Spirits of the Earth

Truly, rainfall was one of mother nature's unappreciated miracles.

Elaros sat in his house in Uthlyn, one of his many abodes that he made use of as he travelled around Le'Ranna for business. His home in Uthlyn had the distinctive quality of being his most elegantly furnished abode. The entire structure was a monument to his exceptional tastes, and since Uthlyn was such a hotbed for the jewelry business, it was also his largest home.

Elaros was seated in an exquisitely upholstered seat, enjoying the peace and the sound of rainfall as he watched it come down. A hookah sat next to his seat, and he raised the mouthpiece to his snout, taking a deep draft of it and exhaling softly as he set it back down.

He rested his head backwards, and went still.

Niamh had gotten hopelessly lost coming out of La'marri.

The mountain passes had all looked the same, even with her map, and after weeks of travel and harsh weather, after running low on her rations and practically freezing to death out in the cold, by the time she made it to the relief of a windy valley...

Well, goddess, she hadn't realized it was bloody Connlaoth until she was right in he thick of it.

She knew Connlaoth's reputation. It was a heathen land that believed in a single false god, "Ansgar", and they believed in burning mages or some such nonsense. A dangerous place, she knew, but she had faith that the Goddess would keep her safe, as She had so many times before, as long as she could feel Her Light warming her. And so she kept on trekking; she would have to cut through the mountains yet again if she wanted to reach Serendipity, and she did her best along the way to keep a low profile as she slept in barns and overheard villagers gossiping about the mage epidemic--and the mage camps--all while singing praises to their blasphemous god.

It was enough to make her blood boil, but she managed to bite her tongue. She was a mage; she couldn't do anything stupid, especially as an unmarked one in a country that required a mark.

Bastards.

Just a few more weeks, she told herself, but all that travel had made her weary and exhausted, for she'd forced herself to just keep moving and stop only to sleep. There finally came a point, though, when her body rebelled, when the elements and the lack of rest and sleep caught up with her.

It was in some big city called Uthlyn, a place so close to her goal, and the day was rainy and windy and soaked right through her clothes to her skin, even though she wore a thick cloak over her breeches and tunic. A chill that had nothing to do with the cold had taken over her even before he rain fell down and she felt cold even though her body burned and aches seeped deep into her muscles. She knew she was sick; she'd felt it coming on a day ago with that tell-tale burn in the back of her throat, and the runny nose had sealed it. But she'd still told herself that she had to keep going--

But now she couldn't. Everything hurt and she felt cold and dizzy and hot and the rain just kept falling, and she knew she'd be in trouble if she pushed herself much more. She didn't want anything from these people. Didn't trust them, didn't want anything to do with them. But as her head spun, she finally had to swallow her pride like a bitter pill.

Stumbling to the front door of a building--she hadn't even paid attention to which, through the haze of the rain and the blur of her vision--she pounded on the door, then slumped forward against it, head rested against the wood with the effort it took to keep standing.

Elaros's eyes wandered over the rainy cityscape before his window. It was all out of focus in a rather trippy way, what with the wet window obscuring things. However, it didn't prevent him from seeing the silhouette of a hooded figure walking down the street in front of him. Normally, he would have paid it no mind, but the figure was walking rather oddly, and when he saw it turn towards his estate, he slowly rose from his seat.

He was halfway down the stairs in the foyer when the knocks came, echoing throughout the house and grabbing the attention of his guards, who were standing by the front doors. One of them turned to answer it, but Elaros raised a hand.

Elaros approached the door, and opened it rather quickly. When he saw the miserable state of the woman there, he opened it fully.

"Oh! Can I help you?"

The door swung open, and Niamh had the reflexes at least to catch herself on the door frame and hold herself up shakily. She was sweating even though she was shivering, and panting as though she had run miles, and it took a great effort to stay upright. Tiredly, she raised her eyes,  but she was only vaguely aware of a voice speaking, and of a shape looming before her asking if she could be helped...

And then the exhaustion took hold completely and she collapsed forward with a sigh, falling at Elaros's feet.

Elaros caught Niamh by the shoulders before she could faceplant onto his carpet. His guards immediately went from relaxed to on alert, kneeling down by Niamh as Elaros set her down.

He stood up, and looked around.

"I'm too addled for this right now..." He mumbled, and silently cursed his luck.

He stood, and motioned to Niamh.

"You two, get her to the main lounge," he said, and he turned to a female servant.

"Get all of my towels, and Tell Thaddeus to start up some tea."

He looked back to Niamh, and frowned.

-------------------

When Niamh next awoke, she'd be lying on a rather comfortable couch, wrapped up in a veritable pile of warm towels. Elaros was across from her, a small glass table seperating them. The main lounge of Elaros' home was a grand affair, with massive windows designed to let in natural light, masterfully crafted furnishings, several grand pieces of art, and a large centerpiece sculpture that depicted two dragons, one white and one black, circling a star.

His posture suggested anxiousness, and it didn't look like he immediately noticed her stirring.

Niamh came to with a small groan, wrinkling her brow and shifting a little where she lay. She still felt like utter shit; that was one of the first things she noticed. And she was still wet, her sopping clothes still sticking to her like a second skin. But the next thing she realized was that she was at least warmer and comfortable, bundled up in a little nest of warm towels and stretched out on a cushioned couch.

She cracked her eyes open, sniffling a little, and blinked in the light as she looked slowly around. Where...where was she?

The room was posh, posh enough that she held her breath for a beat in disbelief. What kind of place had she stumbled upon? Nobility of some sort? Holy Light. Still shivering a little, she looked cautiously around the room, heart beating faster, until--

HOLY SHIT A DRAGON!!

She yelped when her eyes found Elaros and jerked upright, an effort to bolt to her feet, but her head swam and her limbs were tangled in the towels and she only wound up falling off the couch in a pile of limbs and cloth.

Well, she certainly had his attention now.

Elaros' head snapped over to Niamh as she yelped and went toppling off of the couch into a pile of towels and flesh. He stood from his seat, and looked down at her, placing his hands together.

"It's alright, you're safe now," Elaros said, and he smiled.

"You collapsed at my door, so I had you brought in. You poor girl, you must've been freezing," Elaros said with a shiver.

"I--wha--you...!" Niamh babbled out, heart still galloping away as the dragon spoke. The dragon, who was wearing clothes and who was man-sized and eloquent. She stared up at him with wide eyes, for a moment thinking she must be insane, that this was some fever-induced hallucination, but no, this seemed too real and her fever had broken, anyway.

Pulling the towels tighter around her, she swallowed hard. What. The. Hell. He wasn't the first strange creature she'd met, or even the first non-human, but most of them had at least had more human faces. This was new and jarring.

"This...uh...this is your place?" she finally managed to ask, and felt, out of habit, for the dagger she kept sheathed at her belt--and also realized with a jolt that she must have dropped her staff somewhere out in the courtyard.

Shit.

"Yes, this is my home," Elaros said, placing a hand on his chest. "You are under the hospitality of Lord Elaros K'Rvain of Drakkona."

A servant came into the lounge with a kettle of steaming elderflower tea, and set it down on the table between Elaros and Niamh.

"You were in quite the frightful condition when you arrived. Why, if you hadn't come to my door, you might've collapsed in the street."

Niamh drew in a slow breath and let it out, though her nose was all stuffed up, as her hand touched the handle of her dagger. Still there. Just in case. Past experiences had lead her to be extra jumpy around strangers, not to mention non-humans, and one with teeth like that? Jeez. But she forced herself to relax a little, knowing if he'd wanted to do harm, he wouldn't have brought her in and bundled her up and delivered her tea.

"Yeah, I...uh...I think I'm sick," she said lamely, stating the obvious, and passed a hand through her wet hair. She still felt warm, but she was no longer burning, at least. "I didn't wanna, uh...I didn't mean to just sorta...fall at your door or anything, you were just sorta, erm, the first door I got to?"

She glanced up at the couch, which looked nicer than anything she'd ever sat on. "...Hope I didn't ruin it."

[Yo, I just realized... wouldn't Khero be here too?]

"Oh, you're definitely sick. I can almost feel your warmth from here," Elaros said with a swish of his tail.

He joined his hands, and sat back down on his seat.

"You don't need to apologize for anything, either. I'm quite happy to help when somebody comes looking for it," he said.

He motioned to the tea as the servant poured it.

"Please, have some tea. It'll take the chill right out of you."

[She would be! 8D Prolly on their way to Serendipity? Mebbe? xD]

Niamh didn't need to be told twice. She was parched and tea sounded wonderful to her aching body, so she took up the cup of steaming tea--and then drank deeply from it, even though it was hot enough to scald most peoples' tongues. But she didn't seem to mind as she downed the cup, eyes closed in pleasure as it warmed her from the inside, and when she set it back down, she had drained it to the dregs.

She wiped her lips and let out a slow breath, still stuffed up. "Thanks. Really," she said as she pulled the towels tighter around her. It was awkward to say that--humbling, really--and it felt weird to be humbled around...well...him. Them. To be a guest in a heathen's home, and not just that, but a dragon person! A Connlaothian dragon person! Light, if her people could see her now, taking shelter from a savage...

Well, this story would go no further than this home. And besides, could they really fault her? Desperate times called for desperate measures, and besides, maybe she could turn this into an educational opportunity and save a soul or two.

Either way, she would need to leave as soon as she was able. Humble wasn't a thing she was good at being, and even ill she felt antsy because heathens were savages and there was no telling how thin their hospitality might stretch. So far, her experiences with outsiders had been...erm...

...Special.

But for now, her hands were tied.

She shivered a little, burying her nose in the towels. "I know it might be much to ask, but do you have any dry clothes I could borrow? At least until these ones have a chance to dry? If not, that's fine! You're already doing a lot and I don't wanna push it." She sniffled again and rubbed at her nose. "I promise I'll leave as soon as I can."

[they probably would have snogged by now :D]

"Please, stay as long as you feel sick," Elaros said, giving her another friendly smile.

He leaned in, and his face went serious. He glanced about, and his pose relaxed a bit.

"You don't have to worry about anything. I'm no connlaothian, and I don't share their barbaric views on mages. If you're worried about that, then you can rest easy."

He cleared his throat.

"Khero, dear! Do come bring our guest some biscuits."

[Ahahahaha probably. xD]

Ehh?? Had she been that transparent? Then again, she was wearing clothes of a foreign design, right down to the design of her blade, and her features didn't look Connlaothian. Maybe it was natural to assume a strange foreigner might be a mage?

...Or maybe it was because she'd just drank a scalding cup of tea without flinching, and hadn't paused to think about how that might look.

Niamh cleared her throat. "I wasn't worried, really," she said, shifting her eyes off to the side. "I have my goddess's protection--which, now that I think of it, is probably why I wound up at your door in the first place." She looked back at him. "Not that I'm a mage! I only wield Her Light. It's not magic, it's Her gift." She sniffed. "Not that that would fly, I'm sure. That's too complicated a distinction for those savages."

Khero, dressed in one of the bodice and skirt combinations Elaros had bought her when he first found her, overheard the tail end of that as she walked in with a tray of hot biscuits, curious about this guest. Her eyebrows rose when she saw a girl, younger than her and looking half drowned, curled up in a pile of towels on the floor. She looked over at Elaros with a raised eyebrow as she set them down on the table, as though asking, "guest guest, or slave guest?"

[I was thinking not full-on snogged, though. More like they've kissed and touched but haven't gone farther]

Elaros gave Khero a retaliatory look, before smiling her. It was obvious that her presence was one that he found deeply pleasurable.

"Khero, this lovely stranger collapsed onto my doorstep. She's sick, and will be staying with us a while," he said. He turned back to Niamh.

"I don't think you gave me your name."

[That makes most sense to me! So I vote yes!]

"Sick? It ain't catchin', is it?" Khero blurted before she could help it, and Niamh hunched her shoulders at the question.

"Just don't touch me and you'll be fine," she muttered with a sniffle, wiping her nose with the back of her hand. Slightly defensive or not, it was obvious she was relieved that there was another human here. Which was the last thing she had expected, since all the others had been...well...whatever the hell he was. But he and this girl seemed familiar, comfortable enough with one another, and that at least eased her mind a little.

She just wondered what their connection was. Servant? Slave?

"Anyway, I'm Niamh. Uh...and you're...Lord Elaros? And Khero." She shook her head, still disbelieving, and picked up a hot biscuit without flinching at the heat. "Jeez. A Lord. I'm sorry, I'm still kinda...the last place I expected to end up was at a Lord's mansion and I just..."

Was kind of still nervous as hell, despite her claims that she wasn't worried?

[That being said, Khero would also know that Elaros gets all of the ladies, so she's probably in the process of getting used to him coming home with random women and stuff like that.]

Elaros looked to Khero, and gave her a knowing shrug. He directed his eyes back to Niamh, and he relaxed into his seat.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Niamh. There's no need to apologize."

