The Wyrms Curse Ch 01

(on a side note, this is the first erotic writing I've submitted.

Please let me know what you think.)

*

Kara tossed her cards into the center of the table.

"Fold. Can we get on with it?" she asked impatiently.

The fellow sitting to her right, Collen something-or-other, tossed his hand in as well, nodding.

Directly across the table from Kara, Laurent 'Chimney' Silva sucked on his cigar. Sighing a stream of smoke, he set his cards on the table and gestured at the fourth player with his cigar.

"Take it, you freakish son of a wolf and some trickster god."

Stefan Marcel nodded amiably. He moved cards aside and dragged the handful of coins from the center of the table to join his rather larger pile of winnings.

"Who are you robbing that you need four people for the job?" Kara pressed.

"Nothing like that, love." Chimney smiled. "Have you met Collen?" he nodded at the short, stout, shaven-headed fellow on Kara's right.

She glanced over. The man was from the Heavensgate Empire to the West. That much was obvious when he spoke. An ex-soldier. He stank of stale sweat and struck her as over confident. It didn't help her opinion of him that he spent an inordinate amount of time staring at her chest, even considering the usual amount of attention it got.

"Aye." she replied dryly, returning her gaze to Chimney.

"And you've worked with Stefan before, yes?"

Kara nodded impatiently. In truth, they hadn't so much worked together as he had saved her from an unfortunate end. OF course, it had been one of his deadfall traps she had fallen into. Stefan was a hunter and trapper by trade. He spent most of his time in the forests to the north and east of Blanc Mar, coming into the little town every so often to sell or trade furs. All but a few of the townspeople exhibited either a sort of thinly veiled contempt or even more thinly veiled nervousness around him.

Quiet and reserved, it was nonetheless obvious by appearance and by the way he moved that he was lean and strong under his leathers and furs. Something about the symmetry of his face and his bright blue eyes was unmistakeably suggestive of a wolf. Kara had even seen Chimney, an ex mercenary, unintentionally draw back a bit once when Stefan had given him a sudden, faint smile.

When Stefan had helped her up out of his trap she had thanked him kindly and asked if he might be so kind as to bend the truth a bit if the subject of their meeting ever came up in conversation. She offered him a bit of coin, which he refused.

"I'll let on that perhaps we worked together breifly if you'll promise me something." he had said. "Don't come out here and fall in any of my traps again. Pretty a thing as you are, I don't think your hide would fetch much in town." He had given her a meaningful look then. "Next time I may already have gotten around to putting the stakes in the bottom of the pit."

Coming back to the present, Kara nodded.

"You know about the dwarves up in the Ironflank Ridge?" Chimney puffed on his cigar.

"I know what anyone knows. Every town and village for fifty miles gets it's iron from them."

"But have you heard that they've gone? It's been six weeks since they've shown at the entrances to meet anyone."

"I've heard rumours. Not something I spend much thought on." Kara was growing exasperated. And Collen something-or-other was admiring her chest again.

Chimney took a long drag then stubbed the cigar out on the tabletop.

"Several men have supposedly gone down into the warrens. Only one has come back."

"With a heavy load of gold dwarf cutlery?" Kara posed sarcastically.

"No. The lad lost his nerve before he came to anything worth scarpering off with. Dark and echoes do that. He did bring interesting word though. Seems there was no sign of battle, but also no sign of packing. Like the little moles had just up and walked off."

Kara crossed her arms under her bosom and frowned.

"So something that wasn't plague or battle drove off several hundred dwarves and you want to go down there and pilfer what wants pilfering?"

"Aye, well-" Chimney began.

"In the dark!" Kara interrupted him as the thought dawned on her.

"Aye, well, you being of the half elfish persuasion might come in handy..." Chimney said as meekly as he could manage while smiling.

Kara slouched in her chair and glared at him from under her brow. She took a deep breath and sighed loudly.

"What terms do you propose?" she asked finally.

"Even shares. First pick of the loot for you of course, seeing as how scout is the most risky position."

Kara rose and reached across the table to shake his hand.

"Agreed."

It was two days on horse back from Blanc Mar to the base of the Ironflank Mountains. Most of a third day was passed climbing the switchbacking trails to the lowest known entrance to the dwarven city within the mountains. It was this entrance which had traditionally been utilized by those who traded with the dwarves. The four companions dismounted and left their mounts tethered some hundred yards back from the entrance where a natural spring burbled up throught the rock.

