Snakes and Ladders 6

Chapter 6

I stare at the three of them my head going from one to the other to the other.
“Sword fighting?! I don’t know how to sword fight!”
Brennan just nodded as he made what looked like a tea. “Yes, this is exactly why they have asked for this.”

Shaya frowned as she was sliding into this dark blue silky dressing gown. “It is dishonest is what it is, they want to hurt her and embarrass us. Wren cannot be expected to perform well in a duel when does not have the training nor the years of experience that Kyte has.”
Kailynn get’s off the bed and gives me a smile. “Well then we’ll just have to figure something out.”

I pull the covers up around myself tucking them around my breasts. I’ve always wanted to do this but I’d thought I’d never be able to and I’m a bit clumsy at it.
Y’know. Clumsy in front of elves is a little embarrassing.
When I’m done I slide out of the bed and make my way to the food. Brennan passes me the cup of tea and I take a drink. He gives me an odd look, Shaya winces…Oh...I just took a drink of it, I do the pinkie tea cup thing.

They all look confused.

Kailynn and Brennan seat the pair of us. I feel like a lummox next to Shaya who seems to float into the seat. Brennan passes her a tea and she slides on finger through the handle and cradles the curve of the cup in her hand and she drinks from it in this even slow sip, no I can feel it you take a long slow suck on the cups contents without slurping and just enough that you coat the entirety of your tongue so you get the full effect of the tea.
I try it and they smile at me.

Kailynn is really handsome. He’s got this neat yet almost roguish cut to his long hair a bit almost like a rock star, his face is softened from that boy, model, peter pan elfiness by the fact he’s both a warrior and a healer. Hazel eyes, and a warm smile and he’s got this really laid back kind of way about him. When he looks at me or smiles at me it just kind of feels like this really hot boy next door thing where he’s just this really easy going good guy.
Brennan on the other hand is this contrast to Kailynn. His hair is this beautiful chestnut color with these highlights I it that give you that sort of feeling like you’re looking at something beautiful but at the same time he looks like he rarely runs a comb or a brush through it or that he runs his fingers through it too often out of habit. He’s got the same eyes as his brother but these really long lashes almost as long and as lovely as Shaya’s he has these glasses on his face too that are these really cute pair that sort of have these small rounded lenses and gold wire frames. He’s got some ink splotches on his hands and his sleeves and what looks like several fountain pens in this very pocket protector thing in his shirt and he’s got several books with him and what looks as if it they were notebooks and sketch pads and a few thin books with titles I can’t really read. He’s even got this kind, sweet, a little spacey look to his features.
He’s kinda like James Spader from when he played Daniel Jackson in the Stargate movie.
Kind of really geeky cute. He smells like a mixture of leather bound books and a hint of cologne.

And yeah it’s a little strange and kind of whoa… why…but yeah I noticed that much about both of them in this weird moment of hyper senses. I mean I…yeah… (Blush.)

It tastes strange unlike any tea I’ve ever had like refined toasted almonds and oak like in whiskey and something else.
I don’t hate it but it’s definitely something new.
“So if I’m the one being challenged then why can’t I choose the weapons and the conditions?”
Brennan sits and starts to uncover a few dishes. “You can, it is your right but they will use this to force you into a situation.”
“A situation?”
“Yes, if you admit to not being able to duel like a knight than you’re just some brute which they will use to classify all humans as. If you accept and you don’t know what you are doing you’ll seem a fool and not wise enough to limit your actions. If you refuse you’ll look like you are wise to some groups that are mostly non —violent in court but you’ll seem to the others to not have any teeth and will lose any possible respect for you.”
“So I’m screwed.”
Shaya rips apart an innocent pastry with a vengeance. “They seek to use you as a weapon against me. And to use me against my family. They won’t stop until they and those like them tear our kingdom apart.”
She’s broody and sulking a bit. She’s kinda cute and a little hot when she does that.
“Why?”
Kailynn sipped his…ooooh he’s got coffee. I drain my tea making them all wince and eagerly hold out my cup to him. He pours me this stream of beautiful black coffee from a pot on the table. I cradle it like its precious, it tastes divine.
He says as he’s plating food in a very deliberate manner and actually showing me how he’s doing what, holding what, how he’s holding a certain thing as he talks. I pay attention to what he’s saying as much as the table manners he’s teaching me.