[xDDD!! It boggles her MIND!]

Khero returned Elaros's knowing shrug with a knowing look of her own. She knew his ways. And she knew that this girl was young and pretty, even with a raw nose and shadows under her eyes. Guest, indeed!

Well! She was really hoping he would at least have sense not to put the moves on a sick girl. There was no sense spreading whatever it was she had. With a soft snort, she clapped Elaros on the shoulder.

"Just try not to get everyone in the house sick," she said with a nod, her meaning heavily implied in the look she gave him, before she turned to leave. "I'll fetch some clothes. Ya got her sittin' in wet stuff still, and that ain't good."

Fortunately for the rest of them, Niamh, at least, didn't catch the meaning. She just blinked at Khero's retreating form and looked back to Elaros.

"Kinda prickly, huh?"

Elaros gave Khero a look that said "I know, sheesh," and he watched her leave. He assumed that she was going to give Niamh some of her own clothes, so he didn't really ask her where she was going to get them.

He looked to Niamh, and chuckled at her comment.

"She means well."

Niamh nibbled at her biscuit slowly, just to get something in her belly. She didn't feel hungry, but it had been a day, at least, since she'd eaten so she knew she needed it. She still felt very awkward being here, like she was intruding--and besides, she really shouldn't be here, in a den of heathens and excess. It was wrong to associate with such people.

But it wasn't like she could just leave in her state. Just keep swallowing that pride...

"So, er...who is she, anyway? Your friend or slave or...?"

"Khero? She's a servant, and a very dear friend of mine," he said, and he joined his hands on his lap.

It felt rather awkward, mostly because Elaros could almost feel how badly this lady wanted to get out of his house.

"So, are you passing through Connlaoth?"

"Oh, ah, yeah! All the way from La'marri," Niamh said, happy to latch onto the conversation point like it was a lifeline. "Never been here before, and, er, didn't really mean to come here, but I got sorta turned around in the mountains and figured..."

She shrugged. "Probably safer to brave Connlaoth than the things in the mountains. Can't say the Mother was very happy about that decision, though," she added with a slight scowl. "This is probably my punishment."

She paused, blinked, and raised her hands. "The sickness, I mean!"

Elaros smiled at her little flounder, and shrugged.

"The mountains can be rather treacherous and unforgiving at times. However, so can the Connlaothians, I suppose."

Glad that he hadn't apparently noticed her slip, Niamh hurried on before he could catch it belatedly. "Yeah...I heard they kill mages?" she said with a frown, picking off another piece of biscuit. She shook her head, rolling her eyes. "Idiots, claiming magic is heresy. Magic is a gift. But that's what happens when you worship some guy. Like, not even a false god so they can't even say they were tricked. Just a literal man."

Khero appeared again then, a bundle of clothes in her arms. She plopped them onto the couch, and Elaros would be able to tell that, indeed, they were some of her own clothes.

"I hardly bother trying to make sense of it. They lash out like primitives towards mages. It's absolute savagery out there!" Elaros said, the issue being a rather strong one for him.

"If you'd like a moment of privacy to change into clothes that aren't wet, I'll leave you to it," Elaros said, and he got up and left the room. He motioned for Khero to follow him, and he closed the doors when he left.

Inside the room, Niamh was happy for the chance to change. Her head was still all dizzy, but once she checked that she was truly alone, she rose and looked over the clothes Khero had given her.

There was a long skirt, a shirt, and a bodice that went over it all, all beautifully designed and crafted--and yet Niamh's nose wrinkled at it. She didn't do skirts. Usually. The only exceptions being when she wore one of her native syrmas--a type of skirt that all Solisi donned--but aside from that, she was a trousers gal. But it was dry, and her clothes were miserably wet, and so she sighed and peeled them off, shivering still.

She could bear it for now.

The clothes fit, more or less, though the bodice had to be laced up really tightly to work; Khero had a much bigger bust than her nigh non-existent one. She scowled at that, but was glad that the clothes were modest, at least, even if they did nothing to hide her shape like the baggy trousers and cloak did. Ergh.

She sat back down on the couch, grabbed a towel, and started to dry her hair better, the wet clothes draped over the arm of the couch since she wasn't quite sure where to put them.

----

Outside the room, Khero put her hands on her hips as she regarded Elaros with a cocked head.

"Yer not gonna fuck her, are ya?" she asked, blunt as ever.

Elaros shot a hand up to his chest, mock indignation coming to his face.

"The poor girl came in seeking shelter from the storm, Khero. Besides, she hardly seems interested," he said, and shrugged.

He put his hands on Khero's hips, covering her hands.

"Are you jealous?" he teased.

Khero's eyes narrowed playfully as she peered up at him.

"No. But I know how ya operate. Bringin' home a new girl every night..."

"Not every night," Elaros said, and he playfully narrowed his own eyes.

"Listen, Khero, it's different this time. I'm just helping the poor girl out. So you don't have to worry about me getting the rest of the house sick," he said, and he darted in to give Khero a kiss.

Khero wasn't sure she would ever get used to how weird his kisses felt, but they at least no longer repulsed her. Still her face heated up like a torch, reminding her all too much of what other sorts of things she'd caved into doing, and she cleared her throat loudly and looked back toward the door.

"She's prolly changed by now, don'tcha think?" she said quickly, face still burning.

"Probably," Elaros said, and he grinned at Khero.

"You should go check up on her."

"Yeah, prolly," Khero said with a nod, still obviously flustered, before she went and knocked on the door.

"Hey! Y'all dressed in there?" she called, and cracked the door open an inch to peek inside.

Fortunately, Niamh was dressed, looking significantly more alive in dry, clean clothes, and she called back hoarsely, "Ah, yeah! I'm decent."

Looking back up at Elaros, Khero pat his arm. "If anyone else gets sick, I'mma know who to blame," she said, just as an extra reminder.

"You'll be the first one to be sick," Elaros said, and he stuck his tongue out at her and went back inside the lounge.

"So, Niamh, you said something about a mother?" he asked as he made his way towards her.

Khero pinched his arm in retaliation, right before she followed along after him and shut the door behind them.

Niamh was curled up on the couch, a few towels brought up to cover her, and at Elaros's question she tilted her head curiously.

"A mother...? Oh! Oh, uh, yeah. The Mother. Mother Sun. The Goddess Nerti. The one who gave us all life and lit up the world." She blinked, squinting lightly at Elaros. "You know Her, right?"

Elaros was quiet for a few moments, before speaking.

"Well, as a reptile, I practically worship the sun anyways. I might've heard your Mother Sun's name in passing, but I don't quite think I'm familiar."

"You worship the sun?" Niamh said with a sudden smile, and some of that tension she had been carrying eased all the more. "Good. It's okay if you didn't know Her name before that, so long as you honor Her and believe in Her above all other gods. The other gods aren't really gods, anyway. They're spirits and demons that are good at pretending, but want nothing more than to lead souls astray. Like this Ansgar guy. Sounds like a pretty clever man, but he's just a man, not a god."

Shit, did she take his joke at face value?

Elaros looked to Khero, and "Oh shit" look in his eyes, but slight amusement present on his face.

"The sun is a large part of my life," he said, looking back towards Niamh. What he was saying wasn't exactly a lie, either, but if saying it a certain way got her to ease up, then that's how he was going to phrase things.

"Everytime the weather permits, I bask in its light. I also revere the dragon mothers, Apsu and Tiamat," he said, and he motioned to the centerpiece sculpture in the lounge.

Niamh followed his gesture to the statue, which looked, to her, suspiciously like idols. Then again, it could have just been an artistic piece.

"Well, reverence and worship are different things," she said with a shrug. "It's okay to revere a great leader, as long as it doesn't cross over into worship. Mother Sun gave them life, after all. She created them."

Khero, meanwhile, had her lips pressed together in a firm line as she fought to keep from laughing. She believed in the Serenian pantheon, of course, but she wasn't the most faithful follower and Niamh's spiel sounded like a load of bullshit to her.

But she was just going to sit back and let Elaros dig himself deep.

"Mmm. Well, Niamh, it's been a pleasure, but I have some business to take care of in my chambers. Feel free to enjoy the rest of the tea and biscuits. If you need anything else, my chanbers are located at the door right at the top of the stairs."

It was a common feature that all of his abodes shared. He rather liked the image of his room being right at the top of the stairs. It helped him center himself.

He looked to Khero, and he motioned out of the room with his head. The look in his eyes expressed a desire to... "Unwind."

Niamh nodded at that, a little glad that she wasn't going to be expected to socialize right now. She was tired from sickness, and the best way to recover was lots of rest, after all.

She finished off her biscuit and curled up tighter into the towels and couch. "Thank you," she said, getting comfortable, and was relieved that at the very least this wasn't, as it turned out, a heathen's household. He was a believer. Thank the Light.

"I should be okay. I probably just need rest, but...thank you." And with a yawn, she closed her eyes.

Taking Elaros's cue, Khero slipped out after him and shut the door behind her to give the girl her space. "What business do ya gotta..."

And then she trailed off, catching that look. "Oh."

"I just need to get to bed and relax," Elaros said, and he peered down at Khero. He ascended the stairs, expecting her to follow.

"So much for relaxing to the sounds of rain..."

Khero followed after him dutifully as he ascended, glancing back over her shoulder briefly to the room they had left.

"Well...ya can prolly hear the rain from up here..."

"That's true," Elaros said, and he entered his room. He took a deep breath, and he shrugged off his garments.

"Will you join me in bed?"

Khero hesitated as Elaros shrugged off his clothes, staring at him as she always did when she saw him bare--because it was such a strange mix, to see the reptilian parts of him juxtaposed with the very human shape of him, his well-contoured body with an animal's head, like some sort of desert god. Her heart skipped a beat and she felt her face heating, for it was still so odd to see him naked, and see that for all his humanish features, he was--aside from the obvious reptilian parts--definitely not a man.

And the morbidly curious part of her still wondered about his...erm...

Stuff.

Since he didn't actually have anything between his legs.

She shifted awkwardly at his question and snapped her eyes back up to his face. She had been making an effort over the weeks to get more used to him--and that also meant doing things with him she never thought she would do. Because he was kind to her, and she did trust him, and he was going to do an amazing thing for her siblings, and...well...and if this was going to be her life, and she was going to have no other relationships...

She might as well try.

Still red-faced, she finally nodded. "Sure."

Elaros liked watching Khero squirm, mostly because he liked how the boundaries were being tested. They'd kissed and touched, something that this guest of hers was probably loathe to discover. However, he legitimately enjoyed his time with her, and he didn't want to admit it, but it seemed this was taking a much deeper turn into a relationship.

Elaros wasn't really into long term commitments, but with Khero, things felt different.

Like they were friends.

His tail brushed against her thighs, and he beckoned her forwards as he climbed onto his silken sheets.

This is crazy, Khero, she told herself, not for the first time, as she swallowed hard and shivered when his tail brushed her legs. And as he crawled into bed and beckoned her to join him, she took a deep breath and climbed onto the softest sheets she had ever touched.

She was still dressed in her skirt and bodice, an outfit that fit her far more snugly these days than it had when he'd first purchased it for her. After weeks of eating well, her skin had taken on a healthier glow and her frame had filled out more so that her ribs actually had meat, and her hips were soft and rounded rather than the hard points of bone that they had been before.

Hands resting on her thighs, tangled in her skirts, she looked up at Elaros with the same shy nervousness she always felt at first. Then, deciding to be bold, she brought her hands to the laces of her bodice and paused.

"Should I...?"

"Well, unless you plan on sleeping in a bodice," Elaros said.

He stretched a bit, and started to nestle himself into the covers.

"I just want to sleep tonight, Khero. And enjoy your warmth."

...Oh.

Khero's face heated again, but this time for an entirely different reason. This time, it was because...erm...she'd been the one thinking other things while he had been thinking totally platonic thoughts! She froze, staring at him, mentally kicking herself and mildly mortified at her own thought process, and then she quickly looked away and cleared her throat.

"Oh. Uh. Yeah. Naw, course not. That'd be dumb, sleepin' in that," she said, still blushing madly as she quickly unlaced the bodice. He had seen her naked before and then some, but she still turned her back when she tossed the bodice onto the floor and dove under the covers, pulling them to her nose. She left her skirt on and curled up.

"Course we're sleepin'."

Elaros caught her look, and he chuckled. When she went under the covers, he put an arm around her belly, and kissed the back of her neck. His tail draped over her legs, and he purred as he absorbed warmth.

Khero sucked in her belly with a breath when he wrapped his arm around her, but she relaxed again soon after--and then tensed back up again as a pleasant shiver coursed through her. She felt his...lips? Muzzle? Snout? Against her neck and she shifted a little restlessly.

If he wanted to sleep, he wasn't doing a good job of letting her wind down.

