The Lizardman of Aurelheart

Bella stood with her spear poised and ready. The cruel bronze tip gleamed half a metre in front of her eyes; the smooth wooden shaft felt perfectly balanced in her hand.

Arrek had taught her how to handle a spear. The memory of his lessons slipped vividly into her mind, almost as clearly as though he were once again standing just behind her. She could imagine his chest warm against her bare back, his breath whispering across her shoulder, his hands touching her here and there as he guided her gently but firmly into the proper posture.

'You must break down the barrier between you and the spear,' he'd said. 'Touch it. Feel the merciless sharpness of the tip. Run your fingers down the straight, proud shaft. Know it. Trust it. Love it. When you throw it, you are not hurling a mere object. You are sending forth a part of yourself.'

She let the memory fade, and she stood alone once again... except that she wasn't. Arrek

was

somewhere close. Hidden. Watching. Judging how she handled this test of her skills.

With some effort, Bella pushed him from her mind and concentrated on becoming a part of the forest. This was important, Arrek had said. If she felt conspicuous, she would

be

conspicuous.

Deep breath. Breathe in, breathe out. I am a tree.

Her feet were rooted firmly on the earth. Wind whispered across her bare breasts. The spear tip hovered motionless in the air. Birds sang and insects chirped all around her, but she didn't make a single sound or move a single muscle. Her concentration was fixed on a small tangle of bushes a little way in front of her.

Something rustled.

Her heart pounding so loudly she was sure it must betray her, Bella took a slow step, planting her foot soundlessly and easing her weight forwards. And then another step, as silent as the first, with almost geological slowness. Nearly there. Just one more step...

A twig snapped under her foot, sounding as loud as a shotgun blast in the quiet forest.

Suddenly, several things happened in quick succession. The furbeast which had been sheltering in the bushes shot out like a bolt of lightning and thundered into the undergrowth to her left. Instinctively Bella twisted round and hurled the spear towards it, uncoiling her body like a spring to launch it fast and - she hoped - accurately. Barely had the spear disappeared into the greenery when a short, agonised scream stabbed through the quiet air, rousing the birds from their roosts. She had only the briefest moment to reflect that this was a noise most unlike anything a dying furbeast was likely to make before a huge lizardman materialised out of the forest behind her and knocked her violently to the ground.

'Hzakj!' he shouted down at her in fury and loathing, placing one foot roughly between her shoulderblades to pin her down. 'Ptjaddkufz errbok gree purrumjisklak!'

His name was Zker. Out of all Arrek's warriors, he had rapidly become her least favourite.

There was a rustle to their left, and the top half of Arrek appeared out of the undergrowth, looking at Zker with a sternly questioning eye. Zker barked something in Rootsong in answer to the unvoiced question. After several weeks in the lizardmen's company Bella had absorbed a very little of the complex language, and between that and some educated guesswork, she managed to deduce that what Zker had said was:

'Eskarog! I caught the human with a

weapon

in its hands! I'm certain it was trying to kill you! You see now what it's really like? You see now what happens when you give it too much freedom?'

'

I

gave her that spear,' Arrek replied. 'I've been training her how to use it.'

From her position pinned to the ground, Bella couldn't see the expression on Zker's face. And yet she could clearly picture the sneer that would have given his clear opinion on

that

particular piece of intelligence. He said a few things to Arrek in a blunt voice, but the only thing she managed to translate was, 'I heard a scream. Why?'

Arrek held up two items; one in each hand. One was a familiar spear, its tip red with blood. The other was the bleeding corpse of a furbeast. 'Animals can make such strange noises when they're hurt. She's a natural with a spear, that girl.'

'All the more reason not to let her near one, Eskarog.'

There was a short silence. At last Arrek said, softly but firmly, 'let her go, Zker.'

Zker did not immediately remove his foot. Bella winced as he applied more pressure, his claws pricking painfully into her back.

'

I said let her go, Zker.

'

The two lizardmen glared at each other. Zker was a giant, and built like a castle; Arrek looked small and slight in comparison, the top of his head reaching only as high as Zker's shoulders. But after a few moments Zker yielded, removing his foot from Bella's back and storming off towards the camp without a further word, his tail flicking angrily behind him.