Finally coming to the entrance, they found the stout, iron banded oak door standing ajar. The treasure hunters hesitated, glancing at each other. Kara rolled her eyes, lolling her head to one side.

"Great slitherous Cthulhu left the door open for us, I'm sure." she muttered, stepping forward to swing the door fully open.

Kara slowed as she came to a crossroads in the dark halls. Thus far the rumours had proven true. No dwarfs. No sign of battle. Bronze and pewter plates, goblets, trenchers and cutlery still lay on tables as if simply left there after a meal.

As the party had moved slowly from chamber to chamber, a suspicion was forming in the back of Kara's mind. Stefan put his finger on it first. Thought almost everything suggested the entire population had vanished simultaneously without packing, there was something other than dwarves missing. The four had found nothing more valuable than the bronze goblets.

There was, to the treasure hunter's growing vexation, no treasure.

Kara had wasted little time moving ahead of the others. The light from their torches ruined her 'night vision.' Also, thought she wouldn't have bothered mentioning it, the men and their torches made more noise than she cared for.

Reaching the intersection, she stopped and listened, peering down each hallway. Each of the three corridors looked much the same aside from a couple rats scurrying off to her left. Should she wait for the others? Perhaps leave something to show which way she had gone? After a moments indecision she shrugged, drew one of her knives, layed it in the middle of the intersection and gave it a spin.

Right.

Leaving the knife where it lay, she turned and padded off down the hall.

Minutes later she had left behind the faint sounds of the men searching for anyting worth taking. The passage continued at a shallow decline and she still couldn't see the far end. This must lead to a seperate mining project or a whole other section of the undercity, she thought in passing.

Several minutes more she walked before finally spying a typically stout door. She felt a bit relieved and was immediately annoyed with herself. While she had no particular problem with closed in places, Chimney's words had wormed into her mind while she walked. The dark didn't bother her either, but the echoes breaking the otherwise unnatural silence had begun to grate on her subconscious.

Cautious curiosity taking over, Kara crept up. This door was almost identical to the one at the trade entrance through which they had entered the tunnels, down to the fact that it stood slightly ajar. Kara winced as she pulled it open, bracing herself for the inevitable scrape or screech of old hinges. When it failed to sound, she smiled to herself. Dwarven construction.

Once over the threshold Kara proceeded three ghost-quiet steps before her brain accepted the unfortunate truth of what her eyes were seeing. She was not alone here. Her 'night sight' was based largely on the radiation of heat. The mass dominating the center of the chamber, percieved by Kara as a fuzzy-bordered layering of reds, purples and greens, was immense.

Kara froze. Unintentionally holding her breath, she strove against surprise and rising fear.

Think. Move. She cursed herself mentally. Move, damnit!

But her body had ceased taking orders. She stood rooted to the spot, unable to take her eyes from the hulking cold blooded thing before her. To Kara's horror, as she watched, a slit of yellow appeared amidst the colder colors and grew slowly into a perfect circle. She heard more than saw the beast draw a slow, deep breath.

Seeming to eminate from the far reaches of the chamber and, reverberating, build as it drew inward to it's true source, came laughter. Laughter so deep and powerful Kara felt it resonate in her chest. Unnoticed, coins and bars of precious metals shifted and slid from the mounded bed on which the creature lay. The tinny sounds of them striking the stone floor were faint and insignificant in the midst of the wyrm's mirth.

Kara had suspected from the first, but now, as the laughter ceased, the beast moved and it's great head on it's serpent-like neck was silhouetted against the dark of the room. It continued to move, swinging a head like a rum puncheon to rest almost within arms reach of Kara. It's eyes were just a bit higher than her head. The bright orbs were slowly hidden and revealed as it blinked lazily. The beast inhaled, snuffling in short rapid breaths like an animal searching the wind for a scent. Kara reflexively flinched back against the wall.

"Half breed!" The wyrms throat somehow produced a voice at the same time a sharp hissing and a deep rasping.

Kara dropped to sit where she was, her knees giving out. She failed completely to notice her bladder emptying through her cotton breachcloth and into the wool lining under her leathers.

"Your companions abandon you, man-elf. The stink of their fear recedes."

Kara only stared and trembled.

