Tork's eyes blinked open. Suddenly, he had a revelation.
"PRIVACY?" the dragon repeated. "I CAN PROVIDE THAT MUCH!"
To both Ka-Ron and Jatel's horror, Tork grabbed hold of the door they had both been floating on, and brought it up close to his face.
"What's the meaning of this?" Ka-Ron demanded.
"I AM PROVIDING YOU PRIVACY." Tork innocently blinked his eyes.
With that, the sea dragon opened his huge mouth, dropping both Ka-Ron and Jatel into the deep darkness of his throat.
"Noooooooo!" both Jatel and Ka-Ron screamed as they disappeared.
Tork burped. It was a satisfying swallow.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Ka-Ron opened her eyes to find Jatel passed out and drooling on her breasts. She fought her grogginess, trying her best to remember the events that had just recently happened. Had she and Jatel been swallowed by a dragon? Were they dead? In any case, she was alive and breathing. This was something she had not expected.
The knight blinked her eyes, trying to maintain their focus.
Stars?
Was Ka-Ron seeing stars?
If she and her squire had indeed been swallowed by a dragon, why would she be seeing stars shining above her? There was also what appeared to be a moon. Granted, it was only one, but it was still a moon.
She reached under her bottom and discovered something more surprising.
Dirt!
She was lying on some kind of firmament. There was substance here, and it went way beyond the biological insides of a living creature.
"What&" the knight said. "Where are we?"
In the distance, Ka-Ron thought she heard the sounds of both insect and bird. She noticed that they were resting comfortably near what appeared to be a small grotto. Tiny illuminating fish skipped to and fro as the water showed the presence of an incoming tide.
"Jatel?" Ka-Ron whispered. Reaching up, she gently shook the squire.
Jatel moaned slightly, as he blinked himself back to life. His eyes reflected the horror of remembrance, and instinctively he grabbed hold of Ka-Ron. It was obvious to the knight that her squire was recalling the dark falling they both went through when Tork had swallowed them.
But were they still inside the dragon?
"It's all right," Ka-Ron reassured Jatel as she gently embraced his face. She found herself kissing him passionately. She was so happy that they were both alive.
"Where are we?" Jatel inquired.
"I have no idea."
Jatel tried to get up, but he was soon disappointed to discover that both he and Ka-Ron were still connected.
"This appears to be a small countryside."
"Appears."
Jatel's face flashed confusion. "I have never seen this place before."
"I think we are inside the dragon, Jatel."
The squire let out a nervous laugh. "Nonsense. Why would there be a skyline, if we are in the belly of the beast? How could we breathe?"
"Good questions, all," Ka-Ron acknowledged.
Jatel paused, looking Ka-Ron in the eye.
"We're still&"
Ka-Ron grunted, readjusting her bottom so that she could rest more easily.
"Yes, I can feel that." She paused and cupped Jatel's face. "I am sorry."
"What have you to be sorry for?"
"That you have to suffer at my expense."
Jatel shook his head, not saying a word. Instead, he tried to remove himself from his master. In doing so, the cruel magical force that had originally brought them together forced him back in, and both moved with a vengeance.
"Here we go again." Ka-Ron huffed.
Jatel closed his eyes, deciding that it would be less painful if he did not try to fight what was happening.
Ka-Ron started to cry.
"This is becoming painful."
"I know."
Both quivered.
Pain exploded throughout their bodies.
"I cannot stop, Jatel."
Ka-Ron looked up to discover that the squire had passed out, his exhaustion having taken its toll upon him. Still, his body continued to move, causing Ka-Ron to wrap her legs around him tighter.
In her agony, something caught her attention.
A campfire!
They were not alone in this strange world.
In the distance, at least a good sun's walk away, Ka-Ron had spotted a small fire. There were others in this place. Others who could provide both aid and answers.
Ka-Ron's body quivered with both pain and delight. Her eyes rolled white. Before she could react, think, or formulate anything else, she also joined Jatel in the mists of forced sleep.
Around the two of them, a fog had started to rise.