Bella pulled herself to her feet and brushed herself off. 'Wow. He has a knack for turning up at the worst possible moment, doesn't he? But enough about Zker. I can't

believe

I hit that furbeast!'

'You didn't. I did.'

She deflated.

I

thought

that was too wild a shot to land. Oh well. At least I don't have to feel bad about taking some poor creature's life. Besides... wait. Hang on. Arrek, what in the world is wrong with you?!?

The lizardman eased himself out of the undergrowth, leaning heavily on the spear, wincing in obvious pain. Now that his full body was visible, she could see bright red blood trickling down his left leg. With a sinking stomach she suddenly understood the scream she'd heard after throwing the spear.

'You were quite wide of the mark,' he said through gritted teeth. 'But at least you hit

something

.'

Bella stood aghast. 'I'm sorry. I didn't mean...'

'I know. You didn't know where I was. You've learned another lesson: never throw spears around willy-nilly.' He pulled off his pelt to reveal a vivid gash across his inner thigh. The spear must have shot straight between his legs.

'And speaking of willy-nilly, I'm extremely glad you didn't aim just a little bit higher. Let me just clean this up...'

He grabbed a handful of soft moss and began wiping the blood from his legs. Bella quickly took over the job, thinking it was the least she could do after inflicting the wound. Kneeling in front of him, the scarlet blood washed easily from his green scales with just a few sweeps of the moss up and down his tightly-muscled thigh. Once his leg looked clean, that left only the wound itself. Arrek winced in discomfort as she gently dabbed the blood from around it.

'It's not deep,' he said, 'it'll stop bleeding soon. Just hold a clean piece of moss against the wound and apply some pressure for a minute or two; I can bandage it properly back at camp.'

Bella did as he requested. Arrek grunted in pain as she put pressure on the wound; then it was just a matter of waiting. She tried not to think about his flaccid cock and balls hanging just centimetres away from her fingers. And she pretended not to notice when, gradually, as the minutes passed, it became less and less flaccid, twitching into semi-erectness in response to her touch, even through what must have been considerable pain.

Arrek made no comment on it, and neither did she. It didn't need any. It was just a physical reminder of how he felt about her, which was something they both understood perfectly well, just as they understood that these feelings would never be acted upon. When the wound was clean and no longer bleeding, Arrek replaced his fur skirt and they walked together back to the camp, the lizardman leaning slightly on her shoulder for support while trying hard to look as though he wasn't.

* * *

Back at camp, Bella looked about for a way to make herself useful. As Arrek was fond of pointing out, the lizardmen didn't have the resources to feed useless mouths, and if she expected to eat her fair share, she was expected to work her fair share. In exchange for this, she received a fair degree of personal liberty.

There was always something to do. In just over three weeks she'd learnt an enormous amount about cooking, cleaning, butchering meat, tanning leather, fire-building and a hundred other little tasks. After years of soft living in Davis where everything was done for her whether she wanted it done or not, the feeling of being

useful

was a liberating one.

Her first few days in Aurelheart had been hard to endure. A majority of the lizardmen had held her in contempt and hadn't been shy about making their feelings known, despite Arrek's insistence that she should be shown a certain minimum courtesy. But as time went by, and they saw she was trying to work hard and fit in as best she could - and that she was willing to take on all the jobs that no-one else wanted to do - most of them softened somewhat towards her. They still didn't

like

her, or trust her - she was, after all, from where they stood, one of the enemy - but now only a few die-hards like Zker actively went out of their way to make her life difficult.

She slept in Arrek's tent. Perhaps it was because he wanted to keep an eye on her, or perhaps because he didn't trust anyone else enough to leave her in their care. Or it might just have been the only tent with space to spare; Arrek had a whole tent to himself as a unique privilege of being Eskarog. Whatever the reason, it was an agreeable arrangement. Her bed of ferns and other soft things, across the tent from Arrek's, was surprisingly comfortable. Arrek didn't snore and his habits were scrupulously clean. As a courtesy to his efforts to make her imprisonment more comfortable than it might otherwise have been, she made no attempts to repeat the seduction she'd almost pulled off on their first night together, despite the constant temptation of his naked body a few metres away from her own.

