involuntarily shutter and moan every time. If she did it when she was eating her, flicking her tongue across her swollen clit, gently sucking her bud in her mouth, or really anything, there would be a rush of slick wetness that would escape her entrance with a simple stroke of the palm. Nothing else would provide this intense a reaction short of orgasm.

  Isabela was easily excited and naturally wet, or would get wet with little work on Haley's part. Isabela didn't have it so easy with all her partners, but Haley always knew how to excite her, and make her body react.

  She knew it was a bit of intimacy she either never shared with anyone else, or had seldom shared with few. It was the closest thing Isabela had to showing love. What was interesting is that she had offered it to Haley the first time they had been together.

  In every three way or open setting they had been in, usually at Isabela's behest, Isabela offered her hand to no one and took it away if someone tried to take it. It seemed hand-holding was something reserved just for Haley, and as simple as that was, it was the most intimate thing Isabela had to offer Haley.

  It's how Haley read her intent.

  Usually Isabela just wanted a fuck, but since she had been back…she had been more intimate—leaving herself vulnerable. She was taking chances with Haley and putting everything she had on the line anytime they were alone together. Isabela didn't know she had a tell; Haley would never say a thing.

  Both women were stroking each other and both were close to coming. Hot, slick, and wet, they smelled of fresh sex, it was almost too much. Haley was trembling with desire. Really it was who blinked first. Sheer force of will had kept Haley from coming so far, but she wouldn't be able to hold out much longer. Isabela's moans in her ear and touching her lover as she was being touched was driving her over the edge.

  Isabela laced her fingers through Haley's with her freehand and began to inadvertently scream. Haley needed to let go to come with her. It wasn't going to be that hard, on the next stroke Haley quit caring about stopping herself and let the world close in on black static and open on color. She realized she was chocking on air. At some point Isabela most of have finished her orgasm and Haley was still going loud and long on hers.

  Isabela looked pleased with herself, as she continued to stroke Haley, and it felt incredible, just a white wash of pleasure. Haley just kept feeling herself coming. She gripped Isabela's hand closer.

  Isabela rode through a nice orgasm herself, but this might have been the longest time she's ever seen Haley go. It felt incredible. Haley felt incredible. These last crashing moments for Haley felt amazing, but beyond the pleasure Haley had looked Isabela with that amorous passion she had been missing so much. She would have denied it before, but now she knew, she missed having the one certain lover to spend her life with.

  Her time with.

  What was wrong with her?

  Haley was spent almost as soon as she finished. She fell asleep almost instantly and Isabela held her from behind. For those few moment if felt good to hold and be held.

  Too bad it was only for a few moments…

  ***

  The sky hurt.

  Her mind hurt.

  Her body hurt.

  Everything hurt.

  Maker, I think my hair hurts.

  "She's coming around." Haley recognized Anders voice.

  Anders was doing some kind of spell. Healing, is what it looked like, but she felt like hell.

  "What the hell happened." Haley felt the ache of her own throat as she spoke.

  "Big demony thing." Merrill started. "You fought it. It got mad. Well, it's dead now, and you are better than you were."

  "Where's Flemeth?" Haley asked. "She could have given us a bit of warning you know. How is she?" Haley indicated in Isabela's general direction.

  "Asha'bellanar? She isn't here." Merrill said.

  "I was just talking to her before she left Isabela and I at this place with a bunch of Eluvians. Maren was there. Ask her." Haley waved her hand dismissively.

  "How did you know my name? Or that I was with Merrill?" Maren asked. The elf shifted the weight from foot to foot. She was standing, but barely.

  "About Isabela…" Aveline started.

  "Yeah." Haley was listening.

  She went to brush her rub an eyelash out of her eye. She could smell Isabela on her hand. How could she have been at the crossroads moments before and be here now. It didn't make sense.

  "We haven't been able to wake her up." Aveline looked at her leveling her eyes at her neutrally. Betraying nothing.

  "I just saw Flemeth. I was just talking to her. I was just with Isabela…it sounds crazy…"

  "It sounds crazy, because it is crazy." Aveline said. "You were here. You're banged up pretty badly; we all were."

  "What about that dragon that came through the…" the canopy above them was intact. Haley knew what she saw though. Was it a dream? She had been with Isabela. Painfully, she got up and ignored the protests of the others, the all became background noise. Isabela was laying not far from where she had fallen. She was breathing. She was alive, but she was still, too still. The mouth of the demon was gone from her back. Anders, Aveline, everyone was trying to say something, they didn't know…she hadn't woken up…no one knew.

  She heard a blood curdling piercing scream from overhead. She knew the sound of the Flemeth Dragon, she'd heard it enough for one lifetime.

  Maybe dream and reality were a bit screwy right now, but she swore Isab
ela smelled of fresh sex. She could hear the giant flapping of the wings of the dragon overhead.

  She kissed Isabela on instinct; it was a guess.

  The good news was Isabela was alive. The bad news was she woke up screaming, and it didn't seem like it was going to stop soon. She imagined it was the screaming in pain part Flemeth had warned them about.

  What had she said? "Demon mouths don't heal themselves? She happened to be in the neighborhood?

  Strange machinations were at work. Well beyond the walls of Kirkwall and even Thedas. The Hero of Fereldon was caught up in things yet to come with the Inquisition, the problem was…time wasn't going to wait around and be linear this time.

  It was going to happen now.

  A voice on the wind seemed to say it was good about an Anders yet to come; she would need him while she could still use him. That voice seemed to have the voice of a dragon.

  Things were going strangely.

  The main thrust of it was, they were about to get a great deal stranger.

  Chapter 7

  The years rolled by in Kirkwall. Battle after battle—killer after killer, merchant, thief. It was a red mist mixed with lust, drink, friends, battle and death.

  Most of it fell through Haley's mind like a red haze.

  She almost fought on automatic nowadays. It was a dangerous place to be. Lulled into a false sense of safety in too many ways.

  There were too many things that were waiting to surprise her. Too many things that were about to go wrong, and if she was lucky a thing or two that was about to go right.

  The last few years had not been kind to her: Leandra her own mother had died at the hands of a serial killer, her brother died on the way to Kirkwall, and her sister, Bethany, might as well be dead to her, in the Grey Wardens.

  She loved her friends, but many were slipping into madness or desperation at least a few were fun and stable like Varric and his never ending prattling, she smiled and the thought, and cheating at Wicked Graced. He'd never call it cheating; of course, he'd call it inspired playing with extra improved bluffing.

  Sebastian moped about his castle she supposed practicing putting arrows in melons. He was a bit more twisted than most gave him credit for and was growing more crazed by each passing day.