The wyrm released a breath in what might have been a sigh. It parted it's jaws and recited strange, unnatural syllables. It's oration ended with a gutteral, throat clearing sound. A moment later light filled the chamber.

A pained cry escaped Kara. She rolled back, bringing her arms up before her face. When the pain had faded and she could see again she looked around frantically. Disbeleiving, she continued casting her eyes about the room for several seconds. Her knives had found their way into her hands.

A woman a bit taller than Kara and naked now stood where moments ago the wyrm's head had rested. But for a shock of copper colored bangs falling before her eyes, the womans hair was pulled back into a single long braid. Alabaster skin was broken at the shoulders as well as along the forearm to the elbow and up the shin to the knee by coppery, jagged ridges.

Realization finally dawning in her traumatized mind, Kara returned her blades to their sheaths and regarded the apparition. It's arms were crossed over high, ample breasts. It's chin was tipped up slightly at a condescending angle. There was a faint quirk of a smile to it's lips.

"Wyrm." Kara scowled.

A long leathery tail, coppery and ridged near it's base, swayed into view and coiled slowly around the length of one pale leg.

"Copper would suffice for a name in your tongue. I suppose 'Wyrm' will do if you prefer. I restrain my power and take this form for the sake of calming your senses. Conversation becomes one-sided otherwise."

Kara eyed Copper's tail in mild distaste. Her eyes wandered up to the little patch of - yes, copper - hair lying low between the broad curves of the dragon-woman's hips.

"You're a female." Kara thought aloud.

"Perhaps conversation was an unrealistic expectation." Copper's voice was a pleasant, throaty, feminine pur.

Kara ignored her in favour of considering making a run for it or knifing the now considerably less imposing dragon. The latter appealed to her, but she doubted the blighted thing would take such a form were it as vulnerable as it looked. She came back to matters at hand when Copper took a step toward her, speaking again.

"What shall I call you, half-breed?"

Kara attempted to back up and was reminded that she was already against the wall. She regarded the beautiful beast now just shy of stepping on her toes as if it were a leper.

"Dinner, I imagine." she sneered.

Copper smiled.

"Don't be silly. I've obviously eaten very well recently, and my digestion is slow. Or did you think the dwarves became disinterested in these mountains and walked off?"

"Rumours vary. No blood and no destruction, so I guess you bewitched them with some sort of spell."

"Yes."

"Right," Kara inched away from her along the wall, "If you're not going to eat me, maybe you could see me on my way with a little reward for my bravery."

"I fail to grasp every intricacy of your kinds emotions and thinking. Still, I would be surprised to discover that cowering and voiding ones bladder are matters of courage."

Upon recovering from the maddening terror of Copper in her natural state, Kara had quickly noticed the unpleasant dampness down the insides of her legs. Given the circumstances she would worry about it later. When and if there was a later.

"Riches do not seem a fitting recompense for your reckless audacity. Rather, let us see if that audacity serves you in answering a challenge. Succeed and I will grant you your weight in silver and gold."

Kara wore a most incredulous expression.

"Challenge?"

"Let that wait for tomorrow. I must make preperations now." Copper waved a hand dismissively, then started up murmuring strange, arcane syllables.

More magic. Kara groaned. She moved to slide by Copper to the door, but staggered when a wave of dizziness washed over her. Leaning on the wall, she fought to think clearly.

"What...?" she felt drunk.

Copper finished her spell and quickly reached out to help Kara stand. Pressing herself firmly against Kara, she whispered in the half elf's ear.

"An enfeebling spell. I got the impression you would not remain for the preperations by choice. I would suggest you relax and enjoy the ritual. The enfeeblement is a minor thing and will have worn off by morning."

Kara managed to lift her hands to place them on Copper's shoulders, but had no strength to push her away. She looked into the dragon-lady's eyes and was surprised to find them not copper but a mesmeric mixture of blues and greens.

"Damn... you." she managed, holding her captor's gaze.

"Indeed. Let us begin." Copper reached down to unbuckle Kara's belt, letting it drop to the floor along with the skirtlike leather plates which hung from it.

Next went the harness of straps on which most of Kara's knives rode. Then the supple leather doublet was unlaced and dropped aside. Kara raged in her head, but even anger was becoming hard to maintain in her muzzy mind. She tried to slap Copper's hands away, but to no avail. At one point she pressed one hand to the dragon's pale face as if to push and felt a sudden sharp pain.