It was hard not to slip into thinking of Arrek as a friend. She had to constantly remind herself that he was her captor, holding her against her will. The camp didn't feel like a prison, but nevertheless it was a very secure one. There were always guards around the perimeter, hidden discreetly up in the trees - she never knew which trees - who were ready and willing to shoot her dead if she put one foot over the boundary without an escort. Within the confines of the camp she was more or less allowed to wander wherever she pleased. The only time she really got outside was when Arrek took her out for the (until now) secret spear-throwing lessons he'd been providing whenever he got an infrequent free moment. These were a welcome break from camp life for Bella, and she suspected for Arrek perhaps even more so. She noticed a weary, beleaguered look in his eyes when he was bustling about camp being Eskarog that melted away when he was alone with Bella amongst the trees.

And still no response from Eddie to Arrek's demand. She knew, although Arrek refused to give her the specifics, that there must be some time limit within which Eddie was to make good. She guessed that the deadline couldn't be too far in the future. When it came, one way or another, her life in the camp would be over.

And whatever happens, it's not good news for me. If Eddie refuses to hand over the Dessinger Corporation then Arrek will - however reluctantly - end my life. But if Eddie caves in then I'll be packed off to Davis to pick up the same loveless, superficial bauble of a life that drove me close to insanity last time. However imperfect life here might be, it's paradise compared to that. Isn't it odd that here - as a prisoner - I still feel more free than I ever did back home?

Bella was roused from her reverie by a brief snatch of conversation drifting from the nearest tent.

'...You don't fool me, you know...'

The words caught her attention immediately because they were spoken not in Rootsong but in English. It wasn't hard to guess who was speaking to whom; the only person other than Arrek and herself who spoke English was a lizardwoman named Mrenva, and it was from her tent and in her voice that the words had come.

And why would Arrek and Mrenva be talking in English and not their native Rootsong? I can think of a reason: they don't want to be overheard. It's none of my business really... I should just walk on by... but it does rather tickle the curiosity, doesn't it?

Reminding herself yet again that Arrek was her captor and not her friend, Bella decided to eavesdrop. As quietly as she could, she settled into a discreet spot just outside the tent where she could hear everything without much risk of being seen. Better yet, there was a slight rent in the fabric here. She pressed her eye to the gap and peered inside.

Arrek sat on the edge of a bed, naked. Mrenva was kneeling down in front of him, her hand reaching in between his open legs. Bella reeled backwards in surprise.

What? What strange illicit little affair have I discovered here? You're playing with fire here Arrek, Mrenva is Zker's partner... wait... no... ha! I've got this all wrong. This isn't a sex thing. She's just doing a proper job of cleaning up the war wound I gave you earlier. See? She's got a

wodge

of moss and a bowl of water. And look, you're as floppy as anything. Not like you were when

I

was touching you in the same place.

But isn't it a little worrying that just for a moment back there, I felt so desperately, pitiably jealous?

Bella had come to know Mrenva quite well. She was one of the few who'd been kind to her, right from the start. And as the only English speaker besides Arrek - who was usually too busy - she'd born the lion's share of inducting Bella into the many intricacies of camp life.

'Do you imagine I'm blind?' she asked him as she mopped up the last of the blood. Arrek winced at her touch.

'No,' he replied. 'You're the single most observant person I know. But right now I think you're imagining things.'

'Oh come on now. I've seen the way you look at her. You used to look at

me

like that once.'

'In your case, I did a lot more than just look.'

'Mmm, I remember it vividly.'

Mrenva smiled to herself as she began wrapping a clean bandage around Arrek's thigh.

'And I've seen the way

she

looks at

you

,' she said. 'All I'm saying is...'

'Don't say it. It is forbidden.'

'Since when did that stop you taking what you want?'

'It stopped me from being with you.'

'And do you regret that?'

'Sometimes. Do you?'

She shrugged. 'What happened happened. It was a long time ago. I am content.'

'Then what are we arguing about?'

'About Bella. You know her days are running out.'

'Possibly.'

'You can't seriously believe that Edwin's going to give you what you asked for?'

'Perhaps not.'