“This like a lot of things with our people Wren goes back a long, long time even for us. Nearly a hundred thousand years ago our world was under the rule of this enslaving demonic force, this alien creature called the Dominator, we do not know that much about the creature in these days but the elves that dwelt here before my family came weren’t able to best it or it’s troops. Then my family’s ancestors came here through a gateway and we crashed here in this system. We were elves of a different past and as a result we had technology and majik and knew how to use both. The dominator and his troops sought to take us slaves as well and in the conflict we led the elves of these moons and the planet itself into independence and thus our line were made royalty.”

Brennan picked up the lecture from there. “In the ages that have passed we had kept much of what our family had brought here secret because much of is too dangerous to be known to just anyone. This has led to others from the realm to be jealous and want to overthrow us so that they can rule and many claim that we are simply keeping ourselves in power by the secrets we hold.”

“There was another war nearly twenty thousand years ago that nearly destroyed to entire kingdom. There were those of the ones we called the Forsaken who used the darkest of majiks that they had gleaned from the Dominators remnants to create an army that would take us over and they would rule in our place. This was a long and bloody war that we just had gotten over only a short while ago for us and was where Father became King as the war had drawn to a close.”

Shaya added. “My Uncle Lyam was so power hungry that he wanted the throne and he has used this sentiment to incite these houses to hate if not distrust those who are of or loyal to the royal family and had incited a civil war. We’re just recovering from this still now and there are many who still follow him and others now of the dissatisfied camp that use what he did and what I did as my former self as examples of why we should not be ruling anymore.”

I nod, “So Lyam is still out there, and he’s still got his supporters and then there’s others who think like him but aren’t’t willing to kneel to him right?”

They all nod.
I sip my coffee.
To me there’s an obvious answer to this but it’ll be far from easy. “So where is Lyam now?”
Shaya shrugs, “This we do not know but there are many holes where a being could hide in our worlds and he has been gathering his forces and using the majiks left over from the war with the forsaken to create pain and misery and havoc in the realms.”

Brennan leans back in his chair. “He uses the conflict he’s creating to stir the pots as it were between the houses and he instigates things from the shadows and because it’s him doing this it has fostered distrust of the royal line.”

I look at him. “Yeah I get that but if say he does win won’t this turn around to bite him in the ass?”

Kailynn shakes his head. “If Lyam gains the throne and gets control of the royal secrets then he’ll use the forces he’ll gain control of to rule us all with an iron fist. He already knows from his instigating who’ll be trouble for him and he’ll have them killed as example to the rest. Just ask the poorer peoples on Skywood what living under the rule of Lyam was like, just look what he did to Shaya and all of that was before he was found out.”

I’m thinking again.
Lyam must have been the rider on that three headed dragon called Shai-tan.
He’ll not like me very much.
Maybe I can use that, from what he said to Shaya he doesn’t’t like them at al and not just because he’s his brothers kid. He’s an assrag, a molester and a homophobe like some of the ones from back home.
He’s not going to like me being with Shaya just on his twisted principles, if I can do more? Make her happy he really won’t like seeing or hearing of that.
Yeah…
Yeah…
Somehow, someway Shaya is going to have to defeat him and/or bring him to justice.
But first thing is Red.
“So what am I going to do about this duel, I can’t exactly leave it alone now can I?”

Kailynn looked thoughtful; Brennan pondered for a moment then looked at me and Shaya. “It’d be best to really speak of this to father and mother about this. I’ll ask him and we can speak of this over breakfast tomorrow with him and mother.”