***
Several times, while Ka-Ron was unconscious, she got the impression that she was being moved. Her mind would not allow her the act of opening her eyes, for her body and mind were still in the course of healing. One goes through a lot when one has been swallowed by a dragon.
Ka-Ron's eyes finally opened. She fought the pain of a terrible headache.
"Jatel?"
Ka-Ron discovered that she was lying on a travel bed, fully clothed, and without Jatel connected to her. Thankful, the knight rubbed her tired stomach and lower abdomen with genuine relief.
Jatel, sleeping on his back, buried deep in warm covers, was oblivious to everything. He also appeared to be fully clothed and out of danger.
Ka-Ron rose from her bed wearing a light blue dress with red lining around her skirt. It was a perfect fit, and with the help of her curse, it allowed all to admire her full curves and beauty. She wore shoes, which were more comfortable, and of course the best undergarments she had yet to experience. Whoever her host was, they were kind and had wonderful taste.
Ka-Ron heard a stirring, and noticed Jatel waking from his sleep. Upon his face she beheld the same confused and delighted looks she had expressed. The squire also noticed his clothes and the comfortable way he found himself in his waking.
"How&?" Jatel had started to state, but was soon cut off by Ka-Ron's silent but strong hand.
Nearby, both noticed a cabin. Made of both wood and tin, it stood about two stories high, and resembled a humble Idoshian home. In fact, the habitat looked so much like Kai's home that Ka-Ron found her hands shaking. Still, in all its resemblance, the home could not be that of Kai.
In the back of the home, there stood a huge vessel of some kind, which appeared to be still under construction. Its shape resembled that of a great ship, but that would have been unusual, considering that the thing was nowhere near any body of water. Why would someone bother to build a boat that could not sail?
Jatel uncovered himself and noticed the fine clothes he was wearing. His new body and muscle mass made him look grand in Ka-Ron's eyes. Her newfound womanhood marveled at the way Jatel's shirt and jacket wrapped seductively around his broad shoulders and strong arms. The knight's face flushed a warm red as she took notice of the way his ass appeared in his leather pants. Embarrassed, she cleared her throat and avoided eye contact.
"What is happening here, sire?"
"It appears that we have an ally."
Jatel motioned his hands from his body to hers. "We have clothes, and we appear to have been saved from Kai's latest attempts to ruin our lives."
"I am thankful for the rest," Ka-Ron nervously stated. She looked up at Jatel, noticing that he was admiring her form in her new clothes, and that he nervously played with a strand of her hair.
Jatel moved forward, placing his arms around Ka-Ron's waist. She closed her eyes, as if on automatic, waiting for him to kiss her.
Nothing happened.
Frustrated, Ka-Ron opened her eyes. "What is it?"
"I smell food being prepared."
The knight sniffed the air. Jatel was correct.
"It smells like a meat soup." Ka-Ron licked her lips. "I could use some of that."
A noise of clanging pots was soon heard coming from behind the knight. Bo
th crept up to a nearby fur tree and peeked beyond the small ridge they were on.
Nearby was an individual who had his back turned toward Ka-Ron and Jatel's resting place. He was busy washing table vegetables of some kind, and had not been made aware of the fact that his guests were now awake. Darkness kept his identity a secret.
"It appears to be our host," Jatel stated. He peered through the darkness, trying his best to scout ahead. "I see no one else by his side, sire. He appears to be alone."
Ka-Ron noticed her sword sitting up against the same fur tree. With a cautionary eagerness, she unsheathed the weapon.
"Then let us go and make our presence known."
"Indeed."
Both took off their shoes, wishing not to be heard as they approached this mysterious individual. By all accounts, the strange figure in front of them appeared not to be paying attention. Instead, he was more interested in the keen ingredients he was preparing in his soup.
The mystery man was wearing a thick gray cloak. His head was covered with the cloak's hood, making him appear to be hunchbacked. He was not, however. Ka-Ron could tell. He was just involved in the making of his meal, and he was using his nose to guide his tastes.
Ka-Ron pointed her sword at the figure, ready to strike.