The bitch had bitten her!

And the bitch had wickedly pointed canine teeth. When her hand was released Kara saw two beads of blood welling from the meat between her thumb and forefinger. Through her calfskin gloves.

Pausing in the task of stripping Kara, Copper gently pulled the gloves from Karas hands. Bringing the newly wounded appendage back up to her face she slowly licked ruddy smudges from it. After lapping at the punctures themselves while smiling lasciviously at Kara she tore a bit of linen fabric from the shoulder of Karas undershirt with which to bind her hand.

"Ah, I hope you understand - that was unintentional. Dragons bite." she explained with an almost apologetic expression. "I have done extensive research into these realms of humanoid interaction. I am quite good at this, if I do say so myself. Now please, relax. I'll try not to bite... again." Putting her hands on Kara's hips, she leaned in and kissed her, breifly sucking at her lower lip.

Kara blinked. Who in Terra would believe this? Instead of being done in she was being done with by an honest to Gods dragon. Mentally drifting a bit, Kara considered that she would never think of the phrase 'playing with ones food' the same way again.

Her muddled musings were interrupted when Copper effortlessly tore her linen undershirt down the center. The dragoness moved it back off her shoulders, letting it fall to join her other clothes on the floor.

Oh, fine, destroy my underthings while you're about it, Kara thought. Not that you have any idea how leather chafes on the breasts without an undershirt between. With this thought Karas eyes widened. She looked down, swaying a bit on her feet, to behold her now bare upper body. She caugth her breath as she watched and felt Coppers soft cool palms brush over her nipples.

A small part of her was still angry and wanted to protest, but Kara managed only a muffled moan. Copper had bent and lowered her face to press her warm mouth over Kara's left breast. Kara squeezed her eyes shut and tipped her head back. She bit her lower lip and moaned again as Copper nibbled and sucked at her nipples.

Squatting, Copper kissed her way down from Kara's chest to her naval. She wrapped her arms around Karas thighs, clasping her hands under Kara's ass, and stood, lifting her easily off her feet.

"Woah-" Kara braced her hands on Coppers shoulders, afraid they would topple, but it seemed her weight was nothing to Copper, even in her humanoid form.

Turning, the dragoness walked until her bare feet crunched and jingled into the knee deep sprawl of coins and treasure. Kara arched her back up from the cold metals where Copper carefully layed her down. Business-like, Copper pulled the boots, then socks from Kara's feet. The dragoness blew sharply through her nose as she tossed the socks away as if afraid of contamination.

"As bad as the dwarves. Every time i deal with humanoids it makes cows look more attractive. Or sheep, although their eyes are disquieting. She carried on, leaning down to slide her hands under Kara's tights at the small of her back and down to give her ass a squeeze.

Maybe it was the spell, but Kara found the dragoness's last comment funny in it's absurdity. A dragon, disquieted by a sheep's eyes. She giggled a bit. She was reasonably sure there was something very wrong with this situation, but couldn't recall what. Kara had never been with a woman like this, but then it had been a while since she had lay with anyone. And the dragoness certainly seemed to know what she was doing.

Kara wiggled a bit, trying to aid in Copper's struggle with her tights. Half soaked in Kara's urine, they didn't peel off easily. Holding them up in one hand Copper gave Kara a frown. She gestured strangely with her free hand and recited what Kara immediately recognized as more magic.

The air in the chamber began to grow humid. Looking up curiously Kara found the high ceiling was no longer visible for an obscuring fog.

Moments later Kara was crying out, trying to shield her body from a localized, indoor rain shower. While she lay on her side, shivering, she realized that the shock of the cold rain had cleared her head somewhat. Would something like that work despite the spell Copper had cast on her? Nevermind. Kara decided not to worry herself with the mysterious workings of magic, nor to look a gift horse in the mouth.

While Copper's manufactured shower washed her clean, Kara considered her situation anew. After counting off the facts of said situation she came quickly to an uncomplicated conclusion.

What the hell?

The rain ceased abruptly at a leisurely command from Copper. Kara uncurled and ran a hand back through her soaked hair. Dripping, her copper bangs plastered to her forehead, the dragoness crawled up over Kara's body on all fours. She trailed her tongue over Kara's damp tummy, chest and neck.