Kailynn nodded. “That’d be best and with that I’m off to make sure of my other duties. Shayanara…Erendae…Have a good day, find some time to relax before life gets too interesting all over again.” He kissed us almost French like on both cheeks and coughed pointedly at Brennan who was already leaving and stared at him like huh?, then he clued in and he too came over and kissed us in the same fashion. Its funny Shaya can be naked in front of them and not be body shy but she blushed when her brothers kissed her cheeks.

I can get that. Suddenly getting treated like a sister a girl instead of what people…Lyam had wanted her to be. Heck I know I blushed when Kailynn and Brennan kissed me. Like I’m a girl which I guess I really am now.

Shaya was the same as me all her life until recently and now we’re together…happy doesn’t’ really describe it. I watch her as she walks them to her doors and I can’t help but smile the more than as what we did last night kinda dances through my memories as I watch her move in just that thin silk dressing robe of hers.

I get up and move over to her and take her tiny waist into my hands. I love the feel of her. I feel so good, safe, wanted…as Shaya wraps her arms around my neck as I lean down to kiss her. Oh lord, I love kissing her. My lips touching hers in a way that is so, so erotic for me I feel like I’m getting to be a well shook up bottle of pop. She pulls off my blankets and her tiny yet not tiny hands touch my chest weakening my knees, making me gasp and whine at the cascade of pleasure running through my chest…right through it, like this radiating tear inducing pleasure is tied so symbiotically with my heart and my lungs. My hands open her dressing gown and I return the favor and we must have spend five, ten minutes doing just that until I shake as I just can’t keep myself from having an orgasm…Shaya’s right behind me too.

We don’t head back to the bed after that instead we kiss more, hold each other. I’m crying a little still adjusting to jut how lucky I’ve been. I hold her and I start slow dancing with her without any music. Shaya hugs to me a little tighter for awhile and when she looks up at me. A bit teary and giving me this shy girl barely there smile. “Oh…Wren, I’ve…I’ve never.., I never though I’d ever do this with anyone. Thank you, thank you so much.”

I kiss her again, and another longer but slower one for good measure. “Shaya, you…you are so special and you don’t see it do you? If there was one power, one majik I’d wish for and that’d be to let you see yourself through my eyes.” I’m looking in her eyes and I see them overflow with emotion and love. I can feel it through our link, our bond. It’s the first time that anyone’s ever said that kind of thing to her. Just feeling it coming back to me as her love, her happiness. I kiss her again, Oh I can so get used to this. Before…the old me really wanted to do these kind of things, say these things but too often I couldn’t. I tear up a little. Shaya looks up at me as I sniffled. “Wren? What is it? What’s troubling you?”
“Dancing Shay…I just realized I’m dancing again.”

We kiss a few more times before she breaks the kisses. “We should bathe, while I’m very tempted to do nothing but make love to you Wren there are things that I must do because I am a working knight and dragon rider.” I nod. “Is the anything that I could be doing? I’m not comfortable just sitting around.”
“You could come with me and help out?”
“Are you sure that wouldn’t just be humoring me?”
“Yes, yes it would but there are things I could do to have a spare set of hands for and you can get to know things in my world, some more. We will be busy love.” Shaya drags me by my hand back to the bathing room and despite her talk and me agreeing once we were wet and warmed by the hot water and soapy…hands wandered, lips touched over and over and then wandered, fingers danced and touched and breathy songs of our mutual pleasure filled the bathing chamber.

I was teary again afterwards as we went to get dressed. This feeling of love and afterglow and well being mixed with not just walking but moving finally with that I’m not thinking about it feminine glide that’s mixed with my new body’s joyfully perfect feelings, the swivel of my hips, the feel of my bottom just having this different shape and weight that adds to the sway and the delicious bounce of my large fully breasts.

I’m emotional because it’s so perfect.

And You know as much as I’m worried about the other stuff going on here right now I’m not because I’m more myself than I ever have in my life.

I feel like I’m wearing my soul on the outside.

