. 02

The Gathering

Escape

We come to the main floor of the Hla'ath home and see Belar, Shynta and Mica all gathered near the stairs on the balcony that overlooked the area where Henri had been training.

As Belar came to those stairs she saw Shynta and Mica talking. Mentally preparing for trouble she approached her eldest sister.

As she neared Shynta asked wanting to confirm her plan, "Are you really going to submit to him?"

Belar smirked wanting to rub it in and said, "Of course, this will be interesting. If I remember correctly you both enjoyed his gifts, well his ability to take your abuse."

Remembering what Henri said about priestess robes she turns to Mica she says, "You know he asked me to come in priestess robes but I don't have any, are yours available?"

Mica put on a fake look of disgust and said faking her disdain, "Sure, you will wash the smell out them from that animal before giving my robe back. Make sure you don't catch from this human, you know what will happen to half-breeds."

Shynta enjoying the fact that she had done something her promiscuous sister hadn't and said, "He is very filling and he has a sweet ass. Why didn't you partake in it like last time?"

Belar knew Mica was baiting her but was still left in the dark about what Shynta had done and said, "I enjoy males too much I'm afraid, and that male has more than enough to keep me happy, for now.

Besides, this is a chance to learn how humans mate, Alak said that they have a male dominant society so I can learn a few things about that by submitting, and who knows maybe he will teach me a few other things.

Mica, you are just afraid of what that half-breed would be able to do with my mind and his physical traits our child would make a strong male and a threat as a female, especially if she has magical skills."

Mica offered faking resignation, "If you are that dead set on doing this come to my room and I will lend you one of my robes."

As Belar walked off, wondering what her sisters were plotting.

Mica turned to her sister with a wolfish grin and said, "Bring what you want to my room and I will get the masking agent."

They both left and went to their separate rooms, Shynta got the powerful fertility draught and Mica got the masking agent and had some very good mushroom wine brought up to her room.

When they met back up Mica said stating what they both knew to be true, "You know she will take a preventive potion before going down to him."

Shynta replied reviling in the fact that Belar would soon be in her study as she experimented on her and Henri's child, "That is why I have our most powerful draught to override the effects."

Mica poured two glasses, handed one to her sister taking a sip to prove she had done nothing to it and said, "That is why I have this wine it has a strong taste and will help the masking agent even more."

Seeing her sister drinking from her own cup Shynta smelled her wine and sipped it carefully, knowing that the strong wine could also hide a powerful poison, she tasted none and drank up the tasty wine.

Belar had everything she would need, she looked at her preventive potion and decided she wouldn't need it, her time wasn't right to catch for at least another week so she dressed and headed over to Mica's room.

When she entered she saw Shynta there as well and instantly knew they were up to something, she slid her right hand closer to the robe she was wearing, which had a dagger sown into the left sleeve, just in case.

Mica handed Belar her robe and a glass of spiked wine and said nothing not knowing if this plan would work but knew if it did she would be rid of 4 sisters.

With Shynta gone her middle sisters which had fallen prey to Shynta's magic, would fall easily because of all of Shynta's toying to their abilities.

With Belar pregnant she could kill Shynta while she experimented on the pregnant Belar.

A pregnant Belar offer her many options, she could wait and keep Belar safe using the half-breed as a hidden pawn, or she could turn Belar and the child over to the cloister where they would do what Shynta was going to do, this option would gain her prestige in the eyes of her higher ups.

She wanted to keep Belar off balance and said, "Here, we were just discussing how much longer it would take to break the human. So, don't ruin our fun while you are having yours."

Belar sniffed the glass and sipped it, she couldn't taste the draught and drank greedily, as she had a weak spot for wine and Alak had brought her some of the surface wines, which she had requested, she savored the variety of flavors wishing she could go to the surface and try them all.

After a few minutes of listening to Shynta go on about their mother's attempts to secure a consort at the next ball, the mundane things Zilvra hated and Belar could care less about, she changed into Mica's robes and left heading to see Henri.