And then she heard the rumbles and vibrations coursing through him, and she blinked.

"Are ya...are ya purrin'?"

"You didn't know?" Elaros said, and he shifted on her a bit.

"I purr. I certainly am extremely comfortable right now."

Another kiss, this time under her ear.

"You're tense."

Another visible shiver went through Khero at that, her shoulders rolling. "Well, course I am! Hard to relax when someone's kissin' on yer neck," she said, even as that heat spread down from her face to her neck.

"Would you like to work some of that tension out?" He offered, and he gave her belly a quick rub.

Khero's belly sucked in again under his fingers and her heart began to race in anticipation, his hand so close to two places that longed to be touched. Lightly, she rested her hands atop his and shifted backward, her scarred back pressed against his muscled chest.

"How...how d'ya figure we do that?"

Elaros grinned, and he licked her neck with his long tongue. His other arm, which he was resting away from her, came around in such a fashion that if she wanted to lift her head up and rest it on his bicep, she could.

"I can think of a few ways."

The hand on her belly went upwards, and he gently fondled her breasts before it went to her side, rubbing her quite amorously as he leaned in to kiss her from over her shoulder.

"Yeah? Like wha--ah!"

Khero cut off with a sharp gasp when his tongue teased her neck and his hand slid to her breasts, tingles of pleasure racing down from the point of contact clear to the tips of her toes. She was still nervous beneath the warm flush spreading across her body and arousal heating between her legs, still nervous because this was still so different and new, being with a non-human--much less sharing this kind of intimacy with someone after so long. But she still let out a shivery breath and arched back into him when his hand slid from her breasts and down her side.

She lifted her head to rest it on his arm and then he was kissing her, and her eyes went wide with surprise for a moment before she relaxed again. It was deeeefinitely different from kissing a human, and she still wasn't really sure how to go about that, but she let out a soft whimper just the same as her breath came faster, because his touches were stoking something within her--and something about this was all so forbidden.

He wasn't human, she was.

He was her master, she was a slave.

Gods...

"Wha...what should I do?" she panted out, not quite sure how to proceed.

"Well, whatever comes naturally," Elaros said, and while he realized that for her, it might've been a bit odd, seeing as how this situation itself was pretty unnatural.

"Relax. Reciprocate. Have a good time," Elaros purred, and he kissed her neck.

He leaned in, and whispered into her ear.

"What do you want me to do?"

His words, whispered into her ear, sent an electric chill down Khero's spine. She sucked in a shaky breath, goosebumps prickling along her skin at those kisses, as her mind filled with racy, forbidden thoughts.

What did she want?

Her blush darkened all the more and she tucked her nose under the covers, glad, at least, that they were covered by blankets. It at least helped her feel not so exposed.

"Maybe..." she whispered. "Maybe more touchin'? That...that'd be okay."

"Mmm," Elaros purred and the hand that had been rubbing her side slipped lower, passing over her hips and thighs before stopping close to her womanhood. He drew his hand back up and started to caress at her thighs.

"And where would you like this touching to be?"

Another hitched breath caught in Khero's throat as his hand slipped lower, dangerously close to areas that ached to be caressed, protected only by the long skirt she wore. She whimpered quietly, going tense with anticipation, but then his hand slipped away--

And he uttered the words that made her squirm.

With a soft groan, she turned her face into the pillow. "Oh, g-gods...yer gonna make me say it?"

Elaros smiled. He pushed himself up, hands and knees on either side of Khero. He looked down at her, his tail swishing behind him.

"Is it wrong that I want to hear you say it?"

As Elaros rose onto his hands and knees, looming over her and taking the blankets with him, Khero rolled onto her back and peered up at him, her hands resting on her chest just above her breasts. She bit her lip, her pale cheeks flushed pink.

"It's...erm...it's embarrassin'..."

"I'd say we're quite past the stage of being embarrassed," Elaros teased, and he leaned down to kiss her.

"But I will have mercy on you."

He reached down between them with a hand, and finally gave her the attention she wanted.

That was true, but still! This still took some getting used to!

And she had been about to tell him just that but her words were trapped by a kiss, and then his hand slipped under her skirts and she gasped sharply and arched up against him, her body reacting even before her mind did. For as much as she denied it, as much as it was buried beneath layers of awkwardness and insecurity, she did have needs and a libido and both had been sorely neglected (and repressed) over the years.

Her hand shot out, lightly grasping his other arm, as she slapped her other hand over her mouth and bit her finger to hold back her squeak. "O-oh...my..." she breathed, her legs trembling as she parted them enough to give him space, even as she squirmed.

"Oh... so warm," Elaros purred, and his mouth went to Khero's chest and breasts, and he made sure that are got plenty of his love.

He used the curved sides of his claws to part her and tease her clit, while his tail came in to do some rubbing. He was thankful that he dind't need to ask her to try and cointain her noises. He didn't want to disturb their guest downstairs.

That being said, he'd completely forgotten to actually tell her where she could sleep and all of that, and didn't know that such a mistake would probably end up with her walking in on them.

"Khero, are..."

He looked up at her, meeting her eyes, and he kissed her cheek.

"We've done this a few times, now, and... would you be comfortable with going all the way tonight?"

It was crazy to think that, at one point weeks and weeks ago, she had been terrified of doing exactly what she was doing now. But right then, as the nerves melted away and turned to pleasure, she could hardly remember that. His mouth, filled with all those sharp teeth, were surprisingly gentle as he teased her breasts, and those claws that could have sliced her to ribbons were tender as he used the curves of them to touch her.

Khero shuddered, watching him even as he worked, endlessly amazed that such a fierce creature could be so gentle and stoke such sensations in her as he touched her in ways very few people had succeeded in doing. She trembled, her breaths coming out in shaky bursts as she fought back her whimpers and moans, and though she was still obviously shy and unsure how to touch him, it was obvious she was quickly loosening up.

She hiked her skirts up to her belly, yanking them out of the way, and rolled her hips up against his hand as she grew wet under his attentions. She clenched her eyes shut and bit her finger harder as the pleasure sharpened, grew more intense, and then--

His words took her breath away, made her heart skip a beat in nerves and anticipation both.

Oh gods...did she want that?

And then she wiggled her hips beneath him and let out a soft whimper and thought, well...he was already touching her like that, so...

Peering up at him through hooded eyes, she let out a quiet moan and covered her face with her hands. "I...ah...we...we could...yes..."

[So, I was thinking, since we're pretty much continuing Elaros and Khero's story in this thread, should we wrap up Stand Tall?]

Elaros nodded at her answer and draped his lips over hers. There was genuine emotion behind that kiss. Although it wasn't love such an emotion certainly wasn't that too far off of the mark either. Elaros cared about her, and wanted to see her happy, and in her time here, he'd come to consider her a very close friend.

He also knew when she was hesitant.

"Don't be unsure about where to touch me, Khero. I think you'll find I operate very much like a man."

[I vote yes! 8D That would work!]

Elaros wasn't the only one who felt that--for Khero, slave status or not, had come to see him as a friend, too--which made her feelings all the more complicated. It was strange thinking of herself as a slave, and he as her master, when he didn't really treat her like one--and yet, her status remained. Regardless, he had never once made her do anything she didn't want to, and he had always respected her boundaries, always asked her before proceeding, and always stopped when she said--and even when she didn't say stop, but he knew better, such as when she'd been high.

She trusted him--and cared about him, strange as it was to admit it.

Was it wrong to share this with him?

She'd given her body to so many people who hadn't cared about her at all, so why did this feel more scary? Because he wasn't human? That excuse had only worked in the beginning.

Swallowing hard and pressing back into the kiss, awkward still as she found lips versus muzzles, she reached out tentatively and dragged her fingers up his arms and over his shoulders, feeling at the smooth scales in wonder. So different from human skin, yet the muscle beneath and shape of his arms felt no different from a person. She shivered, biting back another soft moan, and shifted her hips against him.

"O-okay," she breathed. "It's just...it's a little different. Yer scales. And yer...well...some of yer parts are different. Or...erm...missin'."

Elaros put a hand on Khero's cheek as their kiss broke, feeling her skin beneath his claws as his other hand worked her pretty good. He used his tail to keep balance.

"Oh, that. Let me show you," he said, and he righted himself. The sheets fell away from his back like a discarded cloak, and he rested his hands on her spread thighs.

The scales around his groin area parted, and finally, Khero would have her curiosity sated. It was truly the stuff of fantasies, with its purple tinge, swirly golden tattoos that danced along its length in appealing lines, and its sheer size. The shape, while decidedly not human, wasn't exactly unfamiliar, either. It was ribbed by the tip, and Elaros smiled down at her.

"Well? What do you think?"

...What did she think?

Khero propped herself up on her elbows when Elaros stopped stroking her so he could show her...well...

That.

And for a few moments, she couldn't formulate a response. All she could do was stare with wide eyes, utterly surprised. She had started to think he might not even have anything there, and then...and then...that happens.

And he was huge.

Khero's face went bright red, her hand flying to her mouth, and when she could finally speak again she found herself blurting out, with typical Khero bluntness, "W-will that fit?"

Elaros raised an eyebrow, and he glanced down. Then, he leaned back down to kiss her, bringing his hips back so he could rub their sexes together, to build that anticipation and get himself all slicked  up.

"I'm sure it will," He said, and started to kiss and lick at her neck.

Khero was practically dripping as Elaros leaned in to kiss her neck again, and she gasped and jerked a little in pleasure and surprise when she felt him rub his cock against her, shivering at the new sensation of the ribbed tip. He was definitely larger than anything she'd taken before, and it had been a while, and despite her past experience, she felt small beneath him--and as nervous as a damned virgin.

And yet, as he slid against her, she lifted her hips up against him, grinding back, passion and want fighting against her nerves as she looped her arms around his shoulders and spread her legs a little wider for him--because nerves or not, her body craved this, and gods, it had been forever since she'd been fucked. Which, of course, was a sentiment she had boldly expressed weeks ago under the drug's influence, in far coarser terms, and soon her breath was coming out in hot whimpers and quiet moans as she worked herself against him.

"Just...just be gentle, 'kay?" she panted into his neck, clutching him tighter with trembling fingers.

"Gentle as can be," Elaros said, and he dipped down to pass his lengthy tongue past her neck. When it came time for him to push in, he was as gentle as possible, making sure he'd slicked up against her olds enough to make sure it wouledn't hurt her or anything.

Oh, he was still massive, but he was pretty sure Khero wasn't small enough for it to be a problem. He'd probably fill her to the brim, though.

Fill her to the brim he did. Khero gasped sharply and clutched tighter at his shoulders as he began to slide in, nails digging against his scales and a soft, "Oh gods," leaving her lips. He was huge and it was stretch, a little uncomfortable at first, but she was burning with arousal and once he got that first inch in, it went smoother from there as her body adapted.

She held onto him tightly, face pressed against his neck and body shuddering around him as she held absolutely still, not daring to move.

Elaros hissed a bit as her sheer tightness caught him by surprise, but once that first inch was in, it was smooth sailing for the rest of it. He rested his snout against her shoulder and his tail wrapped around her ankle, and to Elaros, it felt like an eternity.

When he was fully ensconced within her, there was pretty much no more space left within her. He'd reached her limit, and there was still a half inch of him that protruded.

"Khero..." he whispered, and he kissed her, wanting to bask in the warmth for just a bit longer.

When Elaros finally stopped moving, seated snugly within her, Khero let out a held breath and let her head flop back against the pillows. She appreciated his stillness; it didn't hurt, but it was a little intense and overwhelming and she needed that breather to adjust.

Her fingers trailed over Elaros's scales as she laid there in wonder, still hardly able to believe she was doing this. But she was, doing the one thing she told herself she'd never do with him...

And it felt amazing.

"Gods," she said again, and shifted her hips experimentally before letting out a shaky breath as he moved within her. "I can't believe we're doin' this..."

Elaros chuckled at her words, and when she shifted her hips, he moved himself about so that he sat more comfortably within her.

He pushed a bit, and then he started to pull. His thrusts started off small, just minute back and forth shifts of his hips. He kissed her then, too, wanting to feel her lips some more.

"Ohholyshit!" Khero gasped when, finally, Elaros began to move. It was just a tiny thrust, but gods, he felt so huge within her, like there was no space left, and when he moved it was like he stroked every part of her, even sensitive parts she didn't know she had. She whimpered and grabbed at his wrist, shifting her legs wider apart--but found one leg wrapped by his tail, curled around her ankle.

...Why was that so strangely arousing?

Oh fuck. What had he done to her? She was actually doing this. Actually screwing him! A lizard person!

And yet, right then, she didn't care.

His mouth was on her then, still so strange a sensation, and she moaned against him and jerked her hips, aching to feel more, to be properly fucked. Because gods, it had been a while.

And even longer since she'd laid with someone who actually cared about her pleasure.