Shaya leads me into that small personal mall she calls her “Dressing Chambers.” Yeah I’ve literally seen stores back home with less inventory. It’s a great bit of girly fun going through some things here that might fit me. It’s really two girls getting to play dress up that really had never gotten to play dress up before. We are getting ready for working still but there’s still this fun we both get to have that we’ve never really gotten to before. I’m a giggler and so is Shaya which is bad because for awhile we were making each other laugh just by laughing.

Okay, there was some faces being made and some tickling thrown in too but…I’m allowed to, I’m a girl now.

I’ve got no bra; Shaya did admit that I’m going to need a lot of custom clothes. I love wearing the panties though, sweet silk touching my girlhood in this way that I’ve literally dreamed of to the point of driving myself to pain as Bear. Then to now slide that silk and stretchy lace right up and sexily and so perfectly snug made me just…complete? Right? I giggle, sniffle and can’t help but dance a little dance of joy that Shaya completely gets. The fact that she gets it and that I get her and we’re together…If I’m in a ditch somewhere because of that storm on earth then please, please I don’t want to wake up.

I’m dressed by the time I’m done I’m in a fawn brown cotton long sweater that on me shows lots of midriff but really shows my breasts off to good effect. Over that I’ve got a large lace up vest styled corset and over that this woolen hooded long coat that’s like a really big sweater with a zipper and a bunch of snaps. I’m wearing a pair of heavy green denim pants that are like a mix of Levi jeans and combat pants. I’m wearing these stocking like soaks and these really heavy flat soled leather boots that are made of oilskin. Those I looked at Shaya as I tugged them on. “Oilskin?”
“They clean easier.”
“Oh.”

From there it’s to her armory, where I’m fitted with leather gauntlets and a sword belt and a sword on my hip along with a field pouch with various things like telescope and survival gear. It’s bloody heavier than I thought it was. I get helped into a buckskin tabard to go under my woolen longcoat, and finally chaps and a ceramic helmet that looks like a Spartan helmet with an amber glass tinted visor and no crest on it. She has to tightly braid my hair to get it on my head.

Why?

She leads me down the hall and into the room where Bhlaze is risen and up and awake and moving around his enclosure. We’re going Dragon riding! OMG! Okay I’m super excited and both Shaya and Bhlaze are finding me very amazing.
~Erendae, have you flown before? ~
“Uhm yeah but never like this, it was in an airplane.”
~Airplane? ~
“It’s a flying machine.”
~Oh, like the shuttles or the starships or is it like an airship? ~
“It’s probably closer to an airship but not nearly as cool.”
~Cool? ~
“Uhn, it’s like this expression, it means excellent or very good.”
~Oh...indeed, I hope you will find this cooler? ~
“I’m going dragon riding!, of course it’s more cool!”
Yeah that got him and Shaya laughing and she passes me a rake as Bhlaze walks out onto this dock/veranda like thing.
“What’s this?” I look at her.
“He sheds, and we clean the sands out to keep it clean and to unpack the sands.”
“Does he…?”
“Does he what?”
“Is it like a cat box?”
“Cat box?”
I follow her lead as she uses this large rack like a harrow with blades that cut into the sands and she walks back and forth cutting up the sand. The whole time I’m trying to explain the concept of a litter box to her. There’s this look on her face.
“Wren, why?…why do not you’re people just train your house cats to do they’re business outside.”
“Uhm because most of us can’t. Most people on earth can’t or don’t train their cats.”
“But why, if you don’t you have a box of…stuff in your house?” she shudders at the thought.
I laugh at her when she does.
She gives me this kinda frowny look. “It’s just not logical.”
It’s just too tempting with her saying that and the pointed ears. I’m laughing some more.
When she raises just one eyebrow that sets me off again in a fit of giggles.
Shaya digs into the ground a bit more tugging the thing and dredging the sands up.