She excused the guard on watch, after a lengthy beating for refusing to follow her orders. She went to put up wards to keep people from prying, when she felt Zilvra's overwhelmingly powerful ward still up. With a shake of her head at the power her little sister displayed with virtually no effort and she headed to the cell where Henri was being kept.

She unlocked his cell, walked in with a big smile wondering what he had in store for her, and said playfully, "I am here to submit and I brought the robe but not the whip as asked. What would you like to do to me?"

That was the question I wanted answered, what exactly did I want from her? I mean she is sexy and I could, hell I have been forced to with Shynta. No, that would be playing into her hands and have to keep in mind that this is a game to her, the difference here is that I am making the rules for once.

It dawned on me what is the one thing that they don't seem to do and that is when it hit me.

I said trying to hide my smirk as my plan unfolded, "Nothing, I want you to do absolutely nothing."

She asked annoyed thinking he was going to tease her as pay back, "Then why am I here?"

I said not sure how this would play out in the long run but I have been that deep of a thinker, "To learn, what a man can do without being beaten, threated or worrying about if their partner will kill them.

You're going to learn how a person you care about is supposed to be treated.

So, get out of that robe and lay face down on my bed, and no questions enjoy not knowing and having to trust somebody, I will stop if you say so, because you can't trust somebody you don't respect."

She was lost at my goal it was written all over her face. To her credit she did as I said, when she laid down I came over and climbed on top of her legs just behind her ass.

She started to resist and I whispered seeing her discomfort, "Shhhhhhh, I told you all you have to do say is 'stop' and I will. Do you fear me that much?"

She grumbled something but stopped resisting as I continued whispering, "Back home if you really cared for a woman, not a female not a Drowess, but a woman plain and simple in all her glory, we

enjoy everything about her; the things we love and the things we hate, her strengths and weaknesses, they are all her and that is what makes her, her. From how soft and sensitive her skin is..."

As I ran my fingertips down her back slowly to the small of her back and circled up her flanks. I was greeted with a sigh and saw her tense muscles relax, I moved my head down to her shoulders and kissed along the tops of her shoulders and down the sides to her hips and over to the other flank and back to where I started.

I moved back to my original spot and said enjoying both her beauty and her vulnerability, "You see we care so much that we want to embrace her like the wind, touch her like fine silk.

So she can know exactly how much we love her, force isn't needed, I don't have to beat love into her, it should flow like water after a rain storm."

She groaned in need, I had lit a small fire in her as I continued, "Her body should be worshiped for the piece of art it is and there are many ways can do that, but I don't want words..."

I began to give a Kahuna massage using slow long sweeping strokes and focusing on raising her excitement levels, and disarming her.

After about 10 minutes I noticed she was dry humping the bed, but I was nowhere ready to take her.

I leaned in and kissed her ears as softly as possible and the moan that escaped shocked her and stroked my ego big time.

I whispered, "I have only worshiped half of you so roll over and let me keep working, a women's beauty should be enjoyed like a fine wine and for you I am making a rare blend, you have time."

She rolled over and I was hit by her arousal as she looked into my eyes, I said, "Do these eyes look like your enemies? I have one goal and that is to make tonight memorable for us, so in your centuries to come you shall remember tonight."

She opened her heavily lidded eyes and I saw the softest look I had ever seen from any of these people that I almost forgot about the abuse I had suffered at their hands.

I began to massage her shoulders and the base of her breasts but avoided touching anything higher, I heard her breathing become ragged as I worked my way lower, I avoided her most sensitive areas on purpose driving her to climax as her pink eyes flew open and she grabbed my arm squeezed mightily before relaxing again.

I worked down to her feet and began to work them as well to delightful mewling from my victim.

I finished with her feet and said, "A woman should be loved like tomorrow will never come, not a race, not a competition just a slow building of pleasure."