Elaros reveled in the feeling of Khero's lips as his thrusting started to build up, and then level off at a slow pace that appeared rather passionate. He knew it'd been a while for Khero, so he did want to make it great for her. He moved so that Khero would each rock-hard inch of him.

"Oh, Khero..." Elaros mumbled, evidently enjoying her just as much as she enjoyed him.

Elaros's thrusting built, and as it did, Khero had to break the kiss to slap her hands over her mouth so she didn't cry out, the flush on her skin going a brighter red. No, she had never been the loud sort, but a great deal of that came from necessity and self-control, out of a need to be quiet and not attract attention when the only places to rut were in not-so-private places. But a lot of it also stemmed from embarrassment. It just felt too lewd to moan and scream like a harlot!

...Which was probably a strange thing to be concerned with when someone was literally inside her.

Her breathing turned shaky, one hand still covering her mouth and the other tightly grabbing Elaros's arm. She squirmed beneath him, writhing and bucking her hips up against him, craving more but too embarrassed to demand it.

Fortunately for Khero and her sense of embarrassment, Elaros picked up on her little signals. He dipped down and put his forehead against her, his slit pupils tightening up as he cranked it up just a few notches. He purred for a moment, and then kissed her again.

"You're so good, Khero..." Elaros whispered, and he grinded against her for a few moments so he could rub the scales of his groin against her before picking the pace right back up.

A shudder wracked her when he ground against her like that, her hand tightening on his arm until her knuckles went white, and she bit the hand covering her mouth to keep her squeaks and whimpers inside. But Elaros could no doubt feel that she was enjoying that as she tightened around him in response, her muscles going taut and shivery and chest heaving with quick pants.

She clenched her eyes shut, sucking in a deep breath.

"A-am I?" she managed to gasp as she moved back against him, tentatively grinding back. It felt good, but gods, she felt so awkward. She was rusty and besides, this was new, laying with Elaros like this, and she wasn't quite sure what to do. He was experienced as hell, and she felt clumsy and nervous and shy, and gods, he was her master and she was a slave! Was...was this wrong?

Elaros noticed her inner turmoil in the way she was just still, no longer just letting him do all the work, but still. Like a rock.

"You are," Elaros said, but he slowed down just a bit, and brushed his knuckles against her cheek.

"What's wrong, Khero? It's alright, you can tell me," he said, voice free of annoyance or anger. Rather, it was full of concern.

Oh gods, he noticed! Was she that obvious?!

And then he slowed, and asked what was wrong and meant it and...

Oh man.

Oh man.

Khero's breath hitched for a different reason and she turned her head to the side, shaking her head and clenching her eyes shut tighter even as her breath came out in quicker, more panicked bursts. She was trembling, and she could feel her eyes burning beneath her eyelids, but she fought hard to keep it in and didn't dare open her mouth because oh shit she was not going to cry!

Elaros' head cocked curiously, and while she made a valiant effort to not cry, he'd seen that expression many of times, and he could feel the heat pooling in her face. He didn't leave her, but he did stop.

"Khero?"

A slight, concerned tilt to the corner of his snout, and his eyes scanned her.

"Khero..."

"Sorry! Sorry!" Khero gasped out, covering her face with her hands and shaking her head as the tears finally fell. Ugh, this was so mortifying, but she couldn't help it and couldn't stop the onslaught once it began as her shoulders shook and she choked back sobs. She didn't even know how to articulate what was going through her head right then, the confusion, the gratitude, the nervousness, the shame, all mixed in with pleasure. But she never had told Elaros her history--shit, she'd never told anyone about that, the things she had done for survival's sake.

She sucked in deep breaths, trying to control herself. "I'm sorry, it's...it ain't you."

After a few quiet moments, Elaros sheathed himself, leaving her in the process.

"It's alright, Khero," he said, and he shifted himself off of her and sat up, looking down at her. He took a tear off of her cheek with the curve of one of his claws. He rubbed it out...

... and smiled at her.

"If it's something you want to talk about, or need to get off your chest, I'm happy to talk," he said, and he laid down on his side, facing her.

Khero was quiet a long moment after that. She rolled onto her side when Elaros pulled out, legs pressed together, and pulled the sheet over herself and to her chin so she didn't feel so exposed. It took a little bit before she could calm down enough to think clearly, and rein her emotions back in tightly (guh, what was wrong with her, she didn't normally fall apart like that!), but finally the tears stopped falling and she could breathe again. If a little more sniffly now.

"I...um...I never told ya 'bout who I really was 'fore I came here..."

"You didn't, but... I had an idea," Elaros said, and he went under the covers as well.

"I knew you weren't exactly the smoothest around the edges, but I didn't want to make any assumptions. I didn't pry," he continued.

He shifted closer to that sweet warmth of hers, and his eyes wandered to her lips, and then back to her eyes.

Khero licked her lips, staring down at the sheets. Her hands knotted in the covers, playing with them as a distraction.

"I, um...I been homeless since I was thirteen," she said at last. "Weren't just me I had to look out fer. Had to feed my siblings, too, and they were just kids. I couldn't...I didn't wanna put them at risk, so I...well...I did what I had to. To make sure they had food in their bellies and clothes on their backs. So, uh...I stole." She winced at that, guilt gnawing at her. "And I fought. Lotsa competition on the streets, lotsa gangs, 'specially when yer just a girl, and um..."

She chewed her lip. "Sometimes, weren't nothin' else to do. No way else to get food when things were tight 'cept to...well...offer whatever I had. And...I'm all I had, so...er..." She swallowed again.

"You did what you had to, Khero," Elaros said, and Elaros found this concern actually pretty relatable.

"And I'm not going to judge you, or hold it against you, because I've been there too."

Elaros shifted a bit.

"When I first arrived in Ketra from Drakkona, I had next to nothing. The currency was worthless, you see."

He smiled a bit to himself.

"I had to fight for it. I sold my luggage, hawked my homeland's currency as baubles. For men and women who had a particular attraction to dragons, I... worked as an exotic escort."

"Oh..." Khero said, chancing a glance up at him then. So he understood, then. And in more ways than she thought. He had mentioned once before that he had had nothing when he came here and had to build himself back up, but she hadn't realized how far that extended.

She looked down again and plucked at the sheet. "So I guess ya get it, huh? More than I expected," she said, relaxing a little and wiping at her eyes again.

"So I guess it's just...I guess I'm just tellin' ya that 'cause I just, I ain't had many...normal experiences, ya know? Not many good ones. I had a lover once, like, an actual lover, but...it was hard then, too. I know how to do stuff. I was fourteen my first time, and he was a stranger who paid, and...I dunno. Been doin' it a long time, s'what I'm sayin', but it's just..."

She shrugged her shoulders, having a hard time articulating it. "I know how to suck a dick, I can make a lady scream, I know how to ride until he's done, but..." She grimaced.

Because it was hard for her to just let go and enjoy it, for it was so tied up in the shame and stress of having to sell her body, of doing what she was paid to do, of not knowing who would stick to the agreed upon limits or who would ignore her "no", the not knowing who would hurt her or even kill her. It was hard to shut that part of her mind off, and hard not to remember the bruises around her neck.

Elaros sobered up at her explanation, and he gently passed a hand along the contour of her hip, an idle, caring motion.

"You've lost touch," Elaros said, and then continued.

"When so many of your encounters are unpleasant or emotionless at best, I know that it can be hard to treat normal situations in a healthy manner," Elaros said.

"You've sort of... forgotten how to exact pleasure for yourself, and it's hard to trust your partners. I know this, and while I don't claim to have experiences anywhere as unpleasant as yours, I struggled for a long time to separate my business from my pleasure, even after I'd long abandoned that life."

He smiled at her. A genuine, caring smile and he kissed her forehead.

"Forgetting is hard, and enjoying yourself is even harder, but if you keep your own desires in the forefront, if you give and take, and if you lay with someone who cares about both their experience and yours, it becomes easier every time."

He chuckled.

"And the easier it gets, the better the sex becomes. Quite the incentive."

Khero shivered as he stroked her hip, a pleasant sensation tingling along her skin, and she let herself relax a little more as he spoke and she listened. His words...resonated with her. It was true. She had lost touch. Had never really been in touch in the first place. It wasn't to say it never felt good, because it did, but it was often hard to focus on the pleasure and let her mind go even during those times she had done it with someone she genuinely cared about.

Of course, she had had no such issues when she'd been drugged. Sigh.

"That's...that's pretty damned spot on," she said, looking up at him when he kissed her brow. "But I guess I'm away from all that shit now, at least, so...maybe..."

She bit her lip, a flush creeping over her face and down her neck. She didn't really want to voice that another reason it was difficult for her was that she was still getting used to his...dragon-ness...when she had only ever been attracted to humans, and still was. But he cared about her--that much was obvious--and that made it a little easier--

And made her more willing to overlook that.

With a deep breath, she sat up, taking the sheets with her, and boldly crawled atop him until she was straddling his hips. Her blush was quite vivid on her pale skin, burning her up, but she nibbled at her lip and looked down at him, as though deciding something for herself.

"D'ya...wanna try again?"

Elaros was glad they saw eye to eye on this, and honestly, even though he'd had his share of high-class escorts, he'd never really met anybody who could relate to having no other choice.

He put his hands on her hips, smoothing them downwards along her outer thigh as he took in her features and form once again.

He smiled up at her, and nodded gently.

"I do."

He unsheathed himself again, and he lifted his head up a bit so he could get a pillow beneath it. He gave her no commands, letting her do this at her own pace.

Khero felt him unsheathe himself, felt him against her backside, and a little shiver went through her. It was such an interesting thing, to be able to do that. Must mean no one could get one up on him by kicking him in the balls.

Which...he didn't seem to even have balls.

Swallowing, she met his eyes, smiled shyly, and then lifted up so she could reach behind her and grasp his cock, marveling at the sensation as she brought it under her. It didn't feel much different from a man's, and somehow touching it like this made it a little less intimidating and foreign, and so she simply stroked him for a moment, watching him for reactions, before she brought herself down onto him.

But she didn't take him inside her yet, like she normally would with anyone else. Normally, it was just all about getting them off, and getting it done as quickly as she could--except for those few precious times when she'd been with a lover and it had been different. And so she let herself think of Elaros as a lover, not a job, and slid their sexes together, grinding against him slowly, relaxing atop him even as she shivered when he rubbed against her clit. She was still blushing like mad--this felt strangely vulnerable, letting herself enjoy it like this--and she covered her breasts with her hands as she moved, all too aware of how they swayed when she moved.

"Is...uh...that okay?"

"It's great, Khero," Elaros said, and he let out a light, barely audible purr as she started to rub them together. His hands continued to gently rub her thighs and sides, wanting all of their contact to come off as non-threatening as possible.

Then, in a move that surprised even him, he slid his hands up her abdomen, the tips of his claws leaving harmless trails of sensation, and he covered her hands with his own. He smiled up at her, and just closed his eyes to bask in it all.

Oh damn.

Khero startled when she felt his nails on her skin, little shivery pinpricks, but it was only because she wasn't used to bedding anyone with claws. But then he drew them up her body and she shivered, goosebumps rising under his claws, and when his hands found hers she turned her own hands around so she could lace their fingers together.

An oddly intimate move, but in the moment it felt right.

A soft sound escaped her as she moved, grinding a little more insistently and even letting her eyes flutter closed in pleasure, before she finally released his hand so she could reach down and grasp him, aligning him with her--before, with a shuddering gasp, she slid down onto him. It was easier this time than the first, and felt even better than before, and she cracked her eyes open and bit her lip as she looked down between them, wiggling her hips to take more of him in. But there was a limit, of course, and only so much she could take before it was too deep, and so she stopped where it was comfortable and let out a breath she hadn't known she was holding as she just marveled at how he felt.

"Damn..."

Meeting his eyes again, she leaned forward, hands once more in his, and sucked in a breath as she began to rock her hips slowly, feeling him out and taking her time, and released that breath on a low moan.

Elaros raised one of the scaled ridges over his eye when she laced their fingers together, but something about it just ringed off as right to him, so he went with it. When she took him in, Elaros turned his head to the side, his own eyes closing.

He didn't say anything, but he way the corners of his snout turned upwards spoke volumes. His tail came up and then down, draping itself across one of her legs with the point angled towards where they were joined. It didn't do much, other than slowly sway and rub against her skin, using her slow rocking as a rhythym.

When she held his hands, she'd find his own hands seeking hers, and he simply held them upwards, propping his forwarms up on his elbows in case she wanted to use his hands for leverage.

His tail felt strange against her leg, scaly yet oddly smooth and cool, and she startled briefly at the sensation before she relaxed again. With a tight grip on his hands, and a small smile when she saw how he reacted--and how tame he was behaving, like a giant, scaly teddy bear--she started to move a little more, shuddering as she swiveled her hips in small circles, and then back and forth, alternating rhythms as she sought out what felt best--

And found it.