"Since you have the biggest knife," the figure said, not turning to face Ka-Ron, "why don't you cut up the lava carrots?"
Ka-Ron stood, dumbfounded, her sword frozen in midair.
The figure seemed unaffected by Ka-Ron or her sword. He continued his cooking. He moved only when he added ingredients to the pot.
"I demand that you show yourself."
"Demands are unnecessary," the figure continued. He picked up a huge slab of meat, from an animal Ka-Ron could not identify, and added it to the boiling pot at his side. "We are both prisoners here."
"Where is here?" Jatel asked. The squire moved ahead of Ka-Ron, wishing to do his part in protecting her.
"Why, inside the dragon, of course," the figure said, chuckling. He shook his head in a rather disapproving manner.
Both Ka-Ron and Jatel looked at each other.
"Are you saying that we are in the belly of the dragon?"
"As if that were not obvious!"
The figure turned, facing both Ka-Ron and Jatel. Lowering his cloak, he glared at them both with bright purple eyes. He was of middle age, bald, and keenly built for a man of his age. He wore one silver ring upon his left hand, and had no other distinguishable marks, with the exception of one. Upon his forehead was a tattoo: three mystic rings resembling the known layers of the universe.
This was the tattoo of a wizard.
"Allow me to introduce myself," he said, controlling an obvious smile. "My name is Keeth."
Ka-Ron and Jatel took a step back, having noticed Keeth's tattoo.
"You can put your rather impressive weapon away," Keeth suggested, trying to ignore his visitor's fear of him. "I mean no harm. I am not that kind of wizard."
Ka-Ron lowered her sword.
"Forgive us our manner, wizard." The knight bowed with respect. "My squire and I are on a quest and are indebted to you and your aid."
"Your&squire?" Keeth's eyes narrowed.
There grew an awkward pause among the three.
"You say that we are still within the belly of the beast, sir?" Ka-Ron repeated.
"Fascinating creature, is he not?"
Both Ka-Ron and Jatel shook their heads in agreement.
"Why do we see stars? Why is there ground? Why are we still&here?"
Keeth's frame straightened with excitement. As he tried to explain their shared situation, he noticed that he was still holding a lava carrot, which he had been cutting up for their stew. Rather awkwardly, the wizard placed the vegetable back upon his worktable.
"Tork is indeed a fascinating creature," the wizard explained. He started to pace, pointing his hands both up and down, asking his audience to follow his wisdom. "As far as I have been led to discover, this sea dragon has an Inter-dimensional Time-Space Disbursement Zone! Right in the heart of its stomach." Keeth paused, rubbing his hands together in excitement. "It is extremely rare."
"Oh, that sounds rare, all right," Jatel huffed. He turned to his master, giving her a 'this guy's crazy' look.
"Could you explain that one to me, one more time?"
"Certainly," Keeth said, finding an old tree stump to sit upon. "As you and your squire were being swallowed by the dragon, the space between the molecules of your body shrank. The deeper you went, the smaller the two of you became. Then, I theorize, we all shifted into an inner-dimension, where this little world seems to exist - right within the same time and space as the dragon."
"Then, we are no longer in the dragon?" Jatel asked.
"No," Keeth corrected. "We are still here. But, Tork does not know we are here. You see?"
Both Ka-Ron and Jatel looked at the other, puzzled.
"No." they stated in unison.
"Ordinary people," Keeth huffed in frustration.
Jatel discovered that he could not seem to take his eyes off the wizard's tattoo. It was like no other he had seen before.
"You have an interesting marking upon your forehead, sir."
"Thank you, son," Keeth said, beaming. "Excuse me. Your accent&are you not Illium by birth?"
"Yes," Jatel stated both shocked and amused. "You have been to my land?"
"I was there before the fall of the last royals, if that is what you mean."
"Damned Xows," Jatel cursed. "They shall be the ruin of us all. But, back to your tattoo, sir."
"Yes. My master provided it, when I completed my training. It represents the three phases of the universe."
"Three phases?" Ka-Ron asked.
Both his guests took a seat before him, allowing Keeth the comfort of knowing them. This was fantastic! The wizard had been alone for so long that he had almost forgotten what it was like just to talk with someone.