With that I kissed her firmly but gently, I sucked on her lower lip and bit it hard enough to keep it from slipping out of my mouth and pulled on it, I let my kisses move to her ears and this time I let my assault linger on her ears.

She panted loving her torture, "You do this only once right? When you want to catch?"

I said keeping my game plan in mind and planting seeds for the future, "No, my people are known to be better lovers than fighters.

This is what my lover gets anytime she wants it."

I swear she mumbled 'I want it.'

As I moved in for a kiss to end all kisses and found her arms around me pulling me towards her with open legs, a burning need and something much more valuable.

I woke up a few hours later and saw Belar looking at me, I said, "A penny for your thoughts."

She smiled a genuine smile and said, "Do you want to do more things to me?"

I asked playfully hopping she would answer correctly, "As my woman or as the Drowess paying off her debt?"

'Holy shit' I thought as I swear I just saw a Drow blush.

She said clearly wanting her cake and to eat it, "What if I said as both?"

I replied clearly disappointed my plan had failed, "Then I would have to send her away. My woman has no debt to pay because I enjoyed every second. So, which is it?"

She chewed on her lip and finally frowned as she got up and put on her robe and left my cell. She said, "I maybe a woman but I am still a Drowess and that will never change."

I retorted learning a lot from this exchange, "Then go but know this if you come back, you come back as a woman first and foremost and I will welcome you like I just did.

I haven't forgotten what the Drowesses have done to me nor have I forgiven them.

However, the woman who shared my bed last night has done nothing but make me happy and it is her I will remember."

She turned and huffed out clearly upset with me, this game I could master quickly.

I felt like I had just had one of my first battle against Belar, part of me wished she would come back. Belar walked back to her room head swimming at the most satisfying sex she had ever had and wondered why she felt so good, the thing that troubled her was what he had said about her, how he hadn't forgiven her or any of them for that matter and that he called her his woman. Did that mean he had feelings for her? Did all human males think this way? Why had he said what he said? Done what he had done?

For the first time in her long life she felt guilt creep up on her and felt bad for what she had done to him as she reached her room and went to bed.

The next day Henri was led to the courtyard and when Zilvra showed he began explaining.

I said trying to remember everything my sensei's had taught me, "Zilvra, martial arts is a form of self-defense, if you noticed yesterday I let all of you attack me, before I fought, that is the essence of all martial arts."

She asked lost as to why the best defense isn't a very good offense, "Then why study them, if you can't use them to overpower your foes?"

I replied, "The idea is to prevent bodily harm and make the person you are fighting see how futile fighting is. Martial arts teaches us to use our mind, body and soul that is why. How many times have you seen a weaker opponent win because they wanted it more? Besides once you attacked was I just stopping you or did I attack in my defense?"

She mulled it over and had to admit that strength wasn't everything and wondered how much of Henri's skill was part of this mind, body, and soul.

She commented, "So you bait people into attacking so you have the advantage."

I shook my head this was getting me nowhere, came back to the lesson understanding she would understand later and said, "Let's start with a few Kata's, I will show you the form and you will do them as I watch and make corrections afterwards."

She complied and I had her doing a few simple strikes from Karate and she had those down quickly, she was a fighter after all and had a fighting stance and just needed to learn mine.

I would call her style a form of mixed martial arts focused more on wrestling and judo, with a mix of brawling, it was clear this had suited her being bigger than probably all of her peers from what I had seen of her people.

I moved to a few blocks with a counter thrown in, she practiced patiently but I could see she was getting bored with these simple drills.

She said showing her frustration, "I thought this would be more challenging. You had complete control of all three battles and knew it before the fight started, what I want to know is how did you read them?"

I answered looking to build on this ground work, "I read them, just like now you're thinking this is a waste of time, but I need to know how fast you learn before I can show you more.

If you want to spar then I will spar with you but only going over those strikes and blocks I showed you."

She nodded and we took up fighting stances and we did a walk through, as we finished, I told her we will go faster and I started attacking her as she went for the strike, her form was good so I let her hit me.