It actually smells good there’s this cool almost metallic, citrus like I’ve never smelled, menthol scent to the sand and there’s these almost sparkles and bits of scales in it.
“Shaya, what’s the smell?”
“Dragon essence it’s a mixture of the dead skin cells and the oils from Bhlaze’s hide soaking into the sands as he relaxes in the hot sands.”
Oh yeah did I mention that the sands are heated, yeah my feet are getting really hot, I’m getting really hot but it’s oddly not bothering me that bad, It’s actually kind of pleasant I look at her, “So what do I do?”
Shaya takes from a wall closet a shaker box like you’d use to separate stuff from the dirt and a pair of shovels and a bucket. Then she puts the harrow away. “We separate the scales from the sands because the scales he sheds will attract mites and such but there is a healing ointment that I make for him that speeds the healing of his wounds.”
It sounds like a lot of work but it isn’t really its pretty easy and it’s like I’m doing stable work for a dragon.
We’re done in about an hour. She does before we’re done takes a sand sample and tests it for the oil concentrations.
“Why are you doing that?”
“Once there is enough oil I’ll replace his sand and I’ll make dragonfury out of it.”
“Dragonfury?”
“It’s a mana reactive explosive substance, in Bhlaze’s case the fury will be an electrical storm.”
“Whoa…”
“Indeed, it is a very powerful weapon that we use very carefully.”
“So are there any other things you make from it?”
“There are those who play with the lore but few successes.”
“I just thought…”
“What?”
“No, it’s nothing really”
“No, Erendae you had a thought, perhaps it is something we have not yet attempted.”
“Uhm…okay, well if it makes lightning right then couldn’t you use it for like medicines. Back home when a damaged heart stops they shock the person back using electricity.”
“Aah, that would be wonderful but testing it would be hazardous…still…”
She leaned over and kissed me.
“Come Beloved let’s get Bhlaze ready to fly.”

She took me into that closet room and I helped her get out the saddle and the gear for riding that I’d need. Shaya didn’t often take a second rider with her. It’s pretty heavy stuff really. She makes me lug all the stuff out to where Bhlaze is and we go over suiting him up in the double saddle rig. Its hard work really, I’m just as strong as I was before but I’m lacking the mass to actually have all that easy leverage that I’m used to. See before it was often a matter of me shifting my weight to do a lot of things. A lot of us overweight people learned to do that actually. It’s using your body weight to inflict extra momentum on something heavy you’re trying to move. It’s throwing your weight into it as it were.

I can’t do that anymore, heck if anything I might might need to put on some weight. I can see my ribs a little. I’m six foot plus with umm, a rather well developed chest and strong shoulders even for a girl so my weight don’t fit me not really. I’d guess myself between one hundred and forty five to one hundred and fifty five pounds which would be ideal if I was around five foot six or so.
Then there’s all the stuff I’m wearing and the bloody sword and sword belt. I’m not used to wearing these things and it’s heavy on my hips and waist. I’m constantly fiddling with it trying to adjust it to fit or feel just right but I can’t just because I’m not used to it. Then there’s the fact I keep banging into things with it and it keeps whacking me in my thigh.

Shaya helps me mount and there’s straps to do around my legs sort of using the bend at my knees to sort of lock these into place. Then Bhlaze shifts position turning to face the length of the dock and it only takes him four strides before he springs off of it like a cat jumping off a fence and we fall. Or rather we dive heading in an arc down towards the water and all the ships that we had seen in the giant river/canal and kind of like an roller coaster I see his head and neck rear up ahead of us ash his body curves upward and there’s the leathery snap of his wings.

We skim the water and with swishes of his tail we weave through about a dozen ships before pulling up and into the sky. I’m half way to scared and thrilled at the same time and I can’t help but, can’t contain that bungee jump like scream of fear and joy.

It only gets better and better as we climb and we pass by birds and then loop under and then bank up and over an airship, then pass another two or three of them and we soar gaining height, a mixture of these powerful wing beat that’s close to feeling what a sybian machine feels like as his muscle move and massage me through the saddle mixing in with the adrenaline and the sheer beauty of the moment.

I grip the saddle as the waves of my pleasure whip through me like the wind does. I gasp with that and amazement as we bank higher and the world opens up beneath us. I’ve never felt so free in all my life.