"Yes!" Keeth explained, pointing at his forehead. "They represent creation, existence, and destruction."
"Fascinating," Jatel said, looking around at Keeth's home.
Uneasily, Keeth cleared his throat.
"It was I who discovered the two of you."
"Oh?" Ka-Ron found herself grabbing Jatel's hand for comfort.
"I cast a spell separating the two of you so that you could wear clothing once again." Keeth paused, nervously humming. "Did you two do this horrible thing to yourselves?"
"Of course not!" Ka-Ron insisted.
"Thank you for your help, sir," Jatel added, trying to calm the knight down.
Ka-Ron was indeed in a temper. She kept battling the urge to get up and leave, and the pure thankfulness she had for Keeth's concern. Anyone could clearly see that she was close to a mental collapse.
Keeth felt it right to provide them with a warning.
"Do not celebrate too soon," Keeth said. The wizard got back up and headed towards his worktable. "There is something about this dragon that will only allow my spells to last three suns. Soon, you will be bound again. Consider this a well-deserved rest."
Upon hearing this bit of bad news, Ka-Ron hit her hands against her knees, and did her best not to cry.
She didn't succeed.
"Madam, I will endeavor to try!" Keeth reassured.
Ka-Ron ignored Keeth's remarks, and pushed Jatel away from her. The squire was doing all that he could to help the knight remain calm.
"Useless!" Ka-Ron cried. "Useless!"
Keeth remained silent, doing his part to control his curiosity.
Ka-Ron finally took hold of her emotions, and dried her eyes.
"I am sorry, dear wizard." the knight said, wiping her nose. "I have been through a lot."
Keeth pointed to Jatel. "You addressed this man as your squire."
"Yes," Ka-Ron confirmed.
Keeth shook his head, trying to put all the pieces together. "Not that many females in this world are knight-errants, if I may be so bold to say so."
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"True."
Another long awkward moment.
Keeth picked up a stick and started to draw images in the sand. Doodling. Thinking.
"Who has done this to you?" the wizard finally asked.
"Done what?" Jatel defended, silently ordering Ka-Ron to sit back, saying nothing.
Keeth looked long and hard at Ka-Ron. "You are a most lovely woman. Painfully lovely. I have lived a long time, and I have never met a woman with your bountiful charms." After pausing, he said, "So, I'll ask again, knight - who has done this to you?"
Jatel rose.
"You knew?"
"I'm a wizard, young man," Keeth stated. "I didn't fall off the carrot cart just yesterday."
"A woman who was like my second mother did this to me," Ka-Ron confessed.
"Sire! No!" Jatel shouted. "We know not this man's intentions."
"Oh, sure!" Keeth huffed. "I purposely had myself swallowed by a sea dragon, ending up here, just so that I can steal your coin purse. Grow up, young man. Know a friend when you see one!"
Jatel sat back down, feeling quite stupid.
"Continue, please." Keeth's eyes turned soft from the asking.
"It is a dreadful curse for a knight to be under," Ka-Ron tried to explain. "In my acts of omission, I was blamed for the death of a woman. The only daughter of the local Wicca Master."
"Ah! A Wicca Master," Keeth mused, rubbing a thoughtful hand against his chin. "This explains much."
"In her rage, the Wicca Master took away my true form, changing me into this&" Ka-Ron motioned her hands around her body. "What you see before you."
"Then, when born, you were a man?"
"Correct," Ka-Ron stated. "I was known as Ka-Ron, Errant-Knight to the kingdom of Idoshia."
Keeth's eyes widened.
"Even in the belly of this beast, I have heard of you." he bowed his head. "It's an honor to have crossed your path, sir."
"We were on a ship, heading for the Fire Mountains," Jatel explained. "We believe that this Wicca Master is there."
"What are your intentions?"
"Confront her, sir!" Jatel roared, angry. "Confront her, and beg forgiveness, in the hope that the softening of her heart will reverse the spell."
The Misadventures of Ka-Ron the Knight Page 14