She looked at me cross and said growing angry, "I know you can block that or I would have beaten you soundly yesterday, if you are going to fight show me, what you can do.

Show me what this style will teach me."

I said uncomfortably, "Are you sure? I can show what you will be able to do, but I don't see the point and with all the people watching they will understand how dangerous I am, besides I think having an ace up my sleeve is a good thing.

If you are insistent then I will give you a demonstration of three of the arts I know and none of them have anything to do with a sword. But I need some things from you."

She agreed and came back and some bricks and a board, I studied the board and thought that she would enjoy having a Mook Yan Jong to practice on and felt a warmth flowing through me into the wood, as it started to grow and take the shape of a six foot high and nine inches in diameter and I saw the three arms sticking out, it was anchored solidly into the ground.

I let go and looked at Zilvra who was awestruck, I knew I had done something that I shouldn't have but I didn't know what I had done in the first place.

She asked disbelief in her voice, "How did you do that? And why? Why didn't you tell me you could? How come I didn't hear you use and spell words to summon the energy? You are living on borrowed time now."

I answered honestly saying, "I don't know, I just thought about this and I felt this warmth flow into the wood and did this.

If I knew I could do this I would have told you. Why does that matter? How am I in danger?"

She said worried about what this would mean for both of them, "You can do magic and even if you don't know how to do anything you still pose a threat and that is not good, my sisters will be watching you even closer now."

Zilvra was right because three very interested parties were watching his display of magic.

Belar was not very happy she knew this display had just ruined her plans because Shynta would be even more worried and nothing made it harder to eliminate any Drow then concern.

Belar couldn't suppress a smile as she witnessed what she knew he could do, but something else was creeping in and that was concern for his safety, but why should she care if they killed him then she wouldn't have to, true he gave her a great opportunity to get rid of Shynta.

The truly worrying thing was that he did all of this with such little effort, she watched as his aura lined up and flowed with such a small amount of power that she knew he could do very powerful spells if he knew how.

Shynta and Mica watched his display in horror, the ease that he had created that, told them that the house was in great danger if he figured out how to control his power.

I asked for another piece of wood about two inches thick and a three feet long and two feet wide. I then asked for two guards to stand with their backs to the wall and hold the board, with some convincing they did as they were told.

I asked Zilvra, "Can you put your hand through that board?"

She looked at the board and said, "No, it is too thick, I would break my hand if I tried."

I walked over to the board and put my hand on it, I set my hand so my fingers were almost touching the board.

I focus my chi, twist my hips, roll my shoulder, as I make contact I release my chi and put my fist through the board. I explain that real punching power comes from the entire body and by training my mind to ignore the wood and harness my chi to make my hand as hard as iron I can do that easily and she will too. I explained that this training is going to harden her fist through micro fractures healing over and over, as we work on the mind and soul. I told the guards that they could put the board down, we would find a way to anchor it later. I walked over to the bricks and my first thought was to break them, but after the display with the Mook Yan Jong I thought I would try and see if I could project my chi and break the middle of the 7 bricks stacked up before me.

I explained that once you have mastered uniting mind, soul and body doing things like this would be easy, I continued to explain that I would break the fourth brick but the three above it would be untouched.

Zilvra watched as Henri brought his hand down to the top brick and then back up over his shoulder, intensity written on his face as he breathes in and brought his palm down, unleashing his chi and all eyes watch as all the bricks below the third explode into dust and a huge imprint was left in the ground where his chi had finally stopped.

Henri explained each exercise that she was going to do and ignored the looks he got, from her and the guards that had been doubled, were redoubled after that.

Zilvra feeling lost and more than a little intimidated at the display she had just witnessed, began her exercises in the back of her mind ran a million thoughts at the same time things like how his display would affect her? Had Belar dropped her plan to take out Shynta? Because she would be even more guarded and less likely to deal with Henri. Would Shynta and Mica want to test to see what powers she had? These were but a few of the over whelming thoughts that ran through her mind.