'Then what are you going to do when the moment comes?'

Bella was interrupted by approaching footsteps. As much as she desperately wanted to hear what was said next, she knew that it would be a bad idea to be caught eavesdropping and removed herself to a safe distance until the lizardman - who turned out to be Zker - had stomped by. But before she could steal back to her vantage point she saw Arrek emerge from the tent, alone, and limp back towards his own. The conversation was obviously over.

Damn you, Zker. Damn you to every hell I can think of. And I can think of quite a few...

* * *

That night, Bella dreamt she was back in Davis. She was lying on her bed - her big, exquisitely soft bed - and she couldn't get up because her hands and feet were tied to the four bedposts with golden chains. She couldn't breathe very easily either; she couldn't breathe because she was wearing one of those tight, body-hugging dresses - the kind that Eddie loved her to wear but that she couldn't stand - and it seemed to draw tighter with every breath.

There were footsteps outside the room, sounding sharp and loud on the marble tiles. She tried to call out for help, but the dress seemed to pull even tighter around her, suffocating the words in her chest before they could surface. She saw the door handle turn - once, twice - and someone rattled the doors. But they didn't open.

'Help!' she managed to call in a whisper that took all her strength.

For a couple of seconds nothing happened, and then the doors exploded inwards. And standing there framed in the wreckage of splintered mahogany, a wild forest behind him where there should have been a room, stood Arrek, dressed in his minimal warrior garb, his scaled chest heaving in exertion. Seeing her, he strode over to the bed, thrust both sets of fingers under the hem of her dress where it strangled her cleavage, and ripped the horrible garment off her in a single powerful movement of his arms.

Bella gasped for breath, letting her breasts rise and fall as she gulped in deep lungfuls of cool sweet air. Arrek stood motionless at her side, his orange eyes gliding ravenously up and down the length of her naked body.

'Arrek!' she cried as soon as she'd recovered her breath. 'Unchain me! Quick!'

He shook his head slowly. 'No, Bella. Did you really think I would let you go?'

'Then what are you going to do?'

By way of an answer he tucked a thumb under the waist of his skirt and pulled it smoothly from his hips. His manhood stood every bit as green and large and ready as it had that first night when he'd nearly taken her in the forest. Except tonight there was going to be no "nearly".

Bella took a deep breath and let her eyes drift shut as she felt a scaled hand stroking circles across her belly, and another reaching over to touch her cheek. When she opened them again he was leaning over her, his fierce orange eyes staring hungrily down into her own. She lifted her head to kiss him, his eyes drawing closer and closer, like two perfect circles of fire dropping over her to engulf her in their wild heat...

She woke up with a start.

She was lying on her bed in Arrek's tent. It was still dark. Looking over, she saw the lizardman himself lying on his own bed, naked but sound asleep.

Thanks Arrek. Thanks a lot. Even in dreams you bottle out just when things are getting interesting. Do you have any idea how wet and horny you've just left me?

Oh, how much I want to wake you up and slide in beside you right now! Take me now, Arrek you bastard, because I think I'm in love with you! Me and you, just one night, what do you say?

I know what you'd say. You'd say no. And then you'd turn around to face away from me to stop me seeing the evidence that you want me just as much as I want you.

I wish I had a little privacy. I have some needs that need attending to; a private matter between me and my fingers. Hmm. Just how deep asleep are you, Arrek?

She studied the sleeping lizardman carefully. He lay on his side, facing her, with one arm tucked under his head. His chest swelled with the slow rhythm of his breath. His eyes were closed and he wore a slight frown on his face as he slept. There was nothing to suggest that he might wake up any time soon.

Bella decided to risk it. There was even something about the danger of him waking up that sent a tingle of thrill down her spine and deepened her arousal. Slowly she slid her right hand down to rest on the wetness between her thighs, her fingers teasing the needy flesh around her womanhood.

She looked over at Arrek once more. Still sleeping peacefully. She could see the bright green curve of his penis hanging down unashamedly between his legs, standing out vividly against the duller green of his scales. Even flaccid it was a sight to behold. But she pictured in her mind the way it'd been on that first night, the way it'd been in her dream: long and solid and straight as a spear, and mercilessly broad.