A little whimper escaped her before she could control herself, her breathing growing a little faster, as she began to rock and grind more insistently, pushing and pulling against his arms for leverage. Her eyes clenched shut, her back arching, and despite her best efforts she let out a soft cry when she lifted and then fell on him, her body trembling with the effort and enjoyment in equal parts as the pleasure mounted--and she began to truly ride him.

She panted, sucking in deep breaths to keep from making much noise, though suddenly she wrenched one hand away from him and covered her mouth with it when one particular downward thrust nearly made her yelp as it hit her at just the right angle, sending a blissful jolt through her that surprised even her. She muffled the sound, going even redder, and froze atop him.

Elaros knew that letting her take the lead was the right idea, and as she slowly found her stride, he got more and more animated. By the time that she got around to riding him properly he was bumping up when she came down, making sure to utilize his length to the best of his ability.

When she stopped, he looked up at her, free hand moving on her thigh while he patiently waited for her to resume.

Had she already hit her climax or something? He didn't feel anything.

Khero caught Elaros's confused look, and she blushed a little harder and cleared her throat.

"Sorry," she said, voice a near whisper. "It was just...it was gettin' to feelin' real good, and, er...hard to keep quiet..."

Elaros chuckled at that, and took her other hand back so that he was holding both once again.

"I almost forgot, we have a guest," Elaros said, and he started to softly buck upwards like before, urging her to resume.

Elaros grabbed her hand and started to buck up into her again, and Khero bit her lip to keep from squeaking, the sound catching in her throat. With him holding her hands, she couldn't exactly muffle her sounds, and though she was naturally quiet, that felt damned good. She'd never really understood all the crazy moaning and screaming some women did, and had sort of thought maybe that was fake, but as she started to move again with him, another moan escaped her before she could stop it, and another caught in her throat when she choked it back, desperately trying to fight it--and not wanting to stop.

Because they did have a guest, and what if...what if...?

The thoughts drifted away as Elaros bucked up into her and she shivered, hands gripping his tightly, her body burning as she started to bounce on him, loving the sensation of grinding but wanting now to feel him thrusting within her. Soft, whimpering cries slipped out despite her efforts to quiet them, and yet some part of her, the part of her that cared, began to slip away as passion washed away sense. She tossed her head back, spine arching, whimpering breathlessly as the bed creaked beneath them rhythmically.

"Shit..." she gasped, muscles tensing. "Shit...I...gods. Elaros," she moaned, leaning forward to press a kiss to his cheek, and then his lips. "I...I want ya to fuck me now."

Elaros was clearly enjoying himself to no end, delighting in both her tight fit and in the way she conducted herself. It had been a while since the last time he had some amazing slow sex, but he already knew how tonight was going to turn out.

When she kissed him and spoke those words, Elaros nodded and gave her another kiss. He turned them over and used his long, dextrous tongue to lick her neck and incite passion. He put his arms out, hands still tangled with Khero's  as he pinned her hands by her head and kissed her neck and lips.

He was dominant in a slow, passionate way. Again, his tail found itself around one of her ankles, and he started to move, making sure she felt every rock-hard inch of him as his fantastic length glided in and out of her.

Pinned beneath him, it gave Khero a much needed break as her thighs had started to burn, and she wriggled beneath him as his tongue sent chills over her skin, her head tilting back as it passed over her neck. It was still such a strange sensation, so obviously not human, and yet it wasn't as cold as she would have expected it to be--and it felt, despite her hangups, as good as a human tongue.

Her hands gripped his tightly and she gasped as he moved, her feet pressed flat against the bed so she could roll her hips up into his thrusts to meet him. Gods...if she closed her eyes, she could just forget she was fucking a dragon-person--and yet, she didn't want to do that, because it was Elaros and he was nothing but kind to her, and maybe she could come to just...to just grow used to him. To this.

Because right then, she would have been lying if she claimed she wasn't enjoying this, that she wasn't drinking in each slow thrust like sweet wine, that her body wasn't burning and tingling under each little touch after being starved of physical affection and pleasure for so long. She twisted beneath him, squirming helplessly, biting her bottom lip to keep from crying out and letting it out in breathless gasps as her hips met his and her body arched. And gods, but she wanted more, as pleasure drove away her doubts and she melted beneath him.

She tugged at her hands--more of a playful gesture than actually trying to get away--and sucked in a shuddering breath that turned into a sharp whimper when he thrust into her, so slowly, so tortuously.

"Fuck me," she breathed.

Elaros smiled at her request, and he brought his snout up to give Khero a kiss. A small hiss left him, and his tail tightened around her ankle. When he pulled away from the kiss, he was grinning, his polished fangs still brilliant, even in the dim room.

Elaros very rarely fucked out of passion, out of a desire to simply be with a person he'd grown close to over time. But here, with Khero? It felt like heaven.

"I thought you'd never ask," Elaros teased, and he cranked the speed up enough so that they'd audibly collide. He let her hands go free and he straightened up, putting his hands on her waist so he could pull her into his thrusts.

OH SWEET GODS!

That was Khero's only coherent thought as Elaros gave her exactly what she wanted, slamming into her so hard and so abruptly she couldn't stop the breathless, moaning scream from leaving her lips. An actual scream! Holy shit, so maybe it wasn't all faking after all! Face going red with passion and mortification alike, she slapped both newly freed hands over her mouth to muffle her moans and yelps as he took as she longed to be taken, her thighs stinging from each slap of their hips, but it only made her hotter as she thrashed beneath him, her breath coming out in sharp bursts through her nose, her breasts bouncing from the power of his thrusts.

And muffled or not, if Elaros was observant, he might be able to hear his name in her moans.

Elaros did, in fact, hear his name coming from her lips. He smiled proudly at the sound, and only continued to fuck her. He brought his head down and started to lick and suck at her breasts.

This was like heaven, her moans like a prayer as she begged for more, the sounds trapped behind her hands, her body arching up into him as his mouth found her breasts. Oh gods, it had been so long, and it was so bloody intense--the physical and the emotional--and soon she found her body tightening with pleasure as that wonderful, warm pressure built between her thighs and in her belly. She kept one hand pressed to her mouth and the other grabbed at Elaros's arm, holding on for dear life, her trembling and tenseness and the desperation in her writhing and moaning as clear a sign as any that she was close.

She could feel that it was going to be powerful, feel that it was only a few thrusts away, and her moans soon grew to high pitched, pleading whimpers--

Right before the bedroom door burst open and Niamh stumbled in, red-faced and sweaty from fever, her dagger out and in her hand and a look of determination on her drawn features.

"Are you okay?!" she panted. "I heard--"

A scream.

She had heard a scream.

And as her eyes traveled to the bed, and the figures connected and writhing atop it--Elaros, the lizard-man, naked and atop Khero, his mouth on her breasts, their hips moving.

Oh.

Oh fuck my life.

Elaros' head shot up when the door burst open, and his eyes snapped to the door, where, funnily enough, was their guest.

Hmm. He supposed he should've seen this coming.

What caught his attention was the glimmer of a dagger, but when she lowered it, Elaros somehow found it in him to smile. He didn't leave the warmth of Khero's confines, either.

"Sorry, did we disturb you?" Elaros asked, trying to play the situation off.

That was one way to kill an orgasm.

Because Khero had been so painfully close, but when that door burst open and a familiar voice spoke up, she just about died. She let out a shriek of alarm and went sock still in horror, her face bursting into flame, and the hands that had been covering her mouth covered her face instead before she grabbed a pillow and hid behind that. And Elaros! Elaros was still on top of her! Inside her!

Kill her now!

She wasn't the only one wanting to just die to end the embarrassment, though, for as soon as the scene registered in her sick-fogged brain, Niamh let out a mortified squeak, slapped a hand over her mouth as though she might hurl, and let out a choked, "I'msosorrybye!"

And then she slammed the door behind her.

Elaros continued to be stunned even as Niamh slammed the door behind her. He stifled a laugh, and looked back down to Khero, who was absolutely mortified!

"Did that just happen?" Elaros said, the amusement clear in his voice.

He could't contain his laughter anymore, and he started chuckling.

"Unfortunately," Khero mumbled, her face still firmly planted in the pillow.

Elaros quieted down, and he drew backwards so he pulled out.

"Well, I still had a great time," Elaros said.

"Unless if you still want to go?"

Khero still kept the pillow pressed to her face, even as she shivered as he withdrew. And once he was out, she moved only so she could yank the blankets over herself and burrow down into them, still smothering herself.

"I don't think I'll ever be able to have sex again," she mumbled.

"Pfft!" Elaros said, and he picked the pillow up and away from her face.

"We'll see how long that lasts."

"Ah!" Khero snatched at the pillow but was too slow, and just like that she was exposed, her face bright red as she stared up at Elaros.

So instead, she grabbed the blanket and yanked it up to her eyes. "Forever," she groaned.

"Whatever you say, Khero," Elaros said, and he dipped forwards to give Khero a kiss through the bedsheets.

"Will you at least curl up with me?"

Khero nodded from underneath the blanket. She figured that was harmless enough, and really the least she could do after completely losing the mood. Well. Having it killed.

"How're ya not totally embarrassed right now?" she mumbled.

"Call it... a cultural difference," Elaros said, and he turned onto his back and opened up his arm so Khero could get in there.

Khero curled into him, dragging the blanket with her and tucking it up under her nose. "So that sorta think don't bug yer people? Bein'...seen?"

She let out another soft groan and closed her eyes as though no one could see her if she couldn't see them. "Can I just...hide the rest of the time that girl's here?"

"I reckon you can," Elaros said, and he put his arm around her and purred from the contact. It's not like that got any additional warmth into him, but it kept him from losing the warmth he got from sex.

"Perhaps tonight's incident will speed her recovery?"

He chuckled.

"But yes, Drakkonans are, how do the humans say it... Ah, yes. Naturally promiscuous."

Khero snorted. "Somehow that don't surprise me," she said, cuddling in a little closer.

Elaros hmphed at her comment, and nuzzled his snout into her hair.

His tail worked its way around her waist, seeking those warm spots on the lower body.

Khero jolted a little as his tail wrapped around her, still adjusting to the sensation, before she relaxed again and closed her eyes. But though she felt a little tired from the day, and though she felt a little sore in all the right places, she couldn't sleep. Embarrassed or not, she was still a little wound up.

Elaros was still for a moment. He could feel the tension in her.

"Are you sure you don't want to finish?" Elaros said, and he slipped a hand downwards to tease her. "You're tense. I can feel it."

Khero let out a shaky breath when Elaros slid his hand down, her heart skipping a beat even as she let out a soft whimper. She was indeed tense. Pent up, more like it, after finally getting so close to the release she needed and being denied it. She still felt awfully paranoid and mortified after being walked in on, but gods!

On the plus side, that...wouldn't happen again, right?

She let out a frustrated sound and rolled her hips into his hand, still sopping wet from all they'd done and the sparks of fresh arousal. "I...maybe..."

Elaros smiled when she rolled into his hand, and he worked her just that much harder, harmlessly slipping his claws inside her.

"Because I want you to ride me, Khero..."

Khero's breath caught in her throat when he slipped his fingers inside, her body going stock still as she felt those nails--something she didn't think she would ever get used to! It felt good, but she was afraid to move in case she moved the wrong way and he nicked her, and so instead she just clung to his arm and trembled, her face pressed against him to muffle her sounds.

"O-okay," she whispered, ready to agree to anything at that point!

Elaros chuckled a bit to himself, and turned onto his back. The sound of his member unsheathing pierced the silence.

"Come on, then," he whispered.

Khero needed no further encouragement, and soon she'd peeled away from him so she could climb atop him again, legs spread on either side of his hips. She let his eyes as she gripped him in hand and brought him to rest against her sex, dipping her hips down to rub against him, teasing him with the hint of entry but not yet slipping him inside.

"Maybe this time we'll actually get to finish," she mumbled, mentally crossing her fingers. And when he was slick from her arousal and she could take no more of the waiting, which only made her want it more, she braced one hand on his chest--and slammed down onto him in one quick, hard motion, as though afraid that any hesitation was only more time to be interrupted.

Her other hand flew to her mouth, muffling her moan, but she didn't even give herself a chance to catch her breath as she began to ride him, grinding and bucking, gripping him like a vice and shuddering with pleasure. All that frustration and pent-up tension made her lose some of her inhibition as she just wanted this, wanted this pleasure and this passion, and her back arched and eyes clenched shut as she moved on him, gasping.

Elaros hissed at the initial plunge, and when she started to ride him in earnest, he reached up with one hand to grip a breast, and gripped her waist with the other. With Khero impaling herself on him again and again, they were right back to where they started, and Elaros was enjoying every second.

Elaros bucked upwards as Khero came down, ensuring that every inch of her would be filled with stunning force.

Stunning force, indeed. It was intense enough that Khero was soon whimpering, and lost her rhythm a few times as it threatened to overwhelm her. But she had been so close before it didn't take long for her to find that angle and pace that worked for her--and when she tilted a little forward and he began to stroke a particularly sensitive spot, she just about lost it. It didn't take long to rekindle what they'd had and soon she was riding him wildly, slamming onto him again and again.

Little moans and squeaky gasps escaped despite the hand on her mouth, her breathing growing sharper, heavier, her body trembling and tense as that pleasure built. And then, muffling a cry the pleasure grew sharper and tighter, she fell against his chest and clung to him, even as she bucked back into his thrusts.

"F...fuck...I'm close...!"

"Me too," Elaros said, and he started to lift her up to take some of the strain off of her legs. His tail worked itself around her leg, and he bared his teeth as every inch of him disappeared into her at an astonishing rate.

When she fell against his chest, Elaros wasted no time in kissing her with the kind of lust and passion only the two of them could reproduce.

"Tiamat above, I'm close!"

It was that added intensity, that crazed speed and force in which he took her, that tipped Khero over the edge. She made it through several thrusts, biting back her cries and muffling her moans against his shoulder, but when he cried out--

Gods above, it was timed just right.

That was all it took to send her careening over the edge.

It took her off guard, completely by surprise, and she let out a sound that was close to a scream, a sound she couldn't quite hold back, as it became too much too fast and pleasure flooded her. Her cry turned to a whimper as she bit his shoulder to stifle the sound, shaking uncontrollably as she just held onto him, breathless.

When Khero came, it set off Elaros' own climax, and a second wave of warmth would flood Khero as he pumped her full of seed like a stallion. She collapsed against him, and Elaros felt like a noodle just then, unable to move. He found the strength to lift his arms up and put them around Khero, but after that, he could only lie there, completely sated as his dying throbs pulsed inside of her.

"Holy gods," Khero panted when she finally got enough air to speak, though she was still trembling all over and her limbs felt like water. She didn't think she could move if she tried, so instead she just let herself stay right wher she was, enjoying the tingling warmth coursing through her.

Warmth which...well, shit. She hadn't thought about what some of that new, wet warmth might be until then. He'd, uh...he'd come inside her, hadn't he?

She...hadn't even considred whether he...did that, like a human, or did something else. And she never let anyone finish inside her.

"Er...Elaros?"

"Hmm?" Elaros said, eyes still closed, his snout snuggled into her neck so he could get as much warmth as possible.

"Uh, just...just wonderin', ah, humans and yer sort? They can't...make babies, can they?" Khero asked, feeling silly but also not partucularly keen to imagine that combination.

"Khero," Elaros said, and he moved his head back so he could look at her.

"If that was possible, I'd have so many illegitimate children," Elaros joked.

"But it's not."

"Oh. Uh. Yeah. Yer right, just checkin'...ya know?"

Khero shifted her hips a little, shivering a little when she still felt him inside her and flushing in response.

"Ya get lucky with lotsa humans, don'tcha?"

"I do," Elaros said, and he gave Khero a short kiss.

Because even with Khero present, Elaros had come home with a girl quite a few times in the past few weeks. Some were obviously bar floozies, and some were noblewomen.

"I like to think it's my exotic charm," Elaros said, chuckling soon after.

Khero raised an eyebrow at him, then snorted and laid her head down against his chest. "Charm, indeed!" she said, though there was a self-deprecating sort of amusement in her voice.

For hadn't she succumbed, too?

Elaros laughed, and he lifted his arms to put them around Khero.

"Am I not charming?" Elaros purred.

With a mock glare his way, Khero gave a pointed wiggle of her hips where they were still joined. "Why don'tcha tell me?"

"Hah," Elaros chuckled, purring a bit as Khero's movements brought some pleasure along with them.

"Quite the point."

Elaros settled a bit where he was, and he retreated his length from her, returning it to its scaly sheath.

"Shall we sleep?"

A visible shudder of pleasure and a bright shot through Khero when he slid out of her--which was soon followed by a shudder of a different kind when, with him no longer plugging her, well...

Everything he'd pumped into her soon came dripping out. Right onto Elaros.

Her face turned a darker shade of red. "Uhhh...I'd say yes but..."

"I know, I know," Elaros said, squirming just a little bit as well, as all of his own mess came out. He was bisexual, yes, but that was his own baby batter back there.

"I think a bath would do us some good."

"Gods, yes!" Khero breathed in relief as she sat up off of him. "I've never had someone...er...y'know. Do that to me. I mean I figured it'd be messy, but that's..."

She looked down between them. "...a lot of stuff."

"What can I say? It speaks to my vigor," Elaros said, sitting up along with Khero.

"Do you think our guest is still awake?"

"She sorta looked half dead, so prolly not?" Khero said, stretching her arms over her head and twisting a little to pop her spine. Now that she was winding down, she was starting to feel all the little aches that came from this sort of...activity. Especially after a long dry spell.


"Why?"

"The bathbasin's downstairs," Elaros said, and he sat up with her. Rather than stretch in bed, Elaros stood up and stretched out. His tail went stiff and horizontal as he gave it a few swings, and he stretched out his arms, as well.

"We'll have to sneak to it."

It was kind of entertaining watching him stretch, the way his tail swayed like some sort of giant dog. Scaly dog.

But his words jerked her right out of her casual observations. She snapped a look at him, her face going red.

"Surely clothed, of course!" she said, and grabbed for her dress where it had been discarded.

Elaros had a satisfied smile on his face when he caught Khero ogling him. He didn't usually find it so satisfying, but with Khero, it felt different.

He picked up a bathrobe from the floor, and tossed it to her.

"I'll wear my garments. You can wear this bathrobe of mine. I'ts a bit small anyways."

Indeed, when Khero put the robe on, it was large on her--but she could definitely see how it would be tiny on him! It was a little awkward wearing his clothes, because that seemed to just really hammer home what they had been doing--buuut their guest had basically seen everything already so it wasn't like it could get any worse.

"Alright, ready when ya are," she said as she tied the robe closed.

Elaros put his garments on, although he didn't really tie anything, and he opened the door, motioning for Khero to exit. As soon as he was out, he quietly shut his door, and motioned for Khero to follow him as he descended the stairs.

Khero followed closely behind Elaros and walked as quietly as she could, her footsteps light and almost soundless. Down the stairs they went, her body tense as she listened for signs of activity below.

Though in the room where they'd left her, Niamh was finally fast asleep, though it was a restless, feverish one from the way she shifted on the couch.

"Oh, poor girl," Elaros whispered as they passed by.

"Wish there was more I could do for her..."

Elaros led Khero out of the foyer and into the hallway. Eventually, they arrived at the bathing room, and Elaros stealthily cracked the door open to usher Khero in.

Right on Elaros's heels, Khero slipped in through the door after him and quickly shut it behind her.

Only then did she let out the breath she'd been holding on one great whoosh.

"We made it!" she whispered, and made a beeline toward the bath.

"Oh, don't enter it, it's cold!" Elaros hissed, holding a hand out to her. There was a rather considerate expression of distaste on his face. He was a reptile, after all.

"Let me start it heating."

Khero froze before she could dip a toe in to test it, the robe still tight around her form. "Oh! Yeesh, thanks fer the head's up!"

Elaros smiled, and he disappeared into a door, heading down some stairs so he could light the coals beneath the bath, and get the water pumps going.

He came back up, and stood in front of Khero, where he just sort of... looked at her.

"I had fun," he commented, mostly to himself.

"Despite the interruption."

Khero flushed a little at his words and his look and dropped her eyes to her feet.

"I, er...I did, too..." she said quietly, barely loud enough for him to hear.

Elaros smiled at that, and he put a hand on her hip.

"The bath'll be ready in a few minutes," Elaros said.

"Good!" Khero said, no longer shying away from his touch. After all, considering what they had just done, that would be...well...silly.

"'Cause I'm all..." She wrinkled her nose and held out her arms, sleeves flapping. "Sticky."

"I'm sorry for making you sticky," Elaros teased.

Khero gave him a squinty-eyed look, playfully accusatory. "Are ya? Are ya really?"

"You've got me all figured out," Elaros retorted, and he dipped in to give her a peck on the lips.

"Are you sorry I made you sticky?"

Khero gave a discreet cough, looking shiftily to the side. "...What do ya think?"

Elaros gave her a knowing smile. His tail slid around behind her, resting against the back of her legs.

"I think you know what I think."

Oh! Khero jolted a little as she felt his tail caress along her legs, and her blood heated at the memory of just how dexterous that tail of his was. She swallowed, hands playing with the ties of her robe.

"Ya think?" she couldn't help but tease, and snorted a soft laugh. "Heh, just playin'. Hey, think the bath's ready, yet?" she asked as she undid the ties.

Elaros hummed thoughtfully, and he reached down to help her undo the ties. Once that was done, he stepped up to the water. It was slightly warm, but it would only get warmer.

"It is," Elaros said, and he let his garments fall away. He took a moment to stretch before stepping down into the water, letting out small purrs as he descended into the warm water.

The robe pooled about Khero's feet as it slipped off her shoulders, and she crossed her arms over her breasts out of reflex, once again feeling very exposed. Eager to get into the warmer water, she followed after Elaros and sank down into it, sighing in pleasure.

That certainly took care of the "stickiness" issue!

"I love this," she said, sinking up to her chin. "Warm bath water like this. Gods. I used to wash in freezin' gutter water, ya know!"

"Ugh, you lost me at freezing," Elaros said, and he let himself float, swimming out to the center of the basin, tail trailing behind him like that of a crocodile. He submerged, and then reappeared at the other end of the basin from Khero.

Elaros gave her a wink, and beckoned over to him.

Khero watched him, transfixed, as he once again did that crocodile thing of his! Most of the time, Khero found herself thinking of him as...almost human. He pretty much was, if you ignored the scales and the tail and his head. He was man-shaped, after all, and spoke like a man and acted like one. Yet it was in little moments like this that she was snapped back to the fact that he definitely was not human. Not even close!

With a shake of her head, she dunked herself under the water, wetting her hair, and then waded over to him.

Elaros put his arms up on the rim of the basin, and he beckoned to the spot next to him with his tail. His tongue flitted out, and he smiled at Khero.

He was quite unsubtly eyeing her.

Oh, she noticed the way he was eyeing her, all right, as she came to settle in beside him and leaned back against the rim. She looked up at him, then back down at the water, and then let out a soft snort.

"Yer not thinkin' what I think yer thinkin'."

Elaros just sort of lazily rolled his head over to look at Khero. He smiled like a cat who just got milk.

"I don't know. What do you think I'm thinking?"

"I'm thinkin'...like...er, how private is this bath, 'xactly?" Khero asked, voice trailing off into a mumble at the end and color staining her cheeks.

"Well, the walls are limestone," Elaros said, and he leaned in to kiss the side of her head.

"They're pretty soundproof."

"And, uh...no one would walk in here randomly or nothin'?" Khero asked, a little thrill going down her spine.

Shit. She WAS repressed.

"All the servants are asleep," Elaros purred, laying a hand on her thigh as his kissing went from the rather platonic side of her head to the much more intimate crook of her neck.

"So it's just you and me..."

A soft little moan shuddered out of Khero when his mouth moved to her neck, and she reached behind herself to grab the edge of the bath to hold steady. Her legs were still wobbly from their first romp--but her body tingled and heated at the thought of another, her sex wet with more than water.

"I-in the water?" she managed to gasp. The only places she'd ever rutted before were in alleys, up against a wall or in her makeshift shelter. Certainly not in water.

"Yes, the water..." Elaros purred, and he slowly rubbed her abdomen with a hand, his claws harmlessly trailing down her skin to leave pin-sized trails of sensation.

"Unless, of course, if you have some foreplay in mind."

"No, no, this...I mean, it's fine, I've just never..."

Khero sucked in her belly as his claws ghosted over her, shivering.

"How d'ya do it without drownin', is all?"

"It's quite simple," Elaros said, turning to fully face Khero. He put his hands on her hips, tail curling around the back of her legs as he leaned in to kiss her.

"The side of the basin we entered by had a shallow step so we could step down easily, remember? It's shallow enough for you to get on your hands and knees, or for you to ride me, if I sat against the edge."

Elaros gave her ass a squeeze.

"Shall I name more possibilities?"

Khero let out a gasp at that ass squeeze, pressing closer into Elaros as a result, and managed to nod as the possibilities flashed before her. Gods, but she hadn't been this eager in ages; most of the time, it had been purely for survival, definitely not for pleasure. The only times it hadn't been like that were with an old lover. With him, she'd felt safe, loved, pleasured, capable of being herself and as uninhibited as their lack of privacy allowed. There wasn't love here--not like that, at least; caring, definitely, and affection, and respect--but she felt safe, and he'd definitely given her pleasure.

Gods how she craved it. And now that they'd breached that barrier, there was no real going back.

"That all sounds good," she managed to get out, and boldly slid a hand down his front to the place his cock was sheathed. "I think my thighs need a rest, so maybe...um...ya can do the work this time, eh?"

Elaros was pleasantly surprised when Khero took the initiative, purring as he looked down at her. He unsheathed himself then, coming to rest in the palm of her hand as he grinned at her.

"Mm, lead the way, then," he said, motioning to the aforementioned area of the basin.

Khero felt his cock slide into her hand, and her breath caught as she truly touched it for the first time--well, at least, with her hand. It truly was massive, and as she gave him a long, slow stroke, examining it for herself, she marveled at the ridges--and the tattoos.

Holy crap, that had to have hurt.

She ran her thumb over the head, and when he motioned her to lead, she released him and turned for the basin, wading her way through the water.

She soon reached the little step, but then she paused, a self-conscious twinge going through her. Looking over her shoulder, she grimaced. "Ah...actually...if ya want, um, I could ride ya," she said, turning to face him again. She rubbed at her shoulder, and one of the thick scars that peeked over it. "I...I know my back ain't pretty to look at."

Elaros purred as she stroked him, and he followed closely behind her, stopping only when she stopped and turned to face him. He frowned a bit at her words, and he put his hands on her shoulders.

"Your scars don't bother me, Khero," Elaros said, hands running down her arms until they stopped at her elbow. He smiled at her.

"I want you to be comfortable."

"Oh...uh, well, um..."

Khero took a deep breath, heart beating fast and goosebumps rising under his caress. She'd only ever had sex face to face; her scars, she had found, were a turn-off for most people. Even her lover hadn't liked to look at them--not because he found them hideous, but because he found them upsetting, that reminder of what had been done to her and how much pain she'd experienced. Of course Khero understood the sentiment, but she had always found it a little hurtful nonetheless, and it had done nothing for the insecurity she already felt about them. He wouldn't even touch them.

The people she serviced for money were far crueler.

"If yer sure..."

Turning away from him again, she fought against the wave of discomfort and insecurity that had her wanting to face him again, and instead knelt on the step and leaned forward onto her hands.

It's not that Elaros liked her scars, but it's not like he didn't like them, either. It reminded him that this girl had injustices done to her, sure, but it also meant that all of that was in her past.

That under his roof, she'd never find the same injustices. Only acceptance. So when Elaros came up behind her, tail sliding along her thigh and wrapping itself around her hip, he found himself curiously tracing them with his fingers.

He dipped forwards, rubbing his length against her, ridges gliding along her sex and clit.

Khero trembled as his hands glided over the rough ridges of her scars; the scars themselves had little feeling, but the skin around them was sensitive, and her body jolted at the sensation, for most people were too disgusted to feel them.  She bit her lip, feeling a little exposed like this, a little vulnerable, but then she felt his cock sliding between her folds to rub all along her, and she let her breath out in a shaky sigh.

Gasping as he slid against her clit, Khero bit back a moan and rocked her hips into him, eager for more. Her hips wiggled a little into his teasing, trying to catch him at an angle where he could slip inside her, and a soft whine slipped out, because gods, even that much felt wonderful--but she was hungry for all of him.

And the lewdness of this position, so new to her, was only exciting her all the more. "Elaros..." she breathed, face hot.

Elaros passed his tongue over Khero's neck, and he dragged his claws down her back, leaving harmless little trails as he situated himself. He pushed lightly against her entrance, giving her a bit of a tease before he sheathed himself the rest of the way in her.

He purred, and he savored her for a few moments before the movement started.

"A-ah!" Khero yelped when he finally gave her what she wanted, stiffening her arms so his thrust didn't knock her onto her elbows. She gasped as he filled her, stretching her so wonderfully, and with a low moan she pushed back against him to bury him as deeply as her body could handle. He was huge, but she was slick with desire and the seed still seeping out of her and it went even easier this time than before.

Shivering at the feeling of his tongue on her neck and claws at her back, she was soon whimpering anew as he began to thrust into her, body rocking and breasts swaying with each slap of his hips. It was hard to hold in the cries that wanted to escape her, the new angle and depth making it far more intense, and she spread her legs a little wider and gripped the edge of the bath tightly as her entire body trembled beneath him.

"Oh gods," she breathed, voice choked with a near sob.

Elaros purred at the feeling of her walls. He didn't really think about the future much during these kinds of situations, but with Khero, the thoughts came filtering in uninvited. He'd gotten rather attached to the previous girl, he...

It was a momentary hesitation, but he started to move his mammoth member within her, soowly grjnding the ridges and bumps of his cock against her walls as he built speed.

"Apsu and Tiamat, you feel good, Khero."

"Y-ya do, too," Khero managed to gasp out before another thrust took her breath away. She hardly noticed his hesitation, too wrapped up in the pleasure of it all as she began to rock back into his thrusts, wanting, needing, everything he had to give her. This angle was new, different, his cock stroking deep places she hadn't even known existed and its texture just right for hitting them, and it was a bloody effort to stay up as her knees and arms trembled.

But somehow, even though he made her want to scream, she managed to keep quiet, biting down on her lip hard enough to bleed and letting her breath out sharply through her nose. Though a few times he caught her off guard and drew out a whimper or a throaty moan--and it was taking everything in her power to keep it that way!

Indeed, this angle allowed Elaros to stroke the very deepest parts of her, every milimeter of his fantastical member vanishing into her with every thrust. If Khero had been just a tiny bit smaller, he'd be bumping into her cervix. As things stood, he was just shy of reaching it.

Elaros reached beneath Khero and gripped her breasts, and while his claws didn't break skin, they did prickle her just a bit. Elaros' tail started stroking Khero's thighs.

Khero gasped at the feeling of his claws on her breasts, the feeling new but also a little exciting--and that little reminder of just who was bedding her. Kia, it was like one of those old paintings of the maidens being seduced by monsters--except he was no monster, and she was certainly no maiden.

"Oh fuck...oh fuck..." she panted, eyes clenched shut and muscles tensing all around him. "Oh fuck...Elaros..." She squirmed, rocking back into him, aching for more. "I ain't glass...ya can go harder..."

Indeed, it was like one of those stained glass windows in the corner of a chapel, except their actions were far from appropriate for a church setting. Elaros wasn't really holding back, in particular. Sure, his pace was a bit slower than usual, but he was still feeling her out, in a way.

But if the lady wanted him to skip the buildup, he'd do so without hesitation. He pitched forwards a bit, pulling her against him a bit with the grip he had on her breasts while he started to slam into her with greater strength.

He started to slam into her, and Khero gave up on trying to hold back. Soft, shuddering moans and whimpers escaped her, not overly loud for she was still so used to having to be quiet, but she was no longer completely silent now.

Panting for breath, she let her head hang down and covered her mouth with her hand, muffling her little cries even as she delighted in the feel of his hands on her breasts and his cock slamming home. Gods, he felt wonderful, and she arched her back to lift her ass higher, encouraging him to fuck her, body rocking in time to the slap of his body--and breath catching when that pleasurable tension started to build. Squirming beneath him, she reached a hand under her to rub her clit, biting her lip and breathing through her nose as the pleasure only spiked, as her body only tensed all the more with each powerful thrust.

"Oh shiiiit..."

Her ass lifted higher, and Elaros shifted forwards on his knees a bit so he could go deeper. He turned it up a couple notches, and the slapping of scales against flesh was more audible than ever as he took her.

"Gods, Khero," Elaros moaned, eyes closed as he just basked in the pleasure.

"A-ah!"

Impossibly, he took her even harder, and soon Khero had both hands braced along the ground to keep herself balanced against his onslaught, her cries coming out loudly now to echo off the bathing room walls. Her own sounds surprised even her, who had always been quiet, but she was too far gone to care and could hardly help it right then, her body tensing and tightening with growing pleasure, her breath catching, her throat growing raw. She could tell she was going to be sore after this, but right then she welcomed every fierce thrust.

Until, finally, the sensations all built and intensified and she let out a gasped, "Elaros, I'm--!" that was cut off short by a whimpering moan--and powerful tremors that had her arms and legs shaking, along with the rest of her, as she struggled to stay upright in the throes of her release.

Elaros purred as Khero's climax came rushing in, continuing to thrust so that she wouldn't wind down. He turned her over onto her back, and he held onto one of her tits as he started to pound her again. Soon, his hand keft her breast, and he started to pull her into his thrusts.

Turned onto her back, Khero braced her elbows on the edge of the pool behind her to keep from slipping down--and to keep from having her back pressed uncomfortably against the edge. But she hardly noticed the discomfort right then as she was still riding out her release, her body still spasming around Elaros as he took her.

She cried out, her legs spread shamelessly wide, the water sloshing around them from the force of his thrusts. And all the while she watched him, lips parted with her moans, marveling at his power and even glancing down to watch his massive cock vanish inside her with each powerful thrust.

"Oh gods, oh gods," she whimpered like a prayer, head tilting back and eyes fluttering closed. "Elaros, gods!"

Elaros didn't warn her before he came this time. Instead, all she got was his snout pressing up against her lips as he sped up to a rather frightening pace, a speed he maintained for a good half minute before finally he couldn't hold it in any longer.

He delivered his dying thrusts as his warmth filled her, and he started to purr, nuzzling against her neck as he slowly loosened up and relaxed.

Khero slumped back against the edge of the tub when Elaros finished, chest heaving with her frantic breaths. She didn't come again, though Elaros' powerful release brought her close, and her arms closed around him as he relaxed against her.

"Oh...fuck..." she panted, pressing her face into his shoulder.

Elaros smirked.

"Fuck indeed," he said, and he let himself slink back into the water, taking Khero with him so she was seated on his lap, facing forward. He was still buried inside of her.

"You're amazing, Khero."

"I hardly did a thing," Khero breathed, letting her forehead rest against his shoulder. "Ya did all the work."

"Oh, you should hardly worry about such a thing," Elaros said, putting his snout against the side of her head, nuzzling gently even as his tail twined around her ankle.

"Being with you makes me want more of that drug. We could actually indulge ourselves then..."

Khero's face flushed a deeper shade at his words. "The, er...ya mean that drug from the first time we, uh..."

She glanced down to where they were joined. "Got frisky? When ya painted me?"

"Yes!" Elaros said, voice ringing with excitement.

"Oh, don't you think it'll be wonderful?"

Khero made a sour face. "I like it better when I know what I'm doin'."

Elaros' expression straightened out a bit at her words.

"What's there to worry about? It'll just be the two of us."

"That's true..." Khero said, and gave Elaros a sheepish look.

"Guess I'm just worried 'bout doin' something real stupid and embarrassin'."

"Mmm, I doubt it," Elaros said. He glanced downwards, still feeling her warm walls around him. He was still hard, one of the perks of being a reptile.

"It hardly gets more intimate than this."

"I said stupid and embarrassin'. Nothin' 'bout intimacy or whatever. That's different. I was stupid last time I was on that stuff..." she mumbled, then caught his look and followed it down.

Sometimes it took a little bit before a guy went soft, but damn, he wasn't going down at all. With a slight flush, she shifted her hips, and shivered at the sensation. Nope. He was still rock hard and full inside her. "Didn't ya come?"

"Oh, I did," Elaros said, meeting her eyes.

"Us Drakkonans don't enlarge like you do. We're always one size."

"Ah..." Khero said, her face going warm. That explained much.

"Should I, er...get off ya?"

A tilt of Elaros' head, and a smile.

"Do you want to?"

Khero gave an experimental roll of her hips, shuddering around him.

"N-no...?"

"Ride as you please, then," Elaros said, tail wrapping around her ankle again

"I don't mind missing some sleep."

That was all the encouragement Khero needed. With a quiet moan, she gripped his shoulders for support as she began to rock her hips, slow and steady, taking her time in building her pleasure this time rather than racing toward it as she had the last few times. But she was used to quick and dirty; it was only the soreness in her muscles that slowed her down now.

It was so strange, like something out of an exotic fantasy, the two of them in that lavish, rich pool that felt, to Khero, like something out of a palace. Gasping with each motion, and adjusting herself so she could rise and fall atop him, spearing herself on his cock again and again, it was so easy to get lost in the sensations. Gods, how easily she'd taken to this once they had gotten started, how shamelessly she craved this and more...

And then a thought came to her unbidden, and her eyes fluttered open as she bit back a moan, pausing with him still deep inside her.

"...Elaros...?" she breathed, biting her lip.

"Does this...am I...does this make me yer sex slave...?"

Elaros let out a bit of a laugh at Khero's question, and his hands drifted to gently caress her sides as she rode. There was much less friction between the two of them now, Elaros' previous releases making Khero's insides even slicker.

"By law, you are still my slave, yes. And we do have sex," Elaros said.

"But I would never force myself upon you, or command you to couple with me. You're doing this because you want to."

Khero relaxed again at that, the shame that had started to creep in fading away. It was still a little strange, in a sense, to do this with someone who owned her...yet even so, Elaros had made it clear from the beginning that even she had rights here, slave or not. And one of those rights had always been the right to choose whether she was touched or not. That was far more than what most slaves got.

"When ya put it that way..." she murmured, before she gave another little circular roll of her hips, shuddering at the sensation. And soon she could take it no more as she started to fall back into her rhythm, rocking back and forth and grinding down onto him, soft little moans escaping her and hands sliding up to cup her breasts to keep them from bouncing too much.

"Nnngh, gods...suppose I can see why the ladies like ya so much..."

Elaros' smile deepened, and he leaned in to give Khero a kiss.

"It's my exotic charm, isn't it?" He teased.

"S-somethin' like that!" Khero squeaked out as she rode him, head tilting back in pleasure and eyes fluttering shut.

"Maybe yer big dick, too..."

Elaros chortled at that, moving subtly with Khero so she could get the most out of her movements.

"Yes, I suppose my cock has something to do with it as well," he said.

Elaros closed his eyes.

"You feel so good, Khero..."

"Y-yeah?" Khero swiveled her hips experimentally, letting out a breathless moan at the sensations that caused. "Gods, so do ya..."

Grabbing onto his shoulders for leverage, Khero started to ride him a little harder, lifting until he nearly left her before sliding back onto him with a cry and splash of water. Gods, she felt almost delirious with pleasure, even after she'd already had him several times tonight--and maybe it was just a sign of how much she'd been craving this that she didn't want to stop just yet.

And after all, this was it, right? She would know no others but him, right? No matter their relationship, he was still her master first and foremost, and while she knew he slept with others, she wasn't sure how he would feel about her doing the same. Or if she even wanted to. She'd never known a normal, healthy relationship, aside from that one so long ago...

"A-ah...gods...! Why did we wait so long to do this...?"

At her question, Elaros actually laughed a bit, but his expression went neutral again as he leaned in to nuzzle against her neck, tongue flitting out to tease and lick.

"I wanted to make sure you were comfortable," Elaros said lightly, and his hands went to her hips to help her lift and fall.

"That this was something you wanted..."

"And I th-thank ya fer--ah!--fer that!" Khero managed to gasp out as Elaros helped her ride, voice coming out as a squeak when his thrusts took her breath away. She shivered under his tongue, panting for air as her hands squeezed his shoulders, and soon her body was tensing and tightening as another release began to build within her, making her squirm all the more.

"Oh fuck...oh fuck...!"

Elaros could sense her growing heat and tension, and so he went faster and harder, wanting to make Khero soar.

He was approaching his own climax, but Khero would definitely have hers before that.

Have hers she did, for no sooner did Khero manage a hastily gasped, "Gonna come...!" than she was trembling anew, curling against his chest and hanging on for dear life as pleasure wracked her and stole her breath away. But even through her climax she kept on moving, riding it out as best as she could, sliding along his cock to milk every ounce of pleasure from him that she could.

Elaros let Khero ride herself out, only interfering when his own peak arrived. He pulled her close as he filled her, hissing as he buried his snout against her neck.

Pulled close to him, Khero let out a soft cry when she felt him flex within her, felt the warm rush fill her, and she clung tightly to him as she panted for breath and reeled from her own release, her body still aflame and so delightfully sensitive.

Once they'd both died down, the only thing left was a constant purr from Elaros as he nuzzled against her neck, cuddling a bit closer to her as he just soaked up her heat and bathed in the afterglow.

"I...I don't think I can move," Khero said when she could do more than just pant breathlessly, limp as a noodle in Elaros's arms.

"I can," Elaros said, and he kissed her collar.

"But I don't want to."

"Mm...then don't," Khero said, absently nuzzling against his neck.

They sat like that for a few moments as Elaros appreciated the warmth and the afterglow. He slowly stroked her hips, retracting his cock back into himself and unplugging her.

He purred as he passed his snout over her head, nuzzling her loosely.

"A-ah!" Khero shivered as he pulled out, still all sensitive and tingly, but she relaxed against his chest with a sigh, her eyes drifting shut. The water clouded between them as his expulsions leaked out of her, but she hardly noticed or cared. It felt good as he nuzzled her, something she never thought she would have liked.

"That was...fun..." she said quietly.

"Mhm," Elaros murmured. He leaned back a bit, shooting her a grin.

"I love how you move," he said, and he tenderly brushed some hair from her face.

"Hah, uh..." Khero brushed wet hair from her eyes, trying to hide he awkward smile. "Yeah, yer not so bad yerself. At the whole movin' thing."

Elaros chuckled, and he looped his arms around her waist.

"Shall we go back to bed?"

"Sure," Khero said, and slumped against him dramatically. "I'm exhausted."

"Well, you're going to have to move if you want to go," Elsros said, tone chiding but face playful.

"You remember where the towels are?"

"Or ya could just carry me," Khero said, but with a dramatic sigh she rose up and slipped out of the water, quickly wrapping herself up in a towel before she grabbed one for Elaros. He might not mind her scars, but she was still self-conscious--about that, and her nudity. Perhaps it was silly, but Serenian upbringing didn't go away overnight!

She held the second towel out for Elaros, hair dripping around her shoulders.

Elaros took the towel, letting his wet, glittering scales dry off in the air for a moment before he started to gently towel himself down. His scales were water-resistant, so he really didn't need to dry off that much. He picked his robe back up and slipped it on, not bothering to tie the waist before he picked up Khero's bathrobe, folded it, and offered it to her.

Khero slipped the robe on quickly, and unlike Elaros she tied it shut. She used the towel to wrap around her hair so it didn't drip, and then she looked to him to follow his lead.

"I was serious 'bout the carryin' thing, by the way."

Elaros raised a brow-ridge at her, and shook his head with a chuckle, holding out his arms.

"Okay, I'll humor you this time. Only thing it'll cost you is a kiss," he said, tone flirty as he beckoned her towarss him.

"Ain't too hefty a cost," Khero said with a snort and a roll of her eyes. Sure, she had been weirded out by the thought of kissing him before, and part of her still found it strange, but considering everything else they had done, that was nothing. Drawing closer and raising up onto her toes, she gave him a quick peck on the snout.

"Toll paid. Now carry me!"

The corner of Elaros' mouth curled up at her little peck, and he gave her an appreciative look.

"Such a tease," he murmured to himself.

He picked her up so that she was cradled against his chest. He was strong and held her easily and comfortably as he took her out of the room, walked her through his halls, and began ascending the stairs.

He was silent throughout the trip, content with holding her close and experiencing her warmth. When they reached the door to his room, his tail slinked up and gripped the handle.

Elaros walked Khero to his bed and he sort of climbed onto it as he set her down, leaving her between his arms and on her back. He looked down at her with a wry sort of grin, and leaned in to kiss her, this time going for a fuller kiss.

"This looks like your stop..."

"Yep," Khero said, voice muffled against Elaros's snout. Oh boy. What had she gotten herself into? Maybe one day she'd get used to this--but that also meant that she'd have to do this enough to get used to this. Had she made things weird between them? Was this weird? In the heat of the moment, she had stopped caring, but in the calm afterglow, as she relaxed and he carried her to bed, those thoughts had started to catch up to her again.

Was this...wrong? To be a slave and do something like this with her master. To be human and do something like this with someone very much not human?

But in the heat of it all, she had cared only for the affection she starved for. Master, slave, human, not human, it hadn't mattered.

All that had mattered was how he spoke to her. How he touched her. The tenderness, the care.

The humanity.

"It's...not weird that we're doin' this, is it?" she said after she broke the kiss, looking up at him. "You bein', er, my master and all?"

It was all so confusing.

At her question, Elaros paused. His reptilian features betrayed little, but his thoughts over the answer could be seen in the way his eyes softened and then looked away. He set himself down besides her, eyes still lost in thought.

She'd already asked him this before, although the words were different and his answer came easier. Why did he find it so hard now?

"It's... not weird to me," he said. He said it with a light smile, even if the tone of his voice let her know that his omnipresent aloofness was now absent. "Where I come from, there are no masters or slaves, and I don't see you as a slave at all. And I don't see myself as your master," he continued.

"When I look at you, I just see Khero. Yes, there's a scrap of paper that says I bought you and that I own you, but that's kindling for all I care. I only kept it because the law says to..."

He went quiet, seemingly mulling over his next words. As he did so, he let his head rest next to hers, and after a few moments he nuzzled his snout into the delicious warmth of her neck.

"We're just Elaros and Khero."

Khero was quiet for a long moment after Elaros's statement, her mind racing and eyes closed so he couldn't see the flash of pain in them. We're just Elaros and Khero, he said. There's a scrap of paper that says I bought and that I own you, but...

That's what he said. But what was real? That scrap of paper might be insignificant to him, but it was very significant to her own life and future. Was he just saying that because it sounded nice, or was that the honest truth?

She was afraid to test it. If she did, and it turned out to be a lie...

She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Her eyes cracked open. "That scrap o' paper..."  she said slowly. "Ya could use it to free me...right?"

He was quiet on that, but it wasn't a bad silence. It came with a sudden burst of introspection as he asked himself if he had really meant that. It was in his nature to please and comfort, but her question paused him in a way he didn't expect.

Because when he asked himself if he really did mean it, he found that he couldn't disagree. He'd gotten to know and care for her in the time she'd been in his home and he found that it didn't sit right with his morals and it wasn't honest to what they were.

Because they weren't lovers, but he couldn't deny that there was something brewing between them.

He met her eyes and spoke.

"I... I could," he said finally, and he found himself looking off for a moment before looking back to her.

"What would you do with that? Would you leave?," he asked, brushing a hand along her arm. He was curious, wanting to pursue this line of questioning even if Khero herself was nervous.

"I'd hafta," Khero said quietly, keeping her eyes lowered. "My brother 'n' sister are still out there somewhere."

It was what he'd expected to hear, honestly. He was quiet for a moment after that, and rest his head on his pillow, still looking at her and trying to find those eyes of here.

The hand brushing along her arm stopped at her hand, and he hesitated a moment before he covered it.

"I don't want you to go," he admitted, and offered her a tiny smile. He quickly continued before that could be dwelled on too much.

"But I understand."

He turned properly onto his side, propping his head up on his free hand. Taken by an affectionate sort of curiosity he lifted her hand up, examining it.

"The way is long, though. Maybe... you don't have to go alone?" He ventured.

Khero squeezed her eyes shut as his hand covered hers, trapping the tears behind her lashes. Fuck. What the fuck. How was it that a monster was kinder than any fellow human she had met since her enslavement? And even before that! It didn't make sense! And maybe this wasn't real now. Maybe he would change his mind. He had all the power here, sealed away in that "scrap of paper".

Was this real?

Did he understand?

Was he...actually offering what it sounded like?

Her eyes snapped open, watery and reddened, and she finally looked up at him. "What are ya sayin'?"

"Far be it for me to stand in the way of family," Elaros started, and he took a moment to rest his back against the pillows at the head of his bed. He stroked her jaw and cheek, wiping away one of her tears. His smile turned a bit more serious.

"A free woman has much more capability to go searching for her family than one who's still bound by law. I-I can help you too, in any way you need it," he said, nodding along gently as he spoke as if to affirm her that yes, he meant it.

"Yer sayin' ya'd go with me," Khero stated, as though trying to absorb the information. "All the way to Cerenis? It's a long way..."

And she winced. "If they're even still okay."

"It is a long way," Elaros conceded, and when she brought up the possibility that her family might not be okay, he sought to comfort her by squeezing her hand and coming a little closer. Closeness and physical affection was what he knew best, after all.

"We'll find them, Khero," he said, and he tried to find her eyes.

"I wouldn't want you just going by yourself. It's not safe..."

Khero scoffed at that, but accepted the closeness and curled in a little tighter.

"My whole life's been dangerous," she said. "Ain't nothin' new. I'm not scared."

Elaros made a thoughtful hum at that, although his draconic snout made it sound more like a grunt. He was ridiculously comfortable, still all warm and sated from their multiple romps. All the better, because it was approaching that time of year and the hormones were already starting to get so strong...

"I never said you were scared," he said simply, and he glanced up to give her a fond look before he let his head rest on her bosom, top of his head tucked neatly against her chin. He relished the closeness, the smell of clean skin and warmth.

"You've a fiery bravery inside you. I love that it never subsides," he said, purring the last couple of words out. "We can take a pair of horses. Two heads make better than one, and it's been a long time since I've travelled more... traditionally. And besides..."

His hands wandered down, gently clutching her waist to remind her of the blazing passion they'd shared not but ten minutes ago.

"The road takes many tolls on a traveler... you'll need comfort, and support